>>58199859
>There was noise.
>Music.
>Through the pain and frustration, you jerked your head up.
>Not music, a ringtone.
>It was them.
>It had to be them.
>You cursed, torn between what to do.
>Groaning, the red-hot ache almost won out.
>Actual fire might have been better.
>It would have killed your nerves by now.
>With tremendous effort and an angry cry, you whipped your wet paws out and buried them into your armpits, hoping to smother the purple-blue flame.
>It helped.
>The pain distributed itself.
>There was seconds before it went to voicemail.
>You tore towards the phone, singeing the screen as you swiped the green button.
>Mom.
>In the background, Dad swore up a storm.
>Mom stayed silent, neither greeting nor hanging up.
“Y-Yeah…?” You stammered between chattering teeth.
>Mom said nothing.
>Waiting.
“M-Muh, muh, Mom!?” You asked and pleaded.
>Try as you might, you couldn’t hold your voice together.
>You’d run through the haze of lingering feelings in the air.
>The aura burned hotter here.
>”When you said you were sick yesterday…” Mom began.
>This was intolerable.
>You had to get out of here, with the phone.
>With your fiery hands, you might scramble something inside.
>You couldn’t risk breaking it.
>So you didn’t think.
>You bit.
>”Oh, Honey…” Mom sighed.
>You weren’t sure if that exasperation was toward you or Dad.
>Maybe both.
>Saliva drooled over the phone.
>Knowing your luck, you might have acidic spittle now.
>But with the device between your teeth, you staggered back to the bathroom.
>”There’s being sick and then there’s this!” Mom exclaimed, almost hysterical.
>Her voice vibrated through your teeth and up your skull.
>And she heard you wheezing and panting like an animal. .