Chilling Grasp

[Sorry for the long break between books, forgot about this account until I got a flash of inspiration.]

"Yo, let's head home."

I wake up groggilly from my nap.

"Wha- the bell rung?"

"Yeah, let's go. I'm surprised I didn't fall asleep right along with you to be honest. Mr Granz has a talent for putting people to sleep."

I lift up my head out of a small puddle of drool, and wipe my face.

"Sweet dreams? Seems like you were really knocked out there."

"Nah, I didn't have a dream. Let's go already, before we get locked in by the custodians."

I grab my bag, and leave the classroom. I look back for a second, my gaze lingering on my desk for a second, but turn away and leave right after.

"You down to go play some video games?"

"You already know the answer. Which one though? I'm not playing smash, and siege has already cost me 2 controllers."

"Nah, new game coming out. It's call jujutsu kaisen, cursed clash."

"Jujutsu kaisen? Didn't know that a game was made. How much is it?"

"70$."

"70$?! Didn't actual good games cost 60? When did the prices raise so much? I'm not buying that. You're gonna have to buy it and we can play it split screen or something."

"Nah, you gotta buy it! It's actually good! Trust me, we'll be playing it all day. It'll become the new prime fortnite!"

"You're only saying that because you can see your 'glorious blue-eyed king" gojo alive again. Sukuna is better anyways. Is sukuna even in the game?"

"He is."

"I'll buy it, but I choose next game."

"Deal."

"I didn't forget what you said though! Gojo will return! He only lost to fraudkuna because of plot!"

"Don't you mean Go/Jo?"

"Fuck off. He'll return and dogwalk sukuna."

"Okay, I'll leave you to your delusions. Hop on the game when you're done coping though."

"Alright, I'll see you later."

He walks off, and I walk toward my house. After a 15 minute walk, I arrive home. I use my keys to unlock the door and head inside.

"How was your day?"

A voice comes from the dining room.

"It went good, mama. How was yours?"

"It was fine. Can you do me a favor and wash the dishes?"

"Sure. If there's anything else, please let me know now. I'm planning to hop on the game after this."

"Aslong as you have your homework finished, it's fine."

I walk over to the sink, and wash the dishes.

"I'm done, call me if you need anything."

"I will, thank you."

"No problem."

I walk over to my room, and take off my shoes. I set down my bookbag, and turn on my Xbox. As I open the TV, before I can change the input to hdmi from TV, a new report pops up.

'Breaking News! A series of houses have been exploding due to faulty pipelines! For precautions to take to prevent this from happening to you, call a plumber, or someone certified and trained to examine pipes to examine yours to see if you are at risk.'

"Wow, that's crazy."

I swap the input to hdmi and am taken to the Xbox home page. The second I open it, I see a party request. Probably from my friend. I put on my headset, and enter the party.

"Bro, it's been 30 minutes! Did you get hit by a car or something?"

"Nah, just had to wash the dishes. Speaking of, I'm kind of hungry, I'm gonna go cook something real quick. I'll be back in 5."

"Back in 5? I won't fall for that trap again! Hurry up and make something so we can hop on the game."

I walk away from the console, and enter the kitchen. Not to brag, but I'm a great cook.

'Should I make eggs? Never too late for breakfast I guess.'

I grab 2 eggs from the fridge, take a frying pan from the cabinet, and turn on the fire.

Wonder if Sunnyside up are better than fr-

*BOOM*

everything goes white.

A searing heat, hotter than anything I've ever felt in my life covers me.

A ragged scream attempts to escape my throat, but nothing comes out.

'I can't breathe. Why is it so hot?'

The pain gets worse, until it suddenly stops.

I still can't breathe. I attempt to stand, but my legs won't move.

'Am I... burning to death? Why?! I'm too young to die!'

A overwhelming urge to sleep over takes me.

Is this death?

I am unable to resist the call of the siren, and close my eyes for the last time.

"There's a survivor! Take him to the ambulance!"

A flash of voices move past me.

'I'm tired, let me sleep.'

I feel myself being picked up, and put into some sort of vehicle. I try to open my eyes, but see the sky one second, and artificial lights the next. I attempt to say something.

"Whe-re am i?"

My voice comes out raspy as if I haven't spoken in a decade.

"He's responsive! Call the doctor!"

A woman in white scrubs yells out. A few minutes later, a man I presume to be a doctor is before me.

"I'm glad that you're awake. Normally, I would ask for your name, but seeing as your voice sounds, I'll leave that until after you've potentially recovered. EMT's found you within a burning school. You were one of the only survivors."

'A school? I could've sworn I was in my house when it happened.'

"You've been in a short coma for around 4 days. If there's anyone that you want us to call, you can attempt to write out their telephone numbers, and we'll call them."

My mind immediately thinks of my mother. Is she okay? She was there in the house when everything went to hell, wasn't she. Is she okay?

The doctor immediately hands me a piece of paper and a pen, and I attempt to write my mother's phone number. My hands are shaky, and my handwriting almost illegible, but it's enough. I look at my hands. They look like I've stuck them directly within a campfire for a minute. Is the rest of my body this heavily scarred?

"We'll call that number right now."

The doctor walks over to a line phone on the other side of the room, and inputs the number. After a moment, he hangs up and walks back to my bed.

"I'm sorry to inform you, but that number isn't in service. Are there any other numbers you want to call?"

'Number not in service? Was her phone destroyed? Is she okay?! I need to find out.'

I write down the number of my friend also, but to no avail. The same thing happens as last time. I feel like the air around me grows increasingly hot, hot enough for me to feel like I'm back in that fire. It grows stronger, stronger and stron-

"I'm sorry, but if there isn't anyone else you want to call, then i recommend you rest. If you need anything, press the red button on the bed."

He tells me this, before he walks out.