Beast at the door......

Horrific screams pierce my sleep and yank me out of my peaceful slumber, my body jolts violently as I sit bolt upright trying to locate where the commotion is coming from. I turn to look for Lola but Lola's bed is empty. I stumble to the bedroom door, the noises becoming louder and more desperate, I stagger out into the corridor and find the friendly women I met yesterday now huddled together, crying or screaming obscenities that make no sense, fear is pouring out of them in waves.

I run down the three flights of stairs to try and get answers but I'm met with carnage and chaos when I come to the bottom steps.

Lola's hand is up, stopping an angry man from charging at the sobbing woman who's cowering behind Lola in Miss Toulouse arms. His face red and sweaty, fists clenched, he's fixated on the desperate figure behind Lola.

"You thought you could hide from me, you thought I wouldn't find you ...fucking bitch".

I hold tightly on to the railings too scared to run, too stubborn to back away. I watch Lola stand firm like a guardian to this poor woman, I hear her mutter to Miss Toulouse "his rage is growing it's consuming him, if he doesn't calm down he will attack".

"You're coming with me, you belong to me".

"Lola try to calm him, suppress him, you need take control of the chaos of his emotions" Miss Toulouse instructs but I can see the panic on Lola's face.

"I can't he's too unpredictable, I can't contain him, his emotions are overwhelming me, there is no reaching him".

"Get out of my fucking way, my wife is coming home with me, you've all turned her against me".

Lola, firm and steady tries desperately to calmly talk but the quiver in the tone gives away the fear, a few deep breaths Lola tries again this time like silk "this isn't the way, you need to listen to my voice, let my words wash over you" but he's past listening, he's fallen down a rabbit hole of rage and Lola and Miss Toulouse know that.

They quickly shove the poor terrified woman into the lounge room, slamming the door shut behind her, he goes to charge at them but Miss Toulouse is no longer playing, she bangs her walking stick twice on the ground with all the force she can muster then everything stops ....

A darkness has fallen around us, what was once the bright colourful home, it's so dark that I can only just make out their figures like frozen silhouettes, it's the kind of darkness that sucks out all the oxygen from your lungs as if you've fallen into the abyss.

The bullish brutes breathing now ragged as his weak mind tries to make sense of what is unfolding around him, he backs away but the door is now gone and all there is, is never ending darkness.

I watch in awe at the power and strength that radiates from Miss Toulouse, this tiny lady who looks like someone's grandmother, my mind is telling me this can't be happening it's unthinkable while my heart is saying she will save us all. I hear a snarl from behind Miss Toulouse, out from the shadows three large black wolves step forward, there eyes shinning like marbles, they tread slowly, heads low stopping beside her, their eyes fixated on the man that is now nothing more than a quivering mess.

"You will never hurt her again, you will never see her again, you will never return here to our home ...do you hear me" her voice is low but firm.
"You're nothing more than a disgusting beast, that breaks and tortures anyone that crosses your path, you're pathetic and cruel and everything that's wrong with humanity and I will not let you destroy that woman's life like you have your own".

He steps forward, his shaking fists now raised high ready to attack, as frightened as he is he will not bend to any woman, his arrogant nature won't let him but he's met with warning growls that come from the pits of their stomaches, its like a warning shot, should he step closer they will rip him apart.

"I think I've made myself clear, you will leave and never return".

The outline of his once broad large figure is now slumped, his body shaking with fear, adrenaline and anger "fine I'll go" he spurts out, the words burning in his throat and leaving a nasty after taste he's not accustomed to.

I hear her stick tap twice again hard on to the ground and with that light starts to infiltrate the darkness and slowly wash and fade away any remains of what was moments ago, until everything is as it was, as if it had never happened and was nothing more than a nasty dream.

The three of them now illuminated by the light that trickles in from the stained glass in from the front door like a warm glow, they glare at each other like they are  in a spaghetti western, each one waiting for the other to make the first move. He steps back cautiously, never taking his eyes off them while he blindly tries to find the door knob.

Miss Toulouse nods her head gesturing for him to leave now. He turns the knob slowly, readying himself to scarper out, he would have left if the next events hadn't have happened.

The Lounge room door swings open and the tear stained face emerges, she's obviously thinking it was safe to come out, the sight of her ignites a fire in him that burns at his insides and brings the darkness of his soul back to the surface. Lola screams out "no stop, his rage is out of control" but it's too late, he lunges at Miss Toulouse pushing her with all his might and sending her flying to the ground.

Lola's hand now back up, Lola chants the words "listen to my voice" over and over again, trying to pacify him but like a bulldozer he ploughs through Lola, crushing Lola into the door as he desperately tries to get in to the lounge where he bangs furiously like a wild beast as the desperate woman has now run back in to the lounge and is now trying to keep the door shut and the monster out.

"You whore, you fucking bitch" his words ring in my head until they are all I can hear. Lola tries desperately to pull him away but he simply bats Lola aside, striking hard across the face.

"STOP" my words burst out of me, like vomit spewing from my body. I run at him and wrap my skinny arms tightly around his large waist then I bury my face into his back fat, breathing in his stale stink of booze and cigarettes, he tries to wriggle me off irritated by another bitch annoying him, he tries to push me away but I just cling tighter to him, I've only ever done this once before and I swore I'd never do again.

My skin tingles as the flames lap up high around my body and consume every part of me, it's spreads from my toes to the top of my head until I'm nothing more than a ball of fire, I burn him to his bones as his charred skin peels off into ashy flakes that float to the ground - I cannot hear his blood curdling screams of agony, I barely notice his thrashing body that eventually becomes limp in my arms, I'm consumed by the fire that burns through my veins and blocks out everything ...good and bad, all I see is hypnotic dancing red flames that warmly embrace like a mother's hug until I burn myself out.

Like a drug addict coming down, when I'm burnt out, the pain overwhelms me, the realisation kicks in, what I've just done. The warm safety net of the fire that blocks out everything is now gone and I'm just left here hurting inside.
His burnt remains still smoking on the ground, it smells putrid as it smoulders away at my feet, ash dancing around me like little demented forest fairies that mock me.

"Phoenix what have you done?"