Something New...
"Wow! I can feel it kickin'!" Mike was awestruck. The amazement reflected in his teethy grin as he pressed his hand to April's stomach. Never before had he witnessed an event as miraculous as this. Of course he had seen babies before. He had known Shadow since she was an infant. But to actually feel a life, moving around inside of its mother was something more exciting than any fight, meditation or event he'd ever experienced.
He pressed his cheek up against her belly, listening for a heartbeat. After a moment, his eyes widened with excitement. "Wait...I think I hear it!"
April smiled down at him. She had always wanted a child of her own, but she had never expected to become pregnant so quickly after the wedding. Then, when the doctor told her she had already been two months along before she had even walked down the isle, she was speechless.
She knew she was lucky. With that horrible ordeal they had all faced five months ago, it was a wonder that her baby hadn't suffered from the stress, or the strange food she had been forced to eat, or the explosion...She was relieved when the doctor told her that her baby was perfectly healthy.
Michaelangelo took April's hands, squeezing them gently. Needless to say, he was very excited about the new baby. He couldn't wait until it was born. He had already gone over everything in his mind that he wanted to do with this kid, all the wonderful sights he wanted to show it. "This is so awesome, April! So what are you gonna name it?"
April considered that for a moment. "Hmmm...I'm not sure, really. Casey and I haven't discussed it much."
Mike grinned. He had a few names picked out in his mind already, but he didn't want to pressure her. He knew she had a lot on her mind as it was. Hmmmm...how about Michaelangelo II?
A buzzing sound filled the room, startling Megan from her dreams. She glanced up at the alarm clock. Aw man, six o' clock already? She forced herself upright in bed, and turned off the alarm. So sleepy. She hadn't gotten much rest last night.
Dragging herself out of bed, she tiptoed across the hall to Raph's room. Cracking the door open, she peered inside. He was laying there silently, his eyes shut, his breathing steady and rythmical. She closed the door again and made her way to the linen closet, grabbing up a couple of towels before heading to the bathroom. She hated taking showers in the morning, but she knew that was the only way she'd be able to wake up enough to drag herself to work. She preferred to take them at night, as it helped calm her nerves after a hard day. Startling herself awake in the morning only made her tense.
She shut the door and hung the towels outside the shower. She turned on the water and began to undress, stopping at the mirror to stare at herself for a moment. God, I look horrible in the morning! Her hair was tangled, her eyelids were droopy, and there was a little pattern on her cheek from where the pillow case had left an indentation in her skin. Unable to bear the sight of herself any longer, she returned her attention toward the water.
Leo stood on the mat, stretching his arms over his head. It was morning, time to do his exercises. He picked up his katana and gripped it firmly in his hand. He began to swing it fiercely through the air, throwing in a couple of kicks here and there. He remembered his previous fight with Karai, how she had caught him off guard, almost beat him. Never again.
He noticed Donatello observing him silently from the doorway, and decided to ask him to join in. "Come on, Don, what do you say? Let's spar."
An uneasy look crept across Don's face. "I dunno..."
Leo threw down his sword. "Come on, Don, no weapons, just hand to hand stuff, you know, like the old days."
Don shook his head. "No, Leo, I'm really not in the mood."
"Come on, Don, ya gotta get back into the swing of things sometime. Besides, it'll be fun."
Donatello really didn't want to do this. His confidence had gone way down since his injury. His left hand was of almost no use to him anymore, and he would have to fight without it. He figured this would be the only way to get his brother off his back, however. Leo had been really pushing him lately. "Fine."
"Great.", Leo smiled and held up his fists, beckoning Don forward. "Ready?"
Raph woke up to silence. He lay there in bed for a moment, basking in the quiet of the morning. A ray of sunlight peeked in through the blinds, casting a yellow orange light on the sheets.
Time to get up. Man, do I hafta pee! He forced himself up out of bed and headed for the hallway. Shouldn't have drank all those beers!
After he had left the house last night, he wandered the streets for a while, trying to clear his head. He eventually ended up at Casey's, drowning his sorrows in a couple of drinks. Casey hadn't seemed to mind much. It appeared that he'd had a hard day too. It was so frustrating, the way everyone kept telling him and Megan what to do. I'm an adult, dammit! Who do they think they are? Splinter's lecture session flashed through his mind once again.
Raphael, I understand your feelings toward her, but remember that she is a human. You are animal."
"Yeah, Splinter, I know, but I'm also a mutant. I can do the same things humans can do, even mo-"
Splinter sighed. "Yes, we stand like humans, we talk like humans, we even think and feel as humans do, but we do not live as humans. Our domain is down below. We cannot live peacefully in the humans' world. We are...different.
Raph jumped up and began to pace the floor in disgust. "Yeah, Splinter, I know. But thanks for reminding me!"
The rat sat in calm silence as he raged on. "Ya know, you would think that after all this time of having to live in the stench and filth of the sewers, of having to live my life hiding behind the disguises, lurking in the shadows, after all this time of being misunderstood...you'd think you could be happy for me."
Splinter sighed again and looked at his pupil with a gentle calmness that reflected in his eyes. "Come, Raphael, sit down."
The turtle stared at him in contemplation for a moment before reluctantly doing as Splinter requested. The rat laid an aging hand on his. "I am very happy for you, Raphael. This is a joyous event indeed. It is wonderful to love and be loved. But there is also tremendous responsibility...”
Raph closed his eyes for a moment. Yeah...responsibility. He knew now what his sensei meant. He and Megan suddenly found themselves responsible for making one another happy, for fulfilling eachother's needs, for the house, for bills...
Almost too much responsibility. There was also the issue of his own insecurities about himself. He had never been close to a woman before. Would he even know what to do? Raph sighed and hurried down the hall to the bathroom.
He threw the door open, gaping in nervous excitement at the image within. "Raph!" Megan must have just gotten out of the shower. Her long hair dripped down her shoulders, the towel just barely covering her as she dried off. He stared at her for a moment, unable to take his eyes off of her.
Megan was slightly embarassed. She wrapped the towel around herself, her eyes wide with surprise.
"Uuuuhhhh...s...sorry.", Raph gulped down a lump in his throat and headed out the door.
Don balled up his good hand, and swung it at Leo, who dodged out of the way effortlessly. "Nice punch Don, but you're gonna have to do better than that."
Don frowned at him, and jumped out of the way of Leo's sweeping kick. "Same to you, leader boy!" He blocked a punch.
"Nice one, Donnie.", Leo egged him on, "But how about this one?" He faked a punch and came in with a roundhouse kick instead, catching Don off guard, and knocking him off balance.
Don stumbled backward, nearly falling. He hadn't been going to practices lately, and it was really starting to show. He knew that he needed to get back into the swing of things, but it was hard for him to compete with his brothers in his state. He was really self conscious of his condition, and he hated the idea of being looked at as crippled. He didn't want their sympathy, but he also didn't feel like he could be an important member of the team anymore either.
Leo wanted to apologize, to offer his brother his hand, but he knew that Don would only end up resenting that. He's gotta learn to do this on his own. I can't keep picking him up when he falls.
Don steadied himself and glared at Leo. "You call that a kick?" He rushed at Leo, kicking his foot into the air, in an attempt to make contact with his plastron. Leo dodged and blocked the kick, returning it with a punch of his own. Don raised his arm up just in time to block his brother's attack.
"Not bad, Donnie.", Leo nodded. He stood back in a ready stance again, waiting for his brother's next move. Don wished he had his bo right about now. The hard feel of the wood had always been a reassurance for him in times of doubt. Now, he couldn't even hold the thing to use it properly. He realized he may never be able to again.
Leo noticed a hint of sorrow in his brother's eyes. He wanted to ask him about it, to get Don to talk out his feelings, but he knew he wasn't ready. Give it some time.
Don straigtened himself again and contemplated his next move. Leo had always been the most skillfull fighter of the four, and now it was even harder to compete. He figured that maybe if he could catch his brother off guard, he could bring him down.
Splinter closed his eyes, breathing deeply as the images rushed into his mind once again. He found himself standing at the door of the small house. He stared at it in curiousity, noticing how the wood hadn't aged after all these years.
He wished he could return to this place, even if only for a little while. Things could have worked out differently. Maybe he could have prevented his master's death. But then I would have never met the turtles. What would have become of them? They need me. They are my sons. He stared up at the little windows, remembering how he had once lived within these walls, learning an ancient art from a man he had considered as a father.
He missed his master now more than ever. It had been over twenty two years since he'd seen him last, in that final, fateful hour. But what had brought him here? A sense of guilt? Loneliness? Was someone trying to get his attention?
He stepped away from the door and walked to the side of the house, peering in the window once again. The room remained dark, the object on the floor barely visible in the dwindling light. What can it be? I must know! Just then, a cold wind wipped around him, chilling him to the bone.
Casey laid his hand on April's stomach and kissed her gently on the cheek. "You be good in there.", he spoke to her belly. April smiled. She could sense that some of the old fire was returning in him. He seemed happier than he had been in a long time.
Casey stepped out onto the porch and shut the door. It was a beautiful morning. For beautiful new beginnings, he thought. He stared up into the sky for a moment, wincing slightly at the brightness of the sun. His head hurt a little. Maybe he'd had one too many beers last night with Raph.
He started down the stairs, remembering the shape the old apartment building had been in when they returned. Everything had been in shambles. Peices of their life had been strewn everywhere. It took a long time to pick up those peices again and move on, but now their lives finally seemed whole again. They were going to have a baby, a son of their very own. He thought about the significance of the idea. A little minature Casey Jones!
Now it was time to do his duty and go to work. Soon they would have an extra mouth to feed, and he was going to make sure that their happiness would never fade again. No matter what, he had to hold the peices together.
"Dammit!", Don roared. He sat on the floor in a ball, cradling his wounded hand. Leo rushed over to him, concern on his face as he checked to make sure his brother was okay.
"Sorry Donnie. I thought you would have seen that coming..." The turtle gazed up at him, pain in his eyes.
"I'm fine."
Leo wasn't so sure. "Look, Don, why don't you let Splinter check that out, okay?"
Don raised his voice and glared at his brother. "I said I'm fine!"
Leo took a step back and stared at Don in silence. Donatello slowly rose up to his feet, still cradling his hand, avoiding Leo's penetrating eyes.
After a moment's pause, Leo got into a ready stance again. "So...you wanna continue?"
Don took a deep breath. Pain coursed through his hand, and his temper boiled. He was frustrated at the immobile appendage, and even more irritated at his brother for being so hard to defeat. He didn't want to do this anymore, but he longed desperately to prove to Leo that he could beat him. "Let's go."
Michaelangelo grabbed his nunchuks and headed for the door. It was time once again for daily katas and excercises down in the lair. He was actually looking forward to it today. He had been working on a new move that he was dying to try on Leo. Heh, the dude'll never even know it's coming! An evil grin spread across his face as he hurried out the back to the sewers.
Don threw a punch that Leo blocked. He threw a side kick that Leo also blocked. It's no use! Still, he surged on, tyring every which angle to catch Leo off guard.
Leo continued to escape Don's attacks fairly effortlessly. He knew his brother was having a hard time, but he reminded himself that he couldn't go easy on him. He had to make him work for this if it was ever going to happen.
Don was getting aggravated and worn out. In a final effort, he mustered all of his strength, all of his skill, and lashed out at Leonardo, kicking with all of his might. Leo blocked and parried and brought his arm out for another attack. Don went down.
Leo stared at him, worried for a moment that Don might have been injured again, but he got up quickly.
"I've had enough.", he said in a low voice, avoiding Leo's eyes.
"But Don, I--"
"No, Leo, I said I've had enough. I'm finished."
Leo grabbed his arm. "Wait! C'mon, you're getting better. It's just going to take a little time."
Don snatched his arm away. "No, Leo. Don't you see? I can't do this!"
Michaelangelo entered the dojo with a grin on his face. His smile slowly faded, however as he caught site of his brothers arguing. Leo watched in concern as Don hurried past Mike and fled from the room.
Megan juggled the papers in her arms as she unlocked the door. It had been a long day. All she wanted to do now was take a nap. She figured that she had a couple of hours at least before Raph would get home. She dropped the papers on the floor and hung her coat up in the closet. It was unusually cold in here this evening, so she decided to light a fire. She hoisted a log into the fireplace and lit a match, kneeling before it in silence for a moment as she watched the wood catch on fire. The warmth and light it exuded had a comforting quality, reminding her once again of home, and a life she could never return to.
Her thoughts drifted to Raphael, to this morning. She let out a sigh and sat down on the couch. Her mind had been plagued with the events all day. It wasn't so much the fact that he had walkved in on her unexpectedly. The thing that had upset her was the way they had both reacted. They were two grown adults. So he saw her without her clothes on. Big deal. But it had been a big deal to both of them. They had both gotten embarassed, he had shut himself up in his room, and she had left the house without even saying good bye. How are we ever supposed to get past all this if I can't even let him see me naked?
It was a rough night. Where the crime had been lacking last night, tonight made up for it and then some. Casey and Raph had been tracking down theives and pickpockets all evening, and now they had spotted a mugger.
A man held a woman at knife point while her little child looked on in horror. "Mommy!" The kid wailed something awful, but no one even took a second look at the dark alleyway. Inside, Casey was burning. How could people be so thoughtless? So utterly uncaring and unfeeling? What if this had been April and Shadow out here? He shook the thoughts from his mind and headed down to the street to take care of business.
Raph followed close behind, the glint of the metal already visible under the moonlight as he held the sai ready. He wasn't going to play around this time. Someone's life was at stake. He just hoped that the guy wouldn't do anything stupid before he could stop him.
They hit the alleyway at a full run, quickly approaching the mugger. The man tried to escape, but before he knew what hit him, Raph lept at him, knocking him to the pavement. Casey approached the woman to make sure she was alright, but the frightened lady took one look at the hockey masked stranger, let out a shriek, grabbed her child and ran away. Casey contemplated following her, but as he spotted Raph's predicament, he decided against it.
Raph had the mugger pinned to the ground, his sai raised in anticipated glory. But the man had ideas of his own. "Get off me, you freak!" He caught Raph off guard, and slashed at his arm with the knife. The wound was deep. Gasping in pain, Raph let go of his hold a little; just enough for the man to throw him off and raise to his feet.
"What the hell are you anyway?", he called out, backing up. Raph glared up at him, the hatred in his eyes peircing deep into the night. Even Casey couldn't hold his gaze and was forced to look away.
Raph took a step forward.
"Get away from me, you freak of nature! Stay where you are!"
Raph wasn't listening. He took a few more steps forward, breathing heavily, the hate in his eyes so powerful now, Casey thought the heat from his glare might burn a hole through the man where he stood. He thought about trying to calm Raph down, but decided against it. He just hoped the turtle wouldn't chop the man into cube steak.
"You nasty, ugly freak! Where the hell did you come from? Are you some kind of demon from the pit of hell or something?"
The rage in Raphael built up until it was at its boiling point. "Something like that." A low, scratchy voice rose from the turtle's throat, informing Casey that something big was about to happen. Casey took a step toward him, in an attempt to calm him down, then stopped. Raph was going to do this with or without his consent, so he might as well stay out of the way.
Raph lept at the man, knocking him to the ground once again. He lifted the sai high into the air, and without a word, thrust it straight into the man's chest. "No one ever calls me a freak!", he spat.
"Master Splinter?" The rat opened his eyes to find Leo standing before him, an apprehensive look on his face.
"Yes, my son?"
"Have you been meditating all day, master?" Leo approached his sensei and joined him on the mat.
"Not the whole day, but most.", the rat answered wearily.
"What's wrong?" Leo was concerned. The only time he had seen Splinter meditate this long was when one of his brothers had been sick, or when something major was coming down. "Are you having some sort of premonition? Is something bad going to happen?"
Splinter sighed. "A premonition of sorts, yes, Leonardo. But it's meaning remains unclear. Do not be alarmed, my son. I am sure everything will be revealed to me shortly."
Leo stared at his sensei for a moment, trying to read his face, but found that Splinter was hiding his emotions well. What was going on lately? It seemed as though everyone had a chip on their shoulders, and Leo was the only one left completely in the dark.
"Was there something you wished to speak to me about, Leonardo?"
"Yes, master.", he rose his eyes to meet Splinter's again. "It's...well, it's about Don."
Splinter took a breath and let it out, coughing slightly. "Does Donatello worry you?"
"Yeah.", Leo studied his master's face again. And so do you. "It's just...well, he isn't himself right now."
Splinter nodded but said nothing.
"I mean, he doesn't come to practice anymore, he locks himself up in his room all day, and he's getting tempermental."
Splinter nodded again, and let out a little cough. He had been so busy dealing with his own problems lately, he had hardly noticed Don's condition. "I am sure he is frustrated. It can be hard when one has an ailment. He needs to regain his confidence."
"Yes master. That is why I've been trying to spar with him, to get him to open up a little. But I can tell he's got a lot on his mind. He wasn't sparring nearly up to par today, and he gave up way too quickly..."
Splinter laid a hand on his. "Just give Donatello some time, Leonardo. You must encourage him to participate, and show him that he can do it."
Leo nodded. "Do you think I was too hard on him today?"
Splinter shook his head. "Just remember to push him only as far as you know he is capable. Do not let him give up so easily next time."
Leonardo nodded in understanding. "Thanks Master Splinter."
The door burst open, waking Megan from her slumber. She sat up quickly, staring wide-eyed at the shadowy figure. "Raph?"
The turtle slammed the door behind him and stepped into the living room. He said nothing as he lowered to his knees by the fire, but Megan could tell that something was wrong.
"Raph? What is it?", she said gently, studying his sillhouette in the darkness.
Raph could hardly speak. "I...I killed someone." His voice was shaky and unstable. Megan held her stare on him. She envisioned his sai peircing into several of the Foot without hesitation. Yet, she sensed a tone of regret. Maybe there was more to it this time. But you've killed a lot of people....
"Raph...I--"
"H...he called me a...freak.", he started quietly. Megan rose from the couch and approached him slowly. "The son of a bitch called me an ugly freak of nature!", his voice rose as the memories flooded his mind. "He said I was a demon from the pit of hell!"
The orangey glow from the fire lit his face enough for her to see the hurt and anger reflected in his expression, from under the shadow of his hat. She understood now why he was so upset. "He made me so damn angry! I couldn't control myself!" He was mad at himself for losing his temper, and also enraged and hurt at the accusations. Megan lowered herself gently to sit next to him on the floor.
"But Raph..."
He turned to her suddenly, a look of defeat in his dark eyes. "Why Megan? Why are you even with me? I can't even..."
She opened her mouth to speak, but he continued. "Look at me, Megan! I'm a damn freak!" He held out his hands for a moment. "An ugly, deformed, monstrosity of a freak! And I can't even control my temper! I kill people!" What if I did something to you...
Tears began to form in her own eyes as she searched for the words to comfort him. She didn't know what to say. As she searched his face, she could see the tremendous hurt in his eyes.
"I mean, no wonder you can't bring yourself to..."
"Raph.", she whispered, holding back her grief. "How can you say those things?" He didn't answer. "How can you say that I shouldn't be with you?"
Again there was no answer.
"Look at me, Raph." She placed her finger under his chin and lifted it until his eyes, hiding under the brim of the hat, met hers. Tears had formed in their corners and began to roll down his cheeks. He didn't want her to see him this way. He had never let anyone see him cry, but yet, he couldn't take his eyes off of her. He couldn't push her away.
"Raph." She spoke gently, unaccusing as she gazed into his face. "You're not a freak.", she whispered. He stared at her in silence, taking a moment to absorb her words before lowering his eyes. "I...I love you Raph. You were beautifully made by nature. I love your eyes, the color of your skin, your shell...just you..."
With that, he looked her in the face again. Without words he rose up to his knees, staring at her intently. His pain and anger slowly started to melt away. She took his hands, squeezing them firmly but gently in hers, before whispering again, "You're not a freak, Raph."
Megan rose up as she lifted their hands, pressing their palms together as the firelight illuminated them. She lined her fingers up with his, examining both sets in the yellow light, then lovingly ran her fingers over his to feel the leathery smoothness of them.
Raph held his gaze on her, the tears that had been on his cheeks almost dry now. In the rosey glow, she looked almost surreal. Maybe he had been dreaming this all along. Maybe he would wake up soon to find that he had never even met her in the first place.
She brought her face close to his, the warmth of her breath assuring him that she was indeed real. His hands tingled at her touch. She was here with him, before the fire, giving of herself unconditionally.
They gazed into eachother's eyes, both knowing what the other was feeling. As they drew in closer to one another, Raph closed his eyes, and the heat of the fire burned within him.
"Master Splinter?" Mike entered the room and joined his brother and sensei on the mat. "Did I hear you coughing just now?"
The rat nodded slightly. "Yes, Michaelangelo. I seem to have a touch of a cold, but I will be fine."
"Cuz I could ask April for some cough syrup if ya want."
Leo glanced at Mike, a touch of worry highlighting his eyes. Mike returned the look, assured that Leo had something to tell him.
Splinter nodded. "Yes, Michaelangelo, that would be fine."
Mike rose to his feet and stretched. "Well, I better get going. I'm supposed to babysit Shadow tonight while April's at the doctor." He glanced at Leo one last time. "I'll be back tomorrow. I'll bring the cough syrup by for ya then, master."
"Goodbye Michaelangelo." He thought he could see a hint of sorrow in the rat's eyes for a brief second, but then it was replaced with a smile. What's going on? He figured he would have to wait until morning, when he could discuss it with Leo.
"Bye Mike." Leo nodded slightly, letting him know that he shared his thoughts.
Megan lifted the hat from Raph's head and tossed it across the room, where it landed gently on the couch. Raph grinned at her smooth move and wrapped his arms around her, lowering her to the floor. The fire created more shadows, highlighting the features of her face that he loved so much. He knelt over her and straddled her legs, before bending down to kiss her again.
"I love you...y'know...", he whispered in between breaths. I need your love to rescue me.
An excitement rushed through Megan as she felt the warmth of Raph's mouth on hers. She brought her hands up to cradle his head as she fidgeted with the knot on his bandana. Raph straightened up a little, allowing her to untie it and remove it from his face. She studied him for a moment, remembering when he'd saved her in the fortress - how she had marveled at the way he'd looked without his mask. His big brown eyes seemed gentle without it, almost peaceful...or maybe they just reflected what he was feeling inside for her right now.
Megan scooted back from between Raph's legs, and rose to her knees. She ran her fingers down his cheek, admiring his rugged charm. He was a reptile, but a cute one at that! Sensing Megan's desire, Raph scooted closer to her and began to lift her shirt.
A hint of self doubt crept up on him as he pulled the material up, revealing the flesh of her stomach. He looked her in the face, attempting to read her reaction, not sure whether he should be doing this. She smiled at him lightly, and lifted her arms; a sure sign that it was okay.
Raph tossed the shirt aside. He stared down at her exposed flesh for a moment, a lump forming in his throat. Memories from long ago, when he had rushed her to the lair in a mad panic to save her life entered his mind. He remembered tearing open her dress to tend to the big gaping wound between her breasts. He closed his eyes for a moment, attempting to push the thought from his mind.
Megan knew what was bothering him. She took his hand and laid it on the scar. "If anyone's a freak, it's me.", she whispered. Raph opened his eyes and stared down at her chest, running his finger down the length of it.
"Don't you say that, either...", he whispered. "It's just a scar. Scars can heal."
She stared up at him for a moment, noticing how the fire lit up the left side of his face. He kept his hand on her chest and brought his face to hers to kiss her again.
Megan hooked her thumb around the collar of Raph's jacket, pulling it from his right shoulder. He slid his arm out of the sleeve, revealing a strip of bloody gauze. It caught Megan's eye right away. "Raph, you've been hurt." The concern was apparent in her voice as she studied the wound.
He gazed down at her, not wanting this moment to end. "It's just a flesh wound.", he said softly. "It'll be fine."
She kept her eyes on it, wondering how a flesh wound could cause so much blood. "Are you sure, Raph? Cuz it looks--"
"I promise. It's fine.", he smiled down at her. "I'll let you get a look at it...later."
She turned her eyes toward his again, noticing how they burned like the fire. She pulled off the other sleeve and laid his jacket next to the shirt.
Raph grinned, hardly able to retain his composure as he stared at her. Was this finally going to happen? He wanted to let it go this time. With desire, Raph ran his hands along her arms, resting them at her shoulders for a moment. He marveled at the softness of her skin, the way her long hair hung down her back.
She gazed up at him, running her hands down his plastron, entranced at the solid feel of the hard shell. His eyes were fixed on her, passion burning brightly in them now.
Another surge of nervous energy rushed through him as he ran his hands slowly down her back, feeling for the bra hook. He studied her face for dissaproval, and when he got none, he slid the staps gently from her shoulders.
He found himself on the grassy hill, overlooking the small village below. The wind blew gently, ruffling his fur, but he ignored it. He was on a mission. Sighing, he turned back toward the little house, and began to make his descent. Who are you, and why are you bringing me here?
There was no reply as walked up to the door and reached out to grasp the handle. Perhaps his answers awaited inside. He hadn't tried this approach yet. But as soon as his hand made contact, the image blurred and faded slowly away before his eyes.
He found himself in the midst of a strange darkness. His body tingled with heat and feelings he couldn't quite explain. His eyes grew wide as he stared into a growing fire, the flames taunting him. He took a step back, but the fire was persistant. Hot, gaseous tongues shot up around him as the flames engulfed his body.
He opened his eyes. Gasping heavily, he stared around the room, trying to regain his bearings. Sweat dripped down his forehead, matting his fur. He rose his attention to the candles, fixing his eyes on the little flames, as one thought repeated itself over and over again in his mind. "Raphael."