Page 63 of Burn With Me

All of them had these perfect bright green lawns and pretty flowers. A father was out tossing a baseball with his son, and a mother was teaching her kid how to ride a bike.

I had to learn how to ride a bike on my own, and I fell off and scraped my hands and knees. I’d done it so many times, and all my mother said was, “Great, now your father is going to be pissed that you got a hole in your jeans. Clothing is expensive you know? Go get changed right now.”

I’d stopped at the mouth of the court. I watched as the car I’d been following drove up the driveway of a large home that backed onto a forest. A girl about my age came outside and crossed her arms over her chest like she was pissed off. I was too far away to know what was being said, but the two were clearly arguing.

Skulking about the park, I waited until it was dark before returning to the house and saw the garbage set outside for pick up the next day. It took some digging, but I found what I needed. I hit the jackpot when I grabbed an electricity bill that had both Vivian’s name on it and a man’s name. Vivian and Nicholas Clarke.

It took me a couple more weeks to make my plan, and while I did, I learned everything about the family. I followed them to work, and as it turned out, Nicholas Clarke was a judge in family court.

I sat in the back row and watched the man work. One person after another listened to the gut-punch stories about abuse, but as long as the parents said they were enrolled in programs, he would be lenient and give them another chance with their children.

Was he blind?

Didn’t he see that all he was doing was putting those children right back into the hands of monsters?

Most were not as terrible as my father, but some were, and some were worse. I saw the fear in their eyes. They were a mirror of my own soul. It was the same look I’d get every time my father stepped foot in our home.

He couldn’t be allowed to continue this. Neither of them could. It was their fault and people like them that forced all of us kids to endure more fear than they could ever imagine. Meanwhile, they would go home to their loved ones, drink beer, and eat fancy foods. We were not really a concern to them. No, we were a job to leave at the door, and the faster they could push us through, the quicker they could move on to the next.

The hatred burned like a fire in my gut, and it was then that I knew what I needed to do. They wouldn’t live much longer. I’d make sure of it.

Vivian looked so peaceful when I walked into the room and ever so gently laid the rag over her face with the chemical that would force her to sleep while the house was lit. I did the same to Nicholas and stepped back to watch them breathe in the fumes.

I’d had to break into a vet clinic to get what I needed, but I didn’t care if I got caught now. This was my mission, and I wouldn’t stop until they were wiped off the face of the planet.

Jerking, my mind came back to the present. I stared at the top sheet and quickly thumbed through the paperwork. There was a picture near the back pinned to one of the pages, and there she was, the teen from the home of Vivian and Nicholas. I pulled out another picture and held it up, my eyes bouncing between the two as my pulse began to race.

“Well, what do we have here? The lone survivor and a twist of fate have brought us back together. Violet Clarke, it looks like we were destined to meet again,” I whispered into the darkness, and a smirk curled at the corner of my mouth.

Asher

Making sure that the blankets were wrapped snuggly around Vi to keep her warm, I slipped from the bed. I stared down at her sleeping form and was still shocked that I was okay with this. It was strange to have someone other than myself in my home. Maybe it was because of the abuse, or maybe I would’ve always been a loner, but normally anyone else in the house at night would make me restless.

Vi’s presence didn’t do that.

In fact, I felt calmer with her here.

Pulling on a pair of track pants, I headed to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water before making my way to the piles on the table. I had a theory, and the way that we were searching the fires now wasn’t helping prove it.

I put all the folders into one pile and started over. Skimming through the entire report and witness statements, I didn’t see the needed pattern. It was not in the photos or the write-ups. Opening the next folder, I didn’t see anything either, but the third one made me pause. My fingers skimmed over the report as my eyes followed along, and I quickly flipped to the police report that was attached.

“There it is,” I whispered.

Placing that folder into a separate pile, I moved on.

“Hey, is everything okay,” Vi said, her sleepy voice coming from the hall as she slowly walked toward me. Glancing at the time, I realized that I’d been at this for just over an hour already. She didn’t hesitate to slip her arms around my waist and lay her head against my back. I smiled at the gesture.

“Yeah, I think I’m on to something,” I said as she moved.

She stopped after she was standing by my side. I pulled her into me, suddenly not wanting to be without her touch. As she looked up, I kissed her forehead and took a moment to study her face.

“You okay?”

Vi nodded.

“You know, I think I’m better than okay. My chest doesn’t feel tight for the first time in years. I don’t know what kind of magic you have, but it helped. I’m sorry you had to see that, though. It wasn’t exactly my finest moment,” she said, looking away from my eyes.

“No, don’t be sorry. What we did is the closest that two people can get to bare their souls to one another. I’m honored that you trusted me with your past and your pain.” I gave her shoulder a squeeze, and she laid her head against my chest.