BURNS » Niam ✔

7 - Written In Scars

"Yep. And I had to explain it a lot of times because they suspected child neglect. I know it was​ wrong for them to deny Greg help and put me at risk but they were scared to lose him and I didn't want to be the reason he was taken from them. They'd been keeping Greg's illness a secret for quite a few years up to that point. I couldn't​ mess that up and make them mad at me. So I suffered through first, second and third degree burns and it took me months to fully recover and go through rehab but I felt better, knowing they didn't lose either of their children that night."

Liam rubbed his shoulder tenderly. "I'm glad they didn't lose you either. Because I can't imagine what life would be like without you now."

That brought a small smile to his face. "That's sweet. Thanks."

"So is that it?"

He shook his head and the look on his face looked as if he was recounting a painful memory. "I wish it was. Three years later, when I was sleep in bed once again, I heard the fire alarm go off. It wasn't​ me that was on fire this time but I did get a whiff of smoke in the air." He took his glasses off and it was the first time tears started to form in his eyes. "Prior to that, my parents had taught me what to do in case something like this had ever happened because with Greg in the house, there was always that possibility more often than normal. I kept a knife in my dresser and what I was supposed to do was open my window, use it to cut the screen loose and climb out. The house was only one story so I couldn't get hurt jumping out of the window."

He started to choke up and Liam let go of his hand to rub his shoulder.

"I knew not to go looking for them so I did what I was supposed to do. By the time I got out and ran around front, Greg was already outside and he had matches in his hand again. I knew by the look of gleam on his face that he was the cause of it. I remember bawling so hard and waiting for my parents to come out but they never did. They died in the house fire because he started it in their room and trapped them so they couldn't get out."

"Oh, Ni." Liam pulled Niall in for a hug. "I didn't know any of this. I'm so sorry you had to go through that."

"Me too. Obviously we needed matches in case of emergencies. And they thought that they could just hide them from him and it would be fine. But somehow he kept finding them. Sometimes I wish they had just not bought them at all. Then they'd still be alive."

"Or if..." Liam changed his mind. He didn't want to say anything to offend him right now. "Never mind."

"I don't hate them for it because I know they did it out of love. I just feel like they cared for him so much that they never realized what kind of danger they were actually putting themselves and their children in. Because as much as they wanted him to be normal, he was never going to be normal without the proper help."

He wiped his eyes and suddenly felt himself getting angrier.

"Ugh! I was so mad that I just blurted out the truth when the emergency responders got there. I told them he did set the house fire and I even told them how I got set on fire when I was five and about the doghouse that sat the yard on fire. Before and after extensive study and investigation, it didn't take them long to find out what was wrong. He was diagnosed with with a rare mental illness called Pyromania. Then they sent him away to a mental hospital. I went into an adoption home after that and I never saw him again. Not until a few days ago when I visited him at the mental hospital."

Liam was confused. "A few days ago? You mean when you were supposed to go shopping? Is that why you forgot the milk? I thought you said you never lied to me."

Niall sat up frantically and looked at him. "I didn't lie. I did go shopping and I really forgot about the milk. I just didn't tell you where else I was going besides that."