Fire and Ice-Junhao-

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Minghao was sitting in his childhood family living room. He looked around to see all the familiar yet not familiar shelves and furniture. He breathed in, expecting the sent of his home, to be met with a much different clean scent. His home usually smelled of smoke and alcohol, unlike now, where it smelled clean like laundry soap. The house was clean and spotless, where there would normally be some bottles laying around, some cigarettes buds too. The floor was spotless, furniture stainless. No scuffs on things from thrown objects.

This isn't right.

He turned his head to the right to see his dad flipping through channels on the television. It wasn't actually his dad though. The version of his father sitting on the couch was pristine, tidy, and clean shaven. No beer in his hand, no cigarette hanging from his mouth. The dad he knew and remembered always had a five o'clock shadow combined with greasy, messy hair. He was always sitting around with a look of absolute disdain for everything on his face. This person Minghao was was sitting with that had the same face sat there with a happy idle smile on his lips. His clean brushed hair sitting neatly on his head.

This isn't right.

Minghao looked back at the television. All that was on was static. The buzz blaring loudly in his ears. He looked down at himself and things didn't seem right. His hands were smaller, so was his body. Minghao looked to his left where he knew a mirror should be. The mirror that was on the wall was all distorted, not showing a reflection but a bunch of swirls.

This isn't right.

"Lunch is ready! Come eat!" His mom called. Minghao looked into the kitchen that was behind him to see his mother standing there in the kitchen. She was humming while she worked to finish up the last sandwich she was making. Minghao couldn't believe he was seeing her. She looked healthy. Her now shiny, soft hair tied back into a loose ponytail, here skin a healthy color and not sickly pale. She hummed the song she would always sing Minghao to sleep when she could.

This isn't right.

His "dad" got up from the couch and went to the dining table. Minghao got up and followed him there. They sat down and his mom set plates in front of them, then sat herself next to Minghao. His parents started eating lunch while Minghao just sat there watching them. He focused on his mother. He really missed her. He could feel his eyes start to fill with tears. Eventually spilling over and running down his cheeks. Minghao's mom looked up from her food to see her son crying. "Oh sweetie what's wrong?" she asked with concern. She got up and embraced him. Minghao could smell the familiar smell of his mother he's missed for so long. He felt the warmth around him of a protective mother that he hasn't been able to feel since he was young.

This isn't right.

He pulled away and put on a strained smile. He shook his head while saying, "Nothing mom. I'm fine." He looked into his mother's kind dark eyes. He stared at her, just trying to remember as much as he can. This was all too nice and too good to be true. This was gonna end and he wanted to enjoy his time with his mother while he could.

He wiped his tears and his mother nodded and sat back down. He spent his time telling his mother about himself and what was going on in his life. "Tomorrow I start a new school mom. It's for people who have powers like me. There I'll be able to train and learn how to use my powers," he mentioned to his mother.

His mother smiled and placed her hand on top of Minghao's. "I'm so happy for you Hao! I know you'll work hard. I'm so proud of the young man you're becoming," Minghao was starting to tear up again from his mother's kind words. He really missed talking with her.

Suddenly the grandfather clock that was in the living room gonged. It's sound echoing through the whole room. It felt wrong, a sense of dread started to surround them and fill the atmosphere. Minghao looked over at the clock. It stood tall and ominous with its hands both facing up. Minghao wasn't liking this at all. He turned back to his mother, only to find her gone. Not just her but everything. All that surrounded him were burned ruins. He couldn't see that far through all the smoke and embers flying through the air. Minghao stood up and looked around frantically. He tried to take in a deep breath so he could call out for his mom but his lungs instantly filled with smoke, setting them on fire. He started coughing violently. He struggled to call out to his mother while his voice barely came out no matter how hard he tried to force it out. His eyes started burning from the heat of the flames and the smoke, impairing his vision further. He could feel the heat of the flames surround him, the burning crawling up his skin, almost consuming him.

Suddenly Minghao gasped awake, sitting up. He was shaking and felt his cold tears running down his face. His whole body felt on like it was over heating. His breathing was ragged and strained. He was trying to take in some fresh air after he was just feeling like he was suffocating. His eyes darted around the room and he was slightly relieved to see that he was in his bedroom. He sat there with his head in his hands for a few minutes trying to collect himself and even out his breathing. Minghao ran his hands down his face and took a deep breath while lifting his head.

He looked to his left at the old alarm clock that was on his nightstand, it's red obnoxious numbers glowing through the darkness of the room. He picked up the alarm clock and held it in front of his face, making sure that it was indeed two in the morning. Minghao doubted he could fall back asleep to get more rest before having to get ready for his new school. "Fuck!" Minghao shouted as he threw the alarm clock across the room. It hit the wall and broke. Minghao just sighed and laid back down, not worrying about that right now. He did his best to go back to sleep and not worry about tomorrow.