The car ride home was silent, save for the low hum of the engine and my occasional sniffles. I clung to Mom's hand like a lifeline, my fingers trembling against hers. Outside the window, the world blurred-streetlights, trees, pedestrians-flashing by in a haze.
I couldn't shake the dream.
The blood.
The shadow.
The voice.
Who was that?
He knew me. I didn't recognize the voice, but I felt something for him-something buried deep, like a forgotten memory my heart remembered but my mind couldn't place.
Not yet.
Find the door. Unlock it.
Those words echoed, over and over.
What door? Why me? What happens if I open it?
Too many questions crashing through my head like a storm.
Dad kept glancing at me through the rearview mirror.
"Baba, focus on the road. I'm fine... really," I whispered.
He didn't respond.
When we pulled into the driveway, Mom gave me a gentle hug.
"We're home," she said warmly.
But the warmth didn't reach me.
Because there he was-Dreck.
Leaning against the porch railing.
Waiting.
His eyes locked onto mine through the windshield... and for a second, they flickered-purple.
My breath hitched.
Was it real?
Then the moment passed. He gave an awkward wave, just the same old Dreck. But something twisted in my gut, coiling like a snake.
Mom squeezed my hand. "You don't have to talk to him," she murmured.
I nodded, but the tattoos under my sleeves pulsed and burned.
Because the door wasn't out there somewhere.
It was here.
And whatever waited on the other side?
It knew my name.
And Dreck had something to do with it.
I couldn't look at him as I stepped out of the car. He moved toward me, but I instinctively pulled closer to Mom, blocking his path.
Dad was watching me closely-his eyes scanning every move, trying to read the truth on my face.Trying to see if Dreck had anything to do with all of this.
"Taty?" Dreck said, his voice laced with worry and confusion.
"Leave," I muttered, not meeting his eyes.
"We need to talk," he pleaded.
Dad was still staring, while Mom gave Dreck the kind of glare that could burn a hole through him.
"Dreck," Mom said gently. "Give her some time."
He looked into my eyes. And in that moment, I felt him inside my head.
What is happening?
His voice echoed in my mind, just like in the dream. The tattoos flared up, searing hot under my skin. My eyes widened as the burning surged through me-like fire trying to consume the last pieces of my strength.
Taty?!
I clutched my head.
Pain.
Sizzling.
Screaming.
"Tafukt!" Dad rushed forward, grabbing me.
"Tat?" Mom's voice faded into static as I covering my ears.
"Taty, it's in your head. Kick them out " Dreck's voice boomed in my skull.
"Stop," I whimpered. "Just stop... please."
Go away.
Taty...
Taty...
Whispers. Everywhere.
" Stop, stop , Stop"I whispered
" What is going on here" dad started storming around as if he didn't know what to do.
" I told you she is not ready to leave the hospital. You just don't listen" mom snapped at dad.
" She will not feel better there. They did nothing to her but gave her sleeping pills like some kind of a crack head"
" Please, stop it" I begged them
" Don't you dare act like you care for her more than the fucking bills"
" Please"
" You know more than anyone else that I care about my children" dad stormed on mom
" Guys, I don't think it's the rig-" Dreck was saying
" Child" mom corrected as dad looked at her with pain covered in rage." he died because of you" she continued
"STOP!" I screamed, lungs collapsing under the pressure.
Then-
Silence.
Dad and Dreck froze.
Mom screamed in pain.
My tattoos were glowing-burning- my slaves were on fire when my mom started screaming, her hand blistered when she touched my arm.
"Mom..." I reached for her, panicking.
Dad grabbed my shoulders. "Inside. Now."
I'd never seen him so serious. His tone wasn't a request-it was a command that made disobedience feel like danger.
I ran, arms raised like I was carrying blood on my hands as pieces of my sleeves fill out like as if my flesh was melting.
And maybe I was.
I stood at the door to look back at mom. neighbors were peeking out of windows and doors.
"Your room! Now!" Dad barked.
I ran to my room and I slammed the door behind me with my leg and collapsed to the floor.
Tears blurred my vision.
I hurt Mom.
In the dream, I had her killed.
Now I burned her in real life.
I'm supposed to protect her from danger.
But I'm the danger.
Rage flickered under my skin-hot, wild, terrifying. The tattoos burned like they had their own will, their own soul.
"Spot, please stop," I begged, talking to them like they could hear me.
No answer.
The more I feared, the more the fire grew.
"Please, please," I sobbed, falling to the floor, careful not to touch anything. If I set the house on fire, Dad would kill me-before I had the chance to explode like some cursed teenage superhero in a bad Netflix show.
Maybe I'm dreaming. Maybe I'm insane.
"Oh my god, what do I do?" I cried, staring at my reflection in the mirror.
The girl staring back wasn't me.
She looked... haunted.
Broken.
Evil.
Then I saw it.
Purple-just a flicker-in her eyes.
My eyes.
My heart pounded.
Mom's screams echoed again, like I was underwater.
I leaned back against the wall, dizzy, suffocating under the weight of a thousand thoughts.
"No," I whispered.
He's in my head.
He'll take control... like he did with Dreck.
He'll use me to hurt everyone I love.
"No."
I looked down at my hands.
Blood.
"Blood..." I whispered. "No. No. No."
I grabbed my head, curled into myself, knees to chest.
Make it stop.
Please.
Then-
BAM. BAM. BAM.
A hard knock on the door.
"No... please."
"Taty?" Dreck's voice.
"Stay away!" I shrieked, staring at my hands. The hands that hurt Mom.
"Please open the door," he pleaded.
"I SAID STAY AWAY!"
I could feel the explosion coming-heat rolling through my body like magma.
"Taty, please-open the door! Or I will make my way in"
He kept banging on it, relentless.
"Break that fucking door, and I'll break your fucking dick!"
Where did that even come from?
But it worked.
Silence.
I looked around. Think, think, think.
I glanced at the window.
Of course.
The classic teen-movie exit.
I crawled to the window.
The tree.
My beloved tree-the one I built a treehouse on with Mom (not Dad, obviously). He always threatened to cut it down if I didn't behave. I "behaved' for a whole summer just to save it.
That tree is my childhood.
"Sorry, tree," I whispered. "This will hurt, but it's for the best. My best. I guess."
I jumped-landing hard on a low branch. The wood cracked beneath me.
"Shit."
"You need help up there?" a voice called.
Dreck.
"Shit," I muttered again. "Yes-I need help... FROM YOU!" I hissed.
We need to talk-whatever's happening to you, we can-
"Get. Out. Of. My. Head!"
"Make me," he said with a crooked smirk.
"You fucking asshole-I trusted you!" My voice cracked.
He looked up at me, sadness swimming in his eyes. For a second, I felt sorry for him. Almost.
Then I remembered the dream.
The eyes.
The voice.
I couldn't.
"God, remember that boring summer when I wished for more action and excitement in my life?" I whispered. "Please forget it. I take it back. I want boring again. I'd even take lame high school drama-just don't include him. I would prefer to burn."
"Why not?" Dreck smiled. "I heard I'm a great boyfriend."
"Fuck off. Even if you-"
"Were the last soul on earth? Yeah, you should be more creative with your insults."
He sat beneath the tree, right where I was struggling to hold on, relaxing on his hands and looking up to me.
Honestly, I wouldn't mind falling on him.
He grinned.
Shit. I forgot he can hear my thoughts.
"You've forgotten a lot of things, Taty," he said quietly.
"Don't call me that," I whispered. "It's too late."
"Taty I..." he paused and sniffed around "what's that smell?"
"Your dignity," I scored.
"No seriously-something's burning."
He sniffed.
"It's me, remember that I'm on fire?"
"You are not that hot" he scored back.
Just like old days.
"Look who's talking," I fired back.
" don't let me bring our embarrassing memories" he groaned low
I gave him silence treatment and ignored him.
"Taty?" he said.
" What"
" You are on fire" he said quietly
" Too late" I snapped
" No, you are. On fire. The tree. Look" he gestured to my hands that left a trail of burning that almost ate the tree branches.
Shit. Is this how I am gonna die? Fell from a tree.
"Jump-I'll catch you!" he called standing to his feet.
"No way!" I snapped "You're not touching me! Last time you were near me, I was stuck in a dream for a week! Or... whatever the hell that was!"
"Taty-look at me."
"I can't."
"Please. Look."
I looked-just below his face. Avoiding his eyes.
"Look into my eyes."
"No."
"Please."
I gave in.
His eyes flickered again...
Before I could react, my body relaxed.
The tattoos stopped burning.
And then-
I let go.
And I fell.