The Thoughts of Pain & Solitude

Chapter 3 ~ Burning

My mom stood near the stove as she fried up some taco meat as my older sister, who is about five years older than me, chopped up tomatoes, lettuce, and avocado, cracking jokes every now and then about applying for a cooking show.

I sat near the window in the porch, which was openly connected to the kitchen, coloring a picture of some crows on a farm.

Thinking back to it, at the time, I had never been outside. Not even once. My mother always made sure that I never put a foot outside the walls of our home. When I asked why not, she'd simply smile and say, "it's safer for you in here."

Something catches my eye outside, and so I pull my attention away from a half colored crow and into the depths of our backyard forest. My eyes glance back and forth between tree to tree before going back to finishing my drawing.

My mother calls me over, as the food is now done. My sister ruffles my hair in a jokingly matter as I walk up to the dining table. I giggle and swat her hand away as we both sit down side by side at the glass table.

Suddenly, the atmosphere changes. I'm now older and alone. The curtains of the kitchen windows suddenly shrivel up into dust, blowing away. The air around me seems to turn cold, and before I know it, all around me begins to shed away.

As if it's in slow motion, fire appears out of nowhere, randomly clutching onto objects in unnatural movements. The air grows thick around me as I find myself struggling to breathe. My throat seems to be burning from the inside.

"Evelyn!" My mother cries out from deeper inside my home, but for some reason, my attention is stuck on another figure.

Standing in the porch no more than a couple of feet from me is a boy. He looks to be two or three years older than me. The only other features that I can make out are his bright, glowing, violet eyes.

I find myself reaching out to him as if I know him, but I suddenly feel hot arms around me. I cry out loud as I realize I'm being swallowed by flames, the fire kissing my skin.

I feel as though I'm falling into a deep hole of darkness. Someone is calling my name. It's not my mother's voice or my sister's voice. Who's saying my name?

Just as I'm nearing the bottom of the dark hole, I can barely make something out at the bottom. As I get closer, I now realize its--

I jolt awake as Max's voice rings through my ears. He stands outside of my cell with a concerned look on his face. Now fully aware that I was having a nightmare, I groan and clutch my hands against my scalp.

I've dreamt of that horrible day ever since I was placed here. All I can remember are the torturing screams of my mother and sister being burnt alive. The beginning of the dream is always a different memory of my mother and sister, but the ending always has the same result. About a month ago was when this mysterious boy began appearing in my dreams.

To this day, I have no idea who he is. At first, I assumed it was Max, but Max has brown eyes, not violet like in the dream. I don't remember ever meeting a boy with violet eyes.

I was very hidden in the past, including my sister and even my mother. It was like we were all trapped together. I knew my mother knew something that I didn't, and I suspect my sister to have known, too.

My father would go on long trips, but whenever he can home, he made sure he didn't waste a second with us. He always seemed on edge, though. He'd constantly fuss over us, almost as if... He thought we were going to disappear one day.

"Eve?" Max whispers my nickname. He stares down at me with worry in his eyes, his eyebrows furrowed together.

Reality suddenly slaps me in the face, and I immediately jump up and clutch my hands against the cell bars. The coldness nips my fingers, but my body doesn't think about pulling away.

"I thought something happened to you," I angrily whisper, staring into Max's guilt-filled eyes.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here," he says quietly, his voice deep in regret.

"Max, what's happening? This woman came to visit me and it seemed as if she-" Max silences me by also putting his hands onto the cold cell bars beside mine.

"Eve, I only know as much as you do. I haven't been informed about what's going on," Max sighs painfully. "All I know is that it's something they want to keep a secret, not even the other guards have the slightest idea of what's going on..."

"I have a bad feeling," he admits, squeezing his eyes shut as he speaks.

Now that he's closer to me, I notice his face is bruised. I gasp as I stare at the bruises under his left eye. I carefully place my fingers against his pale skin, but his arm reaches up to grab my wrist. He doesn't grab it harshly, but rather, in a soft, yet quick way.

"I promise you... I will get you out of here," he says as he looks up at me. His eyes continue to hold pain and guilt as he stares back at me.

He gives me a small, gentle smile before releasing the cell bars. He straightens up his navy blue uniform before exiting the basement, his footsteps getting further and further away.

I'm once again left in the dark basement. Scared, confused, and alone, as usual.