#iris2

I scream as I jump out of my seat. I bend down and scream into my knees, holding my hands to my ears to help get rid of the images popping through my head. Quick, fast, and burning. My mind is burning. I see the fire, my house. It is burning and everything inside is burning as well. I scream in my memory and I scream as I remember this memory. My family, they are all gone, but I was saved. I am safe, but I did nothing to save them.  Why am I here? What is my purpose? My mind is screaming with the fire.

“Mistress.” I hear the three of them whisper in the back of my mind, back where the darkness is. Trapped, they are trapped just as I am trapped in this horrible reality with no family. I am alone, alone as I watch the people I love burning to death.

“Vivienne.” A voice sooths the fire inside my head. “Vivienne.” I awaken as the darkness replaces the fire. My eyes fixate to see the boy with the burning-coal eyes in front of me. I stare into his eyes, and everything feels better. He stares at me with a worried face before he hears a voice behind him and moves. It’s Ichi, Dr. Nakamura’s assistant. He bends down where the boy was and gently opens my eyelids wider and flashes light into both of them.  He whispers something to the boy and he starts telling his classmates to go outside. He returns and kneels beside him. “So, what was that?” He asks in a whisper.

“It must have been a panic attack. She probably remembered something and panicked.” Ichi says as he takes out a pen and paper and begins scribbling in it. My eyebrows jump in surprise as I finally hear his voice. I bite down on the inside of my lip as I watch them both exchange words I couldn’t follow. They both look alike, except Ichi has a mysterious gray color to his eyes.

“Ms. Vivienne.” I jump again when I hear his voice. It’s not scary, just unexpected for me to hear someone other than the boy. He continues, probably thinking I wouldn’t reply anyway,” Do you remember what triggered your attack?” He waits and just scribbles into the paper. After I don’t respond he asks, “Was it something you were doing? Or perhaps something you saw?” He pauses again.

The boy sighs as he looks at Ichi. “You’re not going to get anything out of her. You already told me that her mind is pitch-black. Not even you, the number-one-mind-reader could even crack through that goo in her mind.” He sits up and goes to the window. I look over to Ichi, who is still waiting for a response.

What does he mean mind-reader, I ask myself.  What does this boy mean, I look back at him. I suck on the blood pouring out of the gash in my mouth before I open my mouth. “What is your name?” I ask as I cock my head. He’s been here ever since I was living in the hospital and he’s been everywhere I have so far, yet I still don’t even know his name. It really disturbs me.

He looks back at me, his eyes showing bewilderment. I look back at Ichi. “Do you know?” He is shocked as well. Ichi as well as the boy have always been by my side since I have gotten here. But, only today have I found out Ichi’s name, but I still don’t know the boy’s.

Ichi breaks the silence as he begins laughing. “For three months you have been here at this academy and the first time you speak is to ask his name? Oh, this is great!” He continues to laugh and jerk his leg. “Oh really, sweetheart. If only I could just swim through that gunk in your head, I wonder what kind of mysteries I would discover.” He smiles as tears of laughter stream down the right side of his face. “Well, you going to answer her, lil’ bro?”

The boy walks to us and kneels down in front of me. His eyes searching mine as his lips part. “Hikaru Ren.” He glares at me. “And I control fire.”

“Now, now.” Ichi pushes Hikaru away from my face. I began to dig my teeth into my mouth skin again. Fire. So much fire. Ichi tilts his head and places his hand on my face. He smiles. “It’s okay.” He coos. “I’m Ichiro Ren. I’m in charge of the patients of Doctor Nakamura. My ability is to look inside people minds as well as various other things. You will be alright, Vivienne.” He removes his hand and scribbles more down.

I look at him before moving my eyes back on Hikaru. He was back staring out the window, at the sun which faded behind the clouds. “Ability... What’s my ability?”

Ichi continues to write on the paper as he speaks. “We don’t know.” He simply states. “Tonight you won’t be sleeping in the hospital anymore. You will be in the dorms with the other students.” He changes the subject. “You’re roommate will be Hikaru.”

“What?” Hikaru yells. His eyes burn red as the temperature begins to rise in the area near him.

“You’re the only one we can trust and you also are the only one in the dorms with a vacant roommate space. So, we discussed it and she is moving in with you. Not like you’ll do anything, right?” Ichi chuckles, either completely ignorant of the fact that his brother’s hands are on fire or just so used to it he doesn’t mind anymore.

Fire. More fire. I crease my brows as my chest begins to thump loudly. The goo melts away to the house again. To the night breeze that should have a soothing feeling but is only doused with the heat coming off of the house. I must help them. Why am I here? I should be inside with them. I need to help them. Help them. Help.

“Viv-“  William tries to call after me.

“Vivienne.” I jolt back to see that the flames have left Hikaru’s hands. Both he and Ichi stare at me with concerned eyes.

Ichi sighs as he writes something else down. “Of course. It’s the fire. Fire is giving you panic attacks. Well, you did have a traumatic experience with it. Of course you’d be scared. Or course.” He mumbles as he stands up and walks toward the door. “Ah. Take her to the dorm room, Hikaru, will you? You and she don’t need to attend for the rest of the day.” He leaves before Hikaru could answer.

He sighs. “What a horrible roommate they chose for you, then. Especially since you can’t stand fire.” He gives a hard laugh as he finished the last word. “Come on.” He nods toward the door. I stay sitting and stare up at him. “I know your feet can move. Come on.” I stand up and follow him. I follow him by watching his back, ignoring the blurry images surrounding us.

He shows me to a room that is split into two different directions. One way is to his room the other is to mine. The kitchen and the living room are in the middle of both rooms. He explains that we have our own bathroom connected to the room. “So, other than breakfast and dinner you will not see me. You might not even see me during those times.” He looks away from me as he talks to me. “And make sure you don’t accidentally go into my room. Don’t even do it on purpose. Just make sure you don’t go into my room. If you do, I’ll make sure to leave you with an even worst memory with fire than the one you already have.” He raises his voice before he stomps toward his room.

“But, what is a worse memory than losing your family right before your eyes and being powerless to stop it?” I mutter before he opens his door. He stops before his throws his door open and leaves into his fortress.

I stand there for a few minutes before deciding to see the room that is mine. It’s a plain room, but big. It has a full bed, garnished with a black quilt and black and white sheets. The walls are painted light blue and dark blue. There is a desk with a lamp next to the door that I assume is the bathroom. On the other side is a door to a closet and next to it an armoire. I collapse into the bed, it jiggles. “Oh.” I hold myself. It’s a water bed? I get off the bed and examine it further. No… I poke the bed; it feels like a regular bed. I can’t find a tag and decide to give up. I jump back on the bed, and it jiggles less than the first time. Much better, I think as I sink into a deep sleep.

There is humming inside my head. I smile as I listen to a familiar song. William is humming to Antoinette and Abigail. He smiles and it almost seems like it is directed at me, but of course how could that happen? He is merely some strange figment of my imagination.