Heres another chapter of Burning Souls. Sorry for those who were reading Want. I've recently stopped working on it. Why? Well, I was about to start writing it when something horrid happened, leaving me confused and heartbroken. So even though this one doesn't seemed as well liked, the only thing I can seem to write at the moment is stuff I feel... and since this involves stuff I know more about, its what I'm doing. I think soon as I get better I'll start working on Want again... thanks...

r&r

Warning: drug use.

Chapter 3

Torture of the Soul

The day passed by slowly. I did nothing but lay in bed hoping the pain and sickness would eventually go away. The sickness from my hangover eventually did, but the mental pain stayed.

Finally the sun began to set, and I found myself, once again, getting ready to leave. After dressing, and fixing my disguise I headed out the door. I walked down the streets towards the bar, my feet dragging the whole way.

When I reached the bars entrance I stopped. Do I really want to wake up tomorrow, puking? I didn't. So I kept walking.

The sun had now completly set, and the moon shined bright above me. By this time I had led myself deep into the city, the moon and streetlights guiding me. My head was hung low, and my eyes were shut. Inside I hoped I would accidently step into the street, and be struck by a moving vehicle.

"Zim?"

I heard my name and lifted my head, searching for the person that called me.

"Zim! It is you!"

I raised a brow as a young man with red hair rushed towards me. I made no attempt to move, that is, until he wrapped his arms around me.

"What the hell?" I shoved him off.

"Its me Zim! Don't you remember? Keef?" His voice was filled with excitment.

Shit... I had no desire to speak with this guy. But the lonely feelings inside swelled, and I decided to stay.

"How've you been?" he grinned.

"Good I guess..." I mumbled.

"What are you doing out here? You don't live anywhere close to here."

I shrugged.

His grin changed to a more devious one, "Why don't you come stay with me tonight? I have a couch you can sleep on. It'd be much better than you walking all the way home."

I internally sighed. I didn't really want to. But he was right. It was getting very late, and I didn't really want to walk home. "I guess I could..."

"Great! Follow me!"

I followed him as he led me to his home. We only walked a few blocked before coming to an apartment complex. We entered, walked up a few flights of stairs before finally stopping in front of a door. I watched him pulled a set of keys from his pocket and open the door. We entered.

"Well, this is it. Make yourself at home."

I watched him walk into a back room, that I guessed was his bedroom. As I waited for his return I took a seat on his couch. I sighed deeply and lowered my head to my hands. When he re-entered the living room I didn't bother looking up.

"You look depressed." he told me. "I got something to fix that."

I looked up at him. In his hand he held a small glass object. He walked over and sat next to me. I watched him raise the object to his mouth. He grabbed a lighter off the table and lit the stuff in the hollowed out bowl in the end of it. He sucked, inhaling deeply.

"Here." He handed it to me. I stared at him for a moment until he finally exhaled, blowing out a strong smelling smoke. It was something I had smelled before in the past, but had never expirienced, or even knew what caused it.

"What is this?" I asked looking down at the glass object, that I now knew was some kind of pipe.

"Pot, dude. Have you never done it?" He gave me a wierd look as I shook my head. I continued to stare at the pipe until I heard him say, "Well, if you ain't gonna try it, give it back."

Again, I shook my head then lifted it to my mouth. I Mimiced what he had done earlier. But unlike him, I choked at I blew the smoke back out.

As I continued to hack he took it back, taking another puff from it. We passed it back in forth for awhile, until he declared it was all gone.

I leaned back and closed my eyes. The room was spinning. But it wasn't causing me to be sick like the alcohol had. And I had no pain left. Hell, I didn't feel anything. I couldn't even think about anything. Everytime I tried my mind strayed.

So I just say there, until I felt a pair of lips on mine.

My eyes popped opened, and I pushed the boy off me.

"What the fuck!" I said as I attempted to stand.

Keef's eyes met mine, they were blood-shot. "I'm sorry." He said.

"Well... well... you... should be..." It was hard to talk, I could bearly think of words to say, and I had an overwhelming dryness in my mouth.

"So I guess... your not gay?"

"Gay?" I was confused. "Zim is not gay!" I screamed.

"Then are you a virgin?" he asked.

"Virgin?" At the time I had no idea what that was. Sure I had heard the word before back in highschool, but I never bothered to learn what it meant.

"Sex Zim. Have you ever had sex with a girl?"

My eyes widened. "What? ... Sex...? no..." I stuttered trying to process what was being said.

Keef shook his head before standing and leaving the room. I continued to stand there, trying to keep myself from falling over. When he came back he threw a pillow and blanket on the couch. "You can still stay here." He left again.

I continued to stand until I couldn't anymore. He wasn't coming back.

I layed myself out on the couch, and closed my eyes.

"Gaz... " Was the last thing that escaped my lips as I fell asleep.

After that night I realized I was just another tortured soul, doing anything to forget about it.