The Fires That Burn.
Story by Rocket Raccoon on SoFurry
Imported from SF2 with no description.
Author's note: I'm not sure what this will turn into, I'm not sure if it's going to be a series of short stories or a novel.. I'm kinda just writing this as I go. But, if you like it please comment and if you have anything to point out please do so! I'm always looking for ways to improve my writing. Also, if there is anyone who would be interested in previewing and editing my writing just send me a message.
He ran his bare footpaws were numb and burning from the snow, Tears fell from his eyes as he dropped to the ground. He now realized that running in nothing but his fur and briefs in the middle of February was a horrible idea.
He stood up breathing heavily, he knew he was only about a mile from his neighbor's house.. There he could get help. One of them had to have survived right? He couldn't possibly be alone.. He couldn't be.. Could he?
He stood back up and kept running, He ran even though his lungs felt like they were melting, all the smoke, he had inhaled probably wasn't doing him any good either. He heard a loud keening cry and turned, behind him walking slowly as if she was afraid of falling apart was his mother. Her body was on fire, fur melted onto her body her skin flowed like wax dripping onto the snow where it sizzled against the cold frozen ground.
He whimpered quietly as she approached,
“Why did you run?", her voice was scratchy bubbling slightly in her throat, “You should have stayed..", She stepped closer and grabbed him by the arm, He yelped as the fire on her body jumped to him. He screamed and dropped to the ground, writhing as the fire spread over his body. He felt his fur melting onto his body, He rolled on the ground in the snow trying to put the flames out. He looked up at his mother and she grinned, “See? You Will Burn."
Alex sat up with a yelp, he looked about the room, the smell of fire, smoke, and melting flesh still haunted him. He trembled, ears and tail twitching gently as he reassured himself that the room wasn't burning. The raccoon stood up shakily and walked into the bathroom, he sat down on the cold floor, pulling his knees to his bare chest, sighing as he checked his watch, 2:55 AM. He sighed deeper, he had only been sleeping for five minutes, he groaned quietly and rubbed at his eyes. He yawned softly, he didn't want to sleep if it meant dreaming he stood up and opened the medicine cabinet. He grabbed the sleep aid pills and held the bottle.
It had been twelve years since the fire and every year on its anniversary week he stopped taking the sleep aids. He was afraid that if he let himself stop feeling the pain he would forget them. He still had the nightmares almost every night, even with the sleep aids, but the emotions were muffled easier to deal with. He didn't know why he forced himself to feel his pain so strongly, He sighed and allowed his mind to take him to a different time.
After the fire he had severe depression, he even tried to kill himself in the group home a few times. He was dealt with the same way these places dealt with kids who had problems. They gave him a drug that controlled his tendencies and made him a better, quieter kid, so they could get rid of him.
When two foxes, who were unable to have children of their own, came to house looking to adopt a child they lied and said that Alex was a good quiet kid who usually got good grades and paid attention in classes. They left out the fire and said that he needed the medication for his ADD.
He was quickly adopted and he was happy for a time, But it was on the 4th of July when his new parents realized that he had problems that they weren't aware of.
Mr. Joshua Gregonio had set up the fireworks and grill while his wife Marie set the table and got everything inside, ready, Alex had helped as best as eight year old could. He grabbed the charcoal and lighter fluid setting it next to the grill. He watched with interest as his adoptive dad prepared the grill. He was fine until the lit match hit the lighter fluid with a dull thump the fire spread over the charcoal. Alex let out a loud yelp his ears flattening down against his skull his eyes darting back and forth looking for a way away from the fire, Mr. Gregonio stood there shocked and walked over to his son, he put a paw on the raccoon's shoulder, “Are you-" He began but, he was cut off as Alex darted away into the house whimpering and muttering quietly. His parents had found him curled up in the corner of his room shuddering and sobbing with bite marks on his arms and paws, blood dripping down into the green carpet. There were shocked and quite frankly didn't know what to do... They soon found out about Alex's past, and were angry with the home for keeping this from them. He lived the next few years of his life with them, they kept him away from fires and sheltered him as best they could. Though there were a few more incidents later on in his life. But, nothing that serious.
He growled at these memories and threw the bottle out the door it hit the bedroom wall and rolled under the bed. He felt the old anger, grief, and self-loathing welling up in him. He bit his paws to stop himself from screaming in frustration.. He didn't want to wake his roommate.
He slumped against the wall and slid down, sitting back on the floor. He tasted blood and looked at his paws, he watched his blood drip off his fingers onto the tile floor, dully he thought that if he didn't have that cleaned up by morning the dragon in the other room would pitch a fit.
He smiled as he remembered, Matthew always watched out for him, they had met back when Alex was nine. They had shared most of the same classes, but the 'coon never spoke much to any of the others in his class, And people seemed almost afraid of him. It wasn't until later he learned that people avoided him cause of the look in his eyes. Matthew had told him that he looked like he was going to attack the first thing he saw. Matthew was the first person Alex told about exactly what he remembered from the fire. He told Matthew about sitting in the snow alone watching his house and family burn to the ground. He told him about the smell of the fire that behind the wood smoke, melting plastic and glass, was the smell of roasted meat. He told the dragon about everything he remembered. Alex remembered the look on the dragon's face as he described what he had been through. He remembered the hug that came afterward, the dragon actually picked him up and held him to his chest.
Alex's watch beeped startling him out of his memories he sighed and stood up shakily. He was tired, but, he knew if he fell asleep, he would dream again. And right now, he knew what his dreams were most likely going to be. He grabbed his green blanket and walked out of the bedroom tiptoeing past Matthew's open door and quietly into the main room of their apartment that served as the living room/ dining room. He grabbed the TV remote and sat down on the couch, pulling his knees to his chest wrapping himself in the blanket. He turned on the TV and flipped through the channels not really wanting to watch anything, just wanting something to take his mind off the pain he was feeling. He sat there not really seeing what was on the screen just zoning out on the couch. He hated this feeling, It came to him often and it made him feel as weak as he knew he was. He sighed and turned off the TV he sat in the dim light of the room and curled up on the couch. He sighed, might as well try to sleep and if nightmares came then he would deal with it.
He lay there afraid of sleep, just listening to the silence that filled his ears. He heard Matthew moving around in the other room and sighed, He must have woken the dragon up somehow, He lay there hearing the dragon's footsteps move closer to him, “Alex? You okay?", The dragon's deep voice was always reassuring to him, he sighed, “Yeah I'm fine, Just can't sleep sorry if I woke you." The dragon sat down on the couch beside him, “It's the nightmares again isn't it? I can tell you're afraid.. I can smell it" The dragon said kindly. Alex nodded, “Fine.. Yeah, it was Mom this time.." he heard the slight tremble in his voice and sighed sitting up, “I hate this... I can't sleep Matti.. If I do, I'll dream and I don't wanna dream anymore." Matthew sighed and picked Alex up in his arms holding the smaller mammal in his arms like a baby. He rocked back and forth, humming quietly, “Just go to sleep Ally I'm here if you need me." He sat there watching the raccoon in the dark, For the dragon, the dark was as good as day, he sat there rocking gently back and forth humming quietly, He smiled and began to sing, in a deep quiet voice, the one song that Alex had from his past, at least the English translation.
“Rest your head little one, Rest your head,"
“Rest your head on my chest and listen,"
“To the beat of my heart and the breath of my lungs,"
“As long as they're there I'll be here,"
He watched the raccoon's eyes slowly close and he sat back on the couch shifting the raccoon, but still holding him close.
Matthew saw Alex as his little brother, he always had. The raccoon had suffered a lot in his life, he had seen things that most people never had too. Matthew knew what people thought about the fact that they shared an apartment, but it was what was. He couldn't change what people thought about them.
Matthew laid down on the couch still holding Alex in his arms, Alex gripped him tightly, letting out a soft faint whimper as he moved. He smiled in the dark room and gently petted Alex's back running his fingers through the soft fur. He hugged the raccoon closer to himself and yawned, he grabbed the blanket and pulled it over the both of them. He hugged Alex again and slowly drifted off to sleep.