On a String

Chapter 10

Trembling, Kai stood up, his stomach finally empty. He rinsed his mouth out, wincing as the water flowed down his dry throat.

"Kai?"

Leaping in fright, Kai picked up the nearest weapon- a toothbrush-and looked at the doorway.

Cole stood there, looking both startled and concerned. "Are you okay?"

Lloyd appeared next to him and Zane looked in as well.

Feeling cornered, Kai griped his toothbrush tightly. "I'm fine," he said coldly.

Cole gave Zane and Lloyd a small, friendly push. "You guys go back to bed," grudgingly, the two obeyed. "C'mon, Kai," he gestured back to the bunkroom.

Kai shook his head. He was not going back to sleep. Not after that. "No," he hadn't even wanted to go to sleep in the first place.

"Let's go to the living room," Cole suggested gently. "You don't have to go back to sleep, okay?"

Kai didn't move.

"It's alright Kai," Cole walked into the bathroom, soothingly wrapping an arm around his friend. "You're safe," he said, guiding his friend out of the bathroom and towards the lounge.

Kai walked silently, not saying anything.

They had come back.

He would be captured again.

He was not safe!

They had been about to... to brand him again-

(Smoke twisting)

(Drowning in fire)

(Orange glow of the rod as it was pressed onto skin)

"Burns," he whispered numbly.

He wished he was numb. That he could feel nothing. No pain, no terror, no powerlessness...

... But that would also mean no laughter, no trust, no hope. (But sometimes it felt like those things didn't exist anyway)

Sitting on the couch next to him, (how had they gotten to the lounge? He didn't remember that) Cole looked at him curiously. "What burns, Kai?"

Burns.

(Destroys)

Agony.

"The... brandin..." he trailed off, unwilling to explain.

They had being going to-

He felt sick.

"Stay with me Kai. It's okay. I'm here," Sensing his friend needed support, Cole wrapped both arms around him. Kai was shaking. "Relax,"

"They, they," Kai tried to start again, but couldn't finish. Tears began to gather in his eyes, blurring his vision and he hastily swiped them away.

"It wasn't real," Cole whispered. "It didn't happen,"

"But it did before, and what if, what if-"