It's a mad world and they're too good at hiding it.
***
Sierra Montrose didn't like her life. If anything, she wanted it gone. The end. It was a life of self hatred and mistreatment from her own family. A drunkard for a mother and her abusive boyfri...
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Sierra was running. She was running away from fire. The flames licked her skin, burnt her. They savored every bit of her, rushing up her body in white hot searing pain. They wouldn't let go of her. And everyone around her, they stared and watched, a grin on their lips. They didn't stop the woman with the crown atop her black curls as she made the flames consume her whole. Because all of them knew she deserved it.
Sierra woke up gasping. The pain around her neck was almost unbearable. The sheets around her were damp with sweat. Her skin was clammy and her body trembling. She gripped the sheets in terror, a raspy groan escaping her. She reached up to touch her throat, soothe it someway, but two hands held her wrists, pinning them the bed.
Sierra's eyes flew open. Hana loomed over her, holding her wrists, a grim look on her face. "Hold on, Lake and Jamie will be here soon!"
Sierra didn't have the energy to nod. She tried her best to breathe without moving much. Her mind felt alive, at the same time numb with the pain. All she could think about was the agony, nothing else, and her eyes filled with tears.
She let out a sob as Jamie was thrust into the room, disoriented. He looked dead on his feet, dark bags under his eyes. Link and Lake followed behind him. Jamie glanced at Lake. "You might have to hold her down."
Lake nodded and rushed to Sierra's side, jumping onto the bed, landing gracefully. She kneeled beside Sierra as Hana let go of her. Lake gave her one comforting look full of assurance and pushed Sierra's hands back to the mattress. Sierra stared at her. "What—" she couldn't finish her sentence.
Hana frowned as she got on the bed too. To Sierra's shock, Hana got on top of her by her feet, locking her legs together and pinning them down. Panic flared up inside Sierra. Jamie gave Sierra a dreading look as he stepped towards her. Sierra wanted to run away. The way they were all acting was making her feel worse.
"This will only last a moment, alright?" Jamie said.
Sierra shook her head, tears dribbling down her face. She sobbed. She was afraid, afraid of the what would come. They wouldn't be holding her down otherwise. She remembered the choking pain she felt when that white light appeared. She shook her head harder when he got closer, despite the pain it caused.
"Seira, don't move," Lake warned, "the skin is badly burned."
"No!" Sierra let out in a choke.
Jamie grabbed her face to stop her from shaking her head and struggling. For a moment she only felt pain and panic, and then nothing, a calm numbness taking over. She almost allowed herself to relax. Then she felt her body ripping apart.
Lake and Hana were yelling urgently. Jamie screamed. White light filled her eyes and head. She couldn't think anything or feel much. She only knew she was screaming along with them.
