LAUGHTER

Chapter 15 Melting pencils

Laughter POV

We continued talking and drawing,everything felt normal... until it didn't.

Suddenly,a strange smell filled the air.

It was diesel.

Then another strange smell filled the air.

It wasn't paint at first.It wasn't marker ink.

It was...burnt metal?

Ash?Sulfur?

I couldn't place it,but it felt wrong.

I turned to Natasha"Do you smell that?"

She sniffed the air and nodded slowly"Why does it smell like...something's burning?"

Then I looked down.

The pencil in my hand was melting.

Not breaking.Not snapping.Melting.

The wood dripped like wax.The graphite inside was glowing faintly red.

I froze.

Natasha gasped and backed away slightly.

"Laughter... your hands!"

I looked.My fingertips were glowing.Like embers, like something was pulsing beneath my skin.

And then,the sketchbook fell from my hand,hitting the floor with a loud thud,as the pencil burned away into ash.

The last thing I saw was Natasha's wide,terrified eyes.

And the feeling that whatever I was becoming... had only just begun.

Annabelle's POV

My phone rang.

The name on the screen made a smile appear on my face"Natasha"

The same girl my son brought home just weeks ago.

Her voice was urgent,almost trembling.

"Hello ma'm,this is Natasha…Laughter's friend. The one he brought home the other day"

"Yes,Natasha,I remember you.Are you okay?"I asked,uneasily.

"I'm fine,but… it's Laughter.Something happened at school"she said in one quick breath."We were drawing and then he…he suddenly smelled diesel and the pencil in his hand melted.Then… he passed out. We're at the hospital now"

I felt like the ground disappeared beneath me.

"What hospital?!" I snapped,already on my feet.

She gave me the name and address,barely able to catch her breath.I didn't wait.I grabbed my car keys and ran out the door.

On my way,I called Bella.

She was the only one who would understand.

The only one who knew.

"Bella"I said the moment she picked up"Laughter… collapsed.Something happened again"

There was a long pause on the other end.Then her voice came,calm,too calm.

"Hmm...Annabelle,we have some talking to do"

"What talking?!"I snapped"About your family lineage"she said softly."It's time you knew what you've passed on to your son"

I got to the hospital and rushed through the doors, breathless.

Natasha was pacing outside the ward,her face pale.

When she saw me,she ran up."He's still not waking up"she whispered.

I broke.

Tears poured down my face as I sank into the waiting chair"My son,my only son…"