Story Collection

Pain

Fire. It was all around me. A lake of white-hot flames. And I was drowning in it. I screamed in agony as felt my flesh boiling as I swam desperately, trying to find and form of escape. Where was I? How did I get here? I couldn't focus. The pain was far too intense. Each stroke felt like dipping my arms and face into molten iron. How was I not dead yet?

My ceaseless cries of torture starved my body of air, and I was forced to inhale. My screaming quickly turned into a mess of gags and coughing, from the liquid fire spilling into my lungs. I could feel them shrivel up from the heat, leaving me in a state of endless suffocation. Each gasp only caused me more agony, and to breathe in deeper. It was an endless cycle of misery.

"Yueille." A low voice boomed in my ears. It sounded familiar, but I wasn't sure.

"I've found you." It rang out with a snickering tone. I could just imagine a wide, evil grin.

I tried to call out to it, to ask its name. To cry for help. But I could stop myself from inhaling more fire, and writhing in agony.

Suddenly, I felt something grab my arm. The touch was soft, and cold. It felt nice at first, easing the pain in my arm, but it quickly grew colder. Too cold. I felt a different sensation of burning, as it turned my skin to ice. I tried to claw away at whatever was touching me. But it wouldn't budge, and frozen my other arm. Starting with my finger tips.

"Yueille!" The voice bellowed, as the ice spread across my entire body. My arms, legs, torso—all of it went stiff. A painful, bitter cold consumed me.

"Yueille!" It cried once more, seeming desperate. The grip on my arm tightened, cracking the ice around it. My frozen flesh.

I could still feel every bit of the pain. The cracks spread far and deep, shooting lightning bolts up my arms as they crossed my nerves. I wanted to cry, but my eyes were solid ice. They felt irritated, painful. Like someone was dragging their fingernail across my pupil.

"Yueille!" Leo screamed and I sat upright, soaked in sweat. "Hey, are you alright? I could hear you screaming from the other room.

It took a moment for me to realize what just happened. It all felt so... real. I pushed his hand from my arm and stood up from my bed, scanning myself for burns in the dim candlelight.

"Hey." He whispered grabbing me by the cheeks. "You need to sit down. You look like a ghost."

I stared at him with wide eyes, dazed and confused. I could feel my hands trembling, and a lingering pain from the horror I just felt. There was no way that was just a dream. Everything felt way too real, and I could remember it all clearly. It was seared into my brain.

"What happened? Are you okay?" He insisted, forcing me back onto my bed.

"I—I'm not sure." My voice was barely a whisper, weak and broken.

I cupped my mouth with my hand and started to gag. It took everything I had not to vomit. I didn't want Leo to see such a thing. I would die from embarrassment.

"You're fine now." He gently sat down beside me, and rubbed my back. I suddenly felt loads better.

I could feel the tears starting to well up, and my breaths were sharp. I tried to hold it back, but I couldn't help but sob. It was the worst thing I ever felt. It seemed far too real.

"I don't want to go back to sleep." I was terrified of having that dream again. If it were my choice, I'd never sleep again.

"That's fine." He replied softly, throwing his arm around me and pulling me in. "I'll stay up with you."

"You don't have to do that. Go back to bed, I'll be fine." It was I lie. I didn't want him to leave, I wanted him to stay.

"No thanks. With all your screaming I heard? I'd probably have a nightmare too." He laughed.