it and go. You know what you’ll be writing about next.”
The guy took the bag and ran with no hint at what he’d be writing next. While I was hoping it wasn’t what I thought it would be, I knew I was never lucky.
“Why have you left me for so long?” Professor Long asked me. I closed my eyes so I couldn’t see him. I didn’t want him near me, especially with his expensive cologne and aftershave permeating the air near me, making it hard to breathe. He seemed insulted as I turned away from his attempts to kiss me.
“Beatrice, if you don’t behave and listen, then I’ll be forced to do all the terrible things that I’ve dreamt of doing to you.”
“What do you plan on doing that you haven’t already done?” I asked him. He went into a far dark corner, and I began to look around. It was an empty mechanic’s garage. I had no idea what the significance of this place was, but it was eerie.
I didn’t want to stay here, but when Professor Long came out with his “plan” in his hands, I knew I’d never leave here. My ashes would be spread among the debris of this place…in his hands were gasoline as well as lighter fluid with a box of matches.
“Professor Long, please—” I wasn’t one to beg, but at this point it was time to swallow my pride and beg for my life.
“No, call me David. If we’re going to die together, we should be on a first name basis.”
“You’re a piece of shit! You know that?” I cried out as he began to create a trail of lighter fluid around the perimeter and stopped at my chair.
“Don’t do this! Don’t do this to me!” I begged.
I was in a position to beg. I didn’t want to die. Not like this. He poured me in gasoline, and I coughed up some as it tried to go down my throat. When I heard him light the first match, it failed to ignite. The next one broke, as did the three after that. I couldn’t believe this was happening. Every moment that went by made my heart beat faster knowing it may not be for much longer after this was done. I tried to imagine what it would be like to be burned alive, and it only made me feel weaker.
I couldn’t do this. I tried moving through the chair to loosen the ties. I had to get out of this. I had to survive. I couldn’t let him burn me to ashes. I wasn’t a phoenix. I wouldn’t be reborn among the flames. I would become nothing but dust, and I would remain that way for all of eternity.
Finally, a flame took to the match. He set it off in the farthest corner and doused himself in gasoline and began spraying the last of it in random places of the abandoned garage. I asked the Virgin Mary to pray for me. I said the Lord’s Prayer under my breath until I could smell the smoke. I said a few Hail Mary’s and prayed that something that I was raised to believe in would once be true. I wasn’t ready to meet my maker. I needed to continue to live. I wanted to go to Scotland and visit my grandmother. I wanted to do things. Damn, I wanted to do things still. I wanted to take back the things I had said to Splinter, and I needed to tell him I loved him. I had to do that. But as the smoke began to rise and the flames grew closer to me, I knew I wouldn’t get the chance to do those things. When I heard what sounded like a huge explosion, I screamed and allowed myself to cry. There was a lot of shouting and what sounded like a scuffle. Soon enough I heard a man screaming, burning alive, and smelled burning flesh for the first time. In a mask of smoke, someone came to me and cut me free, picked me up in their arms, and took me to safety.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“I want my brother,” I told him as I broke down into tears.
“Don’t worry, we’ll get you to your brother.” I cried onto his safety vest, and I took comfort in a man who’d saved me from certain death.
***
“Don’t worry, Bea. You’re alright. You’re safe now.”
“How do you know my name?” I asked him.
“I have good informants.”
“What is
The guy took the bag and ran with no hint at what he’d be writing next. While I was hoping it wasn’t what I thought it would be, I knew I was never lucky.
“Why have you left me for so long?” Professor Long asked me. I closed my eyes so I couldn’t see him. I didn’t want him near me, especially with his expensive cologne and aftershave permeating the air near me, making it hard to breathe. He seemed insulted as I turned away from his attempts to kiss me.
“Beatrice, if you don’t behave and listen, then I’ll be forced to do all the terrible things that I’ve dreamt of doing to you.”
“What do you plan on doing that you haven’t already done?” I asked him. He went into a far dark corner, and I began to look around. It was an empty mechanic’s garage. I had no idea what the significance of this place was, but it was eerie.
I didn’t want to stay here, but when Professor Long came out with his “plan” in his hands, I knew I’d never leave here. My ashes would be spread among the debris of this place…in his hands were gasoline as well as lighter fluid with a box of matches.
“Professor Long, please—” I wasn’t one to beg, but at this point it was time to swallow my pride and beg for my life.
“No, call me David. If we’re going to die together, we should be on a first name basis.”
“You’re a piece of shit! You know that?” I cried out as he began to create a trail of lighter fluid around the perimeter and stopped at my chair.
“Don’t do this! Don’t do this to me!” I begged.
I was in a position to beg. I didn’t want to die. Not like this. He poured me in gasoline, and I coughed up some as it tried to go down my throat. When I heard him light the first match, it failed to ignite. The next one broke, as did the three after that. I couldn’t believe this was happening. Every moment that went by made my heart beat faster knowing it may not be for much longer after this was done. I tried to imagine what it would be like to be burned alive, and it only made me feel weaker.
I couldn’t do this. I tried moving through the chair to loosen the ties. I had to get out of this. I had to survive. I couldn’t let him burn me to ashes. I wasn’t a phoenix. I wouldn’t be reborn among the flames. I would become nothing but dust, and I would remain that way for all of eternity.
Finally, a flame took to the match. He set it off in the farthest corner and doused himself in gasoline and began spraying the last of it in random places of the abandoned garage. I asked the Virgin Mary to pray for me. I said the Lord’s Prayer under my breath until I could smell the smoke. I said a few Hail Mary’s and prayed that something that I was raised to believe in would once be true. I wasn’t ready to meet my maker. I needed to continue to live. I wanted to go to Scotland and visit my grandmother. I wanted to do things. Damn, I wanted to do things still. I wanted to take back the things I had said to Splinter, and I needed to tell him I loved him. I had to do that. But as the smoke began to rise and the flames grew closer to me, I knew I wouldn’t get the chance to do those things. When I heard what sounded like a huge explosion, I screamed and allowed myself to cry. There was a lot of shouting and what sounded like a scuffle. Soon enough I heard a man screaming, burning alive, and smelled burning flesh for the first time. In a mask of smoke, someone came to me and cut me free, picked me up in their arms, and took me to safety.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“I want my brother,” I told him as I broke down into tears.
“Don’t worry, we’ll get you to your brother.” I cried onto his safety vest, and I took comfort in a man who’d saved me from certain death.
***
“Don’t worry, Bea. You’re alright. You’re safe now.”
“How do you know my name?” I asked him.
“I have good informants.”
“What is
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