Slash Issue #3-Playing Pretend

Seven Years Ago

Tennessee 1:45 AM

"NNNGGHH!!" Clarissa winced in pain. Immediately Stuart was by her side, grasping her hand

"It's ok, just breathe."

Painfully she opened her eyes

"Stuart!" she exclaimed as she suddenly became fully aware of her surroundings.

"It's ok! It's ok! You need to rest." He immediately calmed. Her entire body was blackened in severe third degree burns, but with tears in her eyes she looked at her husband

"Is Chase?" she managed "I-Is he al-"

Stuart smiled

"He's fine, he's right here" he gestured stepping out of the way to reveal 10 year old Chase nervously waiting by his mom's bedside

"Mom!" he exclaimed as he jumped onto the bed and hugged her

"Cha-" She started to respond in kind, but then yelped in pain as Chase landed on top of her bruised body, as children tend to do.

"Carful!" Stuart started,

Mortified Chase immediately lifted himself off her

"I'm sorry!"

"No it's fine" his mom managed humorously, she was overjoyed just to have her family together again

She looked Chase in the eyes and gestured for another hug, with tears in his eyes he gently bent back down and gave his mom the biggest soft hug ever

"I'm so sorry" Chase started "it's all my fault. It's al-"

"No it isn't" she responded sharply, as she hugged the sobbing Chase "this isn't your fault!" then turning to her husband "And it isn't yours either" she continued sternly

Chase got up and looked at her with big wet eyes

"But I should have- I should hav-"He tried to speak unable to get in a word through his sobs

"Shhhhhhhhh" she calmed pulling her son closer, "It's ok, I love you."

Chase managed a smile as he gripped his mom as hard as he could

"I-I lo-" Chase started

"NO!!!" Stuart screamed rushing toward Chase and throwing him off his wife

Chase hit the floor hard

"Clarissa speak to me please!!" he pleaded through the tears, then immediately turning to the J-1 robots guarding the door he ordered "Get him out of here!!"

Chase was too caught off guard and too dazed to do anything as the robots, threw him into the connecting living room, and sealed the door. Once more Chase hit the floor hard. He got up as fast as he could, he had no idea what was happening, and he immediately rushed the door.

"Dad what are you doing!??" he yelled through his tears, which were now streaming down his young face

He banged on the door as hard as he could, but he was still too drained from the day.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

"DAD PLEASE!!! LET ME IN!!!" He pleaded and cried as he continued banging

His mom was hurt and he needed to be in there with her

But he couldn't break through

"Dad PLEEEEEEEAAAAAASSSSSSEEEEE!!!!!!" He cried desperation in his voice

"DON'T DO TH-" He stopped cold. His hands where leaving wet marks on the door. Slowly he looked down at himself, and to his horror he discovered, that his right arm was dripping in the sticky red substance that was his mother's blood.

Chase yelled in terror, and the covers fell of the bed

The room exploded in a sonic boom, shattering all the nearby windows, as Chase sat straight up in his bed faster than the speed of sound, he was covered in a cold sweat panting.

"Mom?" he questioned still not sure what was going on, slowly he figured it out.

He was still in his New York apartment, in his room.