Burning Ice by Vanessa (ebook offline TXT) 📖

I woke up to yet another sunless morning. The fog still thick in the air erasing everything in sight. I stare at the sky trying to find the sun, wishing for it’s heat to bring warmth to my numb body. I sigh quietly knowing that my wish is impossible. The sun will not shine, no amount of wishing will change that. I walk down to the kitchen to find my dad with his nose in the newspaper with a cup of coffee in his right hand filled to the rim with bitter caffeine. As I walk down the sent of it gets stronger almost uncomfortable as it lingers in the air.
“Hey kiddo” he said behind his newspaper turning the page as he look up. He sounded more enthusiastic than he looks with heavy bags under his eyes. It seemed like every morning it gets darker and more visible, I wander how much sleep he got and how much coffee he’s already had.
“ Hey dad” I said popping bread in to the toaster. “What’s going on” I point to the paper between his hands. “ I didn’t know that the town even had a news paper.” I chuckled quietly. We live in Clarkston population not enough to care. A town that made me hate the color green because of the trees that surrounds it. Clarkston where nothing ever happens, well not recently. There have been unexplained fires around this eventless town. Fires that burn houses and trees in the middle of the woods. Luckily no one has been killed but three have been badly injured with burns. One of them, Miss Ellis my English teacher I think got the worst of it. From what I have heard around school is that she needed a skin graphing for the right side of her neck and a little of her chin.
“ The fires are getting worst.” his mouth pulled down to a frown. “And the police have no idea who is causing it. They want to believe it’s teenagers with nothing better to do.” he eyed me with an arched brow teasing but at the same time he was every serious. “But there’s no evidence of matches, cigarettes, lighter, fireworks… nothing.” he said as he continues to read the paper. “ I hope whatever or whoever is causing it gets stop.” his voice trails off quietly.
Ann wasn’t at school today because she was “sick”. So I had to sit with Jamie by myself without careful Ann, while she cried about her boyfriend dumping her again. I think that’s three time this month. I don’t know I stopped counting, it seemed pointless. What a lucky time to get “sick” I thought of Ann and how she abounded me. I laughed to myself I should have gotten “sick” too, if it meant not having to listen to Jamie talk about Ryan. And if Ann really was sick I should probably stop by and deliver her homework and maybe some soup. I wonder what’s going around, I have had two substitute and it not even launch yet. Now that I’m thinking about it, I’m feeling a little different.
My head had it’s own heart beat. It hummed so loudly that it drowned all the other buzzing noises that filled the crowded hall. I look out the large window pointing to trees that surrounds everything in my world, and dreamed of being anywhere but here at this moment. Then something hit my right shoulder causing me to drop all my books to the ground with a loud thud. I turn to see the reason for this new pain that shot up my arm. I meet his gaze with my mouth dry and speechless. His eyes were the most vivid shade of green. He bent down and grabbed my books in one swift movement.
“I’m so sorry I shouldn’t have been running in the halls.” his voice was teasing at the end. His face was twisted to a lazy smile like I already accepted his apology. I tried to say something anything to make this less awkward than it was becoming. But my mouth was locked my lips unmoving. I just nod helpless. I don’t know why I was nodding, he didn’t even ask a question. I could feel my cheeks burn my ears ringing from embarrassment. Why did I have to be the girl with the uncontrollable blush, wasn’t my muteness enough? Life is so unfair.
“I think I hurt you more than I imagined. You seem to have lost your voice during our collision. Are you all right?” his voice had worry in it. Believing that my sudden muteness was caused by the pain in my shoulder and not by the fact that his voice is velvet to my ears and his eyes so mesmerizing. I laugh to myself for how stupid I sounded even to myself. Which made him smile
“Tell me what’s so funny.” His eyes twinkling as he moved closer to me making my heart skip a beat. Wow, I have never felt so helpless like a little bunny jumping towards the speeding car.
“ I was just laughing at myself. I must have been standing out in the middle of the hall. I’m just so helpless sometimes.” I couldn’t look at his eye as I spoke afraid that my face would betraying me.
“I don’t think your helpless.” I had to look at him now, what he said surprised me. Before I could ask what he meant he was long gone leaving my with hundreds of questions for him. How did he move so quickly I didn’t even notice him leave.
As the bell rings, signaling the start of every class, I couldn’t help but hope that he would show up. I waited by my locker a few minutes than necessary hoping by chance he would bump in to me again, but that too was disappointing. I felt stupid for wanting to see him so badly. I don’t know the guy, so then why am I so bummed that I didn’t catch his name?
I lay in bed staring at my blank ceiling my mind wondering. What did he mean? Why don’t I know his name? Is he new… he has to be, I would have remembered seeing him. I don’t like this uncertainty, they are new to me and my predictable life. I close my eyes but all I could see was his.
I opened my eyes, I could feel the warmth of the sun on my face. It couldn’t be morning already, it felt like just moments ago that my brain final stopped buzzing and let me sleep. I sat up, but it was pitch black the moon big and round casting shadows with its bright light. I wasn’t on my bed like a thought I was seconds ago. I was outside, leaves under me, trees surrounding me. I could hear the river flowing in the distance. But something was cackling and popping I looked at the sky, which was surprisingly clear and then the ground. In the distance where the trees thinned I spotted something red and orange. I ran towards the bright light, but my feet moved slowly . I stopped inches away from the growing fire. Inside the fire was a boy with dark hair and green eyes. He was looking right at me I should been afraid of the fire, but I held my hand out and touched the flames and it got bigger I could no longer see the boy. And as I pulled my hand out the fire died. I was alone in the woods at night. Everything left with the boy; the moon, the sound of the river, and the raging fire.
I woke up with my bed sheets wrapped around my legs from a restless night. Sweat that covered my forehead and the sweat on my neck ran down my back. I couldn’t believe how hot my room felt, it’s warmth is suffocating my lungs making it hard to breath. I looked out the window to see if the sun was the cause of this warmth, but the sun stayed hidden behind a wide wall of clouds. I wiped the sweat with the back of my hand and felt the heat that was radiating from my forehead.
I couldn’t be sick, I don’t feel sick but my head was on fire. I pushed my bedding aside and noticed it dampness, I ran to my bathroom for the thermometer. I had to dig a while before finding it in the back of the cabinet. I splashed water on my face hoping it would cool me down, but I couldn’t fell the change in temperature.
I looked at myself in the mirror at that girl staring back she looked different. Her eyes to gray to be called blue, but her face soft and gentle, her cheeks pink, she looked beautiful. I touched my lips and the girl did the same. That girl is me when did I become her? I smiled she smiled too. Her wavy brown hair bouncing as she did. It seems impossible that the reflection is me. It feel like I magically transformed over night. The thermometer read 108.6. That couldn’t be right so I checked it again. But nothing changed it must be broken or something. I slowly get dressed and felt my body too weak to function from even the easiest of movements.
I went down to the kitchen, ready for school but my back ached and my head spinning from the heat. I was ready to see him again so I could put a name to those eyes. They are all I have seen for the past twelve hours. I wanted to see the face that held them. I couldn’t deny the feeling that in just a few minutes the mystery would be solved. I almost ran to the door.
“Hey there kiddo. Where’s the fire?” his voice was amused with a little chuckle at the end. He hasn’t seen me jump at the thought of school in almost nine years, in first grade.
“I just need to be at school early today. To ask my teacher for help on my essay that’s due on Friday.” the lie was so smooth that I almost believed it myself. There was no way my dad would have understand the real reason for my sudden interest in school. I felt guilty for lying but then i thought of embarrassment that came with the truth and the guilt went away.
“Woe hold your horses!” his hand blocked my one and only escape. Uh oh he didn’t believe my believable lie. How could he not believe it, it was perfect. I really did have an essay due on Friday and he knew that too, I even asked for his help. I have never been chough lying before, but yet I have never really had use for lying ether, this should teach me.
“Look at you’re cheeks they’re scarlet red.” he pressed his cold hand against my forehead resting it there for a few seconds before scowling at me.
“Olivia you have a fever! I think you should stay home, school can wait.” he looked at me with testing eyes and left it with that. The rest of the morning I could feel his eyes on me was he got ready for work.
I watched TV for an hour and lied in bed for I don’t know how long but I can only go so long until I became bored out of my mind.