A Beautiful Reflection From Firework Eyes

Shadows Dancing In The Ash

My eyes meet Kellin's, and I give him a little nod as the guards push me to my knees. It's okay, I want to tell him. I'm okay. My hands shake as I strip off my shirt, the air cold against my bare skin. Even though my heart is racing in my chest and my breaths are coming in gasps, I struggle to stay calm. One of the guards pulls my hands over my head, locking them in the chains danging from the ceiling. I hate feeling trapped. I make myself take a deep breath, forcing my expression into one of neutrality. It will be over soon. Don't freak out. I'm going to be okay. Just focus on Kellin. I have to be strong for him.

Internally, I'm panicking though. I tug lightly on the chains but they don't budge. I hate feeling helpless. I try to reach my powers, but there is nothing there. It's as if they never existed in the first place. There's no way I can fight back. My heartbeats pound in my ears as I feel my chest tightening. But I force myself to meet Kellin's eyes as I give him a little smile. He taps his two fingers to his lips, to comfort himself or me, I'm not certain. But it does make me feel better.

"Go ahead," Mr. Styles says. Out of the corner of my eye, I see one of the guards draw his baton while the other one holds me still. In the split second before the guard hits me, I make a decision. I'm not going to give them the satisfaction of seeing me scream.

It hurts so much, I have to clench my teeth in order to stop a scream of agony from slipping out. I have to stay strong. I can't show them that I'm weak. The next blow is almost worse, as the baton collides with my shoulders. I grit my teeth, clamping down on the sound. I've dealt with worse pain before. I focus on Kellin standing in front of me as they hit me over and over again, swallowing my gasps of pain.

By the time they stop, I must be covered in bruises, but I force myself to straighten my back, looking straight at the guard as he nears again, this time with a knife in his hands. He swallows and looks away, the action sparking a small bit of pride within me. I'm strong. I can do this.

The knife presses against my skin, and I grit my teeth as it drags down slowly, slicing a gash across my front. Warm blood spills down my skin as he carves a line across my upper arms and down my side. I hear a commotion and look over to see Kellin struggling as the guards hold him back. His eyes are wet with tears and he's shouting my name, but I can barely hear him over the blood pounding through my head. As his eyes meet mine, I shake my head. It's not worth it. He stops, letting them drag him back, though he looks like he wants to rush over to me.

The red-haired guard nears me again and I notice how much he's shaking, sweat gleaming on his forehead. He honestly doesn't look that much older than me—maybe by just a couple years.

"I'm sorry," I hear him whisper before he plunges the knife into my chest.

It just feels like a punch at first, sending the air out of my lungs. I don't really feel any pain, but it might just be suppressed from the adrenaline racing through my system. The guard pales as he steps away, his hands shaking violently. I look down, seeing the handle protruding from just below my collar bone. I have to admit it's a strange sight. I look up to see Kellin staring at me in horror. I try to tell him that I'm okay, but I can't seem to speak, my whole body going numb as cold races through my skin.

Then the pain hits me. Heat spreads across my skin, fires racing through my whole body, even though there are none. I can't help it—I do scream when the guard pulls the knife out. Heavy warm blood flows down my skin as I gasp for air. Someone must have undone the chains because my face is pressed against the blood-soaked blue mat before I realize it.

My head spins, my vision going in and out as I gasp for breath. I can see Kellin hovering over me, his hands pressed against my skin. He's shouting my name, but he sounds underwater, muted. It's okay, I want to tell him, but I can't seem to speak, my whole body screaming with pain. Darkness slowly slides over my vision and I wonder if they'd actually let me die this time. Seems like I'm going to anyway.

Then it's like someone shocks me. The weight lifts off my chest and I gasp, feeling cold energy sliding through my veins. My vision clears, and I sit up suddenly, surprised to find the pain is nearly gone. Kellin kneels in front of me, staring, his eyes wide. His hands are covered in blood from where they have been pressed against my wounds. When I run my hand over where the knife went in, I'm surprised to find just a shallow cut.

"Oh my god," Kellin whispers, staring at me, his eyes wide with shock. His whole body is shaking and there's a small trickle of blood coming from his nose. Before I can say anything, he tackles me, wrapping his arms around me, not caring as my blood soaks through his shirt.

"You did it," I say into his shoulder, my voice muffled by his shirt. I can feel him shaking as he tightens his arms around me, not responding as he buries his face into my neck. My heart is still pounding so I let my breath out slowly, trying to calm down, the adrenaline still pumping through my system.

I hear footsteps and look up, not letting go of Kellin as I see Mr. Styles nodding in approval, clapping his hands slowly. "Well done, M-49," he says. "Well done."