-LIGHT SOMETHING ON FIRE-

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I blink blearily. Wha? There's a knocking sound. Someone's at my door. I flop around with all the grace of a slice of bread longing to be toast and fall off my bed.

Ugh. I'm so tired. I want to lay down again and just forget everything...

KNOCK KNOCK

Fuck...

I groan and get up, stumbling towards the front door. "什么?" I grumble as I open the door. Bled blinks at me. "Whoa, did you sleep at ALL? You look awful."

"I'm well aware I'm hideous." I deadpan as I blink sleepily at him. God I must really be out of it if I can actually look directly at him without feeling sick.

"Its the big day. We've got the weapons made and we've stirred up quite a lot of people for this. Its time to storm the Council hall."

Right. Ugh, I don't want to do this. I turn and chug another carton of milk before putting on my top hat. "Ok, lets do this." I grumble.

"How can you drink that stuff?" Bled asks in disgust.

"You don't understand how hungry I am. Its not like I want to drink this shit." Solid food takes up more space inside me so I can't eat as much in one sitting. Maybe when this is all over we can keep the grinders for making milk and just...not put dead bodies in it. That's not so hard right?

Bled shudders "That sounds awful. Being forced to drink something like that."

I shrug and stumble out of my house, yawning loudly. I'm too tired to even stress out over the impending upheaval of our governmental system. Bled grabs me as I start tipping over. "Geez kid! I think you might be sick. I've never seen you this bad...I've never seen anyone this bad."

"Does that mean I can go home and just not deal with today?" The world looks like its tilting somewhat.

"....you're kind of an important part of this plan. You're the one who helped us get this far. The others will be expecting you."

"Uuuuugh~"

---

Mini was standing on a box and making some sort of inspiring speech. I kinda nodded off a few times. I think he was talking about me a few times.

"-or the sake of our goals we have sacrificed so much! And now at long last we are ready to take the fight to them! Those pompous circles will know our wrath. Our frustration at being forced into roles we do not want! You there! What is your grievance?"

He points at a lime-green isosceles. "I can't lift heavy things due to a weakened side from an accident as a child. Despite this, the council assigned me to a Laborer job! I am constantly in pain and barely make enough money to support my wife and daughter!"

Mini points at another shape, a lopsided square, more of a trapezoid actually. "And you?" He thunders in his loud bass voice.

"The matchmaker decided that because of how Irregular I am, I shouldn't be allowed to Pair! They said they didn't want more Freaks like me!" The trapezoid cries loudly. Oh shit, that's a girl.

I shook myself. Wake up Jan, can't fall asleep right before a riot. I blink rapidly. I look around and see that we're all gathered in the streets. Huge crowds of Triangles. Angry triangles. A few squares here and there. I even saw a few Irregular pentagons. Oh hey, its that star shaped one, wow, he's gotten old...

I'm holding a piece of paper in my hand. Wait, when was I given this? How out of it was I? The crowd was still growing larger as more and more shapes came out to listen. I glance around worriedly. I see a lot of purple shapes and curse the fact that we all look pretty similar from afar.

My heart (if I had one) drops every time I see bright blue. My worry is coming back as I wake up. Please don't be out here Will. Stay inside. Stay safe.

"-nd today is the day that changes! Today we fight back! Today we finally bring down those selfish Circles who sit up on high and don't lift a finger to help any of us. Those Circles who allow the desecration of our dead! Tricked us into feeding our children their filth and waste!"

Damn. Mini's pretty good at this.

"Who will come with us on our charge?"

"""ME!!""" The crowd screams. I wince at the noise. If I wasn't awake before, I sure as shit am now. I glance down at the paper in my hand. What was this? It was a map, the layout of the inside of the Council building. Oh right, they wanted me to be part of the charge...

Do I even have a weapon? I look around and find that most people are just carrying blocks of wood, construction tools and etc. One triangle was brandishing a rolling pin.

The crowd was chanting along with Mini's shouts now. His booming voice carried far and we began to march. I trudged along, not wanting to be here but I didn't have much of a choice. I clutched the map tightly. Where were the guards? Policemen? Shouldn't they be sent out to stop this mob?

Wait, there's Tripod and Stumpy. I guess even the guards are all for this revolution. We continue moving and the shouting was getting louder as the shapes got more and more riled up.

I heard a smashing sound and flinched. It seems that first act of destruction ignited the power keg and absolute chaos broke out. People were running around screaming, throwing things, smashing things, I saw government buildings being broken into. I saw furniture being thrown out into the streets. Oh god were they going into houses?!

"Will!" I turn and try to make my way to my parent's house, they should be fine right? This riot was breaking out closer to the inner city, they live far away enough right?! A hand grabs my arm and I turn to see Mini. "Come on kid. We're heading into the Council building."

"But-! My family!" I look frantically down the street. Please be safe. Please be safe.

"Your family will be fine. Now come on. With all this mess going on they won't notice us sneaking in."

He pulls me away. I clutch the map for a lack of anything else to do. Utter destruction is all around me. What was WRONG with these people?! The only explanation is that EVERYONE had been angry at the system and they simply suppressed their feelings all this time. And now that tension was finally released to let them do whatever they wanted with no care for the consequences.

I was terrified. A bottle flies past me, just missing my top corner and smashes against the ground. Its too dangerous here. I want to go home. I want to hide under my bed until this blows over. No one told me riots were this scary in person.

I hear crying and screaming as the rioting triangles broke into the houses of the higher class shapes. I see them drag them into the streets and beat them with their weapons. Oh god those were CHILDREN! A tiny triacontagon child screams as her sides are crushed in by a vicious blow.

Mini drags me past the chaos. Its a good thing he's holding onto me because I can't see where I'm going through my tears. We run down the streets towards the large building in the center of the city. The council hall. Where the circles were no doubt hiding.

---

It was eerie how quiet it was in here. The walls were thick and impenetrable. Our spies had found a way in somehow. We climbed in through a window with a rope hanging out of it. Luckily the circles had such large windows.

I followed along weakly, horrified tears streaming down my plane. Still don't know what they expected of me. There weren't any guards. I'm worried about the suspicious lack of security. I just felt uneasy but I wasn't sure why. "Why is it so quiet in here?" I croaked.

"Those circular cowards must be hiding somewhere." Mini sneers.

"I have a bad feeling about this..." I say quietly. None of them listened to me. I'm not sure if my paranoia was fueled by my sleep deprivation or some sort of instinct but I felt I had to get away. Somewhere high up.

There's a clicking sound. I immediately freeze. The sense of danger just shot up. "Guys we need to run." I whisper urgently. On the other end of the hallway I can see something large moving around.

"So those damn Circles have more guards than just the soldiers..." Mini growls as he readies his weapon, a heavy steel pipe nearly twice his size. I back off in fear as the large creature steps into view. Oh fuck.

A Tangram animal...but this time it wasn't a cute puppy like the one I grew up with. I stared wide eyed at the snarling dinosaur shaped creature. It was huge, their bulk nearly filling the hallway as it hissed at us.

"Get ready everyone. Kid, you stay back. You haven't been trained for this." Mini doesn't look away from the creature. I just continue backing up. The dino-shape stalks closer to us with more clicking noises. "Hsssss~"

If I wasn't so scared I probably would have thought the ensuing fight was fucking awesome. Mini charges the Dino with a yell and deftly dodges the snapping jaws. He slides along the ground on his back and strikes at it's legs with the steel pipe. The dino screeches with pain and thrashed, slamming itself into the walls and stomping the ground with its points.

The other members of our infiltration group were getting in some hits of their own. A black triangle with a crooked top corner slams a heavy hit against the dino's head when it lunged at her. She shouts for everyone to jump as the dino sweeps its tail across the ground.

I just try to stay as far back from the fight as I can. Why hasn't anyone given me a weapon?! Even if I can't fight I should at LEAST have something to defend myself with. I flinch as the hallway shakes with each of the dino's stomps. Its points are slamming into the ground hard enough to leave cracks.

If these were the types of animals that exist in this world, no wonder they didn't question my need for a Death Canon. I wince as one of the fighters was hit by a large tail and flung down the hall. I rush to his side. One of his sides is bent inward and I fret over him. "Oh my god. What do I do?!" I try to remember what I've learned about first aid.

I carefully flip him onto his uninjured side and carefully feel his bricks to see if they were cracked. He groans in pain but I think he's ok. Just badly bruised. I hear more screams and see that the others were struggling to keep up with the wildly flailing dino.

Its panic made its movements and attacks harder to predict. I hear Mini grunting as he blocks an strike with his pipe. I look around. There's a dropped weapon on the ground from the injured triangle. A large wrench. Should I....could I?

I pick it up and test the weight. I could probably swing this. But...I flinch as the Dino screeches loudly. I'm so scared. I don't know how to fight. What if I get hurt? I've never been seriously injured in this life. But I couldn't just...stand here and do NOTHING.

Is there anything I can do to help?

I looked around wildly for anything I could use. I checked one of the doors in this hallway and found a room filled with bookshelves. Thinking quickly, I grab a bunch of books, went back into the hallway and lobbed a hardcover book at the Dino-shape. My aim ran true and the book hit it in the face right on the corner. The animal gave a startled snort and the brief distraction was enough for the others to get some free hits in.

I hear a crack as Mini's strike on the dino's leg caused the edge to buckle and snap. The dino screams with pain as it collapses under its own weight. The broken leg being unable to hold it up. That didn't mean it had given up. The jaws still snapped at everyone and its tail slammed on the ground again and again.

I threw another book and hit it in the eye this time. It snarls at me and tries to crawl down the hallway to reach me but the others prove a good distraction. The black triangle (I call her Ninja in my head) leaps onto its back and smacks it hard against the head. The beast moans before finally collapsing with a thunderous crash.

In the silence that followed, broken only by our heavy breathing and the injured triangle's groans, I managed a disbelieving laugh and made the Final Fantasy victory sound. "Holy crap. Did we just..." Mini comes up to clap me on the back. "That was some good thinking there kid. Nice throw."

I'm somewhat giddy. Why wouldn't I be? I just fought a frickin' dinosaur! Wait. "Are there going to be more of these?" I ask worriedly. Mini nods. "Its very likely that they will have more beast guards. We will have to stay vigilant as we head to the inner chambers."

One of the others was checking on the injured shape. "He'll live but I doubt he'll be able to move for a while." We carefully move him into the book room and hide him the best we can. "We shall return for you later. Stay safe." He groans in response.

The group set off again, carefully and quietly. I'm worried again. Will we need to fight more dinosaurs? Good news and bad news. Good news, we didn't run into another dinosaur. Bad news, we ran into Bees.

"Not the BEES!" I wailed as I smacked them with my books. The others were struggling to hit such small and quick moving targets. Luckily, their stinger-points weren't strong enough to actually pierce through our shells but there were many of them and they were aiming for our eyes. I waved my book around with my eye closed shut and felt satisfied with every tiny thump I felt against it.

The buzzing finally died down and I carefully opened my eye to see twitching tangram insects littering the hallway. I was starting to get hungry again so before I was even thinking about how it might be a bad idea, I picked one up and ate it. I shivered as my bricks pulsed and began breaking it down. The hard outer shell was made of a pretty dense string of carbon, if what I'm tasting is correct.

Ooh, head rush. I lean heavily against the wall as the energy burns through me. Ok. Probably a bad idea. But I was hungry~ it didn't look like anyone noticed me eat one. That's good I guess.

We continue on through the halls, heading deeper into the building. Seriously how big is this place? We fought off some large attack dogs, a flock of...geese(?!) and some snakes. A heavy hard cover book was a surprisingly good weapon. I will deny it if anyone mentions I simply ran screaming away from the fight with the geese. Slander and LIES.

I'm glad there weren't anymore dinosaurs but it almost feels like the threat level was going down the further in we got. To be fair I guess the circles are afraid of keeping anything too dangerous close to them. At last we found a heavy metal door. Locked of course. For a second I wondered how we would get past it but Ninja pulled out a saw and cut AROUND the door. Well that was an obvious and yet often overlooked solution.

The door (along with most of the wall) fell away to reveal a group of circles huddling behind their desks. They weakly held up pathetic make-shift weapons (a fountain pen, a rolled up folder, etc) and tried to back away from the angry triangles advancing upon them. One got up to face us, I could tell he was afraid by the way his frame shook but he stood tall. "Please leave." He managed to say without any stutters.

"You're in no position to tell us what to do. Not anymore." Mini growled as he stepped closer, playing with his steel pipe. I was in the doorway, unsure and nervous. Fighting the animals was one thing. I'm not mentally prepared to kill another person. I've slaughter hundreds of bandits in Skyrim and other video games but...these were real people.

I winced as Mini struck the circle in the leg. I could hear it crack from back here. I could hear his cry of pain as he collapses to the ground. Mini stomps on the circle's side.

"Not so high and mighty now. Where's that superiority you're always preaching? What makes you think you're better than us?"

Even through his pain the circle still turns to stare up at Mini. "We keep things orderly. We keep you all SAFE. We know BETTER than you. You...brutes wouldn't know how to do anything without us." Mini kicks him in the eye. I whimper quietly and hide halfway behind the doorway.

"I could kill you right now. But I won't. Hey, tie them up and drag them outside. We're gonna show EVERYONE just how pathetic you all are."

The others start restraining the circles and dragging them out from under their desks. I just stayed back. I didn't want to be part of this. But I already am. This is my fault after all. I gave the Rebellion what they needed to kick start all this. Every time one of the circles struggled or tried to plead mercy, they were struck and I winced every time.

I stayed quiet as I followed them through the halls. Mini came to grab my hand. "Come on kid. You're the guest of honor here. None of this would be possible without your help. I know you're tired from working so hard. Just hold on a bit more. This'll be over soon and then we'll all be free."

I don't correct him as he drags me up front as they unlock and kick open the doors to the outside. The noise hits me immediately. The screaming and crashing. The absolute anarchy in the once orderly streets. Many eyes turn to stare at us when the doors open. I felt feverish and wasn't sure if it was due to nerves or my body still digesting that bee I ate earlier.

"Everyone! We have captured the circles! Look at them now! These shapes! These pathetic shapes were the ones in charge of everything!" Mini thunders into the crowd.

The circles were flung to the ground before us, crying out in pain as they hit the stone steps of the entrance. "Look at them! At how utterly WEAK they are. And yet, they wielded such POWER over us. Well I say NO MORE!"

Mini screamed and brought his pipe down on the head of the injured circle who'd tried to speak up against us. The circle's weak frame caved in with barely any resistance. I shrieked and jumped back at the sudden action. It was like watching an egg explode but more unsettling. Through my panic, the ever analytical part of my mind noted that yes, we do in fact have blood. A lot of it actually.

We seemed to be made almost entirely of blood actually. The broken shell of the circle's body cracking open to reveal a smashed up eye, some teeth, pulsing flesh and...so much blood. Do all shapes have such thin shells? I made distressed noises as I backed away from the quickly spreading pool of black liquid. His bricks were quickly losing their peach orange color.

I hear cheers and screams. Looking around the crowd I saw many shapes celebrating the brutal murder, but I saw a few who looked uneasy as well. They probably were dragged here by the others, forced to participate in this disgusting riot like I was. I tried to slip away, get off the top of the stairs and run home to hide but Mini grabs my arm and pulls me up to stand before the cheering crowd.

"This is the day of CHANGE! The day we can tell our children and grandchildren about how we took charge of our own lives and rejected the unfair rules we were forced to live under! And its all thanks to this brave Unnatural who gave us all the information and tools we needed to make this happen!"

All eyes were on me and I closed mine to try and escape from their gaze. No. No. Don't draw attention to me. I don't want to be here. I tried to back up, get away from their judgmental stares. My bricks were heating up the same way Zyun-Jan would get uncomfortably hot when she was forced to speak in front of a crowd. I can sing before people but public speaking was the WORST. "Come on kid. You can do the honors for the next one."

Mini puts something in my hand and I open my eye to see his pipe, still splattered with black blood. I started shaking. "N-no I...I can't do this." I drop the pipe but he just picks it back up and curls my hand around it.

"Come on kid. Keep the momentum going. This is your moment." Mini whispers to me before laughing loudly and addressing the crowd. "Ah, looks like the kid is nervous. All the excitement. Am I right?"

My hands shake. The circles are staring at me with fear. They look like they want to run, a few were already crying. The only reason they haven't moved yet is the triangles aiming the giant crossbow ballista at them, a huge arrow primed and ready to fire at any who try to make a break for it.

"I....I can't do this...I've never hurt...I've never killed anyone before..." I say weakly. There's a sense of vertigo, like the ground was lurching beneath my feet. My eye hurt, I was so tired, I just wanted to go home and sleep. I just wanted this all to end. Mini pats my side in what he probably thought would soothe my nerves.

"Hey, the first kill is always hard. But its just one. You don't have to kill the rest of them. Just one. Come on kid. Everyone's watching. You can't back down now."

"I can't. I just...can't."

"Kid?"

"I'm so scared..." I'm trembling and I nearly drop the pipe again.

"Kid. Remember why you're doing this. These...selfish shapes took you away from your family."

I blinked. Yes. That's right. That's the reason why I went through all this. Its for Will. So that we can be a family again.

"You only have to hit one of them, you don't even HAVE to kill him. Just one hit, and then you can go." Mini assures me.

Just...one hit. Just a light tap, I won't hurt them, at least I'll try not to. Then I can go home. My eye blinked rapidly as I tried to stay awake. Augh, the energy rush from that bee was running out and I was exhausted and hungry again. I slowly raised the pipe above me, the circles whimpered and flinched back with their eyes squeezed tight.

"What are you doing big brother?"

I froze. Lowering my pipe, I turn. No. No

NO. WHY?!

"Will...?"

There he was. My sweet little brother. Scared and unsure. He was clutching a small book that I recognized as one of the many storybooks I wrote for him. Why was he HERE!?

"What are you...Will I TOLD you to stay home!" I took a step towards him and he flinched back. I drop the pipe. No. No. No. "Will?"

I barely notice the rest of the crowd muttering in confusion at the interruption. "Will. Why are you here?!"

"Ah, I took the liberty of having your family brought here. Seeing as they were your motivation for joining us in the first place..." Mini says as he picks the pipe back up. What?!

I finally look away from Will to notice my parents were here. They were shuddering in fear as the tall isosceles triangle guards stood behind them. What?!

"Why would you bring them here?! It's fucking dangerous out here!" I turn to scream at Mini. He looks taken aback.

"But didn't you want them to watch your triumph? See you help create the new free world?"

"No! I wanted them SAFE!!!" I yell. "CHILDREN shouldn't be FORCED to watch shit like this!!" I point at the remains of the dead circle.

"...you don't have to be so ungrateful." Mini mutters.

Pure RAGE blazed through me. Ungrateful?! ME?! After ALL this fucking shit I've been through?! I haven't slept in like a WEEK! I didn't realize I said that out loud until Mini started patting me soothingly. "Kid. You're clearly delirious. You...should go sit down and try to calm yourself."

I was about to retort when one of the circles took his chance to try and run while we were all distracted. He makes a dash towards my family, likely hoping to hide behind them. The triangle on the ballista startled and the shot is accidentally fired. There's a sickening squelch sound and I could do nothing but watch.

My head pounds and the world lurches again. I feel numb. There's a loud screaming that I distantly realize was coming from me.

"AAAAaaaaaAaaaaaUUUUuuuuAAAAaaaaaaaGGGGGGGhhhhhh!!!!"

Everything is blurry, I blink the tears away as I scramble forwards and drop to my knees in front of...

"Will?" I croak.

He wasn't moving. Oh god. Oh no. No. No. No. No. NO. NO. NO. NO! NO!!

I sob as I reach out to hold him. He's still so small. I can still hold him in my arms. No. No. No. No. The black blood dribbles out of him, his beautiful color draining with it. (Why is our blood black? It doesn't feel like blood, feels almost like oil) No. No. No. No. This can't be happening. This can't be real. Please don't let this be real.

I think the grief was hitting me all at once. Not just from Will. My family from my first life. My friends. Everyone I ever loved. They're ALL gone. All of them. I've lost everyone. I scream and cradle Will's body. I never got to say good bye. Not to ANYONE. I never got to tell them how much I loved them.

No. No. No! No! No!! No....

The storybook I made for him was soaked with his blood, lying on the ground right next to me. I can't see enough through my tears to figure out which one it was. I can't see much of anything. I sob harder and harder.

There's a commotion around me. I hear people trying to talk to me but I can't make out their words over the pounding in my head. I feel someone grab my arm. I feel someone grab Will. WILL! NO! NO! YOU WON'T TAKE HIM FROM ME! I scream and snap at the hands. How dare they touch him?! How dare they try to take him from me?!?!?

There are more hands now. More voices shouting at me. I scream and scream and fight them off. No! Stop it! Stop trying to take him! He's MINE! There's so many hands. I can't fight them all off. I'm going to lose him again. I can't. I won't. Let. Them.

Looking back, I'm not sure if it was because I was insane from sleep deprivation. I'm not sure if it was because I was panicking with grief. Hell, maybe I was just hungry. But in that moment when I was sure I would lose Will, I fought to keep him in the only way I could think to do so.

I ate him.

He tasted faintly of wheat.

My bricks glowed blindingly with the sudden onslaught of energy, solid, non-processed food produced more heat upon digestion. I screamed in agony as my bricks burned at a temperature I'd never experienced before. It rose as each layer of the molecular chains were torn apart inside me from the temperature, the reactions chaining together into an ascending torrent of heat.

90 degrees fahrenheit

180 degrees fahrenheit

270 degrees fahrenheit

360 degrees fahrenheit

450 degrees fahrenheit

The book beside me ignited. Along with the rest of the world.

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