Collection Of Short Stories And Story Ideas

Freezer burn

I looked around, seeing something orange line a square shape, I moved closer and touched it, gasping at the heat. I held my hand and could hear footsteps on the metal ground.

"Who's there?" Demanded a loud voice. I stared wide eyed at a humanoid being, they had flickering flames for hair. "Oh, it's just a human" they mumbled, turning away and fixing up a machine looking thing.

"Where am I?" I asked, it didn't even look at me, continuing to do what it was doing.

"My home" they stated, I looked around the metallic area, the orange colour seemed to move, I realised it wasn't some design choice for lighting, but lava! I stepped away and gulped, sweating from fear and heat.

"How did I get here? How do I get back home?" I asked, it picked up a lump of metal and tossed it into a pile.

"Well it obviously wasn't your fault, do you know how to get back" he commented, he moved towards me and I watched him carefully. "Can you move please?" He asked, I stepped aside and he turned a wrench.

"I don't know, that's why I asked" I sighed, slumping and hugging my knees, sweating heavily, but so far trusting the stranger. He hasn't done anything yet to make me not trust him. Also has done nothing to make me trust him either...

Him? It? Her? I don't know.

"It's really hot" I mumbled, he nodded his head and continuing fixing up bolts.

"It's perfect for me, but humans are more sensitive" he agreed, I examined him as he worked, before turning away and burying my head into my arms.

"I want to go home" I sighed.

"We've established that" he commented, I don't know what I think of his apathetic attitude, he's not saying anything bad per se, but he's also not being a good support.

Why am I even expecting some strange flame guy to comfort me?! I don't know what it even is! For all I know I'm roasted meat.

"If I had of found something else then a human here, I probably would have just killed them" he said, I looked to him in confusion, wiping my teary eyes and sweaty nose.

"What if a human had of attacked you?" I asked nervously, he shrugged.

"I would deal with them" he stated.

"Oh... Why aren't I burning?" I asked, he examined me briefly.

"I still need oxygen, we're at a permafrost locale, the lava slides along the ice." He explained, so that's why the metal beneath me isn't cooking me.

"How do I get out of here?" I asked slowly, he wacked a pipe with a wrench, the sharp ringing noise making me flinch.

"There's heavy blizzards around here. But easy, through my front door" he chuckled, tossing a rusted pipe and replacing it, welding it together with his bare hands.

I slowly stood back up, inching past the heat of his body and gazed at the darkness around us, the illumination of lava through slits the only light, the shadows making me wary, hiding all the possibly rusted metal from my eyes.

"And where is that?" I asked, gulping.

"At the entrance. I'm kinda busy human, find it yourself" he huffed.

"You're really so much help" I irritably and sarcastically grumbled, he chuckled. I slowly made my way down the metal hallway, gulping as I stared at the slits, but it seems the lava is further then I thought, like a river.

I slowly felt along the walls, sweat sticking my shirt to my body. I grabbed a handle and pulled it, gazing outside, the ground looking smooth and frosty, cold air blasting me. I gasped in shock.

"Close the door on your way out. I don't want to burn out" he called, I looked down to the glowing person.

"I don't want to freeze" I stated, he looked to me and shook his head.

"To hot, to cold. Humans cannot go anywhere" he commented, I took a deep breath and closed the door, not wanting to deal with him anymore.

I immediately slipped on the icy ground and groaned, greenery grew on the icy ground. I sat up and looked back at the massive metal building, pipes running along it, connecting to the lava. Smoke blowing out a chimney.

Freeze or burn... My only options.