FIRE

I woke up to find Alison’s bed empty, she hadn’t been sleeping well since that guy Jake was killed. I stretched my arms and yawned before I pulled the covers off my body and placed my feet onto the floor. I made my way downstairs where the smell of French toast hit my nose. I could hear talking as I made my way into the kitchen. “Morning Fire.” Parker said to me. Alison sat at the bar in front of the stove, she looked beyond tired, and Xavier was sitting at the table looking over a bunch of papers.

“Morning.” I replied taking a seat next to Ali.

“Here, I made cinnamon French toast” Parker said placing a plate in front of both Alison and me. “You guys are probably going to start working today, so you’re going to ride with Xavier and me to the warehouse where we keep everything.” Parker explained.

“Alright, how far away is it?” I asked.

“Not too far, fifteen minutes at the most.” Parker said before looking at Alison. “Ali, eat something please. You’re getting much thinner, it’s unhealthy.”

“I’m not hungry.” She replied staring blankly into space.

“Eat. Now.” Xavier said in a stern voice while getting up and making his way over to Alison. “I’m not standing for this any longer. You will eat all of the food on your plate right now.” Xavier said picking up her fork with a piece of cut up French toast and holding it up to mouth. “Eat.” Xavier said in a firm voice. Alison slowly opened up her mouth and Xavier placed the fork in her mouth.

Alison didn’t show any emotion as she continued to eat, I never thought someone could love another person who wasn’t related to them that much. But here she is, crying her eyes out over some boy that she didn’t even know that long. I remember my oldest sister being like that when our father passed away, I was too young to truly understand what all had happened. All I knew was that I was sad because my father wasn’t there anymore.

“Alright, why don’t y’all go get dressed something comfy and don’t worry about it getting dirty, y’all won’t be getting dirty.” Xavier said when Ali had finished eating her breakfast.

We both head upstairs and change into shorts and some type of shirt. “Hey, Ali how about tonight we pierce your nose?” I asked trying to make her show some type of emotion.

“You know that actually sounds like a good idea, yeah I’d love to do that.” Ali said putting a small smile on her face.

“Awesome, come on lets go downstairs before they come and get us.”

Once we were downstairs we all got into a car and started making our walk towards the warehouse, were we will supposedly be starting our new jobs.

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            We pulled up to the large warehouse and I was in awe. This place was absolutely huge. “This is the warehouse?” I asked surprised.

            “Yes.” Xavier said he had this proudness in his voice.

            “So what exactly will we be doing?” I asked.

            “Packaging.” Parker replied.

            “Packaging? I thought you ran a plant company?” I asked, slightly confused, Alison wasn’t paying the least amount of attention.

            “We do. You will be packaging plants to send to people.” Parker said.

            “I don’t understand, like seeds?”

            “No, it’s hard to explain, you will understand once we are inside.” He said as we all got out of the car. We walked into the warehouse. There were a few people here and there walking around all said a small hi or hey to Parker and Xavier as well as an odd look towards Alison and me.

            “Follow us.” Parker says, I nod and was actually quite surprised when Alison also gave a small nod. We walked all the way to the back. There was a long table most of which was covered with boxes filled to the top with a dark green plant that had been cut up into shreds. There was also small zip-lock bags and two scales.

            “So it’s pretty simple. What you’re going to do is take these bags, fill them to about here,” Parker said showing a bag that had already been filled. “Then, place it on the scale make sure it reads one ounce, not anymore.” Parker said. “Do you understand?”

            “Yeah, pretty simple.” I said.

            “Good, Alison?”

            “Yeah, I got it.” She said in a small voice.

            “Good, there’s a stereo right there, you listen to whatever. We’ll be back in a little bit to check to see how you’re doing.” Xavier said before they left us to our own devices.

            I went over to the table as Alison went over to the stereo and turned on some music. “Let’s get started.” Alison said picking up a bag and starting to fill it with the plant.

            “I’ve never heard of a company that packages plants like this.” I said.

            “You know what it looks like?” Alison said a smile on her face that was nice to see.

            “What?”

            “Weed.”

            “What? No, that’s illegal, there is no way they are making weed.” I reply, that is completely insane.

            “I’m sure you’re right, but I mean if you really thought about it that’s what it seems like. I mean who has a warehouse to run a plant company? And I who the hell shreds their plants and puts them in a bag that is exactly one ounce.” Alison said laughing. I laughed too, until I thought about it…oh my God. This is a weed company!

            “Ali, I think you’re right.” I said grabbing a hold of her arm. Her eyes grew the size of the moon.

            “Oh my God! What are we going to do?! We could go to jail.” Alison exclaims.

            “I don’t know, you don’t think they are just going to let us leave do you?”

            “Probably not.”

            “Let’s go and find an exit, we can sneak away, go to the police tell them everything and it will be okay.” I said.

            “What? No! We can’t go to the police, we are runaways we would have to go back to our homes and I don’t think you want to do that! I know I sure as hell don’t want to!” Ali exclaimed.

            “Ali, it’s been a month. I think it’s time for us to go back home. We’ve had our break, we’ve had our freedom, and it’s time to go home. Besides, if we stay here we can go to jail for distributing drugs.”

            “They don’t give a shit about me anymore Fire, I can’t go back, they would rather leave me here than let me go home.”

            “We can’t do this Ali, I can’t do this. We need to find a way out.” I said.

            Alison sighed in defeat and looked down as she bit her lip, obviously thinking about something. “You’re right. We need to leave. Let’s go find a back door or something.” She said. I nodded and looked around for a way out, of course there was no door in this room. We made our way carefully into the hallway, I looked down and saw a door. “This way.” I whispered. We made it to the door and quickly opened it only to run straight into a hard chest.

            I stumble back a little into Alison. “Where are you two going?” a familiar voice said. I look up to find Xavier and Parker. I gasp a little and lean back into Ali who places her hand on my arm, I’m pretty sure she had the same terrified expression on her face as I did.

            “We…uh…just needed some fresh air.” I said trying to come up with an excuse. They started walking backing us, back into the building.

            “Well, it didn’t take you long to figure it out. We were hoping you wouldn’t react like this.” Parker said sighing.

            “I-I don’t uh…know what you’re…uh taking about.” I said stuttering.

            “Sure you don’t. Come on follow us.” Xavier said and started walking. Alison and I stood frozen in our place I mean come on, they know we know they are drug dealers, they are probably going to kill us. They only walked a few steps before realizing we weren’t following them and turned around in their tracks. They walked back toward us and each grabbed one of our wrist forcing us to go with them. We fought as much as we could but they were a whole lot stronger than us.

            They took us up a flight of stair and to a furnished room with food and TV, well…this is odd I thought. They threw us in the room “Stay here, don’t move, eat whatever, watch whatever, just do not go anywhere, we have to figure this out.” Xavier said and shut the door and then I heard the door lock.

            A million things are running through my head and I can’t make them settle down for five seconds to decide which thought I need to listen to. I looked over to Alison who was on the floor having a full blown panic attack. She is sitting on the floor hugging her knees rocking back and forth as tears pour down her cheeks. Her breath is short and fast as she starts to hyperventilate. Her whole body is shaking and for a second I think she is about to pass out. I quickly get to her side and wrap my arms around her in hope of calming her down.

            “It’s okay Ali, calm down.” I said while waving my hand in front of her face trying to cool her down a bit. “Really it’ll be okay we’ll find a way out. I promise.”

            “I-I can’t breathe! I-I have t-too get o-out of h-here!” she says between her trying to catch her breath. She banged on the door over and over again. I grab her arms and pull her back to face me.

            “Ali, Ali listen to me. Calm down, take a seat and drink something.” I said sitting her down on the small couch and going over to the mini fridge and found a bottle of water and handing it to her.  She takes a small sip as she slowly starts to calm down.

            “What are we going to do?” she ask after being silent for a while.

            “I really have no idea.” I said taking in the room. There was a small couch, a TV, a table filled with food and a mini fridge stocked with drinks. Why on earth would they lock us in such a normal room? Why not lock us up in a supply closet? “That’s odd.” I said more to myself but Alison over heard me.

            “What’s odd?” she asked.

            “The room they locked us in.”

            “Oh, yeah, not really prisoner quality but whatever.” Alison said.

            It felt like forever had passed before the door unlocked and opened revealing Xavier and Parker. Alison and I grab on to one another and back away into the corner. Once inside they shut the door making us back up further if that was even possible.

This was it, they were going to kill us. Everyone always says never to run away from home, that if you do you’ll end up as some sex slave in another country or dead. I always thought when I was younger I would be smart enough to never run away from home. That I’d stay in my small back woods town and be happy with life. I wish I had been right, I wish I had never left Zach back in Maine, I wish I could say I was sorry to my mother and my sisters, so many things I wish…too bad I’ll never get to make them come true. At least I’ll get to see my dad soon.

“Alright, this is what’s going to go down,” Parker said bringing me out of my thoughts, I looked back at Alison she had the most scared expression on her face.

“Are you going to kill us?” Ali blurts out.

“What? Are you crazy?! Why would we kill you?” Xavier asked.

“Because, you’re drug dealers and we know and we don’t want to be here!” Alison said.

“Look, we aren’t going to kill you. You just need to take a few deep breaths and listen to us. Just rethink all of this, it isn’t that bad, you’re simply packing plants into a bag. Just look at it that way, that’s not so bad is it?” Parker said.

“I-I guess not.” Ali said, has she completely lost her mind?! I thought to myself.

“I know it’s a lot to take in but you should consider everything you have with us, if you work for us. Staying with us means you don’t have to go back to the homes that y’all so desperately wanted to get away form.” Parker explained.

“So why don’t y’all stay in this room for the rest of the day and y’all can start work tomorrow.” Xavier said.

I looked over at Alison who was looking at me. She nodded her head slightly moving her eyes back and forth between Xavier and me. I then looked up at Xavier and nodded my head. “Okay, that sounds okay.” I said in a small voice. They both smile and nod before exiting the room leaving Alison and me to our own devices. “Are we really going to do this?” I asked Alison.

“I can’t go home Fire. I don’t have a loving family that is going to accept me with open arms. It’s either here or nowhere. At least I have food and a warm bed here.” She said. I sighed figuring she was right I didn’t want to leave yet either. I decided to turn on the TV and grab some food.

“And in other news police are still looking for Sapphire Jones, a teenager from Everland, Maine. Sapphire was last seen in Tarric Maine at the Crab Festival about a month ago. She was there with a friend, when asked the friends said-” I turned the TV off not wanting to hear the rest. I couldn’t believe I was on the news. I looked over at Alison, tears were streaming down her face.

“Ali? What’s wrong?” I asked forgetting about the food and sitting down next to her.

“They care about you and that is the sweetest thing in the entire world, but I am so jealous because my parents couldn’t care less about where I was. Everyone has even stopped calling. I could be dead and no one would ever care to find out.” She said tear still falling down her face.

“Ali, I’m sure they care. Someone out there has to care about where you are.” I said rubbing circles into her back trying to calm her down.

“They don’t care Fire, can’t you see that? If they really cared they would have reported me to the police as a missing person, or at least they wouldn’t have stopped calling me. They haven’t called, texted, or emailed for more than a week.” Ali said.

I really started to feel bad for her, at first I thought she had everything, she was beautiful, smart, and rich. What more could she possibly want? Then I realized money means nothing if she doesn’t have a family to spend it with. Money can’t buy your happiness, it can only buy you things and things can’t make you happy, only people can make you happy.

“I care about you.” I said, she sniffed a little and looked at me putting a small smile on her face though it never fully reached her eyes.

“Thank you, Fire.” She said.

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A few hours had passed by before the door opened once again to reveal Parker and Xavier. “We’re going home.” Parker said. Alison and I slowly got up and made our way out the door, Xavier in front of us Parker behind us. I guess it was some sort of precaution, to make sure we didn’t wander off. As much as I thought about going home, I knew I couldn’t, I wasn’t ready and I couldn’t do that to Alison. I knew if I left and went to the police they would go and find Parker and Xavier, ultimately finding Alison and making her go back home.

Once we got home Alison and I went straight to our room. “Dinner will be ready in an hour.” Xavier yelled up the stairs just as we shut the door to the room. Alison had never perked back up since the news broadcast about me being a missing person. I had to do something to make her happy.

“Hey, let’s pierce your nose.” I said a huge grin spread across her face.

“Really?!” she said full of excitement.

“Yeah, let’s go to the bathroom.” I said and we went into the bathroom. I grabbed a few piece of ice form the mini fridge and wrapped it in a paper towel before handing it to Alison and telling her to place it on her nose. I got out the alcohol rub, nose ring, and cotton swaps.

After about twenty minutes of her nose being one ice I cleaned the nose ring, and her nose itself with alcohol. “You ready?” I asked, she nodded her head. “One…two…three…” I said and stabbed the needle through her nose. She winced as it went through her skin and made some type of noise that sounded like a grunt. I looked at it for a second before smiling; she slowing opened one of her closed eyes and looked at the side of her nose where the jewelry now was placed. I grabbed the small hand held mirror and placed it in front of her face. “Well…what do you think?” I asked.

She studied her nose hard for a few seconds before another Cheshire cat like smile made its way onto her face. “It’s perfect! I love it! Thank you so much Fire!” she said stilling looking at the shiny piece of metal in her flesh.

“I’m glad you like it.” I said making my way back into the bedroom, Ali quickly followed. “Does it hurt?”

“It stings a little, lets listen to some music!” she exclaimed walking over to the stereo and turning it to some random station. “Oh my goodness I love this song!” she exclaimed turning the volume to full blast as she started to dance around the room wildly. Her emotion sure did change a great deal, but I went with it. I had never heard this song before but Ali certain knew it as she sang to it, or more liked rapped it.

“Look, you feel invisible, but I can see you. You're callin' out, nobody's answering, but I can hear you. They don't like me, they don't get me, they don't feel my pain, but there's a million people out there who relate to you or feel the same, Yeah, so just smile and you'll be alright when you're feeling like a ghost blowing through the air, remember stars still shine in the darkest nights. Even when you can't see 'em, they're always there yeah, so keep your eyes up to the sky. We all in this together, we gonna make it if we try it's hard when you're feeling like you're lost and forgotten and you got no one around to dry your tears, when you cry and it stings right? Yeah I know, sometimes it feels like you on own. Trust me you are not the only one life as only just begun just remember that you’re not alone.”

“I love that song!” she exclaimed as she turned the volume back down before lying down on the couch

“I can tell.” I said with a laugh, just then there was a bang on the door.

“Ali, Fire, dinners almost ready come wash up and help set the table.” Parker yelled up the stairs.  Alison and I made our way down the stairs into the kitchen before washing our hands and helping set the table.

Once dinner was on the table we all sat down and began to eat. It was dead silent at first the only sound was our forks hitting the dinner plates. “We want to talk to about everything.” Parker said causing Alison and I to put out forks down and turn our attention to Parker and Xavier.

“Okay.” Alison said in a slow voice.

“We just wanted to make sure you all were okay with everything, you know the factory and all.” Xavier said.

“It’s a little scary in all honesty, I mean what happens if the police find us? We’ll go to jail.” I said.

“We won’t let that happen. We’ll take full blame for it.” Xavier said

“Why would you do that? I mean if you do that then they will charge you with kidnapping. You’ll be in jail for a longer time.” Alison said making a good point. Why would they volunteer to have more jail time just to make sure we stay and work for them?

“Yes, besides we don’t plan on getting caught by the police, so no worries.” Parker said. We remained quiet for a while no one daring to say a thing. We finished out dinner in completely silence and once dinner was over, Alison and I rinse out dishes off and put them into the dish washer before we made our way upstairs.

“I have a question for you…” Alison said to me as we sat on the small couch in our room.

“Okay, shoot.” I said.

“I know I have asked you before but I want to ask you again, what happened to that guy you were with in Maine? Zach I think was his name?” Alison asked and I froze, I wasn’t ready to talk about this, but I guess she deserved the truth.

“It’s not a pretty story Ali.” I said.

“You don’t have to tell me Fire.” She said which I was thankful for but I was going to tell her.

“Zach was a guy that I never thought I would get to be with. We bickered all the time and it seemed like he didn’t like me. So imagine my surprise when I go to a dinner with my boss and see Zach there. We’re both all dressed up and start walking off by ourselves, we’re talking and laughing and are actually getting along. Then he decides it would be fun is we run away together, just for a little bit, but when we end up at the festival I realized I needed to cut all ties, I needed to go someone where no one knew me.” I said watching her expression the entire time, though it stayed with no emotion on it.

“So what happened to him?” she asked, curiosity covered her face.

“I took his money and when he went to the bathroom I left him. I made my way to the bus station and got the first bus to LA.I left him with no explanation, not even a hint that I would leave I just disappeared.” I explained, once again I watched her face but it stayed the same. Nothing changed and for that I was thankful.

“Oh well that’s okay”

“What do you mean that’s okay? That is no okay!” I exclaimed.

“But it is, Fire. I promise you, It is okay.” She said a smile on her face and for that I was grateful.

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 Song "Ghost" by Jake Miller

A/N: just to let everyone know, the next chapter will be the last chapter. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

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