Freed by the Flames [Short Story]

Skies of purple and orange hues painted over the turning leaves of fall. The crunching of leaves and children's laughs echoed down the candle-lit streets. Pumpkins of unique carvings protected the stairs leading up to the neighbor's doors.1

"Trick or treat!" The children sang.2

Gladly, adults gave the sweet treats to the children. Treats that would both feed their hunger and give them cavities.3

"Halloween is so stupid." Lorraine said to herself. 4

Speeding down Nectar Avenue, the roaring car startled the many trick-or-treaters. Alarmed mothers took their children in their arms, and pointed fingers at Lorraine. She waved them on to cross the street.5

"So stupid." She remarked again, examining a child's costume. 6

A fairy princess; one of the many common choices among the youth.7

"Where's the originality around here?" 8

Lorraine sped down the street, finally making it to her house after dodging many more trick-or-treaters.9

The pain she thought had dissolved over the past year now ran rapid inside her. The memories sheared away every piece of happiness she had gained back. Halloween this year was going to be so hard for her to bear. 10

"Shawn..." She said softly.11

Lorraine shut the front door to her house, and sunk to the cold linoleum floor. Her legs felt like jelly, as did her heart. Sobbing, she reached inside her coat pocket, and pulled out her cell phone. Set as the background, a picture of her and Shawn made it seem as if the incident never happened. Below their faces, read the words: "You are the flame that set my heart on fire."12

Lorraine took one look at his perfect smile, and found the strength to stand again.13

"Oh, honey, are you home?" Her mother called from the den.14

She quickly hung her coat on the rack and walked into the room from which her mother's voice trailed. "Yeah, its me."15

"Are you not going out tonight?" Her mother asked, keeping her eyes on the Food Network.16

"Nah. Just going to stay home this year."17

Her mother didn't pause to contemplate what Lorraine said. "Okay then. Have fun!"18

Lorraine shook her head in dismay and bounded up the stairs.19

Once in the privacy of her room, she sunk into her comforter and began to cry into a pillow. Minutes later, she fell into a deep sleep. 20

The experience, which occurred one year ago, began her nightmare.21

Lorraine and Shawn went trick-or-treating with Lorraine's little brother, Devin. They were having a wonderful time goofing off, throwing each other around, and scaring the neighbor's kids. 22

All chaos broke loose once a truck followed the trio down to the dead end of Nectar Avenue. Crowds of cheery children and parents walked back and forth across the other end.23

They were being pursued.24

The South end of Nectar Avenue was darker than the North end. It was in fact so dark, the trio could not see the driver's face. The chasers' cackling voices told them there was more than one man in the beat-up truck. Lorraine, Shawn, and Devin continued to run; ready to jump into the forest for protection.25

"Who are you, and what do you want?" Shawn asked, pulling Devin and Lorraine behind him.26

The truck began to swerve down its path. Headed for the forest, or them, Lorraine didn't know.27

Despite being scared, Devin struggled to use his small flashlight to see the driver's face. The light flickered, and shut off just as a gunshot punctured Shawn in the chest.28

Devin screamed over the ripping sound of more gunshots. Lorraine and Devin thankfully were never hit. The truck had swerved too much, so it rolled into the forest. Lorraine turned around to see the toppling truck, but saw Shawn's body curled into a ball on the pavement.29

"NO!" Lorraine lunged to hold onto Shawn, but when her shaking hands felt his jacket - he was gone. 30

The beat up truck was gone, too.31

There was neither sign nor sound of Devin.32

Lorraine twitched in her sleep, her hands reaching out to hold something that wasn't there.33

She found herself on Nectar Avenue, alone. Every golden leaf fallen; every tree bare. The moon was the only source of light. It eerily glowed down on her. Lorraine felt as though it was an interrogation light in a prison, wanting to know why Shawn died. Her heart was in pain and confused as to why this had happened.34

"I...I don't know!" She shouted at herself, grasping her head. Her knees hit the ground roughly. Rich, red, blood began to seep through her jeans.35

"Delicious..." A voice said.36

Lorraine's eyes widened with fear. Her body ran cold. She was frozen to her core, kneeling on the ground. Alone.37

"That's what I like to see...a damsel in distress...one such as yourself should feel special young lady..." The second voice was similar to the first, except this one had a rusty tone. The second voice's words lingered in her mind for what felt like a century, yet only a minute passed by.38

"S...special?" She asked, hoarsely.39

"You're the star of the evening, my dear..." The first voice answered. 40

Together, the two voices chuckled menacingly in the dark. A light bulb went off in Lorraine's head. Why were those voices so familiar? The tone of their voices were similar to the men who...41

A sob erupted from her aching chest.42

Glass-shattering crackles pierced the darkness as she fell to the ground in pain and in torture.43

The repeated ripping sound of the bullets and the laughing voices mixed to form an excruciating pain in her head. The many questions that ran through her head only made it worse. Each bullet glided through the darkness, never making contact with a person or an object.44

Where were all the children and their parents? Where were the policemen that patrolled the streets on this holiday night? 45

More importantly: What had happened to Shawn? And her little brother, Devin?46

Lorraine's spoke quietly to herself, "I wish to see you one last time, Shawn..."47

"Raine..." 48

Lorraine and the two voices gasped.49

"Raine?" 50

Lorraine knew only one person in her life would call her by that nickname.51

"Shawnie?" She asked softly. Now that she knew he was here, she was no longer afraid of the voices she was hearing.52

"Shawnie? Where are you? I....I can't see you."53

On cue, the candle street lamps of her neighborhood came to life. Her head lifted as the light brightened, and she saw what she wanted to see.54

Shawn could not have looked any more alive.55

He wore a cream tuxedo that contrasted greatly against his flaming red hair. He smiled.56

The familiar, gentle smile made her stomach flip. Shawn held a strong hand out towards her.57

Lorraine reached to him with a gloved hand, and realized she matched him, in a beautiful, flowing, white sundress. Totally the opposite of what they were previously wearing.58

Gravity seemed to pull them together as he took her into his arms.59

"I'm so sorry I scared you like that, Raine..." It was surely his voice, no illusion.60

Tears fell down Lorraine's face as she listened to his words. She could not bring herself to reply, but a simple hug back was all he needed in return. 61

"I missed you--Shawn?" Lorraine backed away from Shawn as his body began to wilt. His dark eyes went blank and his limp body swung lifelessly by a thick rope hung around his neck.62

The voices laughed, dangling the one thing Lorraine cared for most in life, in front of her. 63

Lorraine screamed in horror.64

His body was no longer flush and healthy, but now strangled, bruised, and brutally thrashed. Below his ribcage, she saw the puncture, which was where the bullet took his life.65

Once again, his body disappeared. 66

The strong scent of iron was in the air, and the ominous voices returned.67

Lorraine fell to the ground. Her pure, white dress was stained red with his blood. She let out another pained cry. No matter how many times she tried to rip the dress off her back, the cloth returned to its place.68

"Raine, Raine, Raine! Shawnie, Shawnie, Shawnie!" The voices teased.69

"Stop it! Those names are reserved for him and I only!" Her voice struggled to be heard through the sea of black. This time, the moon was gone, and the stars were nowhere in sight. Only one candle was left, lighting her portion of the pavement where she knelt.70

Desperately trying to find a way to get rid of the voices, an idea came to her.71

Finding power to use her legs, she grabbed the melting candle from the nearest, lit lamppost. She winced at the pain as the melting wax burned her hand. As she was walking, she felt her way around Nectar Avenue. 72

Finally, she came across dry, bare trees. The voices went silent and invisible forces began pulling on her limbs and neck.73

"What are you doing, you stupid girl?!" The voices demanded.74

"Getting...rid...of you!" Between her fights to free herself, she threw the melting candle into the line of trees and hoped it would cause a fire. 75

The voices shouted in defeat and vanished. 76

A few feet away, the neighborhood forest burned ablaze into the night. A powerful ring of fire stood tall around her, blocking the voices out. She smiled, finding Shawn's face within the flames. Walking closer to the mirage, she could feel the heat lick her face.77

She didn't care if this was real or just a dream. She didn't care if she was going psychotic. Either way, she was seeing Shawn for possibly her last time. It had to be worthwhile. He was, after all, the flame that set her heart on fire.78

"Raine...you're free from the curse." Shawn's voice was calm over the crackle of wood burning.79

"What curse?" Lorraine asked. The past year had given her enough time to wish revenge on the men who killed Shawn. The men's reckless actions caused Shawn's end. That was a fact Lorraine would never forget. Even if their voices were forever gone from her memory. 80

"The voices in your head gave you what you wanted to see, which in turn, gave them ways to torture you."81

A form of a hand grasped her shoulder. Despite the heat, the flames did not burn her pale skin.82

"They toyed with your head, but you're heart was too strong to allow their attempts to destroy you from the inside." 83

Lorraine's vision became blurred with tears.84

"Raine...everything will be okay now."85

The flames spread closer to her, burning blades of grass in their wake. Her eyes closed as she felt pressure on her lips. 86

"Goodbye, Lorraine." 87

With Shawn's final words, the flames dissipated, and Lorraine blacked out.88

Lorraine woke up breathing heavily. Her body trembled vigorously and her hair was stuck to her rosined cheeks. She pulled herself out of bed to look out her window. Everything was normal. Children dressed in silly costumes still prowled the streets, in search of candy. 89

Lorraine darted out the door like lightening. She aimed for the spot that her dream took place. The melting candle, which she used to burn the forest, was missing. 90

A few feet away, however; the forest stood strong, golden leaves and all.91

"Lorraine?"92

Lorraine turned to meet Devin, her little brother. He wore a Dark Night costume, and his face was painted from hairline to chin.93

She took a deep breath. "Oh, hey Devin. You startled me."94

"What are you doing down here? The houses are down that way." He said, chewing on some chocolate.95

Lorraine smiled, realizing this time, the dream really was just a dream. Her last meeting with Shawn, though, stayed fresh in her mind. She wasn't sure if their meeting was part of the dream, or in any way real.96

"Just checking some things out. Wanna go?" She asked, pointing towards a neighbor's house, which had been decorated for a haunted maze. A line of children and their parents filled the house's walkway.97

"Yeah!" Devin took her hand as they began to walk down Nectar Avenue. Taking one last glance backward, Lorraine could swear she saw the missing candle burning brightly.98

She shook her head and smirked. 99

"Halloween is so stupid." 100