The Last Celestial

The Boy Whose Heart Burns With Fire

There was a boy living in the row houses of Palm Beach County. His mother died due to sickness, and a father desperately trying to move on for his five year old son. Every day the poor boy would be waiting by the door as he holds on to his teddy bear.

"When is Mommy coming home?" His little voiced echoed inside their small home. Little fingers clenched on his stuffed bear and his eyes gleamed with hope. "She's coming home this time, right Daddy?"

The father couldn't say anything and his lips remained sealed and tight. He looked down to his little boy. His small fingers tightly holds on to a lifeless doll, while the father's hand holds on the doorknob as he thinks... What reason could he possibly think of this time? 'Hold it in, don't cry. You can't let him see you cry.' He told himself as he looks up on the ceiling. How many days since his wife died. Ah, today is the tenth day.

"Mommy will be home soon." He lied, again. And he doesn't know how long he can keep it up. All these lies. The lies that he tells his son. The lies and broken promises that he had made to himself, and the lies he told the man who he owes a big sum of money... the money needed to pay off the hospital and funeral. Sometimes he wonders, maybe if his late wife wasn't able to bear a son... there's no reason for his existence anymore. He smiled at the boy, bent down and kissed him on the forehead. A sign of his pure love. "Be kind, okay, Andrew? Halmoni will be here soon."

The father closed the door, leaving the boy staring at the closed door and enclosed walls. He silently waits for a companion while counting on his stubby little fingers. He waited and waited and waited. Good thing there's always teddy to keep him company, a doll that was gifted to him by his mother on his 3rd birthday. He thinks of his mother all the time, and how much he misses her. His imagination takes him to places, and when the door opened a smile curled up on his cheeks... He stood up, almost jumping with happiness---thinking that it was his precious Halmoni---but it did not take long for that smile to turn into a frown when an unknown man stepped inside the house. A dark aura enveloped the man wearing a bright blue tuxedo, and on his neck was a necktie with a symbol of a dragon on it.

More footsteps resounded on the building, then soon a few strong men was standing outside the little boy's home. Some men had baseball bats resting on their shoulders. And some were just standing there, staring.

The boy could not make a move. Where is his grand mother? Who are these men? And why did his dad left him alone?

The scary looking man took something from his pocket. He flicked the cigarette box opened, and the man behind him automatically lights it for him. The man inhaled a puff of smoke. And blew it near the face of the little boy. "You look scared... little one." His deep voice uttered. Threatening and hoarse as it resounded on the small living room.

"I---I'm not." The boy stuttered.

The man wearing blue Tux huffed from his cigarette and laughed. "Aren't you a tough one..." He noted. He looked down at the boy once more and said "Where is your Dad?"

The boy looked up and down and all across the room. He did not know what to say, but most of all... he did not want to answer. "I don't know."

The man clicked his tongue as the others stayed silent behind him. He bent down one knee to stare at the boy eye the eye. "I'll ask you one last time." He said, then he smudged his cigarette against the floor. "Where is your Daddy?"

The boy bit on his lip and felt his chest tighten up. It's a sensation that is somewhat new to him. And it felt like his stomach is being squeezed. "I told you, Mr. I don't know." Was his brave answer.

"Aren't you something?" The man said in amusement. "I tell you what though kid... If you don't tell me where your Daddy is at, how about I tell you something first... Then you decide if you want to tell me where your Daddy is."

Not knowing what else to do, the little boy agreed.

"You know how I know your Dad, boy?"

The boy shook his head. "No."

"I know your Daddy because he owes me something. And he owes me something big." The man stopped and stared at the boy. "Now... if he doesn't give me back what he owes there will be consequences. Big time consequences. If you come with me nicely... and get on my car, I promise I won't hurt 'cha. Alright?"

The feeling on his stomach became worse and the boy started to shake. His grand mother is not yet here, and what he greatly recalls is his mother's teachings. To never listen and go with strangers. "I... I don't want to. I'm wanting for my Halmoni."

The man's face darkened and his stare at the boy was menacing. "I'm losing my patience kid." He scratched his head and stared at the kid once more. He was still bent down on one knee, then he prompted his right elbow on his thighs. "Now, I don't hurt kids. But if you don't listen... I may have to."

The boys breath became erratic and he started to breathe in faster and faster and faster as if his lungs was about to explode. With another deep breath, he closed his eyes and screamed loud. "I don't want to!"

The boy scrammed and ran as fast as he could until he reached his room. He locked the door and soon enough he heard screaming and banging on his door. The loud noise echoed and it made him cover his ears. All the men outside began to rage and the door was banging loudly even more. He wanted to cry, he really did. Where is his Dad? Where is his Grandmother? And... where is Mom?

"Come out little boy! Or else I'll break this door and beat you up, cut you open and sell your mother f*****g organs!" The man screamed as he continuously banged on the door. "Your father owes me!"

Tears threatened to fall from his eyes as faint sobs came out from his lips. What is happening? He doesn't understand. Why is no one helping him? "My daddy doesn't owe you anything! He doesn't!"

The banging and the kicking stopped. As if his answer made the men vanish. But then... the little boy heard a loud laugh.

"Oh poor little guy." The little boy heard the man said. "He doesn't even know the s**t his father got into because of his Mom."

He heard another roar of laughter and seemingly the little boy felt his stomach twist again. It seems like he can't move, and it was getting harder to breathe. He wanted to cry, and scream at them to go away and stop. But then the little boy heard something, that made him turn to the door and the tears that were threatening to fall had finally rolled down his cheeks.

"Lets just bury him near the old woman after we get his organs. Poor little guy, his Dad owes so much money. Yet the wife died."

Another voice... "Now they will all go to heaven." And they laughed once more.

The boy screamed and cried. He did not fully understood what the men were saying, but the immense ache on his heart cannot be explained. He threw his teddy on the floor and the pain on his chest grew---as if his chest was burning.

His surroundings felt warm as tears streamed down his cheeks. His screams became louder and louder---so loud that he could not hear the panic that is happening on the other side of the door.

The little boy's dark hair turned to light yellow and his skin almost pale as a ghost and his dark brown eyes turned grey.

A bright fire formed on his little body as he screamed and it circled around him---almost consuming everything inside the room. It did not took long before the fire took over the house and engulfing everything on its path.

The pain inside the boy won't go away. And the burning sensation on his skin almost made him faint. He breathed in and out slowly, and tried to stop. And then... when he looked down he saw his teddy. The stuffed animal that his mother gave him... it has now crumbled into pieces.

Everywhere he turned there was fire. And any where he looked at, he can hear screaming until it suddenly went dark and all he can see is black and white.