What If He Didn't Die?

Chapter 34: The Face-off

The grey shirt he wore was then no longer an expensive piece of fabric. It was black with flames of fire swallowing it from the end of its hem.

It was burning.

He was burning.

I looked at Eric and Jack and Jacob, hoping for someone to step up and save him but all they did was step backwards and backwards as the fire grew on his body.

I ran towards him without wasting another minute and pulled the shirt off his chest with all the force I could manage. It burned my skin even in that smallest fraction of a second that it took me to pull it off and throw it in the sink. I turned the tap on and the fire died.

My blood was boiling in my veins and my skin was burning with the urge to slap the hell out of him. I clenched my fist tight and gritted my teeth. His skin had earned burn marks on his belly and his chest, I was sure even his back had similar marks. A tear escaped my eyes as I surveyed his hurt body.

"Are you planning to put this fucking house on fire or what psycho?" Eric whined from behind my back and I was shocked. I turned on my heels to see in his eyes how could he care more about the house at a moment like this?

"Well, wouldn't that be a lot of good to the world?" Daniel replied in a sly tone.

"What exactly are you trying to suggest?" Eric dared and stepped forward.

"Come on, you don't seem to be as innocent as you pretended to be." I was bewildered at the rawness in Daniel's words.

"Listen here you little shit," Eric walked ahead with ferocity and I dared not imagine what was on his mind. I stood where I was, like a wall, between Eric and Daniel. Hoping to stop them when the need arises. "Mind your tongue or-"

"Or what?" Daniel thundered and overtook me from my left, to stand face to face with Eric. "What are you gonna do?"

"I'm gonna pull that slutty tongue out for you,"

"Yeah?" Daniel chuckled to my horror. "Try to try it and I'll show you how it's done."

"Is that a dare?" Eric walked ahead closer to him.

"If that's what it sounds to you." Daniel reciprocated his steps. They were then just inches away and I only wanted to shut my eyes and cry my heart out.

"You-" Eric started but never got to finish.

"You might want to shut your mouth." Jack seethed stepping forwards next to Eric.

"I don't think so." Daniel retorted.

How could none of them give up and calm down?

I wanted to scream and cry but they didn't seem to notice me at all. I had to do something before my house's floor got more blood on it than it already had.

"Daniel!" I yelled and stood in front of him. He backed off and looked down at me. "Stop it," I said calmly.

He breathed and looked back up at the two guys behind me. "Why don't you tell these kids to stop?"

"What the-"

"Who did you call-"

"Say that to my face again!"

I was losing my calm. They were all kids. None of them was even slightly mature. They were ready to bite each other's heads off, they were stupid. Each one of them. And I was weak. It wasn't in my power to stop all of them.

"Daniel," I said and he kept staring straight ahead. "Daniel looks at me, look at me. Please." He flicked his eyes to me and they softened. "Please. Don't." I placed my hand on his bare chest and as he inhaled a painful breath his chest moved under my hand. The situation was better, he was calming down. It could all be fine if only he listened to me.