The House of Fire and Bones

Someplace Familiar

Axel's head swirled when his eyes peeled open. Whatever he had been laying on had raffled him awake.

He seemed to be in the middle of an open car. Muffled sirens blared from the top of the truck.

Axel looked around: medical supplies on built in shelves clinked around their containers, and he seemed to be strapped onto a stretcher.

So it seemed he was inside a stolen ambulance. Axel had to give credit to Rose. However she managed to steal one was admittedly impressive. He looked up to see two people standing further into the truck. One of them was a girl wearing a black tank top, and cargo pants along with silver chains in her waist and wrist. Her hair and eyes were honey brown, and her skin was deathly pale.

The other was a boy who seemed uninterested in what surrounded him as his eyes were glued to his phone. He wore a plain black shirt and pants. His hair was dyed ocean blue, and many piercings adorned his face. They both couldn't be older than 20.

"Great," Axel sighed. "I've been kidnapped by two teens, and a woman who's obsessed with me," he whispered to himself. He lied there in silence, strapped uncomfortably to the stretcher, and blinked maybe once or twice before footsteps neared him. First he noticed the blue hair, and then the eye contact bagan with the boy hunched over him.

"Um," the boy stared dumbfounded. "Sonia, this guy's awake..."

The girl, Sonia, rushed over and Axel found himself being slapped so hard he was knocked out right then and there.

   When he woke up the second time, Axel blinked in a daze.

   "Oh man, he just won't stay down!" The boy gasped, cracking his knuckles, and punching him quickly into another painful sleep.

   The third time Axel woke up, he didn't even try making an audible sound. He only stared at the ceiling as the car drove over potholes and bumps in the road. It had only been what he assumed about an hour, and he was already beginning to miss the old security guard. 'He was a decent man despite his efforts to shut me up. He grew on me a little, and I hadn't tortured him enough. You will be missed, Mr. Pig.' Axel hummed to himself. The two teens gathered around him and glanced at each other.

   "What are you two doing around him? Give some space, alright?" A familiar voice ordered. Waltzing over, Rose stepped between the two and smiled. "Sleep well, Axel, darling?"

   "Don't call me that. Where am I, and did you need to put me on a stretcher. The straight jacket was fine how it was." Axel spat, muttering, "Not even the staff tied me this tight..."

    "Oh, I'm sorry. We're almost there, and I'm sure you'll find it very comfortable. I don't want you to be uncomfortable. Tell me how you feel right now." Rose informed, her face showing a geeky expression. She was still a psychiatrist inside and out, so of course she couldn't help the personal questions.

"Don't use that questioning crap on me. If I could kill you, I would right now!" Axel seethed through a toothy smile.

"That's reasonable, but it still hurts."

"Suck it up, damn b-"

"ALRIGHT, PLEASE!" Sonia screamed, slapping a pale hand on Axel's face, covering his mouth in the process. "I DON'T WANNA HEAR- AHH JESUS CHRIST!" Sonia quickly removed her now bitten finger, and caressed her now red, wounded hand.

"Ah, wow. You can see the teeth marks!" The boy observed, bluntly poking it like an artifact.

"Get away from me you freak!" She ordered, kicking him in the shin.

"Oww, bro you serious right now!?"

"Learn some personal ass space!"

   "That's what ya get for playing with criminals."

   An infamous string of laughter and giggles bounced throughout the ambulance, and he pressed his head back, his body lifting slightly on the stretcher. "Haha, I got you there, kid! Lucky I didn't throw up on you, hm?"

  "Yeah right, like you can do that." Sonia glared.
   Axel stayed quiet and sighed. 'You know, I think I might have fun with this.'

   After what was more than "Almost there", the ambulance came to a halt, and the sirens stopped. The teens rolled the ex-inmate off the ramp of the truck, and into the alley of two buildings that had trash on the side, and a dumpster with a 'DO NOT TOUCH' sticker, and graffiti on the side. On the left building there was a black door leading inside labeled 'back entrance. STAFF ONLY'

   A strange feeling wrapped itself around Axel as they untied him, and got their belongings. The stuffy scent of alcohol wafted from inside as the door was slightly cracked. Laughter and the clinking of glasses detracted outside. It felt today familiar, like an intense dejavú. Sonia and the boy sulked over on each side of him.

   "Look familiar?" Rose peeked. Her arms folded as her heels tapped the concrete.

   "No way you're That obsessed with me..." Axel stared in surprised. "I mean, you're one hell of a woman."

"I'm supposed to know the background of my patients, aren't I?"

"You're starting to really make me itchy to put my hands around your throat."

"Well, what's stopping you?"

"You... gross me out too much." And with that, Axel charged to the door and swung it open as if he owned the place.

The place wasn't the same as it used to be, that was for sure. The night bar had a red-purple glow to its interior, and the bar itself had black marble countertops with various drinks propped on top. The glasses hung upside down on a shelf suspended by cords attached to the ceiling. The alcohol shelf was mostly organized by category of drinks.

The booths on the other side of the bar were a purple leather with glittery, black tables that shined under the table lights. A few workers buzzed back and forth with customers. The floors were black hardwood, new and polished. A couple of art works with the backs of women, hung a little too shamelessly on the walls, for Axel's taste that is. But no one seemed to mind. Except for some staff members by the door, who seemed to be disturbed by the fact that the staff only signs had no effect, and circled around the ex-inmate.

   "Aye, you can't just waltz in through the door. It says staff only for a reason." One of them spoke.

   "Yeah, right. And plus you can't even come in here without an ID, man." Another scolded.

   Axel sighed, "Oh, I need an ID now?"

   "Yeah, bud, it's a card you use to identify yourself." The man said sarcastically.

   "Well I don't have that." Axel bluntly said.

   "What you dropped it in your car so you snuck in, is that it?"

   "No, I was kidnapped from prison." Axel giggled quietly to himself.

   "Alright, crazy, you're gonna have to- wha HEY!"

   Axel pushed right past him, and headed over behind the bar, the two guys trailing behind him. Their protests didn't seem to register to Axel though. He stood next to the confused bartender, and told him, "Move."

   "Who the hell-?"

   "Murder, now step aside. Hey, you!" Axel nodded over to a drunken woman, who seemed to barely be holding her life together. Many empty glasses surrounded her, and she turned solemnly.

   "What."

   Axel contemplated for a bit, examining everything, from the color of her drinks, and the overwhelmingly strong sent that seemed to waft from her breath. "I'm guessing you want an old fashioned."

"Can you make me one? I'm sure it'll be no problem for a handsome guy like you." She smirked, sliding over a chair and winking his way.

"Of course I can. It'll be the best drink in your life."