Up in flames

The nightmares

I can't move and the flames are licking at my frosted over body. Everything seems upside down and all my thoughts are clouded by the thick smoke rising from the fire. Every last one of my muscles screams as I try to move from the ice that froze me to my place. Logic roars at me, this is wrong fire and ice cannot co-exist, this isn't real. I know this is a dream but reality doesn't seem to break the charm of the overbearing fire's heat. I burn and freeze at the same time until it becomes too painful to handle and I scream, I scream with all my might like he told me to. Suddenly I find myself kicking and screaming in my bed, Donovan tries to hold me down without hurting me "Avery, it's all right, you're okay now." The low tone in his spicy voice is soothing as I calm down he pulls me closer and rocks me "It's okay now."  This has been our routine for the past week; nightmares have been plaguing my dreams and their becoming worse. It started out with me watching my parents burn to me burning alive, I know it's impossible but it feels real. I notice something in his eyes like he knows what coming and he knows it's going to be a storm. "This will be over soon" He makes another attempt to calm me. Liar.

"It was different this time, I was encased in ice and burned by fire." This seemed to astonish him.

"This can't be..." He whispers more to himself than to me

"What are two elements not allowed to co-exist in dreams? Where all things are possible."

"No...Uhm... I...Ignore that."

"More secrets." I say disappointed.

"I told you, soon enough you'll know everything." Too soon, his eyes say like it's going to turn my life upside down. I go in for a kiss but like every other time he turns away, since that night he's been avoiding physical contact practically hiding from it.

"This is more dangerous than you could ever fathom."

"What, are you scared the villagers are going to chase us with pitchforks and fire? Because if you haven't noticed this is the 21st century."

"Let's not get into this Avery"

All of a sudden my head feels like it's going to burst into a million pieces, no a billion. Everything around me spins "Aaaaaargh" I can't help myself from yelling out in agony; everything just feels so damn painful! The pain simmers down but it still feels like my body is at war with itself.

"Avery, It's going to be okay." He says as he rushes me, not to a hospital but to a small back room made of metal. I've never seen this before "LOOK AT ME!" I must have dosed of. "Avery, look at me!" I look up at his fear filled eyes and then ....I combust, ice and flames flow from my body. He controls the flames, spinning it around him. This has to be another nightmare.  "Avery I Know this seems surreal..... This isn't another nightmare, this is real. 'This' is our family secret." It has to be a nightmare. He concentrates so hard that he fails to notice the shard of ice flying at him. It hit him leaving a big brown bruise "Listen to my voice, you need to calm down....it will go away if you calm down, just calm down" His voice soothes me to safety and then everything is dark.