AN: Hello readers! So very sorry for the long delay - I've been extremely busy with exams and schoolwork for the past couple of weeks. But without further ado, here's Chapter 9 of Like Fire. Hope you enjoy!
-Prophet
Chapter 9
K-Mart's crimson eyes - so much like fire. Claire felt her heart stop cold at the frightening sight. Her muscles tightened and her body stiffened as she continued to stare helplessly back into K-Mart's new eyes. "K…Mart," Claire whispered hopefully, yearning to hear her beloved K-Mart's voice once more.
K-Mart stared listlessly back at Claire and growled furiously as she writhed beneath the restraints. Claire's worst fears had come to fruition at the sight of K-Mart's animalistic behavior. "No…" Claire muttered under her breath and raised her hands to her mouth in disbelief. K-Mart seemed to be filled with rage and fury as her restraints became significantly looser with each tug of her newly acquired strength - hellbent on attacking Claire, but Claire was too shocked to realize this.
"K-Mart, it's me, Claire," she said, desperately trying to jog K-Mart's memory, but it wasn't working. In a split second, K-Mart's arms and legs were freed from their restraints, and without hesitation, K-Mart lunged towards Claire with surprising force. Claire felt the wind being knocked out of her as K-Mart straddled her predatorily and growled like a rabid animal. K-Mart was ready to kill Claire and Claire felt no fear - all she felt was relief. If she was to be killed by anyone, she was glad it was K-Mart - the girl she will forever love in this lifetime and into the next.
Claire closed her eyes as if to simply go to sleep and awaited for K-Mart to take her life that she had given to her solely out of love. Darkness and only the sounds of K-Mart's heavy breathing and grunting took over Claire's senses as she remembered all the cherished times she spent with K-Mart - she wanted her last memories to be filled with nothing but K-Mart's smiling face.
Claire could feel K-Mart's hot breath on her neck aiming towards her pulse point - K-Mart appeared to be ready to ravage at her neck, but before Claire could feel the sweet pain of K-Mart's teeth sinking into her veins that she was expecting, a thud and a grunt caused her to snap her eyes back open.
She saw Alice tackle K-Mart back onto the bed and replacing brand new restraints on her arms and legs. Alice was panting and struggling with holding K-Mart down onto the cot. K-Mart's limbs were flaying all over the place as Alice desperately tried to tie her back down. Alice added two more straps around K-Mart's chest as K-Mart attempted to bite and claw at Alice, but failed.
Alice finally won the struggle and K-Mart was once again tied down onto the sturdy bed. Alice inhaled deeply and wiped the sweat forming above her brow. She turned back towards Claire still on the ground and extended a hand towards her.
Claire took it and lifted herself off the floor.
"What do you think you were doing?" Alice asked incredulously, as Claire paid no attention to her and walked over back to the snarling K-Mart. K-Mart still hadn't settled down and still seemed to want to attack Claire as she bent over her dangerously close.
"H-hey," Alice said to Claire, "not too close," she warned.
Claire turned towards Alice as she pulled her to a safe distance between her and K-Mart.
"What do you mean?" Claire asked dumbly. "It's still K-Mart."
Alice flinched - shocked by Claire's response. "That thing isn't K-Mart, Claire," Alice said, trying to drill reason into Claire's head.
Claire snapped her head towards Alice and frowned. "Of course it's still K-Mart!" she yelled. "She'll always be my K-Mart."
It was becoming evident to Alice that Claire had lost her mind - she truly believed the brainless body of the girl in front of her was still K-Mart.
"Claire…" Alice tried a more gentler approach. "Do you hear yourself?"
Claire paid no mind to Alice as she bent down to stare at K-Mart's face lovingly. "K-Mart, please speak to me," Claire pleaded.
K-Mart only grunted and writhed restlessly on the bed - frustrated from being held back by the straps tied firmly throughout her body.
Alice only looked on in amazement at Claire's crazy denial - she had hoped the plan to cure K-Mart with her blood would work, but it unfortunately failed.
Claire was gazing into K-Mart's fiery-red eyes and felt as if the real K-Mart was still in there, somewhere. Something inside Claire - instinct maybe - told her that K-Mart was not gone, not entirely.
Alice sighed and knew what had to be done next - she felt dread overtake her body at the thought of suggesting it to Claire, but she knew it had to be said.
"Claire," Alice said, but Claire didn't look her way. Alice knew she was listening nonetheless and continued. "You know what needs to be done, right?"
Claire turned her head slightly enough to see Alice in her peripheral vision, but didn't say anything.
"She…has to be killed," Alice had to bite the bullet, no matter how painful it may be to Claire and to her.
Claire immediately jumped up and stomped her foot in defiance. "No way!" she yelled out furiously.
Alice didn't back down. "Are you planning on keeping her this way forever then?"
Claire had a look of rage as she glared at Alice with her fists clenched - she looked ready to strike Alice on the jaw. "I will never kill her," was all Claire said, and went back down to her knees to stare at K-Mart like a lost soul.
"If you won't do it, then I will," Alice stated bravely, causing Claire to stand toe to toe with her.
Claire's face was only inches away from Alice's as she felt Claire breathing heavily with a fierce look in her eyes. "If you lay a finger on her Alice, so help me God I swear…" she trailed off.
Alice looked Claire square in her eyes and folded her arms. "I'm not suggesting this out of spite Claire," Alice tried to reason with her. "You can't keep her this way - it's too dangerous!"
Claire looked ready to strangle Alice, but she calmed herself down. "I think there's a chance I can get to her Alice. I can see it. I can feel it," she added.
Alice tried her best not to scoff at Claire's suggestion. She thought Claire out of all people would know that once you become one of them, it would be nearly impossible to return them back to normal without a proper cure.
"We've tried it your way and it failed," Claire pointed out. "So please, give me a chance to try it my way."
"And what way is that?" Alice inquired - truly curious as to see what Claire's plan of action would be.
"I'm not sure…," Claire admitted lamely, "but I know I can get through to her…somehow."
Alice couldn't take hearing such nonsense any more and let herself out of the tent - she didn't look back - afraid if she did, she might see Claire for the last time before K-Mart would eventually kill her. "Fool," Alice mumbled, and walked away.
