Eyes, boring a way to me.

The images burned clear in his mind, as if he had seen it happen before. Fire, twisting and turning, reaching for the sky and traveling with the soul intention to consume everything in its path. Women and children, screaming and fleeing from the oncoming monsters of the searing orange flames. A pair of eyes the same color flashed across his mind, eyes that he so hated, eyes that would take everything he ever had and destroy it in an instant. His mind shattered, torn and ripped apart with the makings of a decision. No matter which path he chose, someone was going to suffer.

And either way, it was going to be his fault.

The sudden, light sound of approaching footsteps in the room shook him from the phantasms. He opened his eyes to stare into the wet palms of his hands, calming the breaths that shook his body. A towel sat in his lap beneath his elbows. He turned his face, its eyes red and glassy, to see the person who had entered the room. She came close and he returned his eyes to his palms as she sat down beside him.

"Tic," she said.

The towel on his lap caught his attention suddenly. He slowly removed his hands from his face, taking the towel and lifting it to wipe his eyes dry. He lowered it, and stared; the stains of his nosebleed showed clear against the white of the fabric. It needed to be washed, he decided.

"Tic.. " the girl said again, as he lifted himself from the bed.

He entered the bathroom without turning the light on, placing the towel beneath the faucet and gently twisting the knob to allow cold water to pass over it. When the dark spots were gone, he spread the towel atop the tabletop to dry. He looked up into the mirror, placing a hand into the frigid water. His fingers became numb, void of feeling, and he wished his mind would do the same.

When he returned to the attic, the girl was still sitting on the bed, looking at him with her eyebrows raised in concern. He walked toward her, but stayed far enough so that she could not reach him. He stared for a moment at the floor, his breath hitched in his throat as though it was trying to stop him from speaking. He swallowed and breathed, lifting his eyes from the floor.

"We can't stay here."