HOME | DD

Description
She staggered through the field of flames. She felt unbearable tongues of heat licking at her back, peeling the skin. Her rough, charred hair fell heavily into her face as she laboured for breath. She had to find them... They had to get out of this hell. Tripping on an unseen object, she fell heavily, all the breath driven from her body as she hit the hard ground. With a long, agonized groan, she rolled over onto her side. Inches from her face was another. A bone chilling feeling of familiarity fell over her. Behind the horrific burns and warping expression of agony, she recognized Jack’s face. Turning away, she found herself looking at another familiar face. Trinity lay on her other side. Her lovely daughter’s beautiful face was twisted by the same expression of agony. With a strangled sob, she pulled herself up, and ran, stumbling, away. Her mind was racing. She needed to get out of here. She needed to leave. Suddenly, the ground gave way below her, and she was falling. Below her, she saw Jack, Trinity, her parents, her friends, all charred... All beckoning... Cold laughter echoed across the sky. Devon’s laughter...

“What the fuck is wrong with you, Susan? Do I have to find somewhere else to sleep?” Looking up, she saw Jack glaring down at her. “Well?” he demanded. “Do I? Are you going to keep kicking me and trashing around? Or are you going to settle down so we can both sleep?” She didn’t answer, still so dazed and frightened from her dream. Jack glowered at her for a second, then gathered up some blankets and left the room. Tears in her eyes, Susan pulled the duvet up to her chin, feeling like a small child as she did so. Unbidden, the memory sprang from her mind.

“No!” Devon’s cry was high and shrill, a heartbreaking reflection of the child he still was inside. “Mom! Dad! Please don’t!” But his entreaties had fallen on deaf ears. Her anger buzzing in her ears, she strode down the hall to the living room. “Dad! Daddy, stop her! Please!” Without a word, she walked over to the fireplace, and shoved the safety grate to the side, hardly even hearing as it clanged on the floor. Ripping the duffel bag from Devon’s resisting grasp, she unzipped it, and turned it over above the hungrily roaring flames. The smell of burning cloth filled the room, thick and heavy. Devon cried out again, and tried to run forward, but Jack held him back. She watched, emotionless as the things burned; dresses and skirts, stockings and bras. Cheap plastic jewellery melted into festive-looking, multicoloured puddles. Then she threw the duffel bag onto the fire, and watched until it had all turned to blackened scraps and ash.
She turned back to Devon, who’s screams and tears had now been reduced to quiet whimpers and sobs. “Get out.” The words echoed even in her own ears, Devon and Jack’s heads both snapped up to look at her.
“Susan, hon... Don’t you think that’s a bit extreme?” Jack muttered worriedly. “I mean, he’s only a child.” Her silence proved to be a sufficient answer for him, and he turned away.
“I said ‘get out’!” she said, her attention returning to Devon.
“But... But...” he stuttered. “Where... where should I go?”
“Not my problem!” She snaps. “Go find some other people like you! Never come back!” And with that, she turns her back and leaves the room. She doesn’t dare to look back, but in her mind she can see him; her son. Standing in the living room, only fifteen, with nowhere to go. The pleading look in his eyes as she walks away.

Description
She staggered through the field of flames. She felt unbearable tongues of heat licking at her back, peeling the skin. Her rough, charred hair fell heavily into her face as she laboured for breath. She had to find them... They had to get out of this hell. Tripping on an unseen object, she fell heavily, all the breath driven from her body as she hit the hard ground. With a long, agonized groan, she rolled over onto her side. Inches from her face was another. A bone chilling feeling of familiarity fell over her. Behind the horrific burns and warping expression of agony, she recognized Jack’s face. Turning away, she found herself looking at another familiar face. Trinity lay on her other side. Her lovely daughter’s beautiful face was twisted by the same expression of agony. With a strangled sob, she pulled herself up, and ran, stumbling, away. Her mind was racing. She needed to get out of here. She needed to leave. Suddenly, the ground gave way below her, and she was falling. Below her, she saw Jack, Trinity, her parents, her friends, all charred... All beckoning... Cold laughter echoed across the sky. Devon’s laughter...

“What the fuck is wrong with you, Susan? Do I have to find somewhere else to sleep?” Looking up, she saw Jack glaring down at her. “Well?” he demanded. “Do I? Are you going to keep kicking me and trashing around? Or are you going to settle down so we can both sleep?” She didn’t answer, still so dazed and frightened from her dream. Jack glowered at her for a second, then gathered up some blankets and left the room. Tears in her eyes, Susan pulled the duvet up to her chin, feeling like a small child as she did so. Unbidden, the memory sprang from her mind.

“No!” Devon’s cry was high and shrill, a heartbreaking reflection of the child he still was inside. “Mom! Dad! Please don’t!” But his entreaties had fallen on deaf ears. Her anger buzzing in her ears, she strode down the hall to the living room. “Dad! Daddy, stop her! Please!” Without a word, she walked over to the fireplace, and shoved the safety grate to the side, hardly even hearing as it clanged on the floor. Ripping the duffel bag from Devon’s resisting grasp, she unzipped it, and turned it over above the hungrily roaring flames. The smell of burning cloth filled the room, thick and heavy. Devon cried out again, and tried to run forward, but Jack held him back. She watched, emotionless as the things burned; dresses and skirts, stockings and bras. Cheap plastic jewellery melted into festive-looking, multicoloured puddles. Then she threw the duffel bag onto the fire, and watched until it had all turned to blackened scraps and ash.
She turned back to Devon, who’s screams and tears had now been reduced to quiet whimpers and sobs. “Get out.” The words echoed even in her own ears, Devon and Jack’s heads both snapped up to look at her.
“Susan, hon... Don’t you think that’s a bit extreme?” Jack muttered worriedly. “I mean, he’s only a child.” Her silence proved to be a sufficient answer for him, and he turned away.
“I said ‘get out’!” she said, her attention returning to Devon.
“But... But...” he stuttered. “Where... where should I go?”
“Not my problem!” She snaps. “Go find some other people like you! Never come back!” And with that, she turns her back and leaves the room. She doesn’t dare to look back, but in her mind she can see him; her son. Standing in the living room, only fifteen, with nowhere to go. The pleading look in his eyes as she walks away.