Archaic ||Peterick||

Nightmare Come True

Pete screamed, tears streaming down his face like a broken faucet. He watched as flames engulfed the hall, students running at every exit but only a few making it. He could hear them yelling, calling out for the first person that popped to mind. 

He could hear another yell from across the hall and it wasn't Patrick's. Pete lifted his head and blinked back his tears just quick enough to see Gerard. Gerard was on his hands and knees, balls fisted as if it would help. He was choking, coughing and spluttering onto the floor.

Pete watched in horror as Gerard skin melted off in clumps and turned to ash before it even hit the ground.

Gerard shakily reached a hand up to his face. Pete gagged at the sight. A huge hole had fallen out of Gerards cheek leaving all his teeth visible and the skin on his hand was mostly gone, leaving Pete to gawk at the bones sticking out unsettlingly.

Pete whimpered, already knowing what would happen to himself. He choked on the bile rising it his throat. It was getting too hot. Pete could feel his skin blistering under the intense heat. The water was raining down heavy now, burning Petes skin to ash.

Pete coughed through the smoke of the fire and weakly stood. Everything seemed like slow motion. He'd always sworn to himself that if he died, he'd go doing something worthwhile.

He stumbled to the ring of flames and spluttered. He felt as though his stomach was at his feet and he had the sudden urge to throw up.

Pete could see faint outlines of kids in the fire. He was suddenly hyper aware of everything happening. Things seemed to speed up and get louder. He could see students throwing buckets of water or using their powers to shun the flames.

Petes breathing picked up rapidly. He grabbed the first hand he saw and pulled it from the flames' grips. He looked at the kids horrified and slightly burnt face. He quickly began grabbing hands and pulling them out, trying to save all the souls he could. The holy water had stopped spraying at some point in the hustle and Pete silently thanked whoever had turned it off.

The students were overpowering the fire now and it was quickly going out. Only the ring of fire in the middle of the hall remained.

Pete ran to the ring. Only two people were still in it. Ashlee was screaming, crying for him. Pete looked confused.

He looked over to Gerard. But Gerard wasn't moving slowly, Gerard wasn't moving at all, because Gerard was replaced by a pile of ash.

Petes head snapped back to Ashlee. If Gerard was dead, all the people he'd turned would become normal people again.

Pete quickly reached for her but was stopped quickly by a second hand arising to take his. Pete looked at Patrick's sorry face and began to panic.

"One second Patrick. I'll get you babe! I promise!" Pete yelled and took Ashlees small hand in his own. He weakly pulled her through the flames. Students ran to her aid quickly. Pete screamed and fell to his knees, the holy water pouring from the ceiling again. The fire alarms must've set it back off.

Pete quickly turned back to the flames and reached out for Patrick's hand but it was too late. The fire had spread inwards quickly. Pete missed his hand by a millimetre.

Pete let out a sob and moved closer to the flames. "Patrick!" He screamed desperately and repeatedly. He knew he must sound like a broken record.

"Patrick!" The words tore through his throat again.

"Patrick!" Pete stepped to the edge of the flames.

"Pete!" Pete felt his body being engulfed by strong arms and tugged back.

"No! Patrick!" Pete kicked and clawed at whatever was holding him. He had to save Patrick, he'd promised him.

"Patrick!"

"Pete! You can't help him!" Pete hears the voice but he didn't listen to it.

"Patrick!" Pete sobbed out, starting to loose his fight.

Petes honey eyes met Patrick's. Pete found it ironic really, how Patrick's eyes were like an ocean but created fire. They could both engulf you, drag you in. They both had a panic filled, agonising deaths.

Pete watched on, still weakly fighting to get closer though deep down he knew there was nothing he could do. The front of his body had been burnt from how close he'd been to the fire. His shirt had no front at this point, only the sleeves and the back holding it on his slight frame.

Patricks movement begun to slow down, his soul going further into the flames of hell. Slowly, Patrick turned to stone right before him. Petes eyes were fixated on his. The hands holding him had loosened since Pete gave up fighting.

Pete quickly surge forward again. "Patrick!" He screamed. The bile rose in his throat again. Two sets of hands quickly grabbed him, Pete fought them off as much as possible.

Pete sobbed, throwing up flowers and petals all over himself. He choked on them. He covered his front with a thick layer of black liquid and beautifully colourful contrasting flowers.

Pete kicked and screamed and cried. He wanted to be with Patrick, needed to be with Patrick.

Pete felt himself being flung backwards, his head hitting he ground hard. His hands were pinned to his sides and his legs were sat on. Suddenly, he was forced to look at the faces of William and Gabe.

"He's gone, Pete. It's over. He's dead." Pete stared at the two boys, eyes unseeing and slightly crossed. He could tell their mouths were moving but he'd stopped listening after those seven words.

Pete sobbed, his eyes closing. The hall was silent. The fire Patrick had created had burned out. Pete turned his head to the side and spat out a singular orange flower.

Pete smiled at it and sniffled. Orange was Patrick's favourite colour.