Snippet - Volcano

Volcano
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The air was making her nauseous but it hardly mattered now. She’d come so far, pushed so many people away from her that it hardly mattered that here, on the very edge of hell itself, the toxins that swirled around were visible, blending together like dye on the water. It was rather funny; she’d walked across the world to find this very place only to find out that it didn’t really exist. Technically. Or it hadn’t. Volcanoes didn’t just appear out of no-where, ready simmering like a hot-pot lying in wait for offerings of dumplings and scraps of meat. No, volcanoes took years and years of eruptions to –

Her fifth year geography lesson resounded through her skull and she decided to stop thinking. Mrs Anderson’s monotone voice was the last thing she wanted to listen to as she stumbled down the crumbling slopes. Why was she being so careful? A slip, some scrapes and a small fall and things would be over and done with. Finished. Instead she chose to pull the bandaid off slowly and painfully, wincing as each stone embedded itself in her hands like the hairs sticking to glue. A molten rock flew close by, landing somewhere behind her with a thud. It should have worried her. It didn’t; she could set herself on fire these days, surely a bit of fiery rock couldn’t do much to her. Then again, she thought as she slid to a halt on an appropriately jutting piece of rock above the inferno, a giant rock smashing into your skull might hurt. She didn’t like pain.

Ha, says the one standing two feet away from a pool of lava. What a lark. She felt the now familiar tug and didn’t even bother to turn around. She knew the spirit was there, knew all too well what he looked like. Neither of them spoke, more a surprise on his part rather than hers. He was always so full of words.

“So…” Oh, the cat finally got your tongue, spirit? “We’re here.”

“That we are.” She replied quietly. She felt the overwhelming urge to dip her finger into the lava, though she doubted anything would be left of it after she pulled back in agony. It looked like warm soup. She could feel the heat of it through her earrings, burning her ears softly. “I don’t like pain.”

“I know.” Such short sentences, they didn’t suit him. She hoped he wasn’t going to get sentimental on her. Just talk, prattle on about the weather even, and she could walk into this smiling like she had into every other damn difficulty they’d come on thus far.

“Do you think I should take a running jump?” The question was light, reflected on her face from the molten rock she was now crouched by. “I wouldn’t be able to stop then, even if I do chicken out.”

“That’s morbid.”

She shrugged. “It was just a question. Perhaps I should have asked you to push me instead?”

“Enough!” He was angry now, and she smirked at him. He hadn’t a right to be angry – he’d been a parasite on her for months now – so she decided to continue.

“Maybe I should have asked Jeremy to come, he’d have done it. He never did forgive us for burning down his house. I don’t even remember us doing that, you know. First he was yelling at me, and then I was locked in the basement. I suppose his mother screamed – “

“I said enough already!” Had he arms, he probably would have struck her. He looked like he wanted to, and it gave her a strange sense of satisfaction. So he could feel guilt after all… “Let’s just get this over with.”

“Easy for you to say.” The mutter was barely audible over the grumblings of the mountain. She stood with an exaggerated sigh. “Alright, let’s go. I don’t want you watching while I do it, it’d probably turn you on or something sick like that.”

“Please, I have more finesse and taste. Burning females most certainly do not cater to that.”

“Says you.” The now familiar warmth of the spirit re-lodged itself in her ribs, and she took a few, long steps away from the pit. Her eyes slid closed as she took another toxin-filled breath. Ah good, they were affecting her judgement. She paused, however, before opening her eyes. “Do me a favour?”

“Yes?”

“Tell my sister I love her.” She ran.

“Wait! –“

Wait for what? She was already flying, flying down into the sunset.