I expect the fire to be hot, searing against my skin. Instead, I'm met with a warm, soft glow. I flinch, bringing my hand above my eyes to shield them from the glare, stepping forward until the bright sky dims. The fire strings in a large circle around me, the silhouette of a figure standing on the opposite side of the flames.
"Koa?" I yell out quickly, a breath hitching in my throat. The figure turns around as I sprint up towards them and grab their shoulder, turning them to face me.
Bright green eyes stare back into mine. Koa's lips part, eyebrows furrowing.
"You idiot," I whisper, heart pounding as I kiss him quickly. I grab his hand, hastily trying to pull him away from the fire. He stands still, staring at me, tears falling down his face.
"Koa, we gotta go," I squint, my eyes stinging from the smoke.
"I didn't mean to," His eyes fall to mine, his lip trembling.
"...We can talk about this later, we have to leave," I say, concern edging its way into my voice.
I pull his hand again but he stands still as tears quickly fall.
"He told me I had to, Aden. I-I didn't mean to," Koa's voice cracks, "I didn't want to."
"It's okay, Koa," I answer, swatting smoke away from my face and furrowing my eyebrows, "Let's just go home, okay?"
"Home is gone, Aden!" He yells, sweeping his arms out, gesturing towards the fire.
"...What's going on?" I ask, eyes narrowing. He stays silent, his breaths uneven and ragged. "Koa. What did you do?"
"He told me I had to!"
"Koa! Answer the question!" I yell.
"I didn't know what I was dealing with!"
"Koa..." I cough, glancing at the fire slowly spreading towards us as I pull his hand again. "We need to go."
"I-I love you, Aden," He chokes, "You know that, right?"
"N-Now's really not the time for this!" I yell, ignoring the flush on my cheeks and continuing to pull his arm. He inches towards me and slips his hand into mine.
"I do. I really do. I love you and I'm sorry."
"Ok, thanks, can we go now?!" I yell, my hands shaking.
"I'm sorry. I don't have a choice," He sobs, eyes welling with tears.
My heart hammers in my chest as he pulls out a knife.
And with a sharp searing pain, the world goes dark.
~THE END~
or is it...?
YOU ARE READING
i never really liked fire
Short StoryAden never really liked people. They're the shy, reserved type; the one who read at recess instead of playing with the other kids. No one could get Aden to open up. Except Koa. When Aden met Koa at a coffee shop downtown, they hit it off immediatel...
