Their Flame {ON HIATUS UNTIL MY WRITER'S BLOCK GETS HIT BY A TRUCK}

Chapter 11: Jack

I hold Katrina, letting her lean against me and cry. She needs this, all the pressure and her past probably isn't the lightest weight to carry around. 

While I'm comforting her, my eyes wander to the building she lives in. It's an average two story house, the outside painted an off white color. As I'm looking, I see a woman staring down at Katrina from one of the second story windows. 

I realize that's probably her mom and am furious. That's right, look. Look at what you're doing to your daughter. 

Then she looks at me, eyes sad as she has to look at her daughter in such a state. I can't help but scowl as she walks away from the window, letting the curtain block out the world. Once the curtain settles back into place, I go back to soothing Katrina. 

She pulls away a minute later and I keep my arm on her as we begin to walk. "So have you figured out a plan?" I blush because I haven't. "No. Not yet." I say, ashamed. 

Katrina nods slowly, lapsing into silence for a brief moment before I ask her, "Should we see if my parents can help?" She looks up at me, giving the slightest of smiles. 

I've given her some hope. I think to myself as she nods. "Let's go."

***

I open the door to the apartment and make her sit. "I'll be right back." I say and walk into the next room to look around for my parents. They aren't in the kitchen or their bedroom.

Where are they? 

I walk back to the main room, expecting to tell Katrina they must not be home. However, when I step into the living room, my mother and father are talking to her from their spot on the couch. 

I stand there for a moment, confused. But their voices pull me out of my daze quickly enough, and I walk over to them, sitting on the chair beside Katrina to join the conversation. 

"... I can't not go with her. And I'm not going to stay with my dad. He's never around, and it would break my mom's heart if I left her." 

She says, not crying anymore, trying to be brave in the face of my parents. "But if I do go with her, Jack and I can't wield our fire. I don't know what to do and it scares me." She admits and I nod, it scares me too. 

"Mom, is there anything we can do?" I speak up, praying she says there's a way. She huffs, thinking for a moment before frowning, "I… I don't know how. You guys are too young to go off on your own, and we can't just keep Katrina here. That's basically kidnapping, whether she agrees to it or not." 

Katrina's eyes shine with tears again, threatening to spill over. "Most groups leave as soon as they both turn eighteen, to wherever they please. You two still have three more years." She sounds apologetic. My dad stays silent but he looks sad, knowing he can't stop what is bound to happen. 

Katrina is about to break again, so I stand up quickly. "We'll be right back." I motion for Katrina to stand and follow me with my parents nodding. I lead her down the short hallway and I guide her into my room, closing the door behind us. 

As soon as she collapses on my bed, her mask drops and she breaks down. "I finally feel important Jack." She looks defeated, giving in, and that pains me more than anything else. 

"And I will soon be nothing but a shadow again." I stare at the floor, unable to look at her.

Softly, her head leans on my shoulder and I feel tears hit my shirt. "I'm gonna miss you." I grimace. "Stop. Don't give up yet. I haven't, we'll find a way." I'm begging her now as I shift a little. 

Katrina's head drops down, causing me to have to hold her up. But when I look down, I realize that she isn't crying anymore. 

She's sleeping. 

I'm confused at first as I lift her up to see her eyes closed. Gently placing her back against my bed, I stand up. "Katrina? Katrina." I nudge her and she gasps, shooting upright. 

I slide back next to her as she struggles to catch her breath, quickly wrapping my arms around her shaking form. 

"S-Someone was dragging me away, throwing me in a cage and locking me in. When I'd touch the metal it would hurt. Then fire appeared and started closing in on me and it hurt, like my powers were gone. Then it switched to a baby that looked like me. Someone was passing it off to another person. I tried to stop them, to tell them not to give their child away but they couldn't hear me, they didn't listen."

She moves away from me and whispers, "I wasn't tired but my eyes snapped shut. I couldn't control it." 

It's obvious she's scared, I can see it in her eyes. Then I remember something, "Katrina, remember the second time those people came for us?" 

She nods, "When the woman pulled you out from behind the dumpster, right before you fell asleep she covered your eyes with her hands. Maybe that had something to do with this. Maybe she's doing something to you." 

Her eyes widen and she looks down at her hands. "You think she's controlling my mind, m-my dreams?!" 

I nod slowly, unsure. "No, no, no, no, no!" Then she's out again, falling back against the bed. I shift and nudge her softly a few times but it doesn't work like before. Then she's awake again, her eyes shining with certainty. 

"It's her." She shivers.