Inside the Fire

by Heather Glidewell

  “We still on for Saturday?” He asked as he was getting into his car.

  “Yeah I think it should be ok.” I smiled.

  I was actually looking forward to doing something with him. Wesley didn’t even seem so bugged about it when I had talked to him earlier.

  “Great.” He grinned. “I will pick you up at six. We have to drive into the city to see the races.”

  “Sounds like fun.” I said.

  He gave me a wave and backed out of the driveway.

  “Such a nice boy.” My mother said when I entered the house again.

  “Yeah, he’s pretty cool.” I said as I helped her finish loading the dishwasher.

  “It’s a good thing that Wesley doesn’t find him a threat.” My mother pointed out.

  “Yeah.” I agreed. “Mom?”

  “What honey?” She asked me.

  “Do you think he is just saying that it doesn’t bug him? I mean it really could right?” I questioned.

  “No, I think Wesley is pretty straight forward with his feelings.” My mother said as she started the machine.

  “Well I think I’m going to head to bed.” I stretched.

  “Tell Wesley good night for me.” She teased as I walked into my room.

  I pulled out my phone and texted my boyfriend a good night text.

  Me: I’m heading to bed. Love you.

  I fell asleep, but I did not receive a response. I usually receive a response before I pass out. Oh well, maybe he was just busy.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Carnivorous Red Heads

  I was sitting in a bar facing a red headed woman with the most patronizing green eyes.  She was glaring at me, her stare attempting to burn me to cinders. There was so much hate and disgust in her that it made my skin crawl.  She smiled a toothy grin.  I could see her fangs extending as she glared at me. A chilling smile was spreading across her face.

  “Such a pretty princess. You with your black hair and red lips. A beautiful reminder of all things pure. I must admit even I would be tempted if it was allowed. I just have one simple thing to say. The thing is you cannot have him.” She spoke slowly and with a thick German accent. She then stopped grinning and stood.

  “I don’t exactly see your point here.” I said coldly. She was talking about Wesley I knew that much.

  “Er gehört mir!” Her eyes turned black her, fangs lengthened completely and her hands were sparking. Two black orbs formed above each palm.  I shot to my feet willing the fire to ignite, my hands burst into flames.

  “He will never be yours!” I screamed determined that this was one battle I was not going to lose.

  “He was mine before he was ever yours. I will not let you take him from me.” Her German accent was harsh but her eyes were harsher.

  I pushed at the power in my hands willing the flames to shoot higher until suddenly I was standing inside the fire itself. The flames were lapping at my skin. Amazingly there was no pain and for a moment I was mesmerized at this new development. My hair was waving in black ringlets around my face, untouched by the flame as well.

  “Welche Kreatur sind Sie?” She seethed.

  “I am the creature that you should fear. I am your death. I am your salvation.” The words flew out of me before I could think of anything better to say.

  “I fear nobody Raven Princess!” She screamed.

  I saw the orbs flying towards me.

  I felt confident in what was happening. Those orbs were not going to harm me in the least. Fire shot from my body causing my back to arch and my head to fly back.  I could hear her screaming but I was blind to what was happening. A manic laugh escaped my lips.

  I shot up and out of bed sweaty, my mother standing over me holding the fire extinguisher. Just by the look on her face she was obviously angry.  I glanced at her confused then finally understood as my eyes shot around. 

  First, I apparently had woke her up from her beauty sleep. Second, I looked at my walls. I had somehow set the house on fire. She waved her hand, and the damage disappeared, appearing as if it was never touched by flames. I gazed at her in amazement I had never seen her do that before. It made me question how many times she’s had to do that for me in the past.

  “How long have you been able to do that?” She asked me still looking angry.

  “Done what?” I wasn’t playing dumb I was actually being truthful on this one. I had no clue what she was talking about.

  “How long have you been able to stand inside the fire?” She put the extinguisher down.

  “I can’t.” I muttered sitting up. “I mean I’m able to control the flames for the most part. As for standing inside of it the only time that happens is in my dreams.” She took a seat at the end of my bed and sighed.

  “Honey, I just saw it happen. What I need to know is how long it’s been happening. If you say it’s in your dreams then I must ask you one simple question. What are you dreaming about?” The anger had washed from her face, she was attentive.

  So I told her every second of the dream. Everything about the woman with the green eyes. About how I had stood, and the fire had consumed me. Finally, about the blindness and the screaming. My mother listened intently and when I finished my story put her hands on my face.

  “Pray with me.” I looked at her puzzled but put my hands in hers.

  I’m not a religious person as I said before. I know that God and Lucifer exist but I do not understand why there is so much more to religion then just believing. When you think about it they all lead to the same place. No matter who you call God or even the Devil. The stories are relatively the same share the same morals.

  So I prayed with my mother. I prayed for the souls of those that were in our lives. I prayed for the souls of those that were not. I prayed that I would soon understand why I was not abolished. I prayed for my mother who made a mistake and had paid for it over and over again. When I opened my eyes my mother was looking at me attentively.

  “I was afraid.” She started. “I came into your room after you started screaming. You were levitating about two feet off the bed and your body was covered in flames. Suddenly your eyes shot open, they were black as night and you laughed this evil, evil laugh.” She looked around the room for a second.

  “I am so sorry you had to see that mom.” I said my heart pounding.

  “Your father, he used to have nights like that. Nights when his dreams would be so intense that I would awake to the warmth of fire in the bedroom his body engulfed in flames. I would always erase the damages before he woke up. I thought hiding it from him would keep him with me longer. It was a sign that his power and duty was calling him. Even though we had been banished the blood in our veins still had its ties to our duties,” She let a tear roll down her cheek.

  “I’m so sorry mom I didn’t know.” I thought she had finished, but I was wrong.

  “Remember when I said he set fire to the police station during an investigation.” I nodded. “The crime was a murder. An eighteen year old boy had violently accosted and beat an eighteen year old girl. He kept her bound in a closet for a week. She was dead when they found her body bloody and bruised. The boy felt no remorse for the murder.”

  “Oh goodness that’s horrible.” I said my eyes wide.

  Why did it seem that today was the day for stories and confessions?

  “Your father made one simple mistake.” She shook her head.

  “What happened?” I asked.

  “He touched the boy on the shoulder. You have to understand if we touch a human we get flashes of their lives. Sometimes it’s great memories and sometimes it’s horrors that you wish you could forget. He saw everything that boy had done to that poor girl. Every last dirty detail from the abduction to the horrific violation of the girl’s innocence. The visions ended with the boy beating her near death and throwing her bleeding body into the closet and locking her in the darkness.”<
br />
  Please say my father killed this boy.

  “The evil the boy had done ignited something in your father. He is a demon yes, but there are even some levels of evil that infuriate him. This was one of them. You were in my womb, but your father knew from the beginning you were a girl. He was so infuriated that someone could do this to you in the future, so his instincts took over.”

  Here it comes!

  “He burst into flames. Right in front of the boy. This is forbidden on both levels. He told the boy that he would be welcomed in the deepest darkest crevice of Hell and he would suffer the same fate as his victim every day from here to eternity.” She breathed.

  I may not talk to the man but I have a huge amount of respect for him.

  “When the fire cleared the boy was dead. They blamed it on faulty wiring. This was not the case. Your father had managed to glamor the cameras in the room so they couldn’t make out that he had been the cause. We still left. No matter what it would draw attention.” She glanced at me.

  “Why are you telling me all of this now?” I asked quietly.

  “Well, tonight seeing you engulfed in flames, it has brought back so many memories. I am scared for you Dawn. Something in you is feeding off the evils of others and so little is feeding on the good. I am safe to assume now that the ascension has begun.” She wrapped her arms around me.

  “How long does it take?” I whispered in her ear.

  “It could be tomorrow. It could be next week. It could be ten years from now. You won’t know until it’s complete. It’s more important now than ever you keep your blood under control. You could accidently hurt someone. I will help you but I am only knowledgeable in my own powers. I am limited in what your father can do.” She kissed my cheek. “It might be time to talk to him. Call him up and tell him what is going on maybe then you can get a better understanding of what is happening.” I shook my head feverously.

  “It’s been four years mom. He has had the chance to get in touch with me and he has not tried.” I stiffened. “When I left he made no attempt to come after me. He knew where I was going.”

  “Yes, he knew.” My mother repeated flatly. “Do you think that he’s going to come traipsing over my door step again? Do you think he’s going to stand there and stare at the woman that got him kicked from Hell? No, your father is too proud to put himself in that situation again. He left me when you were a toddler. I left you with him so he could protect you, and you returned to me as a teenager. He’s letting you do what you need to do. He’s not going to put himself into any situations that could compromise his personal missions. That does not mean that he will not jump for you. You are just as much a part of him as you are of me.”

  “You weren’t there mother, I was. He called me an abomination.” I pulled away from her. “He called me unwanted.”

  “You misunderstand. In the eyes of the lord, even in the eyes of the devil you are something that should simply not be. Imagine my shock that after hundreds of years of secret rendezvous I suddenly have a growing being inside me. It was not supposed to happen, but it did. You are the greatest gift that I have ever received. No matter if you become one or the other even if you can manage to control both you are still my daughter just like you are still his.”

  She stood up from the bed, I think she realized that no matter how hard she tried I was not budging I was not going to call my father and ask him to help me control the fire.

  “It’s your choice in the end. You will decide what it is good for you and what isn’t.” She kissed me on the top of my head. “I love you honey. Never question your mother’s love as you do your fathers.”

  I sat there for a few minutes before lying back down and pulling the blankets up to my chin. I reached for my phone. It was 4am, whoa! I had six missed messages. I selected the icon and looked over them, at a glance there was nothing really interesting.

  I had one from Adam telling me he got home ok. Then one from Wesley telling me he loved me from an hour ago. I even had another one from Wesley that looked like he had tried typing with his eyes closed. I couldn’t decipher what the words were. Finally I had three from Wesley’s dad.

  Greg: Wesley just walked out the door. Is he coming to you?

  Greg: I followed him but when I got outside he was gone

  Greg: I'm scared something has happened to him.

  “MOM!!!” I screamed ripping myself from my bed and sprinting to her room.

  She was up and looking at me her phone clutched in her hand. She had received the same three messages from Wesley’s father as I had. She grabbed her jeans and a t-shirt threw on her jacket and looked at me.

  “Get dressed quickly we have to get there!” Just like that I was running to my room throwing on jeans and a sweater pulling my hair up in a sloppy pony tail and grabbing my keys. In less than five minutes we were out the door and on our way to Wesley’s.

  “You have to listen to me no matter what.” My mother demanded as we drove seventy down the dark highway.

  “I will.” I said my pulse was racing.

  “I mean it Dawn. There is no room for error.” My mother was talking to me through a clenched jaw.

  “What do you think it is?” I asked my hands were shaking now, and I clenched them in hopes they would stop.

  “I don’t know. But there is one thing that I do know. Boys just don’t disappear from their back porch in the wee hours of the morning.”

  She stepped on the gas we were reaching ninety. I was hoping that there were no cops on the road.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Face to Face

  We made it to Wesley’s house in record time. My mother drove like a bat out of Hell as I sat in the passenger seat texting his father. My fingers flying across the touch screen as I tried to get more information from him on what happened.

  Me: Have you found him yet?

  Greg: No nothing not even a single clue.

  Of all the nights for Wesley to disappear it was the one night that I had not seen him. The one night that he told me he had something important to do.

  Greg: I found his hat in the middle of the field out back there is blood on it. Dear God I hope he is ok.

  Wesley had been known to sleep walk. He would just wander the house talking to himself. Nobody could wake the boy and Greg would follow his son until he would lie down and go back to sleep.

  My mother put the car in park, gave me a worried smile, and got out. I followed her up the steps to the door. She knocked loudly. Mr. Jensen answered with the phone in his hand. He motioned for us to enter. My mother grabbing my hand pulled me inside and secured the door behind us. We stood there for a moment in the entry as Mr. Jensen finished his conversation.

  “The last I saw him he was in a white shirt and plaid pajama bottoms. He’s eighteen, six feet, brown hair and blue eyes. Yes thank you.” Once he hung up the phone he embraced my mother tears streaming down his face.

  “I called the police. They are going to look around town see if he is there.” He looked at me and gave me a weak smile. “He hasn’t done this in so long. I mean he always sleepwalks but he hasn’t done it like this in about a year.” I looked over at my mother and she nodded at me.

  “Take me to the last place that you saw him.” She said sweetly. We followed Mr. Jensen to the back door. Wesley’s keys were still hanging on the hook, first sign that he was not coming to me. My heart tightened, I felt a sting of pain seer through me but I held strong not showing what I was feeling.

  “It was right here.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “He looked at me and smiled. Told me everything would be ok. He would make things right, restore the balance.” He sighed. “I stepped towards him and he was out the door. By the time I was able to get onto the back porch he was gone.”

  “Greg, do you have something of his that I can see?” My mother asked softly.

  “I found his hat. It was laying in th
e middle of the field out back there is blood on it. Will that help?” He asked reaching for Wesley’s blue baseball cap that was lying on the dryer.

  “That will do great, thank you.” She looked at me. “Greg go and check on Melissa. Dawn stay with me.” Mr. Jensen gave her a sad smile and left the room.

  My mother’s hands began to glow, her eyes turned bluer then I had ever seen then suddenly went milky white. Her lips were moving, her hands touching the baseball cap first at the brim then moving around to the back. Suddenly her eyes shot towards the door and she smiled sweetly. It had only been seconds, but I was amazed. She shook her head, and her eyes came back to normal. A look of realization took over her face, and she gasped.

  “He’s alive! We have to go into the woods, you and me right now. He’s in danger.”

  With amazing speed my mother pulled me through the door and out into the field. Lifting her head to the sky she sniffed the air. We started running again until we were at the edge of the forest where she stopped and looked at me once more.

  “I need you to open up to me. I need you to amplify my power.” I clutched my mother’s hand and willed the icy prickle to appear. I felt the familiar cold in my fingers and just like that we burst into white flame. So the white flame was connected to my mother after all. I had never seen her do this before. To know that this power came from her relieved me some.

  Together we moved forward hand in hand walking slowly looking both directions searching for the one thing that my heart desired more than anything. I could hardly breathe. The fact that I was holding myself together even now amazed me. The pain kept pulsating in my heart. It was as if I knew something was happening to him. Something unnatural, someone was hurting him.

  That’s when we saw them. There were five, two females and three males bent over an unmoving body. I screeched and my mother broke contact. The faces looked up at us with those deep red eyes their mouths and chins covered in blood.

  I freaked, the burning sensation in my fingers turned from ice to fire in a second. My mother touched me and the fire subsided but the rage was still present. She threw her head back, her eyes turned white and a white flame shot from her body incinerating four of the creatures with one burst. The fifth scared to death, stood in horror.