Enhancement

[1] Flames

      She remembered how the house had been engulfed in flames. How she screamed in horror as the house crackled from the fire. She remembered seeing the silhouette of someone inside the collapsing house, she thought it was him and she nearly fell to her knees. She couldn't stop the fire from spreading, she wouldn't be able to save him. But, in a wave of anxiety she looked around her and spotted him a little ways down. She rushed towards him thinking about having him in her embrace, but she stopped short as she spotted what lay on the ground next to him. An empty container of gasoline was sprawled on the grass by his feet and he clutched a lighter in his hand. It couldn't be, she thought no way could the boy she knew have done this, or could he? He had turned to her with wild eyes, his expression a mixture of anger and relief. He wasn't scared, he didn't even look guilty, he just looked cold, emotionless, inhuman.

      She couldn't take her eyes away from him, all she could think about was what he had done. Now she knew who he really was. "What have you done" she whispered, her voice quivering while she tried to hold back a sob. He blinked still staring out towards the flames, the orange embers glittered in his eyes as he spoke in a low unfamiliar tone "What had to be done."

      She woke in a flurry of sweat and heavy, frightened breathing. She looked around, gathering herself and reviewing what she had just dreamt. That was the fourth night in a row that she had that same horrible dream. Except that it wasn't a dream, it had happened, but she had pushed it to the back of her mind and locked it away from memory. However, she couldn't control what she saw when she slept. She decided to stand from her bed, since from prior knowledge she knew she wouldn't be going back to sleep. That dream had always frightened her, it was more of a nightmare than a dream, as were most things in that part of her life. She walked across her room to her bathroom, which was hard to see, as it was only two o'clock in the morning.

      She flicked on the lights in her bathroom and she had to squint for a couple minutes until her eyes adjusted to the light and she could see herself in the mirror. Her face was lovely, she had stunning features, high smooth cheek bones, and cheeks that where a natural rose hue. Her eyes were a soft sparkling green that were mesmerizing when you stared into them, her lips were smooth and were a light rosy pink. Her hair, although not yet nicely brushed the colour was alluring either way, a light chocolate brown that had streaks of gold through it. It was a little shorter than shoulder length and was wavy towards the ends. She stared into her mirror now that she could clearly see her face. She had become more beautiful as she aged, she looked a little younger than she actually was, but still looked mature enough for people to take her seriously.

      Her eyes searched her face, she had never really thought that she was as pretty as others perceived her to be. Well maybe that's because only she knew what she really was. She was also the only person who had seen what she had seen and who had lived through what she had lived through. She smiled at herself in spite of it all and whispered to herself the two words that had got her through life, "Focus Lily."

••••••

       He didn't wake easily, but like clockwork at six o'clock A.M. he woke immediately. His routine had been engrained into his internal clock by his instructors at the academy, each morning for three years, it had now become second nature. He then continued the rest of his routine, "on the floor and push yourself 'til you get to a hundred" Agent Allen had always barked sternly when he walked into the barracks. For the longest time he couldn't even get to one hundred without almost collapsing from exhaustion, but he pushed and pretty soon he was the only one not even breaking a sweat. He was on the floor right after he woke, he didn't even really need to count, it was almost like instinct told him when he had reached one hundred. All he needed to do was breathe in going down to the floor and breathe out while coming up.

Once he knew that he had gotten past one hundred he popped up from the floor and shook it off. He didn't even appear tired. He crossed his room and opened the door to the bathroom and stepped in, there was little natural light coming in from the bathroom window so he turned to the light switch, he flicked it on and light illuminated the room. He twisted the faucet on so that cold water rushed from the tap. He splashed his face with water and it woke him up even more than he had been before. As he threw more water onto his face he looked up and glanced at himself in the mirror for a moment of vanity.

He was handsome, in a dark and brooding way. His skin was a light tan and it was quite smooth for his age and experiences. He had hard brown eyes that still glittered when he smiled (when he actually did genuinely smile). His smile was something else all together, he could convince anyone of anything with his smile, even if he faked it. He was manipulative, but that was perfect for his line of work. His hair was dark brown, nearly black, it was cut short but it was slightly longer in the front so it looked like a small peak. He had stubble all along his face, it was attractive but it could quickly grow into a full beard if it wasn't tamed by a razor every so often.

He smirked at himself knowing how he could win anyone with his looks, but he knew that there was one thing that he could never win back with his smile. And that killed him.

"Why did you do it Grant?" He asked himself and slammed his hand on the bathroom counter.