Fire, swirling around me, engulfing me in its power. I flinched away from it but it kept getting closer. I tried to turn and run but he stopped me.
"Stop moving bitch!" He called out and hit me with his free hand. I went down. The slap resounded in the air. I curled in the fetal position while he kicked me. I could feel bruises starting to form. I could feel bones starting to break.
Tears ran down my face. That encouraged him on. The fire got closer as he used it to make my clothes burn. Finally he hit me hard enough that I couldn't fend myself. Then he pulled up my shirt and put the fire against my skin. I screamed.
I woke up. Someone was screaming. I covered my ears with my hands before I realized I was screaming. I closed my mouth hoping my roommate wouldn't come in. I did not get so lucky.
"Why the hell are you screaming!?" Tara said sleepily as she walked into my room. I bowed my head so she wouldn't see the tears, the pain I knew that was etched on my face.
"I'm sorry. I had a nightmare. Please go back to sleep." My sentences were choppy, drained of all emotion. I could tell she rolled her eyes cause she began her sentence like this.
"Whatever, Candice. I have work tomorrow. Just try to get good nights sleep. I have to look refreshed for the commercial." And with that she walked out of the room. Tara was an actress. A crappy actress but one none the less. I was in art. She scoffed at my work but she does have one of my paintings hung up on the wall.
I reached for my lamp, but my hand was caught in my shirt. It was covering my scars. I lifted my shirt up and looked at the scars that haunt me. They were ugly, ruining my skin. I choked in a sob as I ran my hand over them. Bumpy, touching them makes me smell ash. I removed my hand and let my shirt hang there limply. I sat there, head down for an immeasurable amount of time. When I was confident that I wasn't going to cry I turned on my lamp.
When my room was bright I could tell what time it was. Two. I was going to need to get back to sleep so I could actually go to class tomorrow. Before I could get to sleep I needed to see something. A picture. I went over to my dresser and opened up the drawer. I closed my eyes and picked up the picture frame. I somehow got back to my bed without falling. I sat down on my bed and drew the covers around me. When I opened my eyes I almost started to cry again. It was the picture I try not to look at.
It was taken two years ago. I was at the park before I moved away. I looked young and relieved. I was standing next to my best friend, well old best friend, Gerard. He knew everything about my life. He knew what my father did to me. He knew why my mother left us, left my high and dry. I let the tears come freely now. I missed him, I missed all my old friends. I couldn't take it anymore. I turned off the light and let the nightmares have at me.