Something dreadful

When i woke up it was to screaming and shaking. I couldn't open my eyes. They felt like they were sealed shut. When i tried to move, everything in my body caught on fire. I had no idea where i was or what was happening but i was moving. Painfully. I tried to remember what happened before i got here, when it struck me. I fell on the ash without a suit.

I had only touched the ground with my skin once before and that was when i was five and playing around. When i touched it back then my skin flared up immediately and i got thousands of microscopic cuts and shrapnel in my body. For days afterward i couldn't use my feet because whenever i tried it felt like i just dipped it in a bowl of scolding water.

I took a second to calm myself down and tried to open my eyes again. When i finally managed it i stopped moving. Whoever was carrying me had noticed i was awake. "Darling are you ok!? What the hell happened?" I recognised the voice of my mom. I tried to sit upright. My body flaring in pain. "Dont try to sit up. We found you on the ground lying face first outside your tent. Are you ok?", she responded hastily. I responded with a slow nod. I had tried to speak but all that came out was a croak and my lips felt like they were about to fall off. My vision was a haze but i saw a figure to my right and to my left. The one on the left was talking but the one on the right seamed to stare at me. I assumed it was my dad.

I strained myself to lift my hand. Every little motion of my fingers and arm felt like lava pouring through my veins. I touched him, just barely before collapsing my hand to floor in another wave of agony. The figure seamed to jerk out of a trance and come closer to me. I tried to speak again. I couldn't manage much. All that came out was a broken whisper of what i tried to say. He couldn't hear me the first time and leaned in closer with his ear next to my mouth. I tried again, this time managing to be a little louder and more croaky, "It was them" is all i managed to get out before my lips went numb and my vision began to fade.

As i was passing out i couldn't help but keep thinking the thought that was really starting to tire me out, "Who did this?". When i came back to the world of the living i was on a stretcher. My eyes were working mostly fine this time and i could feel bandages on my body where in the past i only felt a hellish pain. When i awoke the stretcher stopped moving. Though every movement was filled with a tingling sensation and a burning like hot fury i sat up straight. I looked out into the wasteland. Grey as ever with the typical cloud cover you would always expect around here. The people carrying the stretcher asked me if i was ok and if i needed anything. I responded with a voice equal to that of a ninety year old. "Water please". It was quickly fetched and I drank it. Instead of calming the burning hell that was my throat, it enraged it.

I looked down to see my body cover from head to ankles in bandages. When i touched one my entire body flared up in agony. It felt like i just stabbed myself with a white hot needle. I tried to get of the stretcher but one of the men near to it grabbed my arm to stop me. I screamed out in pain as his grip felt like it tore of my skin. I turned around and shot him a look that could kill any man. He immediately let go causing another wave of pain and profusely apologised, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I couldn't let you step on the ground with literally the only part of your body that is still in good condition.". I looked down again noticing the ash below my feat and the fact that i was barefoot. "My name is Jeffrey", he continued "I found you on the floor outside your tent and called your parents. I've been by your side the rest of the time. By the way. Who are they?". I realised with a shock that the second figure i saw back then was not my dad and that this was the guy that i told my secret to. I also recognised his face as the guy that was staring at me this morning. "It's nothing, i was delirious." i responded quickly. "If you were, you would not have remembered that you said it to me. But it seems that you wish to keep this a secret so ill stay quiet about it" He responded with a smirk on his face. I rolled my eyes, causing myself more pain and tried to smile back, feeling bandages holding it back and fresh blood filling those bandages.

I decided to lie down but i couldn't sleep again, not with the knowledge that they just tried to kill me. Jeffrey kept me company as we began walking again. He told me stories of his life, adventures he had within the cities, animals he saw, fruits he had eaten. He was a 19 year old boy, handsome and very kind. Had the circumstances been different, i would have actually gone for him but here i am on a stretcher with halve my body on fire and a bunch of people that just tried to kill me hanging about.

We continued into the night, talking. Him talking a lot and me responding from time to time, avoiding it due to my throat. When night came Velisare came into view. I sat upright to get a look at it. It was truly beautiful. A city with walls so high you couldn't see the top if you stood near, and city areas like small mountains. It was truly magnificent. A bastion of hope.

We stopped to camp for the night resolving to head back out in the morning to cover the final stretch. I was lied down in my parents tent and i went to sit near the entrance. I watched as the people danced around a bonfire, telling stories and partying with friends and family. I wished i could be there but little did i know that my exclusion would be what saved my life.