Vines and Thorns

𝟘𝟘𝟠-ℙ𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕙𝕖𝕔𝕪 𝔽𝕦𝕝𝕗𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕕

"What are you doing out here? It's dinner time." The voice breaks the silence I was currently thriving in, and I don't look up as I pluck another petal from the flower in my hands.

I can see the outline of a figure sitting down next to me, but I ignore them as I continue to pluck the petals from the blossom, letting them fall to the ground. They don't speak as I continue my destruction, ripping the once beautiful flower into pieces.

"It wasn't your fault." They say after a moment, and I stiffen, my jaw clenched so tightly I thought it would break a tooth.

I drop the ruined flower into the dirt, my hands tightening into small fists. "Yes it is. They're terrified of me now." I mutter angrily, my mind flashing back to the picture of the campers faces, all of them looking at me with newfound terror.

"You didn't mean it. They'll get over it." They murmur, and I feel them place a soft hand on my back that I instantly shy away from.

"Don't....I don't want to hurt you too." The words sound so broken and unsure, and I hate them as soon as they come out.

I look over to my left, looking into the blue eyes that were shining with nothing but pure concern. "You won't hurt me. Not on purpose." He says the words so confidently that I'm half tempted to believe them too.

I sigh, shaking my head. "Is my dad...how mad was he?"

"He was more annoyed than anything else. He fixed everything and then went back to the Big House. Said to give you space to calm down." The last part hits me in the chest, and I'm reminded once more to lock up my emotions into a tiny bottle and seal it so tightly it can never be opened.

"I guess it's a good thing my father will always been around to clean up my messes." My tone was bitter and dry, and I reach down to pluck another pristine flower from the ground in front of me.

"Dani—"

"No." I interrupt sharply, clutching the flower in my palm as I stand up. "I hurt people Luke. If my father wasn't there... They have a right to fear me. I don't know what the fuck I'm doing."

I let the flower fall to the ground as I feel my emotions rush through me at an intense speed. With them comes a deadly fire that rushes through my blood, and I stumble backwards.

My head spins and churns, and before I can fight the feeling down, it explodes, overwhelming my body and blurring my thought. "Luke. Leave." My voice comes out strained, and I take another step back as my hands begin to shake.

He doesn't move.

"No. I'm not leaving." I step back further as he stands up, his hands raised in a calming manner as he slowly approaches. "You're in control Dani. I trust you."

I shake my head, holding my hands against my chest as I felt the power in my chest grow. "I—I can't." my entire body was shaking at this point, and I don't know how much longer I could hold back.

Luke ignores me, taking another step closer. "Push it out Dani. Don't let it control you." His voice is so calm compared to the raging war going on inside me, and I try to listen, to take over the monster that was throwing a fit.

"I don't know how." I say through gritted teeth, using every bit of my strength to keep the power constrained inside, to not let it out. The rushing fills my head and blankets my senses, and I can't make sense of what is left or right.

Push it out...

It should be easy, but as much as I push and shove, the raging storm doesn't waver, and it seems to laugh at my pathetic efforts. I can't hurt Luke.. I won't.