Page 11 of Burn for Me

The man humphed Bill over his shoulder before looking back at the house, his eyes seemingly meeting mine through the circular windows of his mask. He carried Bill as easily as if he were a child, his thick arm slung around Bill’s limp thighs.

He came back into the house.

Fear warred with hope.

There were only two options; he’d save me or kill me.

My room was half ablaze, my suitcases melting as the fire greedily devoured them.

Massimo’s letters curled and blackened on my bed, my mother’s false words burning away by the second. The window beckoned me. If I didn’t survive the fall, I could only hope it would be a quicker death than being burnt alive on my bedroom floor.

With a grunt, I gathered my remaining strength and hauled myself up onto the windowsill, wincing as the strain brought a dizzying wave of pain that made my head spin.

My arms trembled as I tried to force myself the last few inches out the window, fear crippling my efforts.

A crash nearby had me glancing over my shoulder.

He was by the bed, throwing Bill’s body at my feet.

I hesitated on the edge. Would he help me, or should I take my chance with the drop?

He didn’t give me a second to think about it. Yanking me back into the room, he pressed me to his chest and scooped me up. The flames licked at my skin as he ran back through my home, the walls no longer any shade of white, but a mix of orange and yellow and black.

And red.

So much red.

The tears tumbled afresh as we burst out into the evening.

‘Thank you,’ I mumbled. ‘I need to call the police. He killed my family.’

The masked man neither stopped nor answered me.

‘Please? I need your help.’

My head spun as I tried to focus on his face, my eyes itching with theeffort.

He righted his bike with one hand before sitting me over the saddle.

‘No,’ I said, shaking my head. ‘Put me down.’

But I had no fight left to give.

He forced a helmet over my face, my hair obscuring my vision.

‘Stop!’

I tried to shout, but my voice failed me, and all that emerged was a crackled whisper.

The bike roared as he took his place behind me, something tightening around my stomach and holding me to him.

I wanted to fight the wave of black that tore over me, but it drew me into the darkness.

Alone.

SIX

Phoenix

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