THE DEVIL'S WHITE ROSES

34 | BURNING

I stared at the blank TV screen for what felt like thirty minutes before I groaned in frustration. It had been a while since I'd spent time without Arden. Or if Arden was at school, then Jayden. It felt odd watching the television without Arden.

In the end, I went to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee and called my mom.

"Hey, mommy!" I said into the phone whilst the kettle was turning hot.

"Mommy! You haven't called me that in a long while," my mother said. "Are you okay?"

"I'm lonely as of the moment and making coffee," I replied.

"Without using the coffee machine," My mom added.

"I can't use that. Too complicated."

"You can solve a rubik's cube in under two minutes, sure, but a coffee machine..."

I laughed. "How's dad?"

"He's at work," My mom replied. "And he complains about how you never call him. Say that your favourite is me."

"Between you and me, you're my favourite," I said.

"I know that, dear. I raised your wild self to know what you like."

"Hmm," I angled my phone between my ear and shoulder to grab the mug from the overhead counter.

"You know, Ivy, there's one thing I've realised whilst talking to you," said my mom.

"What? I'm your favourite?"

"Well, between you and me, you've always been my favourite," my mom said. "But no, that's not it. You know, when you talk with me now, compared to well....before you left, I can clearly see the difference. Or rather, hear the difference."

"What's the difference?" I asked.

"Life," my mom replied. "Your voice has life, as though you're very, very happy whereas before, there was no happiness or life. I hear the sunshine, how it's supposed to sound and all I hear is the snowstorm that took place for ten years."

"Very poetic," I said as I turned off the kettle and placed the mug in front of me. "What's your point?"

"You found someone, didn't you? Someone I can call my future son-in-law?"

I immediately dropped the phone from the awkward angle between my ear and shoulder as the kettle water fell on my hand.

I screamed and quickly placed the kettle down.

"Ivy!" My mom called.

"Yeah, I just got burned, mom," I shouted. "Talk to you....."

I crouched to the floor and closed my eyes, as a warmth began to spread over my body from my burnt hand. A warmth that turned hotter and hotter and hotter......

I screamed whilst my entire body began to burn, though there was no flame.

"Ivy!" My mom called worriedly. "What happened?"

I raised a hand to reach the phone but the burning was too much. It increased with each breath I took, burning my insides to crips as I continued to scream.

What was happening? What was wrong with me?

My mind began to look for details....any medical condition that resulted in a burning sensation like this.

Nothing.

"IVORY THORNE!" my mom shouted. "YOU BETTER TELL ME WHAT—-"

"I'M BURNING!" I shouted back. "I'M BURNING, MOM!"