( as traditionally, I NEVER write in poem form so, here ya go community.)

“ Give it back, dude.” My knuckles clenched white as I looked at Paul Laine. He had that dumb expression on his face that all kids my age had at some point— some smug stupidness. He had taken my mug that I had made for my little sister, Casey. “ Yeah? Yeah? Get it, man. I thought you let me have it.” Paul snickered, his creature-like goons only laughed when he laughed, like Paul was some mafia boss. “.. Alright, hope you like it man.” I shrugged. Usually, this tactic worked. He’d give it up sometime. But today, guess Paul decided he would do something worse. “ Maybe i’ll break it in front of your sister, yeah? See what a weirdo like you is, cant even stick up for a mug!” He laughed again. It almost sounded like he was forcing a laugh in some movie. I shrugged again. “ Kay. And? I’ll just make another one.” I had actually really hoped he wouldnt break that mug. I had spent too long on it. I had put too much love into it.

Paul didnt like that answer too much. He let go of the mug that I had worked really, really hard on. But I didnt move. Hearing it crash to the pavement was deafening. “ What do you even want out of this?” I asked, doing my best to not look at the ruined mug. If he wanted to really do worse he would’ve done it already, right? Wrong. Paul rolled his eyes. “ Why are you.. like.. so.. what’s the word.. guys give me a word for how this jerk is being.” He looked to his goons. Paul was pretty intellectually challenged, but what he lacked in emotional wellfare he made up in physical. The goons stammered, the uglier one replied- “ Non..nonchalant! Yeah I heard that’s like.. bad.”

Paul nodded and pointed at me, shoving his weirdly muscular fingers in my chest. “ Yeah. Why the hell are you nonchalant? Huh?” He poked my chest again. Then again. But it was starting to hurt. “ Mind not doin’ that Paul?” I stepped back. Suddenly I was getting shoved around like some game of ping pong. “ You’re as ugly as your siste-“ Paul had only started on the last word, where I had ended it with a punch to his gut. Painful, to remember. Paul started wheezing for air as his goons stepped back. Then suddenly, Paul was crying and shrieking at me that he’d get his older brother and get me back. I didnt hear the rest, the sound of his crying was too good of music to ignore as I walked home.

|.3 Days Later.|

I really liked to touch the top of fire. Not because it made me look cool or anything, but the simple idea of me… touching an element meant to burn made me feel powerful. An element made to destroy, bring destruction and fear. And yet we all want to use it for a good laugh with friends and family, for the cooking of food. I guess once I got home, i decided I wanted to hold it. But my little sister watched from the balcony, curious. She wasnt afraid, and I wish she had been. She walked over, her hazel eyes brimmed with excitement.

“ Leo! Leo can I pretty please? Touch?” She pointed to herself then the fire. I still remember how she looked. She was five, and she really did anything I wanted to do. Picking flowers? Done. Eating bugs? Done. Bank robberies? Too cute for that. After a second of thinking, I nodded and shifted around the campfire to ler her try to touch the top. I held her hair back and tied it up just in case. She smiled excitedly, and looked at me,and back at the fire. I caught myself smiling too. There was a sudden snap, a crackle, and then I felt it. Someone was staring at us. “ Uh.. Casey, stay here. Okay? Dont touch the fire yet.” I told her gently. She only nodded, taking my instructions like it was some life or death situation.

Because it was.

I felt around for my pocket knife in my ripped pockets, and felt the cold familiar metal along it that made me feel more easy. “ Hey?” I called out, peering into the woods as best as I could see. A shadow turned human, and that human looked like Paul Laine. Because it was.

“ Wait what? Are you here to fight or something?” I asked, feeling smart. Tell me about it.

“ Oh, no. Came ‘ere to actually apologize to ya’.” Paul had his hands in his pockets, just swaying and looking around my yard. I didnt like that too much. “ Yeah? Well, I forgive ya. Sorry here too.” I responded. As smart as I thought it was, I hadnt realized that Paul hadnt actually apologized. And he never would.

Paul nodded. “ Good, good. You got a nice open yard. Not many people round to hear you guys yell and laugh, huh?” Paul asked, slapping a cool, relaxed tone over it. But the question itself was terrifying, that I hadnt even really thought it over. “ Naw, we could scream and it would take a day to reach anyone near our school.” I chuckled.

Paul’s eyes flashed with something knowing.“ Good to know.” His hand tapped twice on his head, lightly as in a goodbye. “ Oughtta head out now.” He smiled, his eyes didnt.

I nodded and waved. I watched him go for a moment, and headed back to the fire. “ Casey, you didnt touch it did ya?” I knew she didnt, because I told her not to. She was a good kid. I expected a chuckling response— no, I almost heard it. But it was silent. “ Casey? Oh. ‘Prolly had to help Maw with something.” I shrugged. I couldnt see her next to the fire, but the flames were smaller, the wind moving it’s flickering point towards the woods. Maybe I should have had taken it as a sign. But I didnt. I went in my house that night and slept well, Maw has kissed me goodnight. She was always tired, and she forgot things often. But I didnt mind caring for Casey. In the morning, I got up, and went to Casey’s room to wake her. “ Casey, i’m goin’ to school. Bye.” I yawned, rubbing fuzziness from my eyes as I stepped out of the tiny house we called safe. Through the day, I noticed the way Paul looked at me. Judging? Maybe. But his eyes held more knowing than that. I wouldnt push. We were friends now, anyways. When i started walking home, Paul syopped me. Cornered me. “ Hey, how’s you been? Since we’ve been friends and all.” He asked, he looked unnaturally polite. “ Well. Same with you looks about.” I walked past him, but he stopped me again. “ Things will be different now,” he smiled sweetly. I almost expected him to announce that he had had feelings for me the way he looked at me. He put his hand on my shoulder. The same, weirdly muscular fingers digging into my bones. When I got home later, I waited for Casey to do her usual run-up-and-leap hug. She called it that anyways. But she wasnt there. Suddenly, I was very aware of how quiet the house was. Of how quiet the birds had been. Even the forest looked wary. I let out deep intake of air. But even that was too small a quantity. But what I was even more aware of now, is what Paul had said.

“ Things will be different now.” The way he had said it. The way he didnt say it. The way he looked when he said it. The way he thought when he said it. I could hear my heart in my ears, pounding, and suddenly felt very cold. Very tired. Maybe I was next! Was Paul going to take me too? And now, I almost couldnt walk.

Because I was crying. What the hell did he do to Casey?

PART TWO GNG??❤️😍🤟🤙🤟🔥🔥👏👏🥰🥰🥹🥹🥹😤😤😤😎😎😎