Flames by TearfulMop ~ (red white royal blue txt) 📕

“Look at it!”

I gaze at the bright lights flashing on and off and on and off and... it's a good thing I don't have epilepsy.

“Hello! Mia down to Earth. We're going now.”

Flora yanks on my arm. I stumble out and give her a glare.

“Just because it's your birthday doesn't mean I get to be shoved around by you.”

“Relax! We're just going to have fun,” she gives me her award winning smile.

I hug myself and shiver. Last year, her idea of fun was sky diving. I am never doing that again.

As she leads me towards the door, I realise what this place is.

“Ice skating? Are you serious? I can't even roller-skate,” I groan.

“That's why I’m going to teach you.”

As I wobble over to the rink, Flora glides around and throws her head back. Then she remembers she actually came here with someone and skates over to me.

“Come on slow poke! You're never going to learn if you don't try,”she grabs my arm and pulls me on.

I fall over almost instantly.

I slowly get up and grip the sides with all my strength. I'm sure I'm going to have a big bruise on my thigh in the morning. I look around to spot Flora spinning wildly in the middle of the rink.

Next year, I’m not going to her birthday unless I know where we're going first.

Someone skates past and stops. I look up to see a hand stretched out to me. The guy attached to the hand looks down at me with a smile.

“Do you need a hand?”

I understand the pun.

I take it but don't let go of the side. This seems to amuse him and he chuckles. The sound causes the pit of my stomach to twist.

In a good way.

“I promise if you let go, you won't fall. Just slide one foot forward and out.” I slowly release my death grip and do as he says.

For a few seconds, I actually start to glide. I throw my head up and smile – which is a big mistake. My toe catches on the ice and I end up being thrown forward onto my guide. He catches me and puts me upright. A blush creeps onto my cheeks.

“Thanks,” I mutter.

He takes my hands and helps me glide around the rink. Then he starts to skate backwards.

“How are you doing that?” I gasp.

Right now, anyone with more experience than me would seem like a professional.

He shrugs,”I work here. I saw you struggling and decided to help,” then he flashes me a cheeky grin.

“It looks like you needed it.”

I would have given a sharp retort, of course I would have, but I was too busy concentrating on not falling over.

“Are you here by yourself?”

“Actually, no. You see that girl over there, the one that looks like she was born with blades on her feet? It's her birthday. This is where she wanted to go. But, as you can see, she doesn't need me to have fun.”

“She's good,” he murmurs as he watches her.

Then he turns to face me and smiles widely.

“But I bet she didn't have a teacher who can skate backwards as good as me.”

I find myself laughing out loud.

After the full hour, my guide helps me over to the exit.

“I hope you come again.”

“I'm sorry, but that's probably not going to happen,” I give him a sad smile,” But thanks for your help. It wasn't that embarressing with you there.”

“Well, if you ever come again, just ask for Blake.”

“Blake?”

“My name.”

“Oh, right. Okay I will.” So much for not being embarressing.

“And what should I call you?”

“Mia,” his eyes widen a little, but he hides it with a smile.

Flora rushes up to me.

“Hey, I couldn't find you anywhere! Where did you go?”

“I was with Blake...” I turn towards him.

There's noone there.

I stare in confusion at the spot where a solid man just was.

“Whatever. We have to go, it's ten O'clock already.”

We're supposed to have an 'adult' sleepover. I, personally, am more excited about this part.

Even though we're already room mates.

“Are you sure you didn't just see the guy I was with?” this is so confusing.

“I saw him with you on the ice rink, but not out here. Now lets go!”

She pulls me to the car. I look back at the ice rink.

He's there.

He lifts his hand and gives me a small wave. I wave back.

“Get in Mia, or you don't get any cake.”

I give a frustrated sigh and get in.

We get to her house in about five minutes. She has a problem with speed limits.

As we get to the door, she peers into her handbag and swears.

“What?”

“I can't find my keys...”

I roll my eyes. Typical.

“I need you to open the door.”

“What? How?”

“Climb through the window and open it up from the inside.”

I raise my eyebrows. This has just got to be the the most stupidest idea she has ever had.

“Oh, come on Mia. Your more nimble then I am.”

She has got to be kidding.

“Please,” she gives me her puppy dog eyes.

I huff, but I never could resist her wishes when she gave me those eyes.

I walk carefully through the flowers towards the window. I should be giving thanks that it's not on the first floor.

It's open by a crack, so I put my fingers in and pull it out.

Wow, this window's stiff.

When I manage to open it fully, it looks just big enough for my body. If I suck in my stomach.

I hoist myself up and am about to shove myself through when I hear the voice.

“Mia.”

I twist around to see who called me; in the process losing my balance and falling backwards.

I land on the prickly bush.

“Ow,” I groan as I pick myself up.

“Are you okay?” Flora calls.

“Yeah...hey, did you just call my name?”

“No. Now please hurry up! I'm freezing!”

What a great, protective friend.

I squirm through and land heavily on the floor. I've done a lot of falling this evening.

The house is pitch black. I feel my way through until I reach the front door. I glance at the side table.

There lay the keys.

I roll my eyes and unlock the door. Flora's not there.

“Flora? I opened the door.”

I step out and look around. I can't see her.

“Boo!”

She jumps onto me from the side. I scream.

“OMG, you should have seen your face!”

“That was not funny!” I say with a stupid grin on my face.

But inside my heart is racing; thudding against my chest. First it looked like Blake had disappeared, and now Flora.

I shiver.

“Come on. I'm choosing the movie!”

Chapter Two

“Hey, are you ready to start a new day?”

I nod sleepily at Flora.

“Well, I don't think you are. You look like an elephant just farted in your face.”

“I suppose I smell like it too?”

“I didn't say that,” she grins.

We get ready for work. I have a job at the library.

It pays, okay?

I wave Flora off as she walks to the cafe across the street. She's a waitress.

“Mia! Did you have fun?”

My boss, Mack, greets me with a big smile.

Yeah, he may seem jolly, but he's strict.

“If you call bruising my butt fun, then yeah!”

He has a hearty laugh before giving me the work load of today.

Stacking the books in section 4.

As I stack the fifty fourth book, something catches my eye.

A person, to be exact.

I squint through the shelf to look closer.

It's Blake.

I quickly get back to stacking books. Please don't notice me. Please don't notice me.

“Hey Mia.”

He noticed me.

“Uh, hi.”

We stand awkwardly for a moment.

“Listen, I...uh- i'd like to take you skating sometime.”

I smile at that.

“You want me to come back to the rink?”

“Yeah.”

“I'll find a slot in my timetable.”

“What about tonight? The rink's closed so it would just be us.”

“Okay,” the word runs out my mouth before I can stop it.

He gives me a grin before walking out the library.

I watch as he goes out.

Suddenly, darkness clouds my vision. Freezing fingers close around my neck. I fall to the floor in a crumpled heap, trying to breath.

It stops.

I push myself off the ground. Dizziness washes over me. What is happening?

After a minute, the dizziness stops. I stand up shakily and look around.

Noone has noticed.

The day passes by surprisingly quickly. The full impact of the agreement I just made hits me.

I'm going back to the rink. Tonight.

I can't even skate properly. What am I going to do?

When my shift stops, I walk over to the cafe. Flora knows about these things.

I'd like to think so anyway.

“Does it count as a date if I can't even do the activity?”

“Of course it does. You're so stupid, do you know that?” she laughs.

I sip my hot chocolate. The delicious sweetness running down my throat calms me down a little.

“What should I wear? And don't tell me a dress. I'm not showing my knickers to the world.”

She bites her lip, a cliche move she does when she's thinking. She's such a drama queen.

“No dress?”

“Nope.”

“A dress with tights?”

I raise my eyebrows.

“Okay, what about a tank top with jeans?”

“I'm going to an ice rink. The key word here being 'ice'!”

“Alright! Be really unfashionable and wear a jumper!” she throws her hands in the air.

I sigh. Sometimes my room mate gets on my nerves.

“I'm going to wear something nice and warm. It's my date, not yours.”

She pouts and stirs her cappacino.

A silence follows, and I contemplate telling her about the strange feeling I had after Blake went.

Then her eyes light up and look at me with excitement.

“Can I do your make-up?”

I decided to walk to the rink.

The night sky twinkles back at me as I gaze up it. My breath appears in front of me and spirals out into the night air.

I like October.

Flora had persuaded me to wear her floral jacket. (Yes, I know it's her name.) It provided little warmth against the cold wind.

I turn a corner; almost instantly the bright lights blind me.

A hand grabs my arm.

I turn around to face a man. He smiles; it's not friendly.

I try to shrug him off, but he holds firm. I yank his fingers off me and start to run.

He follows.

I head towards the rink. I can hear the man's breath behind me, coming closer. I have to get in.

I reach the doors and burst through, running down the hallway and out into the open rink.

Blake's not here.

I turn to see the man still close behind me. A knife glints in his hand.

I reach the opening and realise the big problem.

It's all ice.

With no other choice, I go through and try to run to the otherside.

I slip and skid until I stop in the middle.

The man has more sense then me. He steps carefully on the ice: walks towards me. He's coming closer.

I try to shuffle away, but the ice has other ideas. I seem to be slipping backwards!

As the man raises his knife, I shut my eyes and anticipate the blow.

I'm sorry Flora.

Chapter Three

Th blow never comes.

I open my eyes to see the man still standing there.

He drops the knife.

I watch it fall. It's too late as I realise it's headed for my leg: as it sinks into my calf I scream in pain. Black spots appear at the edges of my vision as the man falls to the ground and bursts into flames. Someone stands over me.

Blake.

I look up into his face and see flames- real flames- dancing in his eyes.

He blinks and they disappear. Then he offers me a hand.

I don't take it.

“What the hell was that!”

“We need to get you to a docter, Mia.”

“I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what you just did.”

I try to cross my arms but whimper in pain as it moves my leg.

He walks over with a worried face and sits next to me. Dragging a hand through his hair, he sighs and looks me straight in the eye.

“Fine. I'll tell you.”

A moment of silence.

“That man, he's an ice spirit. He