34

6.3K 310 141
                                    

I'm barely breathing
Like I forgot how

The girl exhaled out, the puff of air blowing out from her parted lips and she shuddered at the biting frosty morning breeze that brushed her skin

Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.

The girl exhaled out, the puff of air blowing out from her parted lips and she shuddered at the biting frosty morning breeze that brushed her skin.

It was five in the morning and since Soyoung could barely seem to get some shut-eye, she decided to work at the garage instead of tossing around on her bed restlessly.

Pulling her wavy brown hair into a loose ponytail at her nape and discarding the jacket onto the table, she shut the garage door close- the longitudinal boundary of the metal sinking into the ground and instantly, the warmth in the air rose making her feel cozy.

The acrid smell wafted through the air and her nose crinkled in revulsion, wary eyes darting over the garage.

Walking over to the Toyota at the end, the odor grew out to be more distinct and she was quick to spot it as the smell of gasoline.

Her eyes examined the exterior and when she caught sight of the pool of the translucent, viscous liquid seeping out from underneath the car and spreading furthermore into the surroundings, a frown tugged at her lips.

"Oh no" She mumbled, throwing her head back with a sigh knowing it would take her longer than usual since she had to clean the mess.

Her hand reached onto the hood of the car but instantly retracted when the blazing surface touched her fingertips, "Ow fuck!" She hissed out impulsively, curling her hand around her finger to soothe the burning sensation.

Wait.

Why is the hood hot..?

She walked over to the driver seat of the car, only to see the engine was left operating and she cursed under her breath, pulling the door open and seating herself down hastily- one of her feet still resting on the ground while the other lowered down on the clutch.

But before she could turn the engine off, she felt a vibration under her seat and the faint rumbling sound beneath her feet grew evident.

Glancing over the seat, her gaze fell onto the boot from where the loud banging sound of the exhaust emerged and when the smell of burning rubber infiltrated her senses, her eyes widened in realization.

Shit.

Her hand looped over the key ignition, turning it off and removing the key from the ignition and she stepping out of the car in a rush.

Bending down to take a look under the car, she spot the dazzling white sparks that flickered from the pipeline and she confirmed her thoughts were right.

And just as she took a step back, the flames arose in the rear of the car and intolerant to the high temperature, the tyres burst out of its place resulting in the car floating high up in the air and forcibly thrown back down- the sound of the ear-deafening pop reaching her ears a millisecond later.

Her arms instinctively raised to shield her face and she fell face-front onto the floor at the impact but her hands reacted quicker by supporting herself, a scream escaping her mouth without her realizing.

Her knees scraped raw with the minute concrete particles rubbing against her skin and she winced, attempting to stand up on her own feet.

Since the engine of the car was still hot and the fluid being inflammable she very well knew the place could explode at any moment.

The splattered gasoline was not helping the situation get any better, the flames spreading like a forest fire and as though the walls were bathed with the oil, the orange-blue inferno elevated, soaring high up into the air with its tip almost touching the roof.

The firestorm was beyond her ability to control, the situation slipping out of her hands and she had just two possibilities- escape or let herself burn to ashes.

The second option was never a choice for her, her intentions to live standing much stronger than anything else.

Soyoung rushed towards the exit, her hand pushing the green button down, wanting to escape the place without any further delay.

The door unraveled, disconnecting from the ground but just as it raised a few centimeters above, the metal jammed, "What the fuck," She whispered, frantically pressing the button, repeatedly, but when she noticed it make no movement, she let out a cry in pain.

Crouching down, her hands grasped the metal, making an effort to push it up with all of her strength but there was hardly any difference, "Damn it!" She hissed, loosing her balance and stumbling onto the ground with a sigh of defeat.

Soyoung covered her mouth with her folded arm, coughing out aggressively at the black soot that entered her respiratory system, blocking the supply of oxygen to her lungs.

The temperature in the confined room amplified and a sheen of sweat covered her body, the clothing clinging onto her frame- exhaustion taking over her body, feeling light-headed.

Despite knowing her extremities were quivering, she made an attempt to stand up but it was feeble, causing the girl to fall back onto the ground with a thud.

Tears sprung, lining her eyes as a counter-reaction by her body against the exposed smoke and restricting her from having a clear sight of anything in her surround.

Her hands clutched the clothing over her chest, feeling her heart constrict in her ribcage and she gasped for air only to have a fresh gust of the amorphous carbon that burnt in the air to fill her lungs.

"Please, please" She whispered, clenching her fists as she begged for her body to not give up but it was futile.

She wanted to yell on top of her voice for help, every cell in her body throbbing to stay alive but nothing came out of her mouth as though she was ridden of her voice- just a raspy breath from the back of her throat shooting out forcefully.

Each time her eyelids fluttered and blinked to focus at the sight ahead, her vision began turning hazy and tunneled, blackening out from the periphery of her vicinity.

The faint sound of something shuffling reached her ringing ears and with the little-to-no sentience left, she looked up, spotting a vague silhouette that revealed itself behind the gradually unraveling door.

Soyoung squint her eyes on the figure, not in the right state to comprehend if she was just hallucinating or someone had actually arrived at there but her eyes couldn't stay open for longer, screwing them shut as her trembling hand raised to hold her alarmingly pulsating head in her hand.

Help me, Please, She pleaded in her mind with closed eyes, wanting to crawl her way out of the garage but not a muscle in her body complied with the instructions her brain was transmitting and she knew she wouldn't stay awake for any longer.

Numb, she felt nothing but numb. Deprived of any sensation. Dead.

And promptly after her mind and body shut-off, collapsing limp onto the ground, the place exploded.

And promptly after her mind and body shut-off, collapsing limp onto the ground, the place exploded

Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.

The end 🙂

Illicit: Start to End | Mark LeeWhere stories live. Discover now