Week Two: Unhinged: Fhei

 All around her snapped bits of flames. She thought of jaws as she attempted to think of a solution. On her skin, she could feel the breath of the fire radiate its heat. Where was she? More important, where were the others? In her household, there were her two brothers and their mother. Did her mother forget about her? Was she the only survivor? Her heart jumped out of her chest as she started to sweat. A searing pain emerged as she stepped forward to avoid one flame. Landing her foot onto the thin plank, Fhei let out a scream of panic as she watched half of her knee disappear under the floor. As the flames crawled closer, tears emerged from her eyes. Closing them to avoid the stinging pain from the smoke and coughing out the last bit of air left in her the world began to sway. Fhei felt her body fall forward due to the loss of balance, in her chest she felt the air that pounded, begging for her to release it. Breathing in, she felt her throat burn worse. Pushing the air pocket stuck in her throat she tried to breath out. Exhale. She thought. Breath! She screamed to herself. Failing, Fhei felt her cheek burn. The flames had pounced, and she was defenseless

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 Gasping for air, Fhei jolted awake. Around her was a valley, maybe a meadow? All she knew was that she was curled up in a stranger’s jacket in the middle of a flourishing pasture. Breathing in the fresh air she noted that the smell of water. Listening, she turn towards the rushing sound and sat up. Before her was a waterfall, she even saw a doe eating grass in the distance.

. Feeling a twist in her stomach, Fhei grunted. She felt like she hadn’t eaten for weeks. Finding the strength to push herself up, Fhei began to walk towards the water. With each step, she could feel a strange stretch in her left leg. No, that wasn’t it. She thought to herself as it began to itch and then burn. Waiting until she was a foot away from the water, Fhei looked down at herself. In her reflection she saw a mark on her face, running from her cheek to her neck and stopping on her collar bone. She was wearing a stranger’s oversized long sleeve.

 Observing herself, she gripped her hand into a fist, stopping herself from scratching the irritated area. On her left leg she had a third degree burn marked by her jeans behind her calf. The raw skin oozed and almost made her hurl at the sight. Panicked, she lifted her left leg, now feeling the pain twice as much, and slipped her leg up knee deep into the water.

 Gripping the bottom of the oversized long sleeve, Fhei held back a yelp as she felt the cool water graze her wound. Breathing heavily, Fhei rubbed her stomach in reminder of her hunger. Wherever she was, she wasn’t in Colorado Springs. The thought of home made her heart twist. Where were her brothers? Were they okay? What about her mother? What started the fire? And why?

 Once your mind will clear, you will see the true world

 One as vast and precious.

 Emerge, you will from your ashes.

 For the Guardian has awaken 

 Alert, Fhei quickly looked to her left, then to her right. All around her stood the meadow. Trees stood tall on the other side of the river and behind her was a pasture, clear as the eye could see. No one was with her, so who was that? She thought. Cupping her hands, Fhei sipped the water to ease her throat.

 After drinking her fill, Fhei lightly brushed the back of her hand to her raw calve. She’d have to wrap it to make sure it wouldn’t get worse. Slipping out of the stranger’s long sleeve, Fhei rung out the what part of the sleeves she had dampened then looked over her body once more. She wore her bra and jeans. No one seemed to be around so she felt comfortable. Breeze brushing against her skin, Fhei closed her eyes to think.

 Once her mind was clear, she would see the world. So did that mean she was in a fake reality? Was the third degree burn, the meadow, the fire… was it all a dream? Fhei brought her right hand to her left arm and pitched herself. Grunting, she pulled her hand away. If it all wasn’t real then she certainly felt pain.

 One as vast and precious. Looking around at the quiet nature surrounding her, she wonder, what could be more beautiful than this? The animals didn’t seem to mind her, the wind wasn’t cold and the rush of the water made her feel calm. Compared to before she blacked out, she would consider this heaven… Was it?

 Emerge, you will from your ashes. She was burned. But she wasn’t charred to death. Touching her right arm with her left hand she felt her skin and the goosebumps that appeared because of the wind. Would her cheek wound and calve burn heal? She certainly didn’t consider this emerging from ashes. All around her was good fodder for a fire but she hoped with all her heart that it wouldn’t be engulfing her in a flame any time soon. Touching her face, she hissed. It stung as she touched it. Cupping her hands again, she poured some water down her face. Biting her lip, she closed her eyes and leaned into towards the stream to apply more of the cool water.

 For the Guardian has awaken. Guardian? Taking in her surroundings once more, Fhei gazed at the sky and wondered. Was an angel supposed to appear and comfort her? Had she done something good in her life to appear in this beautiful meadow? Thinking of what she had done in the past week made her head spin. There was nothing. She couldn’t remember any of it. All she could remember was that she had two brothers and a mother. There was no doubt that she had a father but he had never been in the picture. No friend’s faces appeared. No recognizable voices played in her ears. There wasn’t even a last name that appeared in her mind.

 Colorado Springs. The only place she could remember the name of. Inhaling, Fhei let out a sigh then closed her eyes once more. Clear her mind. There was hardly anything left to clear it of. Did that mean she had to forget who she was entirely? As she attempted to think of absolutely nothing, Fhei felt her burn on her cheek and calve emerge to her forefront. She had no experience in the natural world nor did she have any memory of what world she was from. Feeling the water rush past her fingertips, Fhei listened to the world around her. Maybe she was already in that precious vast world the voice had mentioned. Or was it her own thought? Looking down at her reflection, she stared into her own eyes. When would she wake up?