Burning Flames

The night looked elegant from here. Fireflies illuminated the darkness. The commotion of the city couldn't get through. The city didn't exist here. The full moon above gave the scene of a strong romance. The taste of a cool breeze rubbed against the green grass. The park was always deserted around this time. It was empty now except for the tall man leading the unassuming woman to a specific spot he had prearranged. "Keep your eyes closed Marsh. We're almost there." They were already there. Keith just wanted to be sure she wasn't peeking. He had the night all planned out. He had been plotting this for months now and he knew it was now or never. He very much preferred now to never. He was broke but at least he could afford enough to make this night magical. Or something close to magical. Keith stared at the girl grinning in front of him. Her eyes were blindfolded by a single scarf. She stumbled, hands in front of her as she tried to grab a portion of his rumpled checkered shirt. He helped steer her to the spot where the mat was spread out with the candles flickering beautifully under the twilight. The light made a beautiful background to the scene around them. The same scene Marsha O'Reilly wasn't allowed to see, yet. Slowly, Keith snuggled her and she let his big warm figure encompass her lithe form gulping her. She loved how he felt safe even now when she had no friggin' idea where the hell they were or why they were there. Marsha had been running late for work one day and had bumped hard into the big man. She had felt this exact way at that moment. Warmth. Safety. She had known that Keith would always be an essential factor in her life. "Take this off already." She pleaded as her mouth warped in an effortless pout. She was gorgeous. Keith's hands moved to undo the blindfold when he heard something move in the thicket behind. The clearing where they stood was too open and exposed for him to see beyond the seductive glow of the candlelight. Maybe it was a raccoon sniffing the aroma coming off the basket he had packed. The poor sucker was probably hoping for a nibble. It would have to wait till they were done. Keith shrugged and continued on his quest to remove the blindfold from the eyes of the giggling woman in his arms. A thick growl tore the night into two, shutting off both the giggles and the movement of Keith's hands. They froze in a sudden sick panic. Keith's eyes darted to the dark mix of green and brown seeing nothing but shadows and more shadows. There were outlines of trees and stumps. Marsha sensed his panic which only heightened hers to the point her breath came in sharp painful jerks. She tried to relax but the darkness around her from the blindfold only threatened to devour her without mercy. Keith made a move to shut her mouth with his hand because he needed to listen to the night. The hand quivered badly against her lips. Something was wrong. Something was more than wrong. Keith hoped the sound of his heart beating wasn't loud enough that Marsha would hear it. It was the only sound he could hear. THUMP. THUMP. BATHUMP... Marsha could sense something moving behind her. She could feel the eyes on her back. Eyes, more than one. She felt exposed. She wanted to turn around but Keith's hands held her in place facing him. Keith moved closer, his breath coming in short gasps as he struggled to say, "I- I. I love you Marshmallow. Don't move until I tell you to." Before her brain could filter what was happening around her, she felt Keith tear off in a run screaming. The chaos around her kept her immobile. The sounds of the faction behind her running past her raising dust felt like thousand thunderbolts slamming around her without hitting their target. They were going after Keith. In her horror, she screamed as loud as her tortured lungs would let her. Marsha stumbled forward trying to chase after them. Keith's screams hit her core sending cold chills tracing one long cold finger along her spine. She had never in her life heard screams so gruesome. The sound of ripping and tearing merged with the scent of evil in the midnight air. "Now Marsh! Get out of HERE!" he screamed in a voice that held the true essence of horror. Marsha managed to pull the blindfold down in time to see the beasts tear the man she love apart. *** He had no idea what made him angry the most. The hot cup in front of him lounging patiently or the sound of ticking seemed to crack his last bit of patience. He had told them everything and the morons had made him wait for their boss. These uniformed clowns were supposed to be protectors. This city was surely doomed, but he would make sure they survived. He had to. He had no idea why. He just knew he had to protect them regardless of their moron infestation problem. The door opened and one of the morons he had spoken to earlier walked in. He was followed by a large beefy man. This man was too big for the room but surprisingly he fit in. The moron stood by the door while the giant occupied the chair opposite him. This man looked like a protector. Unlike the moron. "So lemme get this straight. We are about to be under attack by- by creatures?" His voice was a rigid baritone. The steel-blue eyes of the big man looked serious. The moron by the door stifled a laugh. That was exactly what made him a moron. The kid made a move to sit upright, his pale skin glowed in the dark poorly lit room. "I'd like him to leave. His stupidity is becoming a distraction." The kid said gesturing to the officer by the door. The officer's face turned red. He made a move to rush the kid but stopped short under the cold gaze of the big man. The look told him in no other way that he would have to go through his boss first before he could get his hands on the cocky bastard. "Gregg. Take a walk." The baritone had a finality to it. The officer was about to protest but the cold blue eyes warned him. Red-faced and fuming, he left the room. Finally, the moron was gone. The kid relaxed. "Anton Doyle. Everything you heard from the moron you sent away is as real as you and I." "Do I even need to ask how you know my name?" The big man spoke with a distinct Irish accent. He straightened on the hard chair, his full attention on the kid in front of him. His dark skin was bolstered with hard muscles. "That's not important. We barely have time for this little chit-chat. It has already started." Anton had been Sheriff of Cloverton for a while. He was one of those people that was a product of the town. He had never thought about leaving. His whole life was here. He had married the most adorable girl in town, his high school sweetheart and they had two adorable kids. This town was his home and he saw himself as the best guardian. The worse thing that had happened on his watch as Sheriff was some kids hanging out and drinking at the abandoned mill. Then petty theft. The beer had to be stolen and the miscreants were usually the same drinking it. He was used to this routine yet minor criminal activity. Now this pale kid opposite him was saying his town was facing a real threat. From creatures. The kid looked like a specter but he wasn't high. Something about his composure told Anton the kid wasn't f*****g around. That rules out the possibility of this being a prank. Anton knew everyone in town and he would bet his balls and nutsac that this kid wasn't one of them. He wasn't from here. Anton moved forward in an attempt to get a good look at the kid. Shadows played around his face only revealing portions and fragments of a handsome face. His eyes stayed hidden. "It's hard trusting someone hiding behind shadows." The kid grinned still in the comfort of darkness. He made no move to relinquish his current position. Anton waited. Still nothing. Just the grin was all he was letting out. Finally, he moved forward. That was when Anton saw it. His eyes. They were unnatural. One glowed red like a burning gemstone while the other was as blue as bolts of lightning and raindrops. They were mesmerizing and instincts warned Anton not to look further. Heart racing, Anton withdrew his gaze from the eyes that threatened to consume his essence. He was startled to notice sweat beads on his temple. His fingers trembled slightly. What the f**k??? "Now that I've got your attention, can we go?" The kid was up adjusting his hoodie over his sand-colored hair hiding his profile. Anton stood up. Something told him the eyes he just saw weren't contact. They were real. The effect their stare left on him was real. "Go where?" To his surprise, his baritone sounded like a croak. "My buddies are waiting outside. There's someone we need to save."