In A Blink

Bluebell cried out again in pain as Andy carefully placed a long strip of aloe vera gel onto the horrible burns on her back. He shushed her gently, placing a cool cloth on the back of her neck as she shivered from her fever. "You're alright Blue," he said soothingly as C.C. handed him another cut piece of the aloe, the knife he used to separate the tough exterior resting on the counter. Bluebell shook her head in response, her now-short black hair splaying to the sides as she buried her face into the pillow to hide her tears.

Jake, Ashley, and Jinx were also cutting long stalks of aloe in half to place over the nasty burns along their Sixth's back and shoulders, watching the girl with sad and empathetic eyes. The Creators' wings were very, very powerful, but that power did not come for free and they all hated seeing their beloved Sixth in so much agony.

The trip home was nothing less than agony to the girl. The burns made it impossible to travel comfortably on a plane - the Clan was forced to get train tickets instead, letting her lay on her stomach as Jake did his best to calm her nerves. The people Bluebell had kept safe in the giant cage were cleared of the memories - C.C. was forced to bring down the building with his Holding and a lighter, keeping everything secret. They were questioned, they lied, and headed home.

"Alright Blue," Andy said softly after he placed the last slippery piece of aloe on her back, reaching up to protectively lay a hand on her head, "that was the last piece. In a few minutes, you should start feeling better. Do you need anything?" He inquired, stroking her short black hair in a caring fashion. She shook her head no, obviously exhausted as the pain began to ebb away. "Alright. Text us for anything you need," Andy said as the rest of the clan silently stood, filtering out of the room.

They all sat in the couch pit near the stairs, a few beers on the little round table in the center. "That demon who spoke to us," Ashley shifted forwards, shaking his head in fearful wonder, "he did the impossible. Holding Clans can only speak to one another through the mind links. How-" He was cut off as Jinx shook his head. "Not important right now," he said, waving his hand dismissively. "We need to understand what he was saying. Bluebell - The Creator - has amazing powers. But..." he hesitated, glancing at C.C. - who was staring back coolly, seemingly calm.

"But?" Andy pressed, foot tapping impatiently on the ground. Jinx hesitated again, not wanting to say something that would upset anyone. Jake seemed to catch the wind, as he just shook his head before saying the exact words Jinx had been thinking his low, gravelly voice. "Her wings match the description The Book of Faith gave of the fires of the demon creating pits hundreds of thousands of hears ago."

After a moment's pause, the Holding Clan stood up as one and filtered towards their rooms only to come back together after a few minutes. Each of them had a thin, black leather book that looked a bit like a journal, although the pages were old and a bit brittle. The Book of Faith - the story of how F.E.A.R. was, and how F.E.A.R. died. To anyone else, it would seem like a children's story, a bit grotesque - but these men had memorized the story. It was their history.
Andy found the page that described the fires first. "The fires were of grandiose size and heat - ye, even the sun beheld the power of F.E.A.R. with soul-shaking terror. As of the fire created the creatures, the fire would also destroy - hear ye this that thy fear will only feed its power. The fire is made of material burnt already, flaming hot enough to weld together creatures of horrific ancestry. From the fire comes forth gates to Dark Unknown, and F.E.A.R. would grow with every demon."

Andy looked up from the book and directly at Jinx, who was already staring at him. "Oh my god," The vocalist groaned, leaning forwards and rubbing his eyes, on the verge of crying. "She's the embodiment of the fire F.E.A.R. uses to make their damn slaves."
Ashley was looking at C.C., who was pale and shaky as he flipped through pages in the vain hope of finding an answer. His heart was filled with dread - the woman he loved and cherished was a part of F.E.A.R., there was no denying it. "That's why F.E.A.R. wants her, then," Jinx said quietly, running a hand through his hair stressfully. "Because she could make demons for them. What a horrible thing to be able to do."

Muttered agreements as copies of The Book of Faith closed. "What are we going to do?" C.C. asked in a quiet voice, slowly looking up from his hands to see the rest of the Clan. "We can't let them have her. Jinx, that prophesy Man Without Face gave you - it can't happen. We can't let it happen. Something has gotta change."

Everyone was quiet for a moment before Ashley put his idea on the table. "The Creator - she's got that weird mask over her eyes," he recalled, and everyone else muttered an agreement. "What's under it? I mean - yeah, it could be just more markings, but what if there's a secret?"
There was a discussion, and then everyone seemed to agree that taking off The Creators' mask couldn't hurt. "Once Bluebell has healed and is healthy again, we'll ask about it. As of now, the only thing we need to worry about is putting these rosaries all over - this home needs all the protection it can get."

Notes

Hey everyone! I'm so sorry for being gone, but I'll be more active in a little bit. As of now, I put together a quick chapter for you. Have a great day! Loveyoubye!

xoxo
LK Maire