On a String

Chapter 10

Just washed it all away.

Washed everything away.

The heat, the ash, the pain...

Leaving... leaving what?

What was left?

Was there anything left?

(Was there gold at the bottom of the pan? Was there Hope at the bottom of Pandora's box?)

Kai didn't know.

But he did know that the lettuce was clean, so he pulled the dripping leaves out of the sink and went to get a paper towel. The roll was kept next to the stove, and he-

Stove.

Frying pan.

Heat.

Kai stopped walking.

Burningburningburning.

He could hear it.

Burningburningburning.

He could smell it.

(He was choking on the smoke which-)

The smell of burning... destruction... pain. It wove through the air; gnarled tendrils reaching out and getting ensnarled in his throat as he breathed.

Choking.

Suffocating.

Drowning in fire.

Kai took a shaky step backwards. The oil in the pan hissed.

Cole, noticing that Kai had gone from 'analytical' to 'tense', looked up from the stove. "Whatcha looking for?" he asked easily, flipping the potato cakes as he spoke.

"The um... um, the... paper towels," they were within Kai's reach but he didn't... he couldn't...

The oil in the frying pan spat and he flinched in fright.

("Haha! We're playing with fire, boys... only fire is the one getting burnt!")

Cole handed the roll to him. "How's the salad going, Kai?"

Kai coughed (gnarled tendrils still thick in his throat) trying to get rid of the bitter smell. The frying pan smiled innocently up at him. Of course I didn't mean to hurt you, boy.

"Kai?"

Choking.

The pan spat again, firing an oily drop in Kai's direction.

Too close.

Kai took another step back. The frying pan's grin seemed to widen; the edges of the expression twisting with malice. Scared of me?

"Hey, it's okay," Cole quickly placed the spatula down, looping an arm around Kai's shoulders in a reassuring embrace while gently guiding him away from the stove. "Is all the lettuce washed?"