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Post by DareynnCainPayne on Aug 26, 2011 22:50:31 GMT -6
It was night when Dareynn opened his eyes. It had been daytime when he closed them. Had he fallen asleep? He wasn’t sure. He couldn’t really think, couldn’t distinguish the passage of time. He could feel his hands trembling and wondered, somewhere in the back of his mind, if they had been trembling the entire time he’d been asleep. He could feel his body craving the nicotine, the hollow, empty want in his stomach. He wanted it so bad he felt like he didn’t even need to eat, or drink… Just smoke. One, one would do… At least, for a little while.
But the damn warden hadn’t shown up. He had told the guy that he would need cigarettes soon! He’d told him! That was two days ago. TWO DAYS. Two full, nicotine-less days. The first half of the first day hadn’t been so bad. Then he decided he wanted a smoke. He had forced himself into distraction, but that had only worked for so long. By the time he’d ended up at the shed, he’d been shaking so bad he had barely been able to open the door. He’d merely stumbled inside, falling onto the pile of blankets.
Nightmare had joined him at some point, curling up by his side and purring. The cat had seen him like this before and always did what little he could to comfort the suffering boy. Dareynn didn’t try to pet the cat; he didn’t want to risk hurting him. He would never forgive himself.
If he could just get his fingers on one cigarette… He pulled himself upright, falling hard against the wall of the shed, only registering that the sharp smack he heard was his head against the wood when he started to feel a dull pain. It was nothing compared to the want, the need, the desire, though. It almost wasn’t even there. Where the fuck was the warden? Why wasn’t he here? Why hadn’t he been there two days ago?!
Pale face contorting in pain, Dareynn wrapped his arms around his stomach. He clenched his hands, trying to stop the God-awful shaking. It made him feel even more desperate, like he needed something to calm his hands down before he could calm the rest of him down. “Why…” he moaned into the empty air, pain lacing his voice. This sucked. It was worse than almost anything he’d endured on all his years on the streets. At least he’d had enough cigarettes then. This was just downright painful. He writhed, falling back onto the blankets and pulling his legs up to his chest. He could feel his lighter in his pocket, pressing against his side. What good did it do him, without the cigarettes? The things he craved so badly. He felt like he was going to die, to rot away, without them. It was an addiction, something he needed to survive. He knew that. And he didn’t care.
He just wanted a damn cigarette.
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Post by EmberRoseDarkheart on Aug 26, 2011 23:14:20 GMT -6
Ember silently picked her way across the grass, briefly wondering if her... well... she didn't know WHAT to call him. She didn't even know his NAME.
She had woken up in the infirmary about two days ago, utterly exhausted and confused about how she had gotten there. She slept for another day, gathering her strength. At least in the infirmary there was a semi-nice nurse that took care of her. She didn't see anything like that often, causing her to wonder if the nurse knew about her "condition".
Now she was free and was making her way, unsteadily--she was still a bit weak--across the grounds, searching for her... buddy.
Slowly but surely, she made it to the shed, having to lean against it for support. Her legs buckled slightly and her stomach growled. She forgot to eat that day, which she knew now had been a bad idea. Why, oh why, had she been so stupid?
Then her mind began wandering. Why was she even coming back here? She had no scraps to share with her cat friends, and she doubted the stranger had even visited her in the infirmary.
Then again... How HAD she gotten there...? The stranger had told her last week that the wardens didn't check that place out... So...
SHe focused on that thought as she searched for her "doorway" into the shed. Upon finding it, she let out a relieved sigh and entered the building, nearly tripping over the tiny black mass that was bounding around happily. "Scourge...?" Her frown immediately turned into a smile and she let go of her thoughts and hunger pains. She was home again.
Bending down, she scooped up the kitten, gently petting him. "Hey baby kitty..." She kissed the top of his head and looked around, a small glimmer of hope in her heart that her... Oh, she needed to figure out his name and what he was to her.
Her eyes were immediately drawn to the moaning form on the pile of blankets. Her initial instinct was to turn and run, but she forced that thought away as she tilted her head slightly, wondering what he was doing. Was he having a... dirty dream...?
"Um... Hello?" she questioned, afraid to move closer. "Are you okay?"
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Post by DareynnCainPayne on Aug 26, 2011 23:37:30 GMT -6
Longing clouded Dareynn's brain, making the sounds of the kittens playing disappear, along with all the other sounds. Maybe the warden would come. He'd know Dareynn was down in the shed, waiting. Every once in a while he enjoyed making Dareynn suffer. He knew the boy's body would be so desperate for the nicotine that he could get off with just giving him the cigarettes and no money. At the sound of a voice he shot upright as fast as his pained, shaking body would let him, eyes desperate to catch any glimpse of a pack of cigarettes.
Was he okay? No... No, he wasn't. He wouldn't be okay until he had a cigarette. He needed one. And this girl, he didn't even hardly know who she was, and here she was, instead of the warden. Damn. Damn, shit, hell... Every curse word the boy could think went streaming through his mind, though the only sound that issued out his throat was another pained groan.
He let himself fall forward, moaning, "Fuck, no, I'm not okay. Where the fuck is he?" His hand smacked onto the wooden floor, hand convulsing and twitching as he tried to fight off the damn shakes. "Why'd you come back here?" It wasn't meant to be harsh, but the phrase was definitely clipped. It wasn't intentional. In all honesty, the boy meant that she should still be resting, saving her strength. Addictions just didn't allow for that sort of explanation when they were being deprived of the thing that made them tick.
Forehead pressed to the ground, Dareynn could hear Nightmare purring near his ear, brushing up against his shoulder. The dark cat meowed, leaning down to lick the boy's outstretched hand, which was still shaking horribly. He tried to take deep breaths, to force away the thoughts of how good it would feel to have a cigarette right now. How much it would calm him down. "Fuck..." It almost hurt enough to send tears to his eyes. The warden had said he'd be coming! Where was he?!
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Post by EmberRoseDarkheart on Aug 26, 2011 23:50:01 GMT -6
Ember was both startled and hurt. She backed away slightly, cringing at the harshness in his voice. She should have known it was too good to be true. She knew all along. He was just like all the others, talking down to her.
Why had she even THOUGHT about trusting him? It wasn't worth it. If anything, he was just like her so-called father.
She forced back the tears that threatened to rolled down her cheeks and put the confused kitten down on the floor. "I... I'm s-sorry..." God, she sounded so weak and pathetic. Why was she even apologizing? That's all she did in life, apologize for being a freak. She couldn't help it.
She was weak and she knew it.
Slowly, she continued backing up, intent on leaving the shed and that... man's life forever. She wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry like a little baby.
Ember Darkheart was alone in this world. She always was and always would be. It was about time she gave up her dreams of finding someone to be friends with. No one liked a freak.
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Post by DareynnCainPayne on Aug 27, 2011 0:11:57 GMT -6
No... He hadn't meant to hurt her. A horrible feeling washed over him, momentarily numbing out the want, the desire, the ache. "I'm sorry," he said, loud enough for her to hear. He hadn't wanted to hurt her. Not at all. He just needed the cigarettes. Needed them like he needed oxygen. "I didn't...didn't mean it...like that..." He pushed himself upright on shaking arms, barely getting there. He almost fell again, his elbows caving on him. "Please don't leave..." Why had he even said that? It was true, he didn't want to be alone. Especially since he was in so much pain. He wanted someone there.
But was it really a good idea, if he was in such a mood? He didn't want to hurt her. There wasn't much time for him to ponder this, though, because someone behind her was talking. A voice he knew. The one he'd expected to hear.
"Busy? I guess you'll just want me to come back la--"
"Get the fuck in here, you fucking bastard," Dareynn snarled at the man, shaking hands clenching into fists. "I told you two days ago I was out--"
"And I told you I would get them when I had a chance." The warden stepped into the shed, his uniform traded for the night for a pair of jeans and a tee shirt. Clothing that was easily removed. In his hand were two packs of cigarettes. He was smirking, enjoying seeing the dark-haired teen so frazzled. "You know I enjoy it when you're this desperate." As if to prove the point, he held out the cigarettes, only to snatch them away when Dareynn made a lunge for them.
"Give them to me!" He tried to stand, half-falling as he tried to move to fast for his shaking body.
"You know the deal, boy," the warden snapped, shoving him backwards.
Dareynn stumbled and fell, allowing himself to smack against the floor with the grace of a ragdoll. It hurt like hell, but it was nothing compared to the pain of seeing the cigarettes dangled just out of his reach. The warden was mocking him. "Please...give them to me... I feel like I'm dying..." He reached out with one hand, his expression begging for the pack. "Just one...before...please..."
Sneering, the warden grumbled something like "fine" and ripped into one of the packs, throwing one of the thin white sticks in the dark-haired teen's direction.
Dareynn lunged for it, grabbing it in a shaking hand and drawing it with great effort to his lips. He had freed the lighter from his pocket with some difficulty and was now battling with it, trying to get it to light. Curses and profanities ran through his head like a stream. Why wouldn't the damn thing just light already?! Finally it flicked to life, catching the end of the cigarette.
He inhaled deeply, calm washing over him as the nicotine spread into his lungs. The lighter fell from his hands, clattering onto the floor. He exhaled and then inhaled deeper than before, his body relaxing against the wall. The shakes were subsiding, allowing him to think more rationally than before. "You owe me twenty on top of both packs," he told the man, eyes narrowing. "And you're paying me now."
The warden frowned. "Ungrateful bastard," he grumbled, digging into his pocket to throw a wrinkled twenty and the two packs of cigarettes at the pale boy, who pocketed all three items.
Exhaling slowly, Dareynn let his eyes close, relishing in the sweet, sweet taste of the cigarette. Amazing, it was, the effect it had on him. Calming. It put his mind at ease. Remembering that the girl he'd met a week ago was still there, his eyes popped open. "Uhh... Come back later, he told the guy, wanting to set things right with her before doing...anything else that night. The warden always left him sore and ill-tempered, but he supposed it was worth it, for the cigs.
"She can join in, if she wants. I just ain't payin' for her, too."
Dareynn scowled at the man's assumption. "She's my friend," he snapped, standing slowly. "Just come back in fifteen minutes or something." He all but pushed the man to the door, wanting him to leave so he could enjoy the rest of his cigarette in peace and speak with the girl he'd helped earlier that week, and apologize for his rude behavior.
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Post by EmberRoseDarkheart on Aug 27, 2011 0:41:53 GMT -6
Ember blinked several times, confused about the situation. One moment the boy had been a raging maniac and the next...
He apologized to her? The hell...?
For the moment, however, what little trust in him was shattered. Here she was, thinking that she had maybe found a... a friend--the word was strange to her--and now she was so confused.
She didn't know what to think.
And then that other man came in. The one in jeans and a t-shirt. He had messed around with the boy, teasing him and being cruel with the boy was obviously in a lot of pain. Seeing someone in that much pain... being tortured like that... It was enough to make her blood boil.
Then that... that MAN said that she could "join in" if she wanted. She knew what he had wanted from her, and that just made fear mix with the anger she felt.
But... The boy... Had he really called her a... a friend? Had she heard right? It wasn't logical, just downright crazy. He was messing with her, just like that man was messing with him.
Any lit objects in the area began burning at a fast rate and her eyes flashed dangerously as she looked at the boy. "Why? Why do you do it? Why do you lead someone on and then hurt them? What kind of bastard are you? I've had enough of your pathetic kind! You bastards made my life HELL!" she growled, furious. "You're just like the rest! You get off on messing around with people's heads?!"
The candle she had lit earlier upon entering the shed grew dangerously. The flame began rise and bend, somehow moving itself in her direction. It wrapped itself around her body, burning her slightly, before attaching itself to her hair, which had since risen and became one with the flame.
On any other day, had she not been so angry, she would have remember that this was incredibly dangerous. Sure, she could "control" fire with her mind, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt her. She got burned and, at some point in her youth, she had nearly burned off all her hair. It had been a miracle that any grew back, let alone the amount she had now.
Fire was dangerous to her, yet she couldn't get away from it. She couldn't perform any special skills, like making fireballs and chucking them at people, though she wanted to sometimes, or anything like that. What was happening to her now was rare and only happened when she got extremely angry. That's why most of her life she had been sedated or whatever the fuck they called it.
She felt the heat of the flames on her scalp though the flames were only at the tips of her risen hair. She knew she needed to calm down, but couldn't find the strength too. She was just too angry.
"I trusted you! I actually trusted you! I thought you were someone who was like me, in pain! But I see now. The only pain that you are ever in is when you can't get ahold of your precious cigarettes! You're pathetic, depending on something so badly!" The words just kept coming out. She didn't know exactly what she was saying, nor did she care. She was hurt. She was in pain. And she was sick of it. "You don't need those disgusting things! They're horrible! You don't need to sell yourself anymore, either! They're using you! Fight back! Why the hell are you so weak?! Why are you so weak that you have to take out your anger on others?! I NEVER should have trusted you! ANd I know that if you hadn't had your precious cigarette, you probably would have agreed with that monster! You probably would have let him take me!"
She just couldn't stop. Pent up anger from over the years was making itself known. She had never been THIS angry before, but that was probably because her heart had been broken one time too many.
She never should have trusted him. She should have ran the night they met, right after she had been discovered.
However, another part of her was... worried. She didn't want to hurt him, though it was obvious he wanted to hurt her--why else had he yelled at her? Did he really care...? Why had he called her a friend...?
Holding onto that thought was the only thing that kept her from going nucleaur. If that thought disappeared... The consequences would be devestating.
She fought inwardly with herself, trying to calm down and think things out, but she couldn't. Her pain was just too great.
She didn't even realize when her mouth moved again, this time not in a shout, but a terrified whisper. "Help me..."
She hated being like this. It hurt her and those around her. She just couldn't control it. Her emotions and her curse were out of control. If she didn't calm down soon...
Well, let's just say the shed--and everyone in it--would go BOOM.
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Post by DareynnCainPayne on Aug 27, 2011 12:17:55 GMT -6
Dareynn winced, as the girl started yelling, the warden simply raising an eyebrow. The warden hadn't gone far, standing just outside the shed. The dark-haired boy heard the man grumble something about them being mental, then said louder that Dareynn had ten minutes.
Turning back inside, Dareynn was so shocked he almost dropped his cigarette. What the hell? Was he hallucinating now, too? He didn't think the warden would fuck with the cigs, but...what if he had? Well...it'd be interesting smoking from now on, at least. The girl's shrieked words took a few moments to register in his brain. Guilt washed over him again, accompanied by a thick wave of shame. She was right. He knew he didn't need the cigarettes or the sex, but...it made his life easier. Less painful. They were distractions, coping mechanisms. He felt like a child that was being chastised. Lifting the cigarette to his lips and taking a drag, he exhaled with a sigh. "I know..." Smoke was still drifting from his lips as he spoke, his free hand clenching on the elbow of the other arm. "It's...how I've always coped. I'd never let someone screw somebody that didn't want it. I'm not going to stand by and watch someone be raped." There was a malice in his voice that hadn't been there before, an anger in his eyes. He wouldn't be like them. That's how all this shit had started.
That guy had promised to teach him how he could survive on the streets. He'd taken Dareynn in to his mob-like crew, given him a less-dirty set of clothes, and started "teaching" him. He had forced the boy into submitting to him, tying him to the bed, chaining him there, leaving him there, breaking his will to fight back. He'd forced Dareynn into getting a tattoo--the one on his hip, a red heart (which Dareynn had later changed so there was a black 8 in the center of it)--marking him as one of "his" prostitutes. And so after weeks of being endlessly tied up and tortured and raped, he'd thrown the boy back onto the streets to earn money. Ninety percent of his profit had gone back to the guy that had tortured him. "Pay your debt," the guy would say. It wasn't long before one of the customers Dareynn regularly started serving was offering him cigarettes. The customer could see that the young boy was falling apart at the edges. So Dareynn smoked. It seemed to dull the pain, and he stopped shredding away at the seams. He got stronger, grew up a little. Got better at what he did.
Then he got caught and ended up here, and his supply of cigarettes was cut off. It was barely a week or so later when he found the warden that had left just now, the one that had brought him cigarettes. It had started with simple blowjobs; they were easy. One blowjob, two packs of cigarettes. That easy. But Dareynn could just tell that the guy wanted more for his money now; poor bastard, probably didn't even have anybody to go home to. Dareynn pitied him. He pitied all his customers, really, the ones who were paying him for his services. It was sad, for them. For him, it was profit. It was how he survived. If there was a way to explain that to her, he would. He didn't want to get into the gory details of his "training," probably no more than she wanted to hear them.
When the girl asked for help, Dareynn was shocked. He didn't know what to do, she was practically burning to death before his eyes. "How...?" He felt so lost. He went closer to her, nervous about the flames. He could feel their heat, the harshness of it stinging his eyes, making them water. He felt himself reach out with the hand that wasn't holding the cigarette, though he had no idea what he was doing. His hand went through the flames, brushing the ends of her burning hair, stupidly trying to extinguish them.
The heat took a moment to register, scalding his fingers and his palm, licking angrily against his pale skin. He withdrew his hand quickly, wondering what in the hell had possessed him to make him deliberately stick his hand into the fire. "I won't let him hurt you," the boy said, jaw jutting out protectively. That was another reason he'd worked so hard at making people want him. If they wanted him, they'd leave the other kids alone. Then they wouldn't get hurt. They'd be all right. "He won't hurt you, he's an asshole, he just wants somebody or something to fuck him." People like that were disgusting, sure, but it was how the prostitutes made a living. Without them...well, there wouldn't be much of a business.
He felt himself sliding to his knees, arms sliding around the girl's waist. He hand was still stinging, still hot. He wasn't going near that damn flame again. He hugged her, face pressed against her stomach. He felt impossibly young, like he was hugging someone much older than he was. He knew the ten minutes was probably about up, that the warden wouldn't be waiting and wouldn't be kind about this. He could almost feel the harsh wood of the shed pressing into his face now, knowing the warden was just going to throw him down and do what he wanted with Dareynn. It was worth it, Dareynn mused, if this girl ended up being all right. "I'm worried about you and I don't even know your name and I don't even know why I care but I do," he mumbled quietly. "...I've never had a friend before... I don't want you to hurt..." So he had to get her out of here before the warden came back. He had to protect her, like he used to protect the other kids.
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Post by EmberRoseDarkheart on Aug 27, 2011 12:44:50 GMT -6
The flames continued their intricate dance, trying to find anything--or anyone--to burn.
Ember was burning and she felt helpless to stop it. She hated this, hated being out of control. That hatred continued to fuel the flames, causing them to rise higher and higher with every moment.
She had watched as the boy had reached through the flames. What was he thinking? Didn't he know that was dangerous? She tried to warn him about the flames, but obviously he wasn't listening.
It was then that he retracted his hand and fell to his knees. This worried her. Had she hurt him that much?
What happened next, she didn't expect. He hugged her. No one had ever done that before. It was unnatural. Then again, him begging for her to not be hurt... Well, mumbling, really... And he called her a friend again... What was with that?
She could hear the sincerity in his voice and it startled her enough that the flames began to subside. She didn't know how this was happening or why he cared so much.
A strange feeling filled her, a strange sense of warmth. Normal she was cold inside, even with the flames licking at her body, but... this was different. New. She had never felt this way before and she didn't know what to make it.
However, she knew her anger wasn't about to be held down again. She had to get it out, but she knew that he would be hurt because of it. "R-Run... I... I don't want to hurt you..." she whispered, fighting against her anger and trying to hold it at bay long enough for him to get away. "C-Can't s-stop it..."
Ember was strong enough to condense the flames--she didn't know how she was doing this--send them down her arms from her hair, burning her arms in the process, and "rolled" it into a little ball that she now held in her palms. This was something knew, but she wasn't going to fight it.
She had to protect him. She had to extinguish the flames that cruelly burned her hands. She didn't have much time, not knowing how much longer she could hold the ball in this position. If she didn't get out of here fast...
"Please... G-Get me out of here..." she whispered, struggling to keep control. Her mind was slipping again and the ball grew in size. She knew it was about to go nuclear.
Ember tried closing her palms, trying to extinguish the flame. She had someone to protect. She HAD to protect him. She didn't care why or about the fact that she knew barely anything about him.
He was the only one who hadn't called her a freak... who had tried to beat her because of what she was. He hadn't tortured her...
He had given her the one thing she had been dreaming of for most of her life.
He was her friend.
With that thought still fresh in her mind, she closed her hands completely and tightly, robbing the flame of the oxygen it needed to burn.
The effort took a lot out of her, but it was worth it as her eyes closed. She wasn't unconscious, but she was extremely weak. Her body fell limp, landing on top of her friend. "I... I t-tried..."
She didn't know if she had fully extinguished the flame, but she hoped so. But if she didn't... she wanted him to at least know she had tried.
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Post by DareynnCainPayne on Aug 27, 2011 20:40:07 GMT -6
Ember was warning him, no, telling him to leave. But he couldn't leave her there, alone with the fire. The stinging on his palm only reminded him of how much the flames had hurt. And she was hurting, too. He was sure of it. "I'm not leaving you here," he told her, determined to stick to his word. He wouldn't leave her alone to suffer.
"I'll help you any way I can..." He didn't know why, but he knew he meant it with all his heart. Pulling away from her for a brief moment, he yanked off the jean jacket and tossed it towards where he had left his lighter. The heat of the flames was making him break out in a sweat, heating his body more than he was used to. Just as he was about to stand, he felt the girl's weight drop onto him, automatically catching her. The heat was coming from her hand now, feeling like it was singeing a hole in his side, burning and melting away his skin.
Without really thinking he picked the girl up, keeping her over his shoulder because he didn't want to toss her around too much. He shoved past the warden as he exited the shed, the man yelling angrily after him. There was a stream that cut through the edge of the asylum's grounds, at the very back. Not too far from here. He went as fast as he could, feet skidding on the dewy grass and leaves. He tripped twice and nearly fell, tree roots sprouting up out of nowhere.
Finally he was at the edge of the stream. Water would extinguish the fire, right? He hoped so. If not, he'd end up with a pretty badly burnt side for nothing. He stepped into the water and his nerve endings protested every second of it. The water was ice cold, sending goosebumps up his legs. Half his body was freezing, the other half was burning. All in all, it was a very odd sensation, and definitely one he didn't want to experience again.
Taking a deep breath, he let himself fall under the water. It was really only about three feet deep, so he had to crouch quite a bit to get his entire body under. He really hoped this worked...
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Post by EmberRoseDarkheart on Aug 27, 2011 20:59:12 GMT -6
The freezing cold "woke" her senses instantly. Everything suddenly became more clear. Hastily, she sucked in, trying to breathe, only to get a lungful of water. She began struggling, trying to get free and find air.
Somehow, she managed to wiggle out of whatever had been holding her, and frantically squirmed, trying to find the surface. Air. That's all that crossed her mind. Her lungs burned, desperate for the sweet sensation.
Finally, just when everything was starting to go black, Ember found the surface. She was being held up by some unknown thing, she could feel its arms around her, as she coughed harshly, removing the liquid from her lungs.
When she was finally able to breath again, she felt dizzy and weak, and found herself leaning heavily against her support. She tried to talk, but just didn't have the strength. It was a cruel feeling, being so weak and helpless, but it was better than burning alive.
How had she lost control like that? The last time it had happened... Well, she couldn't really remember what happened exactly, only remembering the fact that after whatever it was, she woke up in this hellhole.
Water dribbled down from her horribly scourched hair and her clothes were absolutely soaked. The lower half of her body was still in the water--she was standing, that much she realized--meaning that she was going to be drying out her pants for weeks. Great. These were the only "normal" clothes she had. The other clothes she had were from the asylum and those were mainly prison uniforms, as she liked to call them.
A shiver raked her body and she coughed again, letting the last bit of water escape her lungs. Her entire body ached and she knew she would be feeling the effect of the burns for weeks. As for her hair...
She reached a hand up and tentatively touched it. Great. It was short. Like, super short. Half of it's usual length. Now it only went to the top of her ears. She was going to look like a boy.
Peachy.
Her head was resting against something that moved steadily. It took her a moment to realize that it was someone's chest. But... who's? She couldn't remember. What was she doing out here, anyway...? "T-T-Thanks..." A whisper was all she could manage.
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Post by DareynnCainPayne on Aug 27, 2011 22:54:06 GMT -6
Dareynn felt the girl struggle and loosened his grip, the icy water cooling off the heat that had been burning into his skin. He started shivering almost immediately, bringing his head above the water. The girl was still struggling, knocking hard against his jaw in the process. He stood, the shivers making his hands shake.
She leaned against him, his arms automatically supporting her again. The cold was better than the fire, though he would probably end up with a runny nose and a cough. The shivers were working their way up his arms and through his torso, his entire body trembling as his teeth chattered. There was a hole in his shirt where the girl's hand--well, the fire in the girl's hand--had melted away his shirt. The skin was red, most definitely burned. So he had burns, a sore jaw, and would end up with a cold.
It was worth it, since she was safe. "I'm just glad you're all right," he said, teeth chattering and distorting his words. He picked the girl up and made his way to solid ground, only shivering harder as the cold breeze attacked his entire body. Granted, it wasn't a strong breeze, but it was still cold. Which was uncomfortable. "Can you stand...?"
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Post by EmberRoseDarkheart on Aug 28, 2011 0:05:38 GMT -6
Ember could stand, but she still had to lean against him for support. She took several deep breaths and continued to shiver. She glanced around, confused as to where she was. It was odd. She had never been to this place... She would have remembered it if she had.
"W-Where am I...?" she questioned. "W-What happened...?" She truly couldn't remember. Briefly, she wondered if she had had one of her episodes and that was why she couldn't remember anything.
The cool wind made her shiver violently; she had never been one to like the cold. It messed with her body, which was usually filled with warmth.
She glanced at her hands, blinking. The palms were badly burned, yet... she didn't seem to feel them. It was strange, not being able to feel something that should hurt immensely. Her arms, too, were rather burned--possibly first degree, boardering on second--and throbbed dully. The skin on her head tingled, but surprisingly, the flames hadn't burned her scalp like usual. Her face, too, didn't have any burns, save for the old scar over her eye that was ironically in the shape of a flame.
Her brain hurt, that much was painfully obvious. She didn't know why and that scared her. She didn't like not knowing what was going on. But... With him here... Something in her made her feel at peace, something that was a rare occurance.
She looked up at her friend and gave him a small smile, something that rarely--if at all--seen, before slowly wrapping her arms around him, giving him a gentle hug.
The hug only lasted a few seconds, then she let go and backed away slightly before falling on her butt, too weak to stand without the support. "Ow..." It was odd that her butt hurt more than her burns. For now, though, she was grateful that it did. Her burns would hurt like hell later on, but... for now, she could relax somewhat.
It was at that instant that her stomach growled. She had forgotten how hungry she was.
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Post by DareynnCainPayne on Aug 29, 2011 14:11:44 GMT -6
Well, at least she wasn’t out cold again. Trekking all the way back to the infirmary with a half-conscious girl when they were both soaking wet was not Dareynn’s idea of fun. “You’re outside,” the dark-haired teen stated bluntly, thinking the answer was rather obvious. Then again, he had just thrown her into a stream of freezing water. “Down past the shed. We’re right at the edge of the facility’s grounds.” There, he explained. Hopefully she’d understand it, because he didn’t really know how else to explain where they were. On Earth, maybe? Though that was more general than “outside” was. Whatever, if she understood it she understood it. If not…she’d have to think about it until she did.
While he’d stood pondering whether or not he’d been understandable, the girl had turned and…hugged him? It was an unfamiliar feeling. He’d been this close to people countless times, pulled together and connected, but how often had the other party meant that as an actual endearment, rather than just a service they had paid for? He could count on one hand the number of times that had happened, and he wouldn’t be overly shocked if this girl was the first one that had hugged him because she wanted to or because she meant the thanks or whatever it was a hug was supposed to mean. The dark-haired teen wasn’t even sure. Before he could react, however, the girl was moving away from him and falling onto the ground. He reached forward, willing to support her again, but she fell too quickly, his hand left in the open air, shaking as the shivers wracking his torso coursed down his arms.
“L-lemme help you u-up,” he said, the chattering of his teeth making it difficult for him to form a sentence without stuttering. “I c-can help you b-b-back to the sh-hed…” There were blankets there, and it was much closer than the main facility, anyway. And that damn warden was probably waiting there angrily. Dareynn didn’t doubt that the warden would be waiting there for him. Ugh. He’d have to do something with the guy eventually, but he wanted to make sure the girl was at least all right before even thinking about how much he was going to suffer for this. He didn’t care; as long as she was safe, that was all he felt like he needed at the moment. His friend was okay.
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Post by EmberRoseDarkheart on Aug 29, 2011 14:31:37 GMT -6
Ember looked at him and nodded. Maybe he has food; that would be nice. She wasn't about to ask him that, though. She learned the hard way not to ask for too many things from one person.
As he hauled her to her feet, they began to make their way back to the shed. She shivered again, hating the cold. Why couldn't he have found a warm stream? That would have made more sense...
As for the fact that they were on the edge of the facility grounds, she looked at the large brick wall near the stream--running over it, actually. Wires sat atop the wall, preventing escape. She had no doubt that the stream went through grates in the wall. Drat. That would make escape hard.
She hated it here, but, at the same time, she hated the outside world--beyond the wall--even more. Out there was cruelty and hatred. In here... there was pain... torture... treatments for her condition.
However... there was something in here that there would never be out THERE. A friend.
She knew he was staying close to her as they walked, and she couldn't help but blush slightly. The feeling was foreign to her. Why was she blushing? The first person to show her kindness and she was falling for hi--
'No. Stop. You can't be doing this. You barely know him, and you don't even know his NAME! He would probably reject you, anyway,[/i] she thought to herself. 'No one likes a freak that can control fire. It's too weird.[/i]'
She sighed softly. It was better to have a friend than a crush. With a crush, your heart get broken easily. Love didn't exist. It was just a false feeling. Nothing good would come of it.
Then, there was another question: Would she be able to live with his lifestyle, anyway? She didn't know and right now, she didn't want to find out.
She was too afraid to take a chance.
But... still... a part of her wondered.[/size]
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Post by DareynnCainPayne on Aug 30, 2011 19:55:56 GMT -6
Dareynn was glad when the girl allowed him to help her to her feet. That meant she wasn't too angry about the whole dumped-in-a-stream thing. That was good, right? He thought so. He headed back with her, wanting to offer her some form of warmth but at a loss as to how to do so. He was shaking as bad as she was, if not harder. He didn't even try to talk, since his teeth were chattering so bad. They snapped together repeatedly, clicking loudly in the dark.
He pulled off his shirt as they walked, taking a slight step away from the girl so he didn't spray the water from it on her as he did so. He wrung out the ruined piece of clothing, water cascading down onto the ground. He didn't bother to put the article back on; it wouldn't do much good. Instead he used it in a sorry attempt to dry off his torso and hair, repeatedly wringing it out to try and make it as dry as he possibly could. It didn't do much, but at least he didn't have the dripping wet fabric clinging to his skin any more.
The shed was in sight, a now-dark shelter that Dareynn was very glad to see. Who cared if it was old and dirty? It would block the wind, and there were blankets and candles inside. And his cigarettes. They made everything better. And, Dareynn added as a sort of after thought, the warden. Since the man wasn't sitting outside, the pale-skinned teen could only assume that the guy was inside. Joy.
They reached the door to the shed and Dareynn pulled it open, not surprised at all to find the warden leaning against one of the walls, looking rather angry. "You've had more than enough time. Get. Over. Here. Now." The man's voice left no room for argument. He'd beaten Dareynn before, on and off the job, when he hadn't been compliant. Dareynn didn't doubt the man would do it again.
Obeying with the meekness of a scolded puppy, the dark-haired teen went over to the warden. The man, noticing the way the boy shivered and shook, and how he was soaking wet, scowled. "So you can't even keep yourself decent anymore?" Dareynn shrugged, running one hand through his sopping hair and sending a stream of icy water down his back. "Whatever. You know what you owe me."
Sighing, the boy tossed his shirt into the corner. As he moved toward the warden, the man moved between him and the girl. He reached toward her, but Dareynn caught his hand, tugging him past the soaking, shivering girl and toward the door. As he passed her, Dareynn mumbled, "Stay here and warm up. I'll get rid of him."
He led the warden out of the shed and away from the cabin, finally stopping and shoving the man against a tree, pinning him there and kissing him hard. The warden shivered as the cold water soaked through his tee shirt. His hands worked downward, undoing the man's pants and giving him what he wanted. Out here, the warden couldn't get at her. And she could warm up. He'd be the only one negatively affected. So he'd do this fast and be able to go make sure she was all right.
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