Page 78 of Boundaries

“Really? So, they come back to the scene of the crime?” I questioned thinking how dumb that sounded.

He nodded. “Yes, otherwise what’s the point? They get off on seeing the destruction they’ve caused. Not always but usually. In targeted attacks anyway. Arsonists have a sickness.”

I took in what he had said before taking a selfie on my phone. He was an older chap but I accepted his offer for a photo anyway as I didn’t want to offend him. Eventually, I managed to pry Betty out of the back of the unit. She was speaking to one of the younger fitter firemen. Oh dear, James was a forgotten thing of the past it appeared.

The vibe in the village was happy and fresh and it was just what I needed to take the Mason edge off things.

The next hour or so ticked by. Betty, Chrissy, and I mingled with a couple of the village lads, two of whom I went to school with, but I didn’t really know that well. My cousin Wynter and her brother Mark were there and we spoke briefly about our parents and what we were doing at Christmas time.

Once the time was right, we visited the tent containing the booze and I bought us all a pint of beer each. The cool amber liquid was so refreshing in the heat of the bright sunshine.

Another hour or so passed with laughing, drinking and general chit chat. People circling in and out of our group and we set up a base on the corner of the green. Sitting on the grass, and people watching.

Chrissy and Betty were commenting on the poor choices made by some of the younger girls in respect of their clothing and I laughed along but wasn’t really that interested.

After my third pint, I needed to pee and I set off toward the port-aloo blocks. I hated those types of toilets but when you’ve got to go, you’ve got to go.

On my way back, I had to cross one of the blocked off roads and a van suddenly pulled out in front of me. I didn’t recognise it and my heart thumped against my ribcage, having almost been run over.

“You’re not supposed to be here, this is a no thru road today,” I scolded as a guy jumped down from the driver’s side.

It was Jonathan Proctor. Great. Now I had to have a conversation with him.

“Sorry, I didn’t see you. We’ve been allowed through to set up our stuff for tonight,” Jonathan said, his beady eyes roaming up and down my body. He was the strangest and more socially awkward out of the two brothers.

I felt uncomfortable and tugged at my skirt.

“Oh, it’s fine. You just almost ran me over,” I pointed out with a flick of my head, turning to eye his strange coloured van.

“Nice van,” I added with a hint of sarcasm.

Jonathan’s twin Tyler suddenly appeared around the other side of the van.

“Yeah, sorry. My brother is shit at driving. You like the colour?” Tyler smirked. Although identical, Tyler had teeth missing at the front and that was the only way you could tell them apart. Well, that and Jonathan’s bad hand.

“Arizona orange,” Jonathan supplied with a grin, “or burnt orange, take your pick.”

An orange van, it was hideous. I shot them both the most realistic smile I could muster. I hadn’t really seen them since our BBQ. That night when Seth had gotten ill.

Their appearance reminded me of that night and the fact that Mason and I had never gotten to the bottom of what had happened there. A strange thought came to mind as I looked at the two boys before me. They were the only people at the party that I didn’t know that well, apart from Nixon’s squaddie friends. Did they have something to do with what had happened to Seth?

I realised no one was speaking and they were now just watching me with strange expressions.

“Yes, it’s different. The colour I mean. What are you here to set up for?” I questioned, my frown creating a groove in my forehead.

“We’re starting the bonfire later. We do it every year, you know that,” Tyler said with a toothless smile. And why the heck would I know something as unexciting as that?

Jonathan rubbed the back of his neck and it was the first time I noticed that the marks on his hand appeared to be burns. Obviously not very good at the job then mate if you couldn’t do it without setting fire to yourself. I thought back to what Betty had once said about the boys self-harming.

Pushing off the thought, I smoothed back my hair and nodded as if the penny had dropped. The Protector boys were losers and I rarely mixed with losers unless my parents forced us to include them for their ulterior motives. My dad had been after their mother’s land for years.

“Well, good luck getting that bad boy started. I’m looking forward to it, see you later,” I almost stuttered, desperate to be away from them.

Before I could move away, Jonathan stepped closer, “You staying all night?”

I shrugged, “I’m not sure, why?”

“Well, I know your parents are away and heard your brother saying he was stopping at his lovers tonight. If you can call it that. Why don’t we take you home later, we could have a few drinks at yours. Will your sex-on-legs sister be there?”

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