Where There's Smoke There's Fire

The Nightmare

We made it outside. Jeff was waiting with the car a block away. Now we just had to get to him without getting shot at.

"Can you walk?" Frank asked.

"I can try," I woozily slogged past each run-down house, Frank's arm around my waist. When we finally reached Jeff his face filled with relief.

"Thank God you're alive," He hugged me so hard I winced.

"Barely," He let me go and we got into the car. "How did you guys find me?"

"Look in your shoe," Frank told me.

In my shoe I found an almost undetectable tracking device.

"It was Jeff's idea. He thought it might be a good idea to keep an eye on you,"

"And boy, was I right," He turned the key and the engine sputtered to life.

"Let's get out of here,"

~*~

We met Freddy at a general store and they talked while I fell asleep in the car. My dreams were filled with images of my mother, my father, and Frank . I dreamt that I was home in the shower. The hot water burned my scalp and pulled all my worries down the drain. I turned off the water and wrapped myself in a towel. I laid myself on my bed and stared at the ceiling. My dad called me from downstairs, saying someone was here to see me. I threw on some jeans and a sweater and walked down the stairs.

Frank was sitting on the couch, his feet propped up on the coffee table.

"Hey, Sweetheart,"

"Hi. May I ask what you're doing in my house?" I was confused why he would come here. I didn't invite him, was something wrong?

"I came to see the one and only Lola Hunt." He stood from the couch with ease and stepped close to me. "The one, beautiful, lovely Lola Hunt." I couldn't tear my eyes from his. They were a different color than normal, instead of being blue they were light gray, nearly white.

"What's up with you?" I said blankly.

"I missed you," he brought his lip crashing onto mine. I cried against them, his kiss felt like acid and it burned my lips. When he had let me go I asked what he meant.

"You were gone for a very long time, don't you remember?" I shook my head. "Oh, Lola. Silly, naïve Lola. You left, remember? You ran away."

"What?"

"You left us, you little monster. I'm sorry to say that Jeff didn't make it out. He was counting on you, you know? You betrayed him."

My heart dropped. "He's dead?" Frank nodded.

"I killed him, remember? That's why you ran, you were scared."

I couldn't speak from fear. My body was frozen from horror. Frank killed him?

"You saw me kill him, which makes you a witness. You know I don't like leaving witnesses, so either you promise not to tell..." He smiled wickedly, "Or I kill you, sweetheart,"

I didn't answer, I couldn't answer.

"I would really like it if you would just forget this ever happened. Then we could live like before, back when you loved me. Do you remember way back then?"

He had cornered me into the wall and was towering over me. He brushed some hair out of my face and pressed his forehead to mine.

"Say yes, Lola. I only want to hurt you, not kill you. My battle isn't with you, it's with your father. Just say yes, and I will let you come with me." He lowered his head to my shoulder, "Come with me," He kissed my neck. It tingled at first, but then the sensation grew. It grew into a burning sense of agony. I cried out in pain.

"Say yes, Lola. I can take your pain away. Just say yes,"

"Yes!" That instant the pain fled. Frank kneeled to the floor where I had fallen.

"Thank you,"