The Arsonist

Sophia sat at the bus stop, eyes glazed over. Her bus would be there soon. She could board, go to work, live her life, but what was the point? She felt empty, hollowed out from sadness. She knew there was only one thing that would make her feel better when she got this way, but she was conflicted about it.

It was becoming obvious that she’d made promises that she couldn’t keep. To her credit she had really tried, and if…

Sophia shook her head, hoping the thoughts would be flung from her mind. It didn’t matter. It had happened and she couldn’t keep her promises. One of them would be broken today.

She’d gotten here early, her water bottle filled with gasoline. She’d poked a hole in the bottom of it and just let it leak, a thin, unnoticeable line. Sophia crossed the street, trailing the liquid in a line at the crosswalk, then she returned to the other side, following the box of walkways before returning to her seat at the stop. Her bus came and went, driving through the gasoline.

Lucky bastards. They could just get on with things. Sophia sighed, taking in a deep breath. She didn’t have to do this, there was always the other option. This had always brought her joy in the past and honestly, she wanted to know if it still would. Was she numb, dead inside? No. If she were already dead she wouldn’t have this searing hot pain in her soul.

No one was paying attention to her, and that was fine. Sophia lit a match and dropped it on the ground. Flame instantly sparked, catching on the gasoline. The stoplight was red which meant there were cars and busses stopped. Cars never stopped where they were supposed to – each one was in the pedestrian’s walkway.

The fire lit beneath each of the vehicles in seconds, bringing a slight smile to Sophia’s face. She stood and slowly walked away as the fires raged behind her. She could watch the rest of it from further back. The fire continued before any passersby noticed. The cars at the opposite intersection had started to catch, the box of crosswalk now a box of fire.

The screaming started about the same time that one of the vehicles blew up. It had been so long since Sophia had heard terror like that, and she had to admit, some of that twisted joy was coming back.

God it was beautiful. Tires were melting, screams filled the atmosphere, and the smoke was thicker than she’d seen in recent years. It was doubtful that anyone would die from the flames. Safety was a big concern nowadays, and the car companies didn’t want to be held liable for death in the event someone was trapped in a burning car. The smoke was drifting up in the sky, so very few would die from inhalation or ash, but there was chaos.

This is why Sophia burned things. She wasn’t the villain–no. The only thing Sophia was guilty of was property damage. That’s the way it works though, isn’t it? You set a fire and then all of the good little people kill each other in a stampede to escape. She couldn’t help but laugh. Oh, this was great. She could feel that tear in her soul mending already!

Sirens welled in the distance, getting closer. It was time for her to go, but she didn’t want to leave. That’s the problem with Sophia’s vice–the powers at be know she wants to stay and watch it. Everyone here would be a suspect. She calmly walked away, blending in with the crowd.

Sophia was downright giddy. She’d had a plan to announce her return, and it would be her biggest yet. There was a car parked along a side street. She smashed the window and hot-wired it, a trick she’d learned long ago. She drove like mad, no one stopping her. Everyone would be on alert because of the fires, but no one expected her to be on the move.

She followed the route she had planned and pulled over. Sophia poured gasoline into the car, letting it slosh onto the street. With a smile she tossed another match and ran. The car exploded, but by then she was at a safe distance. Sophia ran like hell as people walked out of their building to see what happened.

Okay, so they were going to die, but they probably deserved it. Sophia had met very few people who lived to adulthood and still deserved to live. In fact, she had met only one, but she wasn’t thinking about that right now.

The flame spread wildly and there was a much larger explosion once the fire caught the gas line. What idiot decided to put that under the road?

There was one more fire that needed to be set. Sophia looked around, trying to see what she could find quickly. Some hippie had ridden his bicycle to work and parked it in a parking space. It was cute, really, but mostly it was fast. Sophia hopped on the bicycle and rode toward her destination. It wasn’t far, and she only had the one bottle left anyway.

She stopped short at the shopping center. Her fires were already on the news. Sophia smiled ear to ear as she poured out the last of the gasoline. This one wouldn’t be a big fire, but the wind was blowing just right to make the statement she needed. For the last time today, Sophia dropped a match and let the fire burn.

By the time she got home her handiwork was featured on every news outlet. She was even trending on Twitter! #theArsonistReturns. People were speculating about it. Was it a copycat? Is the Arsonist back? Why did they return after all these years?

Oh yeah, she was back, and more alive than she’d ever been.