Born In Flames

by Candace Knoebel

  I repeated what he had said over and over inside my head, trying to sear it deep into my memory. The word, dragon, sent a jolt through me. He said I needed to find the keys in order to return home. I wouldn’t even know where to begin without his help.

  With more questions than answers, I picked up Fenn’s apron and counted my tips, separating out the house money. Fenn returned moments later and flipped the lights off. He broke the silence by saying, “I don’t want to argue with you. Let’s go home.” He sounded sincere.

  I rolled my eyes as an answer and followed suit as he threw his arm over my shoulder. Chapter 4

  The Truth Will Set You Free

  ON THE BUS, I YAWNED as the streetlights lit up the empty vessel, small blips of light peeking in and out as we rumbled down the quiet streets. The driver’s usual arrogance was gone, maybe with the late hour. Does he ever take a break from driving? The thought came and went. I didn’t care, I was tired and just wanted to be home.

  Fenn pulled out one of my earphones and whispered, “Tomorrow will be a better day, I promise.” Then he gently leaned his head against mine.

  “Yeah,” I replied monotonously.

  The screeching of the obnoxious brakes told us that we had made our destination. I took Fenn’s offered hand and pulled my aching body out of the seat.

  A lit sign announced M tel 6 right above a man dressed in rags holding onto a rusted shopping cart full of knotted plastic bags. I looked up to the second floor of the motel where our room was. Yep, this is my life, I thought with a sigh as we walked across the desolate, fissured parking lot.

  I trudged up the stairs, anxious to be in the comfort of my home. Fenn and I shared a cheap room with a queen-sized mattress on the floor in the middle of the room. A TV rested on a cheap old end table we found at a yard sale. In the far corner was our tiny, run-down bathroom, the chipped tile and rotting paint still waiting for the manager to fix. The kitchen consisted of a stove, a refrigerator, and a sink along the back wall. A couch, doubling as Fenn’s bed, sat along the front window next to a dresser that we shared.

  The pink and green striped wallpaper peeled off in various places revealing the cold, hard concrete walls. I was tempted to rip all the wallpaper away and be done with it. At one time, I’m certain the wallpaper meshed with the hunter green carpet.

  I quickly changed and got situated before letting the bed engulf me. Falling onto my bed after a long day was a feeling that I always looked forward to.

  Fenn pulled out the couch. I watched him through dreary eyes as he put his sheet on and threw his pillows to the end. My comforter did its intended job of being very comforting, like a mother’s love. In my case, it was Mily, my foster mother’s smiling face that had always comforted me.

  Instead of throwing himself into his own bed of comfort, Fenn walked over to me and said, “Can we talk for a sec?”

  “Sure,” I replied, scooting over so he had room to sit.

  The nervousness that lingered in the air reminded me of standing on Mily’s doorstep at the age of ten, unsure of where I was or how I’d gotten there. When she opened the door, Fenn was standing behind her, and somehow by seeing him, well, I just knew that I’d be okay.

  “I want to talk to you about something.” He spoke softly and stared at the floor, his shoulders slouched over, both hands gripping the bed. Whatever it was, it was serious.

  “Okay,” I eased.

  “What that man said was true…I have felt something inside me before. But never like how you’ve described it. And I’ve never actually done anything, like with fire or whatever. I’ve just always felt…different.” He didn’t look at me, which was what he often did when he was uncomfortable.

  I felt a rush of excitement as I asked, “But different how?”

  He shifted and said, “Like whenever you seem in danger or something, this rush of strength surges through me. I can lift things that are at least four times my weight. And I heal quickly. Any cut that I’ve ever had has always healed hours after.” He finally looked at me, his eyes full of uncertainty.

  I laid my hand on his back. “It’s okay, Fenn. Maybe this is why we don’t remember our childhood. You don’t have to be scared,” I said, trying to help him along.

  “I’m not scared,” he said defensively. “I’ve just never said anything because there was already so much going on with you. I didn’t want you to worry.” He paused a moment, as if deliberating, and then finished, “I think I just didn’t want to come to terms with it. I just want to be normal.” He leaned into me, resting his head against mine like he always does when needing relief.

  “Well, it seems like we don’t have much of a choice. We are what we are,” I said softly.

  “We do have a choice, Rory.” He sat up. “Avoid it and continue living normally. Just the little bit that we’ve experienced so far has been too dangerous for you, and I can’t let anything happen to you. You have to trust me,” he urged.

  I felt the threat of a smile and tried to tuck it away. “That sounds a lot like what Mr. Creepy said. You’re my protector, remember? And you’re not fighting that instinct,” I teased.

  There was an immediate awareness in his eyes as my words hit home. He knew I was right.

  “I do trust you, Fenn and I’m really glad you decided to tell me the truth. Let’s just take it one day at a time. See what happens, okay?”

  He nodded and kissed my forehead.

  A soft, very faint melody sounded in my mind as the kiss to my head lingered on a moment longer. It was the oddest, most hauntingly beautiful sound I’d ever heard. A tingly feeling awoke in the pit of my stomach from the warmth of his breath against my face.

  My cheeks were instantly red. “Good night,” I said with as much indifference as I could muster, turning away from him.

  I slumped back into my bed where I could hopefully rest for the night, pulling the sheet up to cover my nose. I rolled over and shut my eyes as tight as they would go.

  Something happened when he kissed me so softly, something I wasn’t ready to acknowledge. Ignore it, I thought as the soft whirl of the fan pushed me into sleep.

  I woke only a few hours later from the confusion of a dream and found myself curled into Fenn. My hand was resting across his chest, as if we’d slept this way a thousand times.

  When the haze of sleep wore off, it hit me. I slowly eased myself off of him and onto my side hoping that he wouldn’t wake to find me there. I didn’t want him to get the wrong idea. We were just friends…right?

  Get up, I told myself. Just get up and go back to your own bed. But I didn’t want to. It felt right to be next to him. “At four o’clock in the morning?” I whispered as I glanced at the clock. What was I thinking?

  "Alright," I mouthed to myself, and slowly tried to ease up on one arm. But just as I pushed up, his arms locked around me, and he said, “Stay just a little while longer.” He gently pulled me back to his chest.

  I lay there wide-eyed and caught.

  “Huh?” I asked, holding my breath as I waited to see if he was actually awake. But he wasn’t.

  I wonder if he was thinking of me when he said that. Maybe I should just stay. No, that would be stupid. He would get the wrong idea.

  He began to say something else so I leaned in to listen, not following my own advice. “No, the bumblebees are coming,” he muttered. His words were so jumbled, it was almost impossible to make them out.

  I silently laughed, letting the moment pass, and eased out of his bed, heading back to my own. Huffing at my insanity, I pulled the blankets up over my head. This is ridiculous. Every night I wish for peaceful sleep, and every night I’m still lying here, waiting for sleep to come.

  Waking up in a good mood would be completely out of the question come morning. “Let’s try this again,” I whispered to myself and closed my eyes. Maybe this time the dream gods would leave me alone so I could actually sleep. Chapter 5

  The Surprise!

  I WOKE THE NEXT MORNING greeting the ceil
ing with a blank stare. I rolled over and then grimaced at Fenn. His intruding smile illuminated his face.

  “Well, good morning to you too, Sunshine,” he taunted as he got up from the couch and headed to the bathroom.

  “How long have you been sitting there?” I called out, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

  “Long enough to hear all your secrets,” he replied with a wry smile before he shut the bathroom door.

  I rolled my eyes. Mr. Creepy’s eyes suddenly popped into my head—flashing a white so bright it had burned into my retina. I needed to find him and learn more. But how could I do that with both Fenn and me having the day off?

  “You okay?” Fenn asked as he came out of the bathroom. “You have that serious plotting look written all over your face.”

  “No, I don’t,” I replied a little too hastily. “Are you okay?” I tried to sound inconspicuous.

  “Uh, no,” he said as he moved to the couch.

  That’s when I noticed my bookbag by the door. I’d put that away on the highest shelf in the closet after graduating, glad to never have to use it again. Why was it out?

  I crept over to it and rummaged through its contents. An extra pair of clothes, a sheet, my phone…

  “Okay? What’s this?” I asked with a grin.

  He was sitting on the couch flipping through channels on the TV, all casual-like.

  “What’s what?” he asked innocently. His lips twitched, fighting back a smile.

  I sat down next to him and noticed that he smelled like a fresh bar of soap. I looked swiftly away, my face instantly flushed. What is wrong with me? That tingly ache resurfaced over my skin.

  I recovered my composure and said, “What do you mean, ‘what’s what?’ You know what I’m talking about. Where are we going?”

  “That is for me to know and for you to find out, little lady. A little normalcy for a change might do us some good.” A smug grin stretched across his face.

  “Is that what you think?” I retorted, trying to hide my elation.

  “Yep, so you need to get ready. We are on my time today, which means on time, something I know you’re not used to,” he finished with a laugh. He looked satisfied.

  “We’re on my time,” I mimicked as I headed to the bathroom, blissfully smiling.

  I took a quick shower, pulled on a pair of torn jean shorts and a hot pink cami, and threw my damp hair into a sloppy ponytail. I really couldn’t have moved any faster.

  Locking up, I rushed to meet Fenn downstairs, my footsteps bouncing with giddiness. Although it was a detour from what I had initially wanted to do, it was something he had planned, exclusively for us, which was not typical for him. Acknowledging that idea awoke many butterflies.

  I stopped when I saw what Fenn was standing next to. Mily’s car was parked in the first parking spot. “Pretty courageous,” I commented, impressed.

  “She let us borrow her car. She must be losing it.” Fenn smiled.

  I hopped in and noticed he had a CD of my choice playing. Indie Rock.

  “Awwww,” I stretched out. “I’d be so lost without you.” I quickly looked to the window as crimson once again marked my cheeks. I could have said it before and it wouldn’t have embarrassed me, but now… I let the thought disappear as quickly as it had surfaced.

  His hand touched my knee. I jumped. Then his fingers brushed under my chin, turning my face to him. “I feel the same,” he replied, keeping his smoldering eyes locked with mine. My breath caught and then he looked away, easing the intensity of the moment.

  For a moment, I couldn’t speak. There was no denying what he meant. The music filled the ticking seconds as I tried to erase the shock from my face.

  “So…where to Oh Mysterious One?” I finally managed.

  With a secretive smile, he threw the car in drive and peeled out of the parking lot.

  “Put this on,” he said, tossing me a bandana.

  “For what? And could you please slow down a bit? That was a little dramatic, don’t you think?” I asked, tightening my seatbelt for effect.

  “Just put it over your eyes until I tell you to take it off,” he instructed, curbing the lead in his foot.

  “Is this some sort of fantasy that you’ve always dreamed about? Having me blindfolded?” I wrapped it tight around my eyes.

  “You know it,” he confirmed with a chuckle as I relaxed back into the seat and let the morning glide past. The mid-June breeze drifted through the car, the sweet hint of blossoming fruit mixing with the scent of the ocean. My sense of smell was heightened from my closed eyes. It was a heavenly morning, relaxing my soul.

  Just as I began to nod off Fenn said excitedly, “Okay Rory, take it off.”

  I hurriedly untied it and found myself staring at The Grand Palms of Lihue, a hotel built to house the rich tourists that stimulate our tiny economy. We never had a reason to come out this far. Commercial restaurants and fancy hotels didn’t really appeal to me.

  “What are we doing here?” I asked in dismay.

  He turned the car off and slid out, lightly jogging over to my side of the car and opening the door.

  “Don’t be such a pansy, Rory. We’re going into that hotel and having a nice breakfast like normal people would do. And you are not going to fight me on this. Today is going to be one hundred percent normal,” he said as he tugged my arm.

  “But that’s a five star restaurant, Fenn. We can’t afford that.” I yanked my arm back and pouted. “Just what I need…an opportunity for more people to stare at my hair.”

  “No one will stare at you,” he said, tilting my chin up. My eyes lifted to his. “I’ve got this under control so get your butt out of this car.” His eyebrows grazed his hairline in expectation.

  “Whatever you say, Fenn.” I gave up. Only because he had planned this and I didn’t want to ruin it.

  As we walked up to the sliding doors, I took a deep breath, preparing myself for all the stares. But once inside the lobby all of that worry disappeared. I paused in awe, letting the surrounding beauty soak into me.

  The crystal chandelier swayed slightly from the breeze as the door opened and closed. Red carpet lay effortlessly against the tile flooring and played off the white pillars that lined either side of the lobby leading up to the massive center staircase.

  Fenn had already moved up to the front desk and was looking back at me, waving his hand to hurry me along.

  I slid my arm through his as he led me to the lounge area where we were met by a hostess who quickly showed us to a table for two.

  I nudged him and said, “Thanks, Fenn, this really means a lot. I guess your sweeter side isn’t as dusty as I thought.”

  “Oh, does this come across as sweet? It’s all just a part of my master plan to make you fall for me…” He broke off with his quirky smile as I poked him teasingly.

  I rolled my eyes and said, “Ha ha…you. You’re just so funny.”

  He pretended to wipe laughing tears from his eyes. “I try, I try.”

  A blur of black and white caught my eye as the waiter approached the table.

  I ordered what Fenn was having, trusting that he had already looked over the menu. My appetite was usually one with the birds.

  “So, what do normal people talk about? Hmm,” I teased. “Are you happy with the way your life is turning out?”

  He shook his head with a smile and said, “Yeah, of course, I hadn’t imagined it any other way. Being with you and on our own, well, it’s perfect right now.” He was stacking the coffee creamers.

  “I’m just glad that I have a roommate, one that I can trust and feel comfortable around. Even though he’s not normal,” I played, continuing to hint at what he was trying to avoid today.

  He narrowed his eyes at me. “Come on, Aurora. Just one day. Is that so much to ask?”

  “Sorry,” I said, fidgeting with my silverware.

  “Oh look, food.” He smiled.

  The waiter brought us our orange juice and some biscuits, and I watched as Fe
nn smothered his in honey. I giggled when the napkin he picked up stuck to his fingers. His agitated state was amusing to me, like a monkey banging the keyboard on a desk because he can’t figure out how to use it.

  I dipped the tip of my napkin in my water and handed it to him. “Here use this to wipe it off, goof ball,” I said, smiling.

  This really was pleasant, a feeling I hadn’t experienced in a long time. “You’re the Yin to my Yang,” I blurted out, hoping he wouldn’t catch the real meaning.

  “Oh yeah?” he said, picking up on our old little game. “You’re the pen to my paper,” he retaliated.

  I smiled and shot back, “You’re the music to my I-pod.” I got him good with that one.

  He snickered in response. “Puh-lease, you are the lyrics to my heart song.”

  I rolled my eyes. Crap. “You’re the cheese to my macaroni?” I knew I had been defeated.

  “Seriously?” he asked, strained in laughter. “You’re going to pull the same line you used when we were like what, fourteen? Smooth,” he joked.

  The waiter walked up balancing a tray filled with our breakfast. He laid it out, the smell tantalizing our taste buds.

  “My kind of breakfast,” I mumbled as I dug into the delicious sausage. We ate in silence. After the waiter took our plates away, Fenn decided to pick up the conversation where it had left off.

  “So about the Yin and Yang thing, I’ve always felt that way about you. You’re my perfect balance. That’s why I set this whole thing up. And I was thinking, recently that is…” His face went red as I coughed a little. I didn’t want to go there because going there would mean a change in our already perfect relationship.

  “I was only playing,” I said quickly before he could finish that thought. “People like us don’t find a perfect balance, realistically I mean. We’re lucky enough if we can live our lives coming to terms with who we are. Why add something as complicated as a relationship with someone else’s feelings to the picture?”

  He stared at me in disbelief. “Who said anything about a relationship?” He pulled his napkin off his lap and bunched it up a little aggressively before throwing it on the table. “I was just gonna say we should maybe invest in a car together or something because I trust you and I know how much you hate the bus.”