Chapter One

Stroke, swipe, swipe, swipe. Stroke, swipe, swipe, swipe. Zaiden’s mind remained focused on his almost mechanical painting pattern. He was starting to fall into his own little world, day dreaming as he often did while drawing.

"Aye! Who are you?" Gabe’s voice suddenly called out.

Zaiden’s head snapped around at the serious tone of her voice. Standing maybe twenty, thirty feet from them was a boy around his height with blonde hair and an odd look on his face. At first glance Zaiden thought of Fox, not so much in the boy’s appearance, but his demeanor. His aura. Where was he, anyways? It shouldn’t haven taken him that long to shower, especially if Peter was going to find him.

The one sided conversation continued, Gabe getting out a number of questions and statements before the new guy even bothered to reply. It was during said interrogation that Zaiden noticed the lighter the boy was... well, fondling. Zaiden thought it odd, the way in which he held and caressed the lighter, as if he had some special connection with it. Gabe’s hands caught his eye as she waved for them to all get behind her. She was protecting them. Zaiden’s surprise and curiosity towards her rose in that moment and he did as she instructed. Luke was already standing next to Alice, so Zaiden laid his brush on top of his paint can, then slowly stood up to his full height, attempting to make himself appear somewhat threatening, should the situation call for it. He then moved himself between Gabe and the other two.

“What do you do?" came Gabe’s last question.

Zaiden stood motionless, examining the boy as they waited for an answer. He looked older then all of them, as Fox had, though it had been impossible to guess his age with all his piercings and tattoos. A sizable gust of wind flew into Zaiden’s face then and he wondered, for the first time, if maybe the wind wasn’t just due to being bay-side. He looked up at the sky for the briefest of moments. It was definitely darker than it had been when they came outside, but not by too much. Perhaps it was going to storm...

Alice didn’t really even remember any of the conversation exchanged after she had moved to begin painting the next bench. She really wasn’t interested in what was going on anymore.

Alice was singing in her head. A small, dreamy smile played at the corner of her lips as she carefully applied the paint so that there was a perfect, even coat of paint. Her wide eyes searched for any stray drops, and upon finding them, she would sweep them up and spread it to where the wood lay bare. She traced the wood grains and intercepting lines of chipped paint with her eyes, finding different shapes and patterns. There, in a small scratching was a discernible scribble.

“H.A.+D.K.”

Lovers’ initials.

Alice wondered if they had spent many lovely sunsets in a warm embrace, here in this very spot. Perhaps they were high school sweethearts that spent their last summer carving their love into this wood, as if this was some lost memorial to a love now long forgotten.

Alice was careful to paint as thin a coat as possible over the letters. Maybe, one day they may find themselves together again as long as their loving letters remain.

A soft, indescribable feeling curled up in her chest; a feeling like a whisper. Somberness was the creature wrapping around her heart. It’s sadness lightly pulsing within her like a second heartbeat. Her forehead furrowed slightly at the feeling as she looked off into the distance, not really seeing.

Alice’s gaze shifted slightly with an unexpected movement caught her eye. Luke’s face looked scared; vulnerable. She stood confused, looking for the cause of discomfort. Blinking again, Alice realized that now Luke was nervously edging closer to her. Zaiden and the lioness girl were now standing protectively in front of them.

Alice peered past them to see a tall, blond boy. What was wrong? A new boy in their group? She turned to Luke and took his hand gently, seeking to soothe his nervousness with a small, uncertain smile.

Moving towards the group of juveniles I heard a female speaking. This girl was annoying. Very much so, not intelligent, and not physically attractive, but then again... I didn't have a thing for slutty whores.

All I cared about was the frightened boy before me.

I could tell he was scared. I could practically smell it on him. He was one of those kids. You know... the kids that were scared by the sight of their own shadows. But there was something else there. Will. Determination. He fought for something, something... meant a lot to him. Now I just had to find out whatever it was and take it.

And then I'd take him.

It wasn't like he was going to do anything about it. Kids like him never could. They were usually so ashamed that something like 'rape' or being 'molested' happened to them, that they never told anyone. Never spoke of it. Plus you know... most kids that look like him are gay. So maybe he would like it. Then again... I'm not looking for a lover. I'm looking for a victim. So I was going to keep this one miserable.

I knew in this instant not only his life would change, but mine as well. Things would never be the same, not matter what happened. There was just something about him that pretty much screamed: victim. And I knew that everything about me screamed: villain.

And well, that's because I am one. I analyze, and plot. I put things together ahead of the curve. While others are still stuck in their adolescence I'm years ahead. Miles ahead.

I knew things would be different. I would have to change my life around for one boy. But, looking into those wide and apprehensive eyes, I knew it'd be worth it.

"Aye! Who are you?"

And now we're back to the obnoxious girl standing between me and my prey... and well... that just will not do.

She seemed mighty... like she was above everyone else. She acted like a dog, a dog that pissed on its territory and I had just encroached upon it. But it didn't matter, flea-bitten mongrels didn't frighten me. I had no fears.

The girl wanted me to say my name, wanted me to tell her my name. It really wasn't any of her business what my name was, though I was tempted to walk up to her and whisper it into her ear. Just to see her shiver in terror when my hot breath ghosted across her skin.

Stark Arsin Grinder

I almost smiled at that. Almost.

I moved closer as she continued to speak, it was like word vomit. I couldn't care less what she had to say. I just wanted to hear him. Hear his voice, because... once I heard it? I knew I'd never, ever, forget it.

"You ain't supposed to be here."

Good to know education wasn't wasted on the young. 'Ain't?' I was surrounded by morons. One was just begging to get fucked, by anyone or anything. The other was just one of those awkward kids, the kind that were freakish. Didn't say much and didn't want to. And then the small girl seemed... odd. Off in some way. Like she wasn't quite right... wasn't quite here.

And who was she to tell me where I was and wasn't supposed to be. Of course I didn't belong here... I was better than this. But still... didn't mean she knew anything about anything or anyone. But, it was easy to turn the other cheek so to speak. One because if I turned a little I could see him. And two, because I just didn't care.

The black girl was speaking again. She was too loud, too talkative. She also tried to assert that the boy was hers, in some ridiculous way. She was someone who, in their own neighborhood, was tough. But here? In my world? I ruled.

I worshiped my God, and he made me strong. Let me attack, kill, and burn. And if this girl... if she got in my way. I'd take her, nothing too dramatic. Something easy. I'd probably sedate her and then set her house on fire with her still in it. She'd die and be out of my hair.

But that was the worst case scenario. Right now she was just a pest. And pests were easy to ignore. I walked up to her, almost in her face before I turned and made my way over to the farthest bench. I wanted to watch.

"So you're a freak that likes fire huh? Maybe we can work on an understanding then. I watch cars burn. What do you do?"

I picked up my paint brush and dipped it in the thick white paint that was in front of me. Moving with strokes I began my job. The sooner I got it done the sooner I could leave and go out tonight. I wasn't even going to call this me ignoring that girl, because to me? She didn't even exist. Plus I wasn't going to say anything... keep them guessing. Drive them mad. I'll be a complete mystery, after all... even if they were to look me up, I didn't exist, no files, no names, no social security numbers, and no birth certificates. I preferred it that way. Anyways... my mind was on something else.

It was on the boy that was obviously uncomfortable only 10 feet away from me. Good. I wanted him uncomfortable. I wanted him to bite his lip in worry and fear the unknown. It was my nirvana. The effect I had on people.

He had lowered his gaze when he first saw me. He fidgeted, fixed his bangs, and backed away. He was scared. Maybe he didn't know it was fear yet, but he would know soon. And even though he wasn't avoiding my gaze... I knew that he knew I had blue eyes. It's the first thing boys like him looked at.

Remember these eyes... they're going to pierce your soul and watch you break. Naked, terrified, and bloody beneath me.

He crossed his arms over his chest, as if it would protect him... moving towards the small, quiet, lost girl. He seemed to relax ever so slightly when he was near her. And I just kept painting and watching.

Didn't anyone ever teach them it's rude to stare?

And then something happened that lit my whole body on fire. The girl... the girl that I could knock down in a second flat, took hold of the boy's hand and squeezed it. She was gentle and it was like a caress.

Fire did not like that.

I was unsettled. Almost angry, if you could call it that. My nostrils flared and my eyes narrowed at my partly painted, almost white bench. I would need to get him alone. Fire demanded it... my God was furious, flames licking up and inside my body as the heat overwhelmed. He was mad. And blood would have to be spilled.

I already knew what to do. First I'd have to check out everything I could on him. Know him, follow him, learn his life. And then? When all was intelligently planned, right, and ready?

I'd strike the match, and light the fire.

Zaiden watched, half afraid of Gabe’s reaction to the blonde haired boy refusing to so much as acknowledge her. He didn’t know how she’d react, but he knew it bothered her from his experience with her in the locker room. Zaiden decided it was best to get out of the way. It was then, as Zaiden was attempting to remove himself from the space between Gabe and the new boy that Peter’s voice flew out of nowhere, surprising them all and drawing their attention.

“Hey!” Zaiden turned back to see where Peter was looking. It appeared he was talking to the new guy. “You must be Mr. Grinder. They just forwarded me your records. Apparently someone screwed up and didn’t send them in with the rest... Where’s your jumper? You need to go put it on. Come on.” Peter turned and started to walk back towards the community center when something caught his attention in the sky. He stopped, barely moving, and just stared. Zaiden turned around and looked up.

The sky had grown incredulously dark over head, and the clouds were moving faster than he’d ever seen, in their direction. It was in that moment that Zaiden noticed the immense silence that had fallen. It was almost eerie. There were no birds singing, no music being played in the distance. Even the sound of the wind blowing through the trees didn’t reach their ears. It took the phrase “the calm before the storm” to a whole new level, and Zaiden knew something very bad was about to happen. He didn’t know what it was, but he could feel it in his bones.

Someone said something, probably about the sky, but Zaiden was too focused on it to tell who it was or what they said.

Then, as if the universe had just been waiting for someone to fill that unholy void of sound, a streak of light flew through the clouds above, like an angry god attempting to whip his creations back in line. Zaiden felt his knees go week with the mighty crack of thunder that followed. The next sound they heard was the concrete beside them exploding. Zaiden stumbled away from the noise as he turned to look at it’s cause. A chunk of ice, bigger than his torso, lay sunken into the ground, mere feet from where the blonde guy was standing.

Without any word to the young offenders, Peter took off towards the community center at full sprint. This was fine because, as one would imagine, they didn’t wait for him to say anything. They just ran. By the time the third piece of hail hit the ground they were all sprinting to an attempt at safety. The monster hail was falling almost like rain now. Not to mention it was now raining as well. Zaiden was right behind Peter, both of them far ahead of the others thanks to Peter’s placement and Zaiden’s long legs.

Zaiden jumped as he ran past a car and another piece of hail crashed on top of it. Small chunks of ice flew off and into his face, causing him to lose his footing and hit the pavement hard. He did his best to pad his head, but the impact still dazed him. As his head hit the concrete, time seemed to slow, and all sound became dull, as if he was listening through a wall. The strangest thing, however, wasn’t this, but what happened next. He heard music. Classical music. Mozart’s Piano Concerto no. 21, to be exact. It was by far the strangest thing he had ever experienced.

Zaiden opened his eyes, his head still flush against the concrete, to see the souls of Peter’s shoes as he continued to run. He was moving at a speed that Zaiden associated with “The Matrix”, which somehow made the music seem as if it was supposed to be there, despite the current situation. A sudden pain made itself known at his ribs as someone tripped over him, their foot catching on his side. The body started to descend in front of him as he closed his eyes from the pain.

The music and slow motion continued, but the swiftly placed kick to his back had reminded him that he was in real danger. He pushed himself up and opened his eyes as another bright flash of lighting lit up the sky. His eyes caught and locked on to a pair of shoes as someone leaped over a chunk of giant hail in their path. Zaiden got to his feet as fast as he could, not even taking time to look and see who had tripped over him. His eyes had moved directly from the pair of shoes to the back door of the community center.

Peter reached the door first, as expected. He pulled at the door with an artistic lack of speed created by Zaiden’s apparent delusions. It was locked. Why? Zaiden didn’t know. Perhaps Peter had locked it behind himself when he went back in to get Fox, and had then come out the front door this past time. That would explain why no one had noticed him before he spoke. Perhaps the door being locked had something to do with Fox himself? He still wasn’t here, after all. None of that mattered right now though. What mattered was that the door was, in fact, locked.

Zaiden finally reached the door, unwillingly participating in this unchoreographed dance that they were apparently all a part of. Peter had the keys in his hand now, shuffling through them and trying each one. Zaiden found himself yelling. He didn’t even know what he was saying. All he knew was that he wanted to be inside, safe from the storm of death, and Peter wasn’t being fast enough. The music continued to flood his head, but he was vaguely aware of other members yelling at Peter as well.

The music started to fade then and a shutter ran down Zaiden’s spine. His fear intensified and he turned around just as the sky lit up one last time. The glowing, white weapon of Zeus flew towards them with a mighty cracking sound and the last thing Zaiden remembered was an indescribable pain as he was thrown into the air.

Then all was black...

Luke felt the warmth of touch, and looked down to see Alice’s soft hand intertwining with his, and he held it tighter for a few seconds, feeling the tension creep through his body, not looking up at the blond boy. He didn’t want a quarrel, or a fight, if he could keep his head down and go unnoticed maybe the new stranger wouldn’t single him out, as Fox had, as a victim.

He wasn’t sure why the others had felt threatened by the stranger, the blond hadn’t done anything to them, nothing but approach with a slow and lazy stride, rolling that metal lighter between his fingers with an intimacy that Luke would never understand.

And that cruel gaze… he had felt a ripple discomfort at the way the other male had stared at him, had stripped him down with those eyes, down to his most vulnerable emotions, his most intimate fears.

The blond stranger seemed unfazed by Gabe’s words, he looked at her like she was a mildly interesting television program, before his attention drifting elsewhere and Luke looked up just in time to catch his eye.

His hold tightened on Alice’s hand a little, he bit the inside of his cheek with apprehension, at this distance the other male wasn’t so intimidating, he had very attractive quite beautiful features which had a casual kind of cruel structure about them, and cool, steely gray eyes.

Luke watched cautiously as the stranger strode up to Gabe, standing right in her face, well, she was so short she only came up to chest level on him, a flicker of dislike seemed to pass between them, but the tension broke as he turned quite suddenly and didn’t even so much as offer her a reply, striding off to the other unpainted bench about ten feet from where they were all standing.

Luke tried not to stare, untangling his fingers from Alice’s with a gentle squeeze, leaning down to stable his brush again on the rim of the paint bucket by his feet, venturing a glance in the stranger’s direction one more time and noticing how those eyes narrowed at him. Discomfort. Vulnerability. Mistrust.

“Hey!”

Luke startled visibly at the sudden break of awkward silence and he raised his attention to Peter, the man had a tense and agitated appearance to him, perhaps his searching through the community showers hadn’t managed to find Fox, maybe by some divine and kind turn of fate the tattooed boy had decided it was best to move on and leave the rest of them to finish the benches on their own. A relief.

But one unsettling concern was replaced by another; the delicate caress of strong fingers measuring the weight of a far too familiar lighter.

“You must be Mr. Grinder. They just forwarded me your records. Apparently someone screwed up and didn’t send them in with the rest... Where’s your jumper? You need to go put it on. Come on.”

Luke somehow didn’t see the new boy bothering to wear a jumper, conforming to rules was probably something he wouldn’t do, that soft smirk had said it all, effortlessly, an action words could never elaborate. Peter turned his back on them then, heading back in the direction of the white painted door of the community center.

Luke let out a breath till he cought Zaiden’s expression, caught the other boy staring upwards, his face directed towards the sky.

Luke’s blue gaze lifted slowly towards the dark horizon, the gray clouds he’d seen churning over the tops of the buildings had traded their paleness for an angry black, bruised and roiling. The wind had stopped blowing. Directionless, but the dust and sea salt from the harbor spread out under their feet and tumbled over each other like a breeze still blew upwards from around ankle level, the seagulls had stopped calling, even the sounds of the ocean seemed to have lessened. The distinct scent of ozone lingered in the air.

A crack of light split the sky into a shattered splintered wreckage of cloud and Luke froze and ducked instantly his hands over his ears as a resounded break of thunder shook the ground under their feet. There was a rush of something flying through the air and then a crash of concrete meeting ice as the biggest piece of hail Luke had ever laid eyes on imbedded itself into the ground. His breath stilled in his lungs, and before he even registered what was happening... he was running like hell was at his heels, straight for the community center right after Zaiden and Peter.

A car alarm squealed into the chaos as another huge hailstone collided into its roof, denting it inward like it was made of tin, sending a spray of ice into Zaiden, who banked in front of Luke and fell to the ground. Luke didn’t have time to jump him, or swerve around his sprawled body, he just kept running, trying to skid to a halt, failing. Luke’s foot caught on Zaiden’s ribs and he was sent tumbling forward, his arms outstretched, his fingers splayed out as he caught himself on the ground, tearing open the heels of his palms at the fall. He crawled over Zaiden unceremoniously and clambered to his feet the blood still rushing in his ears, stumbling at another flash of lightening and a crash of thunder.

He was running full tilt towards the back door to the community center he reached the door seconds after Peter. Panting heavily, hunkering close to the wall. There was another flash as lightening flickered overhead and Peter began jingling the keys furiously trying various ones like he didn’t even know how to get through the door. They were going to die. This was how he was going to die, squashed by flying hail stones the size of his own head.

Luke covered his mouth to stop himself letting out a gasping cry as a large piece of hail hit the ledge of the roof overhead and sent shatterings of ice down on Peter and himself. Zaiden joined them a mere half second afterward by the door. The other boy was shouting but Luke’s own panic was too strong to make out what he was saying. He couldn’t hear it the sound of his own heart beat. The car alarm was still a screaming siren of urgency at them…

“Mother of God!” He let out a rather effeminate shriek and hopped back from the door as another chunk fell close to his feet. Stumbling, Luke tripped back into someone, but he didn't actually see who it was. There was a flash of blinding white light, he clenched his eyes shut and ran forward right into Peter’s back, trying to get away as an almighty cracking sound tore through the sounds of the others shouts. Suddenly he felt his feet leave the ground and the pain course through his body in a torturous shock of power. He was tumbling…. Thrown off balance, falling into the darkness, into the silence, into the black….

...into nothing…

Alice met Luke’s nervous blue gaze as she felt him squeeze her hand in gratitude before releasing her fingers.

An unsettling atmosphere blanketed everything. Alice raised her gaze to the sky. The trees were swaying eerily in a strong gust of wind, the leaves scattering and swirling around like dandelion seeds. Pale clouds gave way to dark, violent plumes that blanketed the city in a silent twilight.

Alice felt the sand swirling around her feet in a threatening gust of wind, her face turning pink in the unseasonably chilly breeze. She heard a deep voice speaking as if miles away. She breathed deeply, enthralled by the raw, violent power pulsing around them. Her every molecule was vibrating with the intensity. A streak of light split across the sky and down into the earth. An ear-shattering crack followed, exploding through them as Alice covered her ears reflexively, her jaw dropping in wonder.

She instinctively spun around as the crash of an insanely large piece of hail broke across her eardrums. Luke stood in shock at the closeness of the deadly missile from above before turning heel and running back towards the community center, as Zaiden and Peter now were.

Alice stood, too stunned to move. Hail rained from the sky at an increasing frequency, lighting a flicker of fear in her heart that finally propelled her forward after the others. A car alarm went off and Alice watched Luke collide into Zaiden, but they were up and running again before she could even get close enough to see if they were hurt.

The thuds of falling ice set a faster and faster drumbeat, keeping time as her heart pounded in her ears. Her legs were egged on faster and faster with the closest hailstones showering ice on her upon their impact. Thunder boomed behind her again as if the heaven itself was dealing out righteous vengeance.

Ice rained down from the ledge of the roof of the community center and onto the terrified face of Luke. Peter was furiously trying to unlock the door, trying every key in his panic as Zaiden finally joined them in safety. Alice put on a final spurt of speed and, too, arrived without harm.

The urgency in the air throbbed frustratingly. They were going nowhere.

Alice pushed her back to the wall, panting, but oddly relieved. This was a beautiful way to go. The collisions of hailstones were no longer audible. Nothing was. Alice squeezed her eyes shut, ready to give herself to the storm.

A resounding bang broke her peaceful silence. Alice was unexpectedly hurled into the air feeling a violent, painful river of energy tearing her open and surging through her, knocking her out of breath. Her consciousness was pouring out of her as she vaguely felt herself being flung to the ground, hitting her head.

And then, warm, sweet darkness overwhelmed her.

Gabe bit her lip in anger as the boy didn't respond. She stood there unmoving as he walked closer but the moment he walked past she felt something, bigger than all of them, pass down her body.

Instantly looking up she didn't look at anything but the sky. She felt her stomach growl loudly and as she slowly felt her stomach. She heard Peter say something but everything sounded muffled as she watched the clouds grow dark in just a second.

Somehow she didn't notice the toddler sized rock fall from the sky but she sure as hell heard it. "Shit!" She screamed as she stared at it. She noted how everyone stayed frozen until the second piece hit the ground. "Shit!" She screamed again as everyone started running.

She didn't even pay attention to anything else until she was the 3rd to the door that was now obviously locked. "What the hell dude?! This doesn't even make sense!? Why the fuck would you lock the door?"

She pushed her way past everyone to pull at the handles. The only thought she had was to try to tear it open with her teeth. Just like everything else that was hard to open just a little help with your mouth and BAM it would open.

Just as Gabe wanted to entertain the thought of attempting to open the door with her mouth she felt a sharp pain, her feet leave the ground and nothing else. The only thing she could think of was the fact that she was about to die in the worst way ever; hungry.

I never really cared much for people, but looking at the small-framed delicate morsel in front of me, I wanted to know. Wanted to know who he was, what his name was... what he did that was so bad that he got sent here. I needed to know... it was going to grow into an obsession I knew that much.

I pulled Fire out, and he warmed my palm. He always fit in my hand perfectly, like he was meant too. I remember when I first got him.

I was 11. It was a hot summer's day, and I had been hanging out in the back alleys. I wasn't much for company. I still am not. I prefer to be alone, or with my victims. That was where I really belonged. I know it seems so messed up... but I was born to do this. To rape, molest, and set fire to the whole damn world. It's who I was.

Anyway, I digress. I was sitting on one of the old tin garbage cans, minding my own business and playing with matches. How cliche. I was going to burn the skin on my wrist just because I felt cold. I was always cold in the summer and warm in the winter. I never understood that.

A man with dark shades and bleach blonde hair approached me. If I could hazard a guess I would say his eyes were electric blue even though I never saw them. And to this day... I was right.

He moved closer. He was wearing suede gloves and a suit. It seemed odd to me... a man in a suite with SUEDE gloves in the middle of summer. Today it was a scorching 98 degrees.

Something was weird with this man.

He stopped before me, eyeing me up in down. Old, ripped jeans and tattered Blink-182 T-shirt. One that I had gotten from goodwill. They were a pretty decent band though, but it was just a shirt.

"What do you believe in?"

His voice was deep and dark, something menacing within it... tempting me to move closer. I had no idea what he wanted, but he gave off... some kind of sexual tension vibes. Like he wanted to eat me.

I was a kid, so I thought I'd just be a smartass...

"I believe in you leaving me the hell alone." I said, narrowing my blue eyes at him. What did this guy want... his aftershave wafted through the heat and crawled up my nose, making me dizzy.

He moved quickly, looking mean, but he seemed to be smirking. Suddenly I was pushed up against a brick wall one hand at my waist the other pulling at my unruly blonde hair.

"I'll leave you alone... if you answer my question kid. Now... one more time: What do you believe in?" he said smoothly, nonchalantly.

It was like he didn't care... that he was a grown man pushing an 11-year-old boy up against a wall... and his hand...

His hand was... wandering.

It felt weird, a guy touching me down there, rubbing over my jeans. But it wasn't wrong... in my mind. A little scary and unnerving. But never wrong.

He pulled my head back and opened his mouth, biting at my throat. It was animalistic... like he wanted to literally eat me alive

"You taste like ash, like fire and sin." He made an obscene groaning noise as I felt his own penis pushing at mine between our clothing, he was... humping me. Thrusting against my significantly smaller body. I was so lost in my own head that I didn't realize I was getting hard. And... it felt good.

"What do you believe in?" He whispered into my jaw. I swallowed and tried to push him away, but the heat in my own loins was too much.

"N-nothing. I believe in nothing." I grunted out. My mask was slipping, and he was unraveling me.

He kissed my jaw, moving up to my mouth, his lips hovering over mine. He took a breath.
"Perfect."

Closing the distance his lips met mine, pressing forcefully as he rutted against me harder and the hand in my hair tightened. He was moaning and I was laying there, pressed up against the wall.

Between a rock and hard place. Literally.

I felt pleasure building up inside of me, in my center before I let out a low groan as I felt myself become wet and sticky. He looked at me...

Seeing my bruised lips, messed up hair, and darkened eyes. I was panting softly when he pulled away.

"You're going to light up this whole damn world. You my boy... are going to set it on fire." He smirked before walking away... I wanted to scream at him, yell! Tell him to wait, and come back and explain.

But I was smart and stayed silent.

"Oh." He sounded thoughtful as he turned, throwing something at me. I caught it, metal in my hands. Looking down, in delight, I realized it was a lighter. A steel Zippo, plain but clean. I stared at it, my eyes lighting up.

"What is this?" I asked still looking down at the beautiful shine in my hands.

"Something to believe in." And with that I was alone in the alleyway. My whole world laying gently, warming my skin, my hands.

Everything changed that day. I started my first fire the following weekend and I loved it. I was able to jack off while the papers burned before me. It was like every time I set fire to something it set fire to my soul.

Just like I wanted to set fire to the boy before me.

"Hey!" I turned my head slowly, unwilling to tear my eyes away from the small beauty. I looked and saw a large black man walking towards me.

I already didn't like him. The whole point of this 'community service' was supposed to be that these people cared enough that they wanted to work with us. That they thought we could be turned better and that we didn't need prison. This guy didn't look like he gave two shits. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

“You must be Mr. Grinder. They just forwarded me your records. Apparently someone screwed up and didn’t send them in with the rest... Where’s your jumper? You need to go put it on. Come on.”

I smirked. I wasn't going to follow him. I had no desire too... really any desire for much of anything really. Well... except...

The boy with the blue eyes was looking up at the sky. I followed his line of vision and heard a loud crash just as large, what appeared to be, hail stone landed at my feet, white dust settling onto my combat boots.

I stepped back. Hearing nothing. Everything had gotten quiet without me realizing it, and the second that piece of rock slammed to the ground worshipping my feet sound exploded. It was unnerving and obscene to my ears. People were running, that tall lanky kid was already halfway across the area towards the community center building. The large black man was in the lead, pounding the pavement so hard I thought it would break under him.

The girl I had ignored was cursing, screaming obscenities and she ran, trying to avoid the impending doom that had befallen us. I heard car alarms wailing and everyone screaming. I quickly regained my senses and started to run towards the building, way behind the others. I was only slightly concerned. But I knew I needed to run, get to shelter, although logically, even if we did make it into the building the stones were so large they could, and would penetrate. Probably killing us all anyways.

Such a morbid thought. I saw the small quiet girl moving quickly. She was running and running and it woke me up. I started to break away across the blacktop. Running hard. I saw the kid trip over the guy that was weird, I had no idea how he had gotten on the ground but I saw the beautiful boy fall over him. For a second I was worried he wouldn't make it... and he would die here before I got my hands on him. But I almost sighed with relief as he pushed himself up and kept on moving.

I was somewhere else completely now, watching him run, that tight delicious ass. I was staring blantanly. I blinked once and saw myself thrusting myself deep into his body, his milky thighs, so smooth, spread wide almost to breaking point as I slammed inside of him as hard as I could. My fingerless-gloved hands digging into his skin, nails bleeding him out, to see the red, red, red of his blood run, run, run down his thighs. I moved my hands back, as I continued to fuck him leisurely, through my hair, slicking my blonde hair back out of my darkened blue eyes. He was crying out, begging me to stop. But I wouldn't. And Fire was purring appreciatively in my pocket as I stole the most beautiful thing about this boy...

His innocence.

I blinked again and I was back, I had somehow ended up even farther away and a car was currently blocking my path. I sped up, jumping landing on the trunk of the car, running all the way up and over it to jump off the front easily.

I pushed myself even harder as I made myself finally reach the steps where everyone was waiting, panicking... dying.

I heard that stupid girl screaming again, but she made sense this time...

"What the hell dude?! This doesn't even make sense!? Why the fuck would you lock the door?"
Why would he lock the door? Especially if he was just going to have me come back in and put that uniform on? It didn't matter though. I looked over to the boy.

I was close to him, so close I could almost reach out and touch him. He was covering his mouth with his small soft hands in terror. He really thought he was going to die... but it wasn't unjust. We could after all... you know? Die.

He turned his back to me as he was almost hit by an ice stone, nearly ending his existence. He cried out, "“Mother of God!” A womanly shriek leaving those perfect, perfect lips as he fall backwards into me. My hands went up instantly to his hips, steadying him, my breath against his smooth hair.

My eyes darkened, and I pictured him on his knees, my cock in that amazingly tight mouth. He was sobbing and crying, blood running from a cut in his temple where I had hit him, a bruise already darkening his left cheek. His lips were stretched obscenely around my dick... he was so beautiful when he was broken.

I came back down to Earth as he flung himself from my body, running, right into the black guy's back. I groaned aloud at the loss of his small figure against my larger one.

This was how I was going to die? My biggest regret would be not meeting him sooner. Not being able to take him, to destroy everything about it. To burn and burn and burn. It's like what that man told me long ago... it was something to believe in.

I took a step forward and saw how beautiful he was, I wanted to see his eyes light up in terror, not because he was going to die, but because I had my hands around that pretty little throat and I was bruising his flesh painfully, consuming him and taking everything away. I nearly reached out my hand to him, to steady him again, but I didn't. I just thought about how I would miss him.

And how strange is that? How can I miss something that I never even had? How could I-?