Awake.
She was awake.
Shrouded in darkness, the only thing breaking the silence her breath, she was awake.
She felt her chest rise and fall, rise and fall with each breath, but she saw nothing. And with every heartbeat, the merest, most subtle tilt or twitch came the pain.
Like a knife, ripping into her chest, so close, so close to her heart.
Thu-thump, thu-thump, thu-thump
The rapid beating of her heart formed a rhythm together with her shallow breaths.
"Hello? Is anyone there?" She whispered, her voice so small yet sounding like the loudest scream in the darkness of her mind.
Footsteps. The turning of a doorknob. Click-clack click-clack came the sound of hospital shoes on the linoleum.
"Miss Dakota Grey?" asked a man in a sharp, pitiless tone.
"Yes." She rasped. "Am I... Am I blind?"
"No. Your head is in a cast. You were in a very serious accident, Miss Grey."
The man's monotone somehow held an air of haughtiness and disgust, and from that moment, Dakota hated this man whom she could not see.
The clacking of his shoes again, and the sharp squeak of the doorknob. The man left without another word, leaving her again to the darkness that swelled inside of her.
•
The fire crept closer, closer, roaring to a blaze in seconds. Dakota screamed, watching it devour grass and tree, until even the night sky was being eaten by the forestfire. The stars flickered out, veiled with smoke, and the pines roared and cracked as they fell.
Dakota felt the heat on her back like demon's breath.
The others were dead. How could they leave her, alone, fleeing from the flames and cowering in the dark?
She tripped. Fell to the ground with a dull thud.
"Someone, please!" she cried.
That was when she knew. She was truly alone.
She turned, still sprawled on the ground, and watched the fire with a horrible fascination. It crawled, closer and closer, the fumes making her eyes bleed.
Something trickled down the side of her face.
She swiped at it, still never tearing her eyes away from the hungry orange...
In the harsh red glare of the fire she glimpsed on her hand a liquid the colour of flesh.
Her skin was melting, falling in rivulets down her face and drip, drip, dripping down onto her palm.
Surrounded by fire and death and blood — Dakota Grey laughed. And then came the blackness.
•
She was torn from her nightmares by the frightened voice of her mother.
"Honey, it's your Mom. I'm here, oh Dakota, I'm here." She drew in a sharp breath, "What do you remember?"
Dakota's voice was muffled by the cast, "I... There was a fire. We were camping in the woods, and then I woke up and there was fire everywhere. I was the farthest away from it, and I saw that it had already burned the other tents. I was alone and... And I ran. " she coughed, a terrible, hacking cough.
"Honey, listen. This is gonna be a shock, okay? Just listen to Dr. Sharp."
Dr. Sharp cleared his throat, and even without seeing him Dakota knew that he cared nothing for her or her wellbeing.
"Miss Grey, the fire that you escaped was a chemical fire. The fumes have somewhat... Altered your appearance."
Suddenly, hands began to unwind her face-cast.
A chink of light appeared, then a blurry figure that she identified as her mother. Almost off and... There. She could see again, completely.
Her father, who had just entered the room, grunted. Her mother gasped and started to sob, quietly.
"The chemicals confused your body's pigments. Really, just your face. The fire itself partially melted away the skin of your jaw. I'm afraid plastic surgery won't be an option here, Ma'am." The last comment was aimed at Dakota's mother.
"But can't you fix it?" Dakota's mother pleaded tearfully.
"Fix what? Someone give me a mirror!" Dakota demanded.
She started to get out of the pristine white hospital cot when Dr. Sharp handed her a small handmirror.
A scream welled in her throat, but quickly died away. Her face was pale white, like the moon, and her lips were stained black. Around her now bleached blue eyes were rings of black. Her jawbone poked slightly through her face, and her long hair was no longer golden brown, but greasy black.
"I am... " she choked.
"Please, Dr, you have to fix her!" Wailed Mrs. Grey.
"I am beautiful." Dakota whispered.