Dance of the Damned

Hunted

How long has it been since I was here? Micah thought, taking in a deep breath before he continued to walk. It certainly has been a while. Was it because I was so busy?

Walking along the stone path, he felt along the sides which were covered with bushes and eternally blooming flowers.

Hands landing on a petal, Micah paused, feeling it with a solemn expression on his face.

Right. It wasn't that I was too busy. He looked all around him, seeing absolutely nothing. I just hate hit over here because of how lifeless everything is.

Then again. This is a cemetery, what did I expect?

Chuckling to himself, Micah left the flower alone and began walking again, counting as he took every step cautiously.

The dead aren't really dead until you forget about them. He thought, brushing against a gravestone with his fingers. If that was the case, then why can I never detect a trace of life once someone dies?

To me ... when someone dies, that is the last I will ever see of their colour in this world.

I always thought that being able to see a person's soul colour was so impressive, until I watched the Deep Violet and Tropical pink colours of my parent's souls cry out in pain before disappearing completely.

I will never see those colours in front of my eyes ever again. Now, they come in my dreams, to haunt me for the rest of my life.

Stopping in front of the gravestone, Micah reached forward and brushed the lettering on it, reading it out.

"Here lies Kail and Vanessa Pober. Loving parents to Micah Pober. Kind souls, may they rest in peace."

Scoffing, Micah sat on the grass-covered dirt below the headstone, leaning back against it he stared up at the sky, keeping his walking stick to the side.

"Rest in peace, huh?" Micah asked, turning to his trembling hands. "I doubt you two ever rested in peace. If you did, why are you still bothering me every chance you get?

"My birthday is just the day after tomorrow. I will be turning fifteen and then inheriting half of the estate.

"Aunt and uncle have been keeping quiet the past couple of days. However, they are not my biggest worry at the moment. Disposing of them will be easy but it won't be fun.

"Ah." he turned to the headstone and grinned. "Don't worry, your son isn't turning to be a sadistic monster like you prayed he wouldn't. But I think I deserve to take some kind of revenge.

"They did not make my life easy at all. And, as bad as it sounds, I ... I want them to suffer, even if it is a little bit."

Chuckling to himself, Micah ran his hands through his hair. "Are you two disappointed in me? In the person I turned into?

"Well, you can't expect me to be completely sane. Not after the things I went through and all that I saw.

"Oh! I am not trying to make an excuse for myself. If I am to be perceived as a bad person, I think I can understand why the accusation would come.

"I heard that more than five hundred people were injured just from running from the fire and ten were killed. Some more were reported missing as well.

"All that is my fault and I will carry that burden for the rest of my life. However, I don't regret what I did. Five hundred may have gotten injured. But the remaining ten thousand left unscathed.

"Ten people died but that is little compared to the fifty thousand, and counting, that would have died if another fire started out. Not the one that Thunder had them create.

"Though ... I think the screams of the people will be added to my list of nightmares now. A small price to pay I guess."

Falling silent, Micah rested his head back on the headstone, feeling the coldness of the stone seep into his body, making it cold once again.

"I don't like heat," Micah said, shivering. "I hate it so much I would rather freeze to death than even get the feeling of it close to me.

"How ironic that I used fire to create a pathway for me. Well, I will use anyone that is of use to me. Even if it means I will use my enemies."

A couple of people flashed across his mind, bringing a smile to Micah’s face. "Who knows? They might just turn to people I cherish.”

And then some more flashed across his face, turning his mood sour again, “Or they will become people I need to kill with my own hands. Oh well, not everything will work out pleasantly. Especially for me.

“So, I need to make them work out by myself. Sad, honestly. I remember what you said, father. I don’t think I will ever forget it.”

____________________

“Fortune favours the brave.” Kail would say every time Micah stated that he did not want to do something out of fear. “Life will never hand anything to you just like that. It is a give and take relationship.”

“I think life is too picky then,” Micah grumbled, as his father burst into a laugh.

“Perhaps.” He said, pulling Micah closer. “But that does not mean we should let have its way whenever it wants, don’t you think so?”

“I agree,” Micah said confidently. “I will never let life just do whatever it wants with me, father. Watch, I will fight it!”

“That’s my boy,” Kail said, wrapping Micah in a big bear hug. “And I will always be here when you need me. To help and guide you.”

“Promise?” Micah asked, looking at him with a frown. “Don’t promise if you don’t mean it.”

“I promise and I mean it.”

Liar.

_________________________

“Sorry father,” Micah mumbled, pulling his knees closer to his chest. “Life got the best of me several times. More times than I care to admit.

“Getting back up … is certainly a task. I don’t know how I kept doing it. I have to wonder if I am even sane at this point anymore though, you can see the side effects of that.”

Micah pulled at his skin, instead of feeling soft like before, this time, it felt leathery.

“Burnt skin does that.” He remembered Briar saying as soon as he pulled at his skin. “Did something happen before, Micah? Why does your skin feel like that?”

“I don’t know.” Micah had said, though he knew. Even if he could heal himself, it was hardly possible to bring the skin back to how it was originally.”

“Maybe your skin is becoming harder. Though it doesn’t look different. I wonder what happened.”

“Is it so bad?”

“Nah. I like it.” Briar said, beaming as he kept feeling at his skin. “You always felt too soft that I thought you might break if I touched you too hard. Now I don’t feel like I should be as careful.”

“You still need to be gentle around the young master, Briar.” Elise scolded, appearing out of nowhere suddenly.

“Micah is strong, stronger than anyone will give him credit for,” Briar argued back. “See? Even his skin is getting tougher. Just watch. One day he will be able to take out an entire army by himself.”

“I don’t understand how my skin has anything to do with taking out an army.” Micah had said, confused. “Why would I need to take out an army?”

“I am just saying that is how strong you’ll get,” Briar said, annoyance written all over his voice. “You don’t HAVE to battle an army if you don’t want to.”

“But the option is still there?”

“Always.” Briar took his hand in Micah’s and grinned at him. “And you will always have me with you, so don’t worry too much.”

“Why are you trying to promote violence, Briar?” Elise asked, grabbing the boy by his hand as he stuck his tongue out at her. “Manner less child. Young Master, you should concentrate on living a simple peaceful life with no worries or cares. Not battling an army.”

“Where is the fun in that then, Elise??”

“Do you like to see the young master in danger so much?” She hissed as the two continued to argue well until Micah fell asleep, trying to listen to them.

______________________

“Right. That happened.” Micah said, chuckling to himself as he pulled at his skin again. “At least he liked this. I guess. Bradie sure is strange.

“Well, I am glad he is strange, if he wasn’t. He wouldn’t try to be close to me. From the day I met him, he really was … strange.”

Micah sighed, getting to his feet, “But he is not someone I can keep beside me. Not just yet anyway. I need a little longer before I can even trust him.”

Turning to the gravestone, Micah bowed to it, “Sorry, I only talked about work again. I will bring your favourite snacks next time. Maybe I will bring Philip and all too.

“I am sure you are all worrying about a lot of things, take me out of that list. Until I come back, be well.”