Author's Note: Well after uploading "Last Impression," I decided to go upload this story for the people who were waiting patiently for it. Also, I promise you an excerpt of the "Chardonnay" story she's reading as well so here it is; plus, I switched it back to Ella's point of view to make up for the last chapter since she barely had any lines.

Disclaimer: The characters in the story don't belong to me at all. There I said it...

Enjoy

Heated Words, Cold Monologues

Fire and Ice: those are such common words, the immortal foils that appeared since the beginning of time as we, like I, myself (would already), know it. The orange fire gives us light and warmth from the dark cold that haunts us every winter for that it appears every summer. However, it makes us feel a sense of danger for that it may make people feel like they're burned alive until they're nothing but smoke and ashes. The blue ice gives us a way to cool down whenever the sun gets too hot, especially on the hot stifling days of summer. But, like fire, it has a drawback for that it makes us feel like we are becoming dead ice sculptures. Together, they fight a never-ending war between the climatic temperatures for control of the universal domination, just like the rabbit brats, Yin and Yang.

I sat on the white couch holding onto the lavender paperback book in my right hand while a bowl of popcorn sat on a glass desk next to me by the left side. I looked at the clock yet again and it was still too early so with a book in my hands it was all I could think of to pass the time; after all, since I am a telepath, a mind is a terrible thing to waste. My left hand dug into the light butter popcorn and pulled out a handful where I recoiled back to me near my lips where I opened my mouth and consumed the pips with my teeth as the taste buds felt the goodness in each and every kernel alike; then, I swallowed them down through my throat finished with its taste for now. I then looked at the title of the book with interest and foresight as it read 'Chardonnay of the Plateau's of Fire and Ice' in bright yellow letters. Plus, I looked below it and the inscription below it said 'written by Kathleen and Donald King;' probably, that might read that it's written by a woman and her boyfriend (or maybe her fiancé or even her wife). I opened the book still with though, first by turning over the front cover and then the table of contents until I saw the words chapter two, on the top of the page so I started to read it with each sentence causing me to breathe deeply as my body temperature started to rise slowly.

"So the world is now set on fire, I said to myself in my mind. The earth, once a beautiful paradise filled with lovely rainforests, shining seas, purple ridge mountains, spacious skies, amber farm fields, and even the refluxing blue skies now ravaged by the burning flames that sprouted from Hades below. It seems that Tartarus has moved into our world as if the underworld has ran out of room for that it was greedy just like us mortals only more chaotic and ruthless than even us ourselves. Everything was taken from us as the monstrous mountains spouted out of the ground spewing fire and magma as it destroyed the town killing hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions of our beloved neighbors. I was apparently one of the last of them for that I escaped by riding in a helicopter to another location in hopes of searching for a nearby community; unfortunately, my town wasn't alone at all for that even the city towards the east of my hometown plunged into hell, literally of course. To makes matters even worse, the flat rural ranches from the north were devastated by earthquakes where crops were shaken and dead bodies littering the fields as they lied in a pool of blood; I even feel their spirits rising from those bodies. Now, I landed on a spot that is left untouched by the wreckage left behind."

Before I started to read the second paragraph, a telephone started to ring causing me to look at the clock to find that it's 7:54. "Who could be calling me at this time of night," I said to myself in annoyance as I put the book down flatly and slowly and then got up to receive the call. When my hand reached the phone, I grabbed onto it, picked it up, and held it against my ear to listen to the caller. It turns out to be Ken whom was calling and he was with his friends, Shawn, Rain, Ashley, Tony, and Holly. Apparently, one of them got into a fight with someone who was in cahoots with one of the gang members who was from the Teriyaki Taggers, a gang of typical two-bit thugs led by Peking Dale who thirsts for power; anyhow, they were thrown in police custody because of it. Ken asked me to borrow some money from me so they can make bail; at first, I was about to say no, but reluctantly I allowed it anyway since there would be a chance my boss would probably ask why didn't he show up for work tomorrow. So after talking to him and letting me think this through for awhile I decide to let him borrow my money and then we hung up afterwards.

I then looked at the clock again and this time it read 8:01 pm in solid and blocky red numerals. I look with a minor discontent at the time it shown so I went back to the couch and sat back down again. I then grabbed another handful of popcorn and swallowed it whole after chewing it. The purple book was still open yet placed face forward over the glass table therefore my right hand was placed over the book and my fingers clamped underneath the front cover. I raised my arm slowly as I turned the book over until the small black words were seen faced up; then, the words appeared to be upside down so I turned the book around 'til the words showed itself right side up. There I then continued where I left off by reading the second paragraph below.

"I knew that this was going to happen; I just didn't think that day would be today. For all my life I thought the word 'doomsday' was nothing but a series of nightmares come true that existed in the popularly cultured works of fiction, mostly movies. On the other hand, it was actually real and inevitable no matter what the people did to prevent it. Whatever we did, it always had a consequence, positive or negative; sometimes, we did it by an unwanted accident, others, with appalling intent. Some also had shortsighted and misguided intentions and there were even those who partaken in small actions without knowing the big consequences that followed by afterwards. Either way, it was already too late. I even ask myself 'why?"

I paused again for my tongue sought for thirst from the popcorn I ate for every two sentences I read as I swallowed and repeated again each time. I sat the book down again this time faced up and went to the kitchen. I opened the cupboard, reached for a tall blue cup in my hands, took it down from there, and closed it. Then, I ran to the refrigerator to catch some ice and opened the door to pick out a drink; apparently, orange juice was all I could find so I took it out, opened the gallon carton, poured some of it in my blue cup, closed the carton back up, put it back inside the refrigerator, and closed the refrigerator tightly back again. I took a sip from the drink as I went back to the living room to continue reading "Chardonnay" before I turned in for the night to get some well-deserved sleep for tomorrow. I sat back down and looked at where I left off again as I notice that while reading it, I turned the page but didn't care so I read again.

"The acknowledgement of the beautiful works of Mother Nature done towards the planet Earth in order to accommodate living beings has nearly ceased because of our fool hearted complacencies; perhaps, they have no more compassion in their hearts for the things they done just to improve their own lives. We scarred the lands of the world we lived in with these bloodstained trenches painted with the fluids of the living things that stood in the way of this so-called path towards progress, especially the ones who treated it with kindness like its part of their homes in the past. And, as we tore each part of Nature from itself we now have gotten preoccupied with only but ourselves and not the less fortunate one who needed help the most when they were broke and starving. There was also the art of war where many power-hungry generals and corrupt politicians fought against many people from other far-off lands for scarce resources, power, and rights. It didn't matter if the other generals, admirals, and/or air marshals proclaimed that war wasn't worth it, the screams and tears of tortured prisoners of war rang out every time the crackle of the whip struck their bodies, or the people who tried to rid themselves of the accursed battles they fought or protested because they cared about making so many weapons better than the last 'til they finally wiped each other out for good. The constant "them vs. us" theme had pervaded the damning reasons for war and genocide for millennia and along with the hate came the ignorance where people walked blindly through the world grasping onto the firm belief that whatever they said was right, and whatever opposition their beliefs encountered was automatically evil and wrong. However, this was just merely hypocrisy to my view because many of the people who got power cheated but we could do nothing but watch in sorrow and anger at the deeds that were done and the outcomes that unfolded in the process."

I stopped one more time to realize that the bowl I used to eat the popcorn out of was now empty. I shrugged and got up again to take the bowl back to the kitchen so I can put it in the sink; however, I realized that the sink is already full so I put my mind to use by transferring the plates and cup from the sink to the dishwasher and arranged them all neatly inside the tub. Next, I dropped a detergent tablet inside there and closed the door back up again into its previous state. Then, I sat it up to have the dishwasher run for two long hours and it started with water pouring inside within. Finally, I returned back to the couch again resuming as I picked up where I left off again.

"But for every path of darkness that trailed in front of me, a light shone through the way like a bright gem that had the luster of the sun's corona on a summer day. A baby infant no more than two years was in my grasp and it was also a baby girl whom I saved from the geothermal cataclysm that unfolded. She had thin orange hair on her head and a gentle complexion like most babies. The child was small and had ocean blue pupils in her eyes. I realized that I recognized her before a year ago for that she belonged to a devoted father who once served in the navy that I was friends with before. He told me that his daughter's name was called Athena because of her beauty.

I felt touched at the last sentence. It made me felt like I reached my sense of sanity through the path of becoming a savage. The person in question was very helpful and responsible just like me. Unfortunately, it was almost becoming late because the clock was now showing that it's past 8:30; but, seeing that I can't turn in yet, I read some more anyway as it read, "to me, she was nothing but hope…hope for getting the both of us out of here." Then, I closedthe book and prepare myself for bed…

Author's Note: Well, that was another mouthful but it was worth it. And to all the people reading Last Impression, please wait; I'm planning to have chapter three up by next week or so...

Please R&R