Page 61 of Fragments
My eyes widen as I watch the glow grow bigger, spreadingfaster, from curtain set to curtain set. A piece breaks off and falls to the floor, igniting the carpet.
Whoosh!That one goes up fast, too.
Wow… It’s so bright. So beautiful.
Standing inside, I’m surrounded by dazzling fire for far too long, until the entire inside of the downstairs is engulfed in flames, the heat kissing my face and hands. Walking backwards, toward the front door, I don’t want to take my eyes off the roaring glow, but I have to. I step outside just in time to see a curtain rod fall, the fire spreading up through the ceiling.
Fuck. Shit.
Get the fuck out…
I leave the house running, the frantic beeping of the fire alarm ringing in my head and synching with my heartbeat.It might wake my parents…
Regardless, I know I should get far away. But I want to watch this.
This is my creation. My art… It’s gorgeous.
I decide to duck between two parked cars across the street, just to see how long it takes the fire department to arrive. The house isfilledwith rippling orange now, smoke coming from a few open windows. I still don’t see my parents…
The thing is, I’ve never thought of murdering them before. I didn’t dream of stabbing, poisoning, or choking them to death.
Butthisis fate.
If I’m meant to take their lives, it’ll be in a blazing spectacle of the part of me they’ve always hated most… my fire.
The flames of my soul, a wild, unkempt roar.
Sirens blare from off in the distance, but I hear crashing inside the house. They’re far too late.
A sinister smile passes over my lips.
Goodbye, Mr. and Mrs. Xavier.
Enjoy the burn.
“I told you, I was atwork,” I grumble, rubbing my tired eyes.
The NYPD Detective nods, jotting down everything I say. “Which is… where again?”
“Club Edge,” I sigh. “On 51stand 9th.”
“And you left there at what time?”
I’m sure he’s asking me the same questions over and over in an attempt to trip me up, but it’s not working. I have an alibi. For now… unless they’re able to tell when the fire started down to the minute. I’m not sure if that’s possible.I guess we’ll see.
They’re probably going to find signs of accelerant, anyway… And when they do, I’m sure I’ll be the prime suspect.
“One-thirty,” I tell him again. “I stopped and got a hot dog, ate it by the park. Then I went home. That’s when I saw all the commotion.”
Letting out a breath, I put on my most shocked and devastated face. My parents are dead, after all. The house I’ve lived in my whole life burned down.
I’msad.
The detective peers up at me from his notepad. “Alright, Mr. Xavier, you’re free to go. We’ll be in touch.”
In touch… Bite me.
I leave the police department feeling like the cloud of black smoke is surrounding me. Following me everywhere I go.
