Chapter 11

Fire. Something is burning but I can’t tell what it is, but I know it is close, damn too close to me. Then there were voices, screaming and begging to be set free. Was I in hell?

Slowly I opened my eyes, afraid of what I would see and where I would be. my wardrobe at the other corner of the room came into view and I sat up. I was in the safety of my room so why did it smell like an entire building was burning down.

The screams get louder as I swung my legs over the bed and my feet touched the floor but the hotness of it had me screaming and putting my feet back on the bed as fast as I could.

Its then that I see it, fire burning straight and steady in the center of my room, right where that mark had been on the floor. I looked closely to know what caused the fire but there was nothing beneath it—just fire.

I had to alert the authorities so they could tend to it before it burned my room down, but how was I going to get past the door if the floor was that hot.

My slippers lay very far from me with nothing else that had the potential to protect my feet from getting burned. If I was to make it out of here before the fire escalated, I had to do it with my bare feet which would no doubt suffer for it.

Bracing myself for the pain I stood up, the hurt more bearable this time because I was prepared. I was close to the door when the fire roared, his flames springing up to the ceiling which made me scream.

I stood there and watched in terror as the fire started morphing into something, or rather—someone. The figure kept growing till its head almost hit the ceiling.

There was no face to it, just empty spaces where the eyes should have been and raging fire that I guess was the mouth.

With a loud scream I ran out of there as fast as my legs could carry me, my need to survive overpowering the pain from my injured feet. I turned a couple times to check if the fire figure was after me, but I saw no one.

I ran across the courtyard, looking for any student lingering by but I saw no one. I ran towards the male dormitory hoping to see Damon, surely he would come to my rescue.

“Damon!” I yelled like a mad man as I entered his dorm, not even sure where his room was. I barged into the first room, but it was empty and so where the many others that I checked after that.

I ran back to the courtyard, even the girls’ dorm had been empty, and it felt like I was the only one in the entire academy.

Not knowing what else to do, I ran to the library, I could hide there till someone found me or the fire was gone, whichever came first.

The library has never seemed so deadly and mysterious before and I could swear I heard voices lingering around the various tables that sat to the side of the shelves.

My gaze swept the huge library and I realized how open the sitting area was, someone could easily find me there. I opted to hide between shelves instead, that way I could easily escape if there was need.

Going down the literature section where I had been with Damon, I sat on the floor and just waited. This entire thing made no sense to me, but it didn’t have to—it was a nightmare.

Exhausted I rested on the shelf only for it to give way and I soon found myself falling into complete darkness, I couldn’t help the cry that left my mouth in fear.

I was thrown into the middle of a strange room, and I had to rub the back of my neck to try and soothe the pain there as I looked around the room.

It was like a small library, filled to the brim with ancient looking books. I walked to the first shelf only to find it covered in dust and debris, I took it out still.

To my surprise it wasn’t written in English, rather a strange language that I didn’t even know if it existed. I couldn’t help but feel like someone was hiding something down here, if not this place would be out in the open.

I checked out more books to see if there was one written in English that would explain what this place was, I came up with none.

Defeated I shrunk back to the floor and pulled my knees to my chest resting my head on them. At least the floor here wasn’t burning.

Just as I thought that, the fire figure appeared right in front of me but this time it had features that I could vaguely recognize.

The glowing that I had first seen at home before coming here was glaring at me, it moved slowly towards me, and I shrank back. My eyes holding so much fear as the creature shook its head.

“What do you want from me?” I asked, despite knowing it might not be able to hear me. Shaking its head again, it moved closer to me, and I shrieked, moving back until my back hit a shelf.

It suddenly turned and wandered to one of the shelves and brought out a book which I expected to burn but it didn’t.

Its supposed fingers flipped through the pages until it stopped. It pushed the book into my hands, and I took it, fearing what the creature might do if I disobeyed.

On the page was a picture of something, rather someone burning at the stake. There were words scribbled under it but just like every book here, I couldn’t understand the words.

As if sensing my turmoil it grew and charged towards me and I knew then that it was over for me as I closed my eyes and waited out my last moments.

I gasped immediately he touched me, my eyes flew opening and trying so hard to fill my lungs with air and that was certainly a bad idea. It hurt like crazy and made me wonder if this was how hell felt like.

I felt cold hands grab my shoulders and hold me down only fueling my need to escape as I thrashed about. I couldn’t let the fire monster get to me.

“Elizabeth!” Someone yelled, their hold on me becoming tighter as a face came into my vision. The first thing I saw was a mob of blonde hair before worried blue eyes came in view. Damon?

“You’re safe, you’re here with me” he said over and over again until I was back in my room, in my bed and there were no burning figures trying to chase me or any secret gateways to a secret library.

“You’re here with me Liz, I’ll keep you safe” he said, cradling me to his chest when I finally became calm.

A sob broke through my throat as I held him tighter, swept my hair from my sweating face. “It’s okay baby, I got you” he said before placing a cold kiss to my temple. I’ve never been more grateful for his cold skin until now, the chillness of it soothing the fire that I had just come out from.

“My feet” I told him, suddenly remembering how the hot floor burned it. I tried to sit up to show him, but he held me back.

“Nothing’s wrong with your feet Liz, it was just a nightmare. You’re awake and here with me and I’m going to protect you from whatever is haunting your dreams” he said, cleaning the tear that had escaped and dropped to my cheek.

“It was so real” I told him, my eyes still darting around in fear that the figure might come back again.

“I am real Liz” he said, he held my palm to his cheek “You’re touching me, this is real, us in your bed together. Can you focus on that for me?”

I nodded slightly, keeping my eyes trained on his blue ones. Damon was here holding me, that was my reality and there were no burning figures after my life or asking me to read books that were written in languages too old for me to understand.

“I’m here with you” I muttered over and over again. When I finally got a grip the embarrassment set in, that he had seen me at such a vulnerable moment but at the same time I was grateful, no one has ever been there for me.

“Good, baby, now take deep breaths for me” he instructed. I nodded before slowly filling my lungs with air and breathing out when he gestured for me to. I repeated it a couple times and boy did it make me feel better.

When I looked at Damon his eyes were already on mine, my fingers went back to the side of his face. Why did he care about me so much? Me who had nothing to offer but my clumsiness and awkwardness, I’ve been told that a lot of times.

“Stop doing that” he murmured.

“Doing what?”

“Doubting yourself” he answered, “You always get this crease between your brows and a frown on your face. You deserve every care in the world and the best things…”

“But…”

He cut me off just like I did him “I said what I said, it’s the people you grew up with that I hate the most. They’ve made you feel unworthy of any form of love and care, and it fucking infuriates me” he nuzzled his nose in my neck.

“You care for me?” I asked but what I truly wanted to know was if he loved me, no one has ever done that except my father.

“I’m here Liz, am I not? If I didn’t care for you I wouldn’t bother” he said, and I believed him. He didn’t look like the type to play with people’s feelings and so far all he had shown me was care.

“Thank you” I said quietly, and I meant it with all my heart “Thank you for caring for me”

“It’s my duty Liz, I am your boyfriend remember?”

We laughed at that, it was funny how we only knew each other for a week but it felt like we’ve been together for thousands of years, like we were connected. We went from ogling ourselves in the classroom to dating, and the way he had said it so casually—like it was something destined to be.

“You’re the best boyfriend ever” I said, the feelings I had for him beginning to spill over as my eyes dropped to his lips.

“I just have one more duty left” he said with a sly smile, and I could almost tell what he was thinking.

“And what would that be?” I asked, almost sure what the answer was going to be.

“Making you forget your nightmare” he answered, his voice low as he laid me on the bed before lying on top of me and using his elbow to hold up his weight, “How do you see that?”

Laughing I said the only thing I could think of “Shut up and kiss me” which surprised the both of us.

He chuckled before capturing my lips in a deep kiss, but this time he explored my mouth with his tongue as it darted around, locking my tongue in before he sucked on it.

Just as I thought I was going to explode from all the pleasure coursing through me he ran his palm across my chest making my nipples becoming painfully alert. He pulled away and hooked his thumb under my shirt.

I nodded, giving him permission to do as he wishes. He slipped his hand under, and I let myself get lost in him but not before the scent of something burning assaulted my senses.