Fire

The sound was like music to her ears. An orchestrated masterpiece. One pop. Two pop. Three. A crackle there and another here. A loud snap and a grand boom for the finale.

Encore! Encore! Encore!

She smiled wide. Her eyes shone bright. She danced and jumped and swung her arms wildly around her, mimicking the movement of the flames. It might have been the most joyous moment of her life. She finally felt free. She was free.

The flickering flames lit up the surrounding area and cast long, dark shadows across the gathering crowd, hiding the contorted and judgmental faces of those watching.

Isn’t it lovely? Isn’t it beautiful?

She laughed wickedly, filling the silence around her. She danced more and more spinning in erratic circles. Her fingers would brush against the flames, burning them little by little with every touch. She slowly came to a stop, standing there admiring the gallantly burning fire. She dropped to the ground trying to catch her breath, her chest quickly rising and falling.

They deserved it. They all deserved it.

She was roughly pulled to her feet by a pair of hands on each arm. She dropped her head back to look at the two officers dragging her away from the burning structure. They begin to read her her rights, as if she was listening. She laughed maniacally, occasionally coughing due to the smoke, as they brought her to the police car.

“She’s a fucking nutjob.”

“Just cuff her and put her in the car.”

The crowd cheered as the car pulled away from the scene. She looked out the window and marveled at the sight.

Look how they cheer for me! Look! Look!

She watched admirably as the crowd suddenly turned toward the fire and became silent. The fire has fully engulfed the building, forcing it to crumble to the ground.