The world is on fire. It burns through everything, leaving destruction in its wake. It chokes me, forcing the air from my lungs. Burning me. I try to scream for help, but when I open my mouth, the flames go in, burning down my throat. I can't move, can't speak. Auntie Maeve's face appears above mine, smiling as she watches my terror. "Little nameless, little worthless. I tried to help you. But you still did this. You did this, so now you will suffer the consequences. Nameless." Her face disappears, but her words echo around. The thing beneath her skin did this.
The girl shot up in bed to find the fire surrounding her, suffocating her. It didn't burn her, it never did. But it burned her room, her sheets. She leaped out of bed, ran to her bathing room, where a bathtub was always filled with icy water. Breathe, she reminded herself. Panic only makes it worse. She submerged herself, killing the flames as they touched the cool water.
It was just a dream. Auntie Maeve must never know that this happened. When it got too much, the beast under her skin escaped. If Auntie Maeve found out, the visits to the fire room would come daily. The girl couldn't let that happen. With a sigh, she rose out of the bath, and set about sorting her room out.
The nightmares had started six moons ago, when Auntie Maeve had cut her cheek for no reason. It had caused a change in the girl, made her think that Auntie Mauve might not be so kind after all. She just couldn't think why she had been punished. It had never occurred to her to escape. She had never wanted to. But now, she had started forming escape plans in case Auntie Maeve found out. The girl didn't know, but she thought she might hate Auntie Maeve.