Fanning the Flames

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

According to Jacklynn I was running a fever of 102 degrees even though she wouldn't tell me how she knew. I lay on my bed wondering how such a good day like today could turn so horrible. Jacklynn had finished unpacking her stuff and insisted on unpacking mine since she thought I'd be better anytime soon. After she had everything put away she gave Culprit some fresh water and sat on her bed just staring at me.

"I think we should call Samantha," Jacklynn said quietly. The way she was looking at me was how you would look at someone on their death bed.

"No, we don't. I'm fine really. Probably just some after affect from all the smoke I inhaled." Well, that's what I hoped at least. My body felt like it was being burned inside and out. My brain itself felt a little over done and my eyes were sensitive to any type of light. I glanced over at Jacklynn and winced as the light passed into my seeing zone. "But could you please turn off the lights?"

"Then how will I see?"

"I don't know, light a candle or something," I moaned as I curled up in a fetal position; my stomach felt like a grenade and been put in it. Jacklynn sighed and got up and went to fetch a candle from one of her random bags. I reached over with a shaky hand and turned off the lamp just as Jacklynn lit a candle. I sighed with relief as the warm glow filled the room. I glanced over at Jacklynn who was still staring at me with a worried expression.

"I think we still should call Samantha," Jacklynn said as she climbed into bed. I sighed in agitation not because I was mad at her, but that I knew she was right. I hated admitting defeat.

"Fine, call her," I groaned as I buried part of my face into my pillow. I heard Jacklynn dialing on her cell phone but I wasn't paying much attention to her. I was staring at the candle's flame. It was flickering hastily as if it was trying to escape its small prison. The long elegant flame stretched and shrunk as it ate away the wick hungrily. My eyelids drooped lower and lower all the while staring at the flame. My eyes shut as my breath slowed down and I fell into unconsciousness.

____Dream_____

I was staring at a fire, like a campfire fire. I started to zoom out and I realized that I was near a lake with trees surrounding us. The sound of small waves sounds in my ears like a lullaby. I was hypnotized by the thudding of the waves and the flickering of the candles. I took in a deep breath and smelled pine needles and something else. I heard a crack of a tree branch from behind me and jumped around ready to defend myself. Instead of seeing something that would belong in a nightmare I saw a little girl who looked similar.

"You have to remember," she said in a small voice. Her hair, eyes, and the way her face shaped reminded me so much of me. She wore a red, blue, and green tidied dress that reach to about her knees and she was wearing little Dora the Explorer shoes. I had the same exact shoes when I was younger. If you clicked the heels together little lights would light up.

"Who are you? What do I have to remember?" I asked the familiar little girl. She just smiled a sweet smile.

"Look to fire, water, and wind for guidance," she whispered as she disappeared with the wind. Uh, weird, that's all I can say. I closed my eyes in my dreams and woke up in my bed.

I looked up and saw Samantha and Jacklynn looking at me worriedly.

"What happened?" I said as I tried to sit up but fell down against my pillow. What the heck? Then I remembered about what happened earlier tonight. I guess I really am ill.

Samantha was the first to speak. "Jacklynn called me about 20 minutes ago," wait I was only out for 20 minutes? I groaned involuntarily while looking up at the ceiling as a cough racked through my chest. "When I came up here, you look like you were in physical pain. I was just about to wake you up but right when I thought it your eyes opened." I nodded my head like I knew what she was talking about. "Dae, do you know how high your fever is?" I shook my head and felt my forehead. And man, was that hot!

"You're running a fever of a 110 and it's escalating," I looked at Jacklynn in amazement. Did she really just say that? "Dae, do you know what that means?" I shook my head again and felt my brain send a point of pain throughout my body. "Dae, you should be dead or at least in a coma right now." Jacklynn looked so close to tears I wanted to hug her but when I started to move my body yelled in pained and I made a little gasping sound.

I lay back on my pillow as her words finally digested through my injured feeling head. A 110 degree temperature and rising, how am I not dead yet?

I took in a gulp of air before asking the deadly question. "How am I not dead yet?" My vision started getting blurry but I ignored it and stared into the flame of the candle. I remembered what the mini me said in my dream. Right now, the flame of the candle was actually calming down, but why? How? Most importantly, why me?

.:. Have I ever told you guys how much I heart writing this?!?!?! Kay question of the day; If you ever meet Spongebob Squarepants what would you say? .:.