CHAPTER 6
Around nine, I couldn’t find Jamie anywhere, so I went out to get some air.
The night air hit me immediately—not exactly fresh, but a great change from the smell of booze and smoke. I saw a swinging bench, and went to sit there. Leaning my back on the rest, I looked up at the sky. It was star-less. Not much to see. Just a whole shade of deep blue.
The sound of door opening made me turn my head. A guy, drunk, puked out his guts at a plant. I wrinkled my nose. Another guy followed him out, but he walked towards me.
“Want a drink?” he asked me.
I straightened, ready to bolt in case he meant violence. “No, thanks.”
“Too bad,” he said.
I was just about to relax when he turned away. And then he spilled his drink all over me.
I jerked away, trying to wipe off the alcohol. “Hey!”
The guy sneered, and threw a lit up cigarette at me. I ducked, but not fast enough. The small fire caught the alcohol, and started from my dress to my skin.
I’m going to burn alive.
My breath came out in gasps. The guy had gone away. I screamed, panicked. I needed water. Water. The fire licked my skin, and I screamed at the pain.
Cold water was splashed on me, putting out the fire immediately. I whimpered, clutching my body. God. It hurt.
“You’re okay,” I heard a voice said. “You’re okay. See? Just your dress. You’re not burned.”
It took me a moment to realize that my savior was Armand. “I’m—I’m burned,” I gasped.
“No. Look.”
I looked then, at my skin. It looked fine, all smooth and pale creamy yellow. “But it hurt!” And it did. I was sure it wasn’t psychosomatic. It really hurt, like I’d been burned.
“I know.” Armand took my hands, trying to get my attention. “Hey, listen. If anyone asks you, just say that your dress has been burned, but you got lucky. Okay?”
“What’s happening here? That guy did it on purpose! And the fire—”
“It doesn’t matter. No one is going to believe you.”
“But you saw what happened!” Something dawned on me. “And your warning just now, about me being careful—”
“Not now.” Armand helped me get up. He took his can of beer to me. “Here. Drink this for the pain. It’ll fade soon. I’ll help you find Jamie and Nick.”
It was all too much to take in. I didn’t argue.
Jamie was livid when she saw me.
“What happened to you?” She whirled on Armand. “What did you do to her?”
“Me?”
“It got burned,” I said. My tongue itched to say the truth, but I held it back.
“How? Are you okay?” Jamie looked for any injuries on me. “Did you get burned, too?”
“No,” I lied. Even now, as the pain starting to fade, I still felt the licks of fire on my skin.
Jamie cursed. “God, we can’t go home with you like this. Dad will be so mad.”
I shrugged. “It’s just the middle part of the dress.” My stomach was left bare now. Smooth skin and all. “I can wear a jacket.”
“It was a new dress,” Jamie said with a wince.
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Incarnadine
Paranormal*COMPLETED* Seventeen-year-old Elena had lost something for the past few years, and she had yet to discover it. It wasn't something that'd just show up because she was determined to find it. And no one could find it for her. She'd lost her memory. W...
