All I had wanted to do was to fix the mess that he had made. Because of my interference, we’re all dead now. Can you believe that?

Dang, though, I have to admit that the world looked so breathtakingly beautiful on fire.

Eric watched me with terrified eyes, his hands clutching the stack of papers to his chest anxiously. Flames were licking closer to us, unable to resist the taste of new food and the stench of fear.

“Get away from me, Jen.” His voice trembled, ending on a higher note than it had started at.

I wished I could take away the nightmares his eyes were reflecting, make him stop this all.

Jumping backwards, Eric stumbled on a brick and fell, miraculously holding on to his precious papers. Kicking a smoldering branch out of my way I bent to help him, but he scooted away from me.

Licking his lips he shook his head slowly at me, his fingers tightening on the papers.

My heart skipped a beat as a thought came to me, a way to end this burning.

Nobody would care who the hero was so long as somebody saved them. Only problem would be getting Erics notes.

“Please, this needs to stop. Quit making them weapons and burn the notes. Run away with me, you will be safe, Eric.”

“Safe?” The terror lessened on his face, morphing into a hope that broke my heart.

Useless though, I thought. Victor’s grasp on him was too much for him to break. Wasn’t it?

X-cept he stood up, looking me in the eyes.

“You had better not be lying to me.”

Zthen he dropped the coveted instructions into the flames, letting them and the mostly dead world burn together.