Hello my dear comrades in Comrade
Oh my daze, we have reached over 500 reviews! I hadn't noticed until just know – that is amazing! Thank you so much! :D
A big thank you to SarahBelikova for looking over this chapter – you are an absolute star, pal :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy or anything surrounding it (but I do own this plot :D)
RPOV
I had been walking for hours. With no immediate sense of where I was going, I looped the blocks of logic over and over. I changed my course only once when I passed the same homeless man for the sixth time – I can't even begin to imagine what he was thinking. Shaking my head at this thought, I sighed and flopped down onto a nearby bench. It was 22:36 (according to the frantic chap who darted past, stating how his 22:41 train left in five minutes and couldn't possibly 'talk for long') but the streets were still busy. I sat on that bench and the cold metal made easy work of my thin clothes as the temperature continued to drop. The bitterness of the icy wind started picking up and I snuggled myself into a tighter ball in the futile hope of keeping warm.
I considered calling Lissa. Female support was always good in times like this and I knew she would listen and be there for me no matter what, but something inside me stopped. Maybe I didn't want to ruin her Christmas break with my petty problems? Or maybe I had grown tired of constantly running to her for help every single time something went wrong in my life, which, let's be honest, was more often than not.
Or maybe it was something else entirely.
Personally, I think I was completely justified in my outburst – seeing the man you had given your heart to in a tonguing-match with another woman was going to make you pretty pissed – but there was just the issue of convincing my heart of this logic. It seemed to have, in spite of being shattered in two, a problem with accepting the fact that Dimitri was an ass. It filled my mind with arguments that I really didn't want to be dealing with right now:how he would never do something like this; how I knew he was better than this; how I saw him all but break in front of me when I told him to stay away.
Maybe I had over-reacted? It wouldn't surprise me that Tasha had managed to manipulate and insinuate herself into another poor soul's life. Maybe I should have given him a chance to explain?
I sighed. Doubting my actions was not going to make me feel better, nor make the situation go away. Sinking back further onto the cold metal of that public bench I sat and watched as the life of the city flooded around me. The night seemed a whir of colour – nothing was solid but it was as though it could melt away into the ground that had been lightly dusted in the ever falling snow. Gentle flakes touched the strands of my hair and the exposed skin, making me shiver. The temperature was falling like the snow – becoming colder and colder again – I realised that just sitting was not going to do me any favours; I really didn't fancy freezing to death and needed to find some place to warm up. Lissa's seemed the most likely – if I went home, there would be a chance that Dimitri would find me and I didn't want that right now...I definitely could not deal with that right now. Besides, her day was over and it would be nice to see my best friend again. However, there remained the issue of the couple: the last time I had popped over to Lissa'sunannounced I had all but walked into the conception of their child which was a moment I never, ever wanted to relive.
Shudder.
Shoving that horrible image of Christian's pale ass in a deep, dark part of my mind, locked away in a chest never to be opened again, I rose from the bench, shaking off the slowly layering snow that had made itself comfortable on my coat and in the tangles of my hair. I began my pilgrimage down the streets, brushing past those rapid souls who walked with purpose. I found myself walking a familiar path, along the paved streets that marked the path between my flat and the Inn. The Inn came into my sight moments later and I felt a small sense of contentment; even in the worst of times it would be still standing there as a constant – a reminder that no matter how shit things are, there is always a little good in them.
This street was quieter than the last; unusually, there weren't many cars on the roads so everything seemed so peaceful, so calm. I wandered down the pavement, passing the Inn as I did, but when I glanced in the window, a small light flickered in the back of the room. Frowning, I stopped and took a better look. The Inn was supposed to be empty – it was well beyond closing hours. I approached the door to find unlocked.
Huh?
Curiosity taking a hold of me, I pushed against the wooden entrance and the door creaked as the hinges pushed the woodwork open. I wandered in and up to the bar, looking to see if anyone was in.
"Stan?" I called out. It seemed the most likely scenario since this was his establishment and he wasn't exactly known for his reliability or sensibility for that matter – he had frequently just crashed on the top of his desk, limbs strewn out across the piles of unorganised paperwork. When no response was given, I shrugged and wiped my finger across the bar's surface. It was wet. I frowned before rubbing my fingers together and bringing it up to my nose; it was damp, but not soapy. Maybe it was just someone's spilt drink, it did have that alcoholic aroma but then again, that could have just been from the plethora of bottles that lined the back of the bar. Shrugging again, I wiped the substance onto my jeans and walked over to the source of the light.
I sighed when I saw the flickering candle. Rolling my eyes, I blew it out whilst mentally muttering stupid Stan in my head. I made to turn around when I saw a shadow flash in the corner of my eye. Immediately, I tensed up.
"Hello?" I asked, with a louder volume; my heartbeat slowly pounding to an increasing tempo. "Stan, is that you?" I called out, as my mind did what every mind does in this situation: make it worse. I could feel the paranoia building as I became more on edge. "This isn't funny." I stated flatly, my inner child taking over whilst fear stomped out reason with a fierce vengeance.
There was a clatter by the bar and I lashed round, spinning on my heels, narrowing my eyes to see what had caused it.
"Hello!?" I said again, but with more force. My hearing was acute yet the sounds of life outside had been muffled under my pulsing heartbeat.
"Hello, Rose."
The response took me by surprise, but I could recognise that voice anywhere: the voice colder than ice; the voice I had learnt to repulse; the voice at the centre of all my problems: "Tasha." I said unequivocally, the fear subsiding and irritation stepped in. If there was one person I definitely didn't want to see, it would be her. I squinted my eyes to make sure it was her. She tilted her head, the moonlight leaked onto her face, confirming her identity. I groaned. "What are you doing here?" I asked incredulously.
She smirked and the moonlight shifted over the contours of her face, revealing the change. I had not noticed it before but there was something different – her features were more excited and slyer at the same time – which put me right back on edge.
"Oh, Rose." She sighed, strolling closer to the counter of the bar, "always asking the wrong questions." Her voice was colder, more menacing. Looking at her now, I could almost see a madness developing in her eyes. That's not to say Tasha wasn't nuts before, but this, this was...different.
As a result, my unease grew but I remained put, standing my ground. "What should I be asking then?" I countered, not helping the ever increasing annoyance. Even if she was somehow different, she still knew just how to frustrate me to the point of impatience.
"Perhaps why you are messing with my boyfriend." She seethed viciously and I resisted rolling my eyes.
"Okay, fine," I conceded to her surprise. "Why are you messing with my boyfriend?" I turned her words back on her before realising that this was definitely not the time to sass Natasha Ozera – this was defiantly not the time to provoke her in any way, but that only became apparent to me too late.
"Oh, Rose..." she said again, sporting a sickly smile, "Always so much fire, but I wonder…"she said taking a step forward. "…can you really handle the heat…?" I frowned and she began to walk slowly towards the door, stopping before she exited. She did not turn back to face me, instead fished her hand into her pocket and took something out. The darkness of the night concealed the object in a swarm of blinding shadows: a world of blackened charcoal that rendered the vibrant colours of life a distant dream. A fantasy. But not even that deep darkness could stop the sound of the swift scratch, a small swipe of muted thunder, followed by the tiny illumination. A minute burst of orange and yellow that stood out like a Jackson Pollock in a landscape gallery. I knew, in an instant what it was:
A match.
I tried to protest but the air was knocked out of me. Tasha turned her head over her shoulder and looked at me with those ice cold eyes through the bedraggled stands of thick black hair. She pouted her lip as my eyes widened to the point of falling out, silently pleading that she wouldn't.
"Oops" was all she said.
The small flame dropped to the ground as Tasha walked out the door, locking it behind her. I made to run after her but the once tiny burn had flared into a full blaze; the match had ignited a pre-lain trail on the floor as it ran with a scorching blue tip towards the bar. I gasped as the flame spread quickly. I froze in the shock of the situation. Tasha was actually trying to kill me. In fact, she was succeeding!I was only frozen a minute before the heat snapped me out of my disbelief; the once darkened pub now burned with a furious light. The flames rapidly approached the bar.
I had to get out.
Everyone knows what happens when fire and alcohol are mixed. I made to run for the door, but I was met with a wall of impenetrable heat. I backed up, desperately looking around for an exit. Windows.Blocked.Kitchen.Guarded. I desperately looked around the inn in search of anything that could help me. The blaze approached the bottles faster and faster. Think! Think! Think!
The spare room.
I snapped my head round and sure enough, the blaze had not reached there yet. Before it had the chance to, I bolted from where I stood. The flames danced from table to table in a wicked performance and attacked the bar. I dove into the spare room and slammed the door shut. But it didn't stop it. I was blown forwards as the flames made contact with the flammable liquid, sending a thunderous explosion through the air. The roar of the blaze intensified, deafening me as I scrambled deeper into the deserted room with all the crap, spare supplies and musical equipment.
The piano.
I tried to push myself to my feet, but I dizzily fell back down. My head was pounding and when I lightly touched my fingers to my hair, blood coated the surface. I had hit my head and was losing consciousness as rapidly as the fire was growing. I frantically surveyed the room, desperately looking for an escape. There was none. The windows were boarded up and there were no other doors.
I was trapped.
No sooner than the notion dawned upon me did I dismiss it. I stubbornly pushed myself forward onto my feet. Glaring through the rising smoke, I lunged for anything and everything, tossing it towards the weak door that separated me from the burning building and praying that it would keep it shut.
Wincing through the pain, I dug into my pocket and pulled out my phone, calling the first number that came up.
You have reach Vasilisa Dragomir, please leave a message after the tone.
Lissa! I mentally screamed. My frantic fingers fumbled until the dialled the new number.
"Janine Hathaway speaking." She answered curtly.
"Mom! Help!" I coughed involuntarily and her formality dropped.
"Rose! Is that you? Where are you?" she said frantically.
The small room continued to fill with smoke, restricting my breathing further, "Help me! Tasha, she set the fucking inn on fire! I'm trapped. Oh my God mom, help!" I screamed as more carbon monoxide filled the air.I could feel my head pounding and my vision blurring. Hot, wet tears slid down scalded cheeks as I tried futilely to remain upright. Collapsing under the rising smoke, I fell to the ground and feebly pushed myself towards the other side of the room, phone still in hand. The fire had made its way through my barricade and was making quick work of the hall. I banged and smashed and hit and screamed against the wooden boards that covered the old windows but nothing would budge. I was getting weaker and weaker due to the lack of oxygen.
"Rose!? Rose, are you there, baby?" I heard her pleading voice through the loud growl of the advancing blaze.
"M-om..." I gasped, my voice croaked and cracked as my head hit the floor. The impact knocked the phone out my hand and I lay down limply as the darkness returned to me. I was trapped. I couldn't get out. I was going to die.
Someone, please, someone help me!
DPOV
"...Rose has been through a lot of shit in her time – she deserves to be happy. And so do you."
Adrian's words remained with me long after I had left his company. For someone so young, he had one of the best grasps of life that I had seen in my time. In a way, I admired him and to hear that he thought me worthy, deserving, of happiness moved me. As I walked through the evening streets, his words dwelled within me, filling me with a newfound sense of hope. What was that saying? Happiness is just round the corner?
But definitely not today.
Instead, what waiting for me as I turned the corner was the sight of rising smoke.Fire.My eyes widened and I increased my pace along the path. I was like a moth the way my eyes fixated on that smoke. Something about it drew me in, as though it held an irresistible allure. I broke into a gentle jog and had to dive out of the way of the speeding fire-engine as it clipped the curb coming round the bend. The smoke continued to rise and the flames sprouted up like a rocket to the sky. I continued my advance, turning into the familiar street and stopping dead in my tracks.
The Shadow Kiss Inn.
My place of refuge in times of trouble was encased in a swarming array of flames. The fire engines had gathered and water from the hoses sought to combat the blaze, but the fire was too strong. A small crowd had gathered around, most of just passers-by who – by shear curiosity and noisiness – had stopped to see the battle. Each wore an expression of both anticipation and concern as they watched the fire-fighters battle against the flames. I had initially found myself at the back, but managed to squeeze my way to the front. I could see the scene so clearly now: brave men and women fighting the roar of the fire as I watched the last remnant of my refuge burn in a blistering inferno. I could hear, under the violent thunder of the fire, the mumbled concerns from the spectators about the surrounding area, but they did not have my interest for very long...
"No! Let me through!" The undeniable hysteria in that Scottish accent had my head snapped away from where I watched the place that had metaphorically melted my heart, literally melt; cremating every memory made in it. I saw the short, red-head push past the police barrier and all but punch the officer who dared to stand before her out of her way. The officer, not taking too kindly to taking a surprisingly powerful right hook to the jaw from a frenzied civilian, grunted and shuffled his grip, pinning the woman's arms behind her back and leading her through the barrier and towards the police car parked behind the fire-engine.
The woman, seemingly more enraged, expressed her protest by squirming and shouting louder than before: "No, please help! My daughter! Please, my daughter is in there!" She yelled and my jaw dropped.
I knew this woman.
I saw her fight with her daughter in the middle of the very Inn that was rapidly aflame beside us.
I knew her daughter.
No. The realisation fell upon me and suffocated my already shallow breathing as my heart sank deeper than ever before.
Rose...
Dun, dun, dunnnnnn! OMG! FML! Tasha set the inn on fire! Will Rose escape!? Muhaha, you shall have to stay and find out :P
Well, now that things are suitably heated up... :P (I am having way too much fun with this xD) I hope you are all still enjoying this, please leave a review to tell me so :) I tend to put a lot of description into my work which can make it quite slow. Also, I think I sufficiently exhausted all the synonyms of "fire" in this one chapter xD
In other exciting news...FOUR DAYS TO GO! Whoooo! I am so excited this year. Obviously, not so much the fact I have about four essays to write and I have to do practice papers for C1, C2, S1 and M1 buuuuuuutttttttt, it's Christmas! :D I love this time of year and even if you aren't religious or don't celebrate it is just a really nice time to be in :) So, here's wishing you all the very best this Christmas and, if I don't see you before the big day, Merry Crimbo to you all, and to all a Happy New Year :D
Mariarty :D