SWNOVELS Chapter Chapter Nineteen
At some point I manage to climb out of my bed while in my dream state. An image of me as the fiery bird is still in my head and I feel like my body is heating up as though the fire from the bird is consuming me from the inside out!
My eyes snap open but all I can see is an orange-Ish, blue hue. Everything looks exactly the same, but as though I am peering through a haze of fire as I look around my room. I scream out, not in pain but in shock and fear as I stare at my bedroom mirror. Not believing what I am seeing, my eyes stray from the mirror to my own body. What in the hell? I lift my arms flipping them back and forth a couple of times as I look at them. From there I lower my gaze, travelling from my waist down to my feet, my mouth falling open in a silent ’O’.
Flames have wrapped around my body from head to toe. Flickering from my limbs, flowing from my hair making it appear like it is moving, as if I’m floating in water…but instead, I am completely absorbed in fire! I quickly look back at my reflection in the mirror and see that even my eyes are consumed by firelight. Instead of my normal goldish-yellow color, they are glowing and have turned completely orange.
Somehow the fire isn’t burning me, I am the fire, the fire is me! I reach out, grabbing a random object from my dresser that my mirror sits on top of. Poof! My hairbrush is incinerated in a matter of seconds. I stare at the pile of ashes in awe. Surprisingly, I am very calm during this time, maybe due to the shock I am in; I am not really sure. One thing I do need to sort out quickly though, I need to figure out how to make whatever is happening to me stop.
I am afraid to touch my phone, I don’t need it to burn up, but I know I can’t go downstairs looking like this. My parents would go mental. Besides the fact that my bedroom door is closed, and I don’t know how I would be able to open the door without catching anything on fire. As it is, I have no idea how my feet are not catching the carpet on fire...
Turning my head, I hear the doorbell chime throughout the house. I can hear voices but cannot make out who they belong to. However, I can distinctly hear that someone is running up the stairs, their feet stomp on the wooden steps as they make their way up. Shadows move along the floorboards, under the doorway for just a second before my bedroom door flies open.
My now golden eyes go wide as I see who is standing before me! “What are you doing here?” My voice is muffled as though I am submerged under water as I ask this, but also an echoing undertone to it. Ash quickly steps through the doorway, shutting the door behind him.
He reaches out trying to take my hand in his, but I move away to evade him as I protest, “no, don’t touch me! I’ll burn you.” Shaking his head, he places his hand around my wrist, not a tight hold, but a firm grip just the same. I want to scream no, but no words come out as I watch him wrap his fingers around me. The way he takes hold of my wrist, I can do nothing more than place my hand on his, my fingers splayed along the inner part of his arm. I am awestruck as I stare at him, baffled as he closes his eyes only to open them a couple of seconds later and the fire that has engulfed me dissipates, flickering once and then disappearing altogether! “H-how did you do that? Who are you? What’s happening to me?”
Placing his index finger to his lips he ‘shushes’ me. “We can’t chat here. Tell your parents you are going out for a bit and then come over to my house where we can talk without anyone overhearing our conversation. I will explain everything to you then.” And then as quickly as he had entered my bedroom, Ash turned on his heel and left.
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Knocking on the white painted front door, I wait nervously for Ash to answer it, biting my nails as anxiety starts to rise in the pit of my stomach. When the door finally swings open, I take a step back, surprised. “Lori? What are you doing here?” She just smiles at me before grabbing my hand and yanking me inside Ash’s house.
I rip my hand out of hers as I stumble across the threshold. She turns to look at me and takes a step away from me, shocked. I can only assume my eyes have changed to their intense orange hue as she stares at me. “What are you doing here?” I hiss at her, barely maintaining the anger coursing through my body. I’m beginning to feel weird, a dizzying sensation washing over me, and I can feel my body temperature once more rise, the sensation of fire wanting to break free from me.
“Sofie, calm down. It is not what you think. I’m not here because of him.” She says, tilting her head towards another room from where we stand in the living room. Glaring at her, I breathe in and out slowly until I feel my emotions settle down.
“Okay, please explain to me why you are in Ash’s house?” I am beyond confused as to why she would be here alone with him when she knows how I feel about him. If I didn’t need to chat with him about this ‘fire’ thing, I would storm out of the house right now!
Folding my arms across my chest, I raise an angry eyebrow waiting for her answer. “Lord woman! Tune that glare down a few notches, I’m here because of you.”
“What are you talking about?” I look at her and then begin to pace the length of the room. “If you wanted to see me, you could have just come to my house. Why would you need to wait for me here?”
“Would you stop moving and sit down, Sofie? You’re starting to make me nervous.” I offer her a glare in answer and continue to walk the room. “I came here because Ash asked me to, alright? I would have gone to you, but I wouldn’t have been able to help you control the change that is occurring within you, so sit down and listen to what Ash and I both have to tell you.” I snap my head back to her face. I think this is the first time she has ever spoken to me in such a stern and forceful manner. And because of this, I quickly take a seat on the black leather couch that occupies one corner of Ash’s living room.