The Fire Starter

by Misty Wright

  There was another howl and I almost jumped from surprise. The feeling that someone was watching me from deep in the forest still hasn't abated. I felt more determined to know who it was. With another step, I noticed a dark shadow looming near me. I faced the source, but not in time.

  "What are you doing here?"

  I almost had a heart attack when I heard someone speak just before I could see the tall lean figure standing near me. It was already so dark that I had difficulty identifying his face, especially since his hair was dark and he was wearing only a black t-shirt despite the chill.

  "Blake. You scared me!" At first I thought it was Xander, but when I saw that there was a lopsided grin on his face and one of his eyebrows was raised in question, I dispelled that first guess. It was definitely Blake, and he was asking me a question.

  "What are you doing here?" he repeated, his voice grim.

  "I just wanted to look around. Did you hear the howl?" I asked back with one quick glance at the forest just in case I catch sight of something. The dreadful feeling of being watched closely had gone. I breathed deeply with relief.

  "What?" Blake's face broke into a full-on grin, his eyes twinkling maniacally. "What the hell are you talking about?"

  "Nothing," I dismissed the topic and headed back in front of the castle, Blake following closely behind, whistling a familiar tune. The last thing I wanted was for him to consider me a lunatic. But, seeing as my interest in the forest hasn't been satisfied yet, I asked instead. "Have you ever been to the forest?"

  We had crossed the bridge and opened the heavy door, the coldness from outside defeated by the warm temperature inside. Blake threw me a suspicious look, but shook his head. "Nobody goes in there," he replied, but I wasn't convinced.

  "I think there's a path there to the gate. An alternate path, that is, considering that it's easy to get out through the bushes," I observed.

  "Mm," he replied without any hint of interest, but I wasn't convinced no one has tried to explore that part yet. It was just so tempting and it was so open, easily accessible. I made a mental note to spend my weekend out there and find that path.

  I didn't realize that I had walked with him to the cafeteria near the mess hall, but it was too late to back out. Kyle and the others had seen me already.

  "Look who I found frolicking outside, looking at the forest," Blake whispered around the table with enough malice as though I had been caught making out with someone. It was weird, though, that he looked at Reid and Spencer slightly longer than everyone else.

  I sat down on one of the circular chairs, still thoughtful. "Has anyone of you ever been in the forest?"

  There was silence around the table, which was odd considering this bunch was usually the loudest wherever they went.

  I was about to apologize for bringing it up when Kyle spoke. "I did."

  "Really?" I asked with disbelief. I thought the guys would be the ones exploring all around.

  "Yeah. I got lost one day." She chuckled, downing her hot cocoa without wincing at its hot temperature.

  I decided I would drop the subject for now. I noticed that there were some books scattered on the table and they had their notebooks out, pens at the ready. "Oh. I'm sorry, were you having a study session?"

  "Not us," Kyle answered with horror, as if she would be caught dead studying. "It's just them. Spencer and Reid are study buddies--can't let the other students get to the top!"

  I smiled politely, noting how the books were all about advanced chemistry, one of my weaker subjects. I didn't realize I had swallowed noisily.

  "Yup. Another one who hates Chemistry," Evan chimed in as he sat down with a tray full of French fries and sodas.

  "What took you so long?" Blake questioned, his hands already reaching out for some of the steaming crunchy fries.

  Evan slapped Blake's hand away, only to notice that Kyle had already stolen a portion of his snacks. "No fair! Get your own, Kyle!"

  Kyle stuck her tongue at him and devoured his snack quickly.

  Admitting defeat, Evan took to protecting his remaining fries, which had notably decreased to almost half. One quick look around the room told me that Xander was the culprit, but he was munching undetectably and I was somehow enjoying seeing Evan eye everyone else to initiate a confession. Resigning, he said. "Anyway, I was held up by Alice. She said she was looking for you by the way, Spence."

  Spencer looked up from his books, his brows furrowed deeply. He didn't ask why, and he didn't say she had no business looking for him either. He merely nodded and returned to what he was doing. "I'll speak to her later," he finally said at last.

  "I thought you said she couldn't come to our meeting?" I inquired, realizing that we were supposed to meet tonight.

  "I'm meeting her separately," was his simple answer. He didn't add why Alice wouldn't meet with me too.

  Could it be that she was harboring some bad feelings about me? But if that was the case, then it means she had told Spencer. "Why doesn't she want to meet me?" I didn't realize I had spoken.

  "That's--" Spencer looked up, confusion etched on his face for a second, but recovered easily. "I didn't say she didn't want to meet you. She just has a problem right now, Kayleigh."

  "Ugh. She's disgusting," Kyle coughed. "I mean this coke's disgusting, Evan! Where did you even get this?"

  Evan looked up alarmed, but caught up to what Kyle had said soon enough.

  I felt confused. Spencer was comforting Alice, helping her with her problems? "I didn't realize you and Alice were close."

  "It's a weird--you can call it twisted--relationship, I tell you," Blake answered my question with a wink. He earned a glare from Spencer, but the latter didn't defend himself.

  Chapter 4 - Break the Law

  There were two things I noticed in our Physics class, especially in our group. First, that Alice seemed to be uninterested in the subject, her attention either on cajoling Spencer to meet with her somewhere or to throw me looks that could possibly kill if it was probable. Second, that Spencer and I would be the only two doing the project together. We had been meeting after class hours in the cafeteria near the dining hall and so far Alice had conveniently failed to show up.

  "Is Alice ever going to participate in this project?" I asked irritably, rubbing my eyes which were smarting from straining to read the unintelligible notes I had in class. I'm pretty sure they made sense when I wrote them, but considering that I was too preoccupied by Alice's stares or Spencer's cologne, I'm not sure I knew what I was writing.

  "I don't think so, and I would prefer it that way," he answered without any inflection, his attention on the prototype we were building--well, mostly he was building it, as he had assigned me to the paperwork. I hated it, but I hated the bolts and screws more. I was more of a theory person anyway, not the experimental one.

  "Me too," I agreed, but not for the same reason. I liked spending time with Spencer. I liked watching him work on the prototype, immersed in what he was doing and completely unaware that I was watching him. I liked that I could smell his cologne, though I couldn't pin down its scent, and I loved that his long lashes blinked quickly whenever there was a problem before him. I loved it when he sighed, and when he called my name and--I shouldn't go on.

  Spencer stood up when the disk in front of us vibrated, signaling that our order was ready. He returned with a plate of cheese sticks and seafood pasta for himself, while he put a plate of sandwiches in front of me. We ate for a while, taking this as our break before we sawed away at our project once again.

  I yawned hugely before I realized it, and I covered my mouth in embarrassment. I could hear him chuckling under his breath, causing me to blush.

  "If you're tired, you can go now," he offered.

  I shook my head. "No, I won't leave you here. I'm not like you-know-who," I joked. But he didn't laugh. He pursed his lips once again, forming a straight line, and his jaw clenched. Oh my God, did he still have feelings for her?

  "It's already past eleven a
nyway," he urged, closing my notebook for me. His hand touched mine briefly and I felt a current of electricity run through me. I must have imagined that part, since it would be weird. I was attracted to him, yes, but he clearly had feelings for someone else.

  "If you insist…" I let the sentence trail off, looking at his face one last time before I retired to bed. He looked back at me, his brown eyes looking sad. But he nodded, and I stood up to leave. "Good night, Spencer."

  Unexpectedly, he stood up, his hands automatically diving deep in his pants pocket. "Would you like me to walk you to your room?"

  "What? No," I replied far too quickly. "I mean…I don't want to bother you."

  "Mm," was his plain answer. I took that as my cue to leave, and he never attempted to follow me.

  ### I spent the next day at the library, looking for more information about the project I was doing with Spencer. My other subjects were okay, and I had to make an effort in Physics to have all As this semester. I had never liked studying, but if I had to, I could put myself up to it. I guess I didn't want to look like someone who isn't serious with her studies. I picked up three more books from the science section and sat at one of the few empty booths. I was thankful for this seat, since it was not far from the books, yet it was also close to the exit.

  "Look at that, the new girl loves to study," announced a loud, lively voice. I looked up just in time to see Kyle sliding in the booth opposite me, Evan following her closely behind. The booth wasn't meant for more than two people, and they looked pretty jammed together.

  It wasn't long before I realized that someone had also squeezed himself beside me, and it was none other than Spencer. My heart made a little leap, being this close to him, but I ignored it and played it cool. "Hi guys," I greeted.

  Kyle and Evan were both beaming at me. I knew that kind of grin. They were thinking of something, probably a prank. "What's with the smile?" I asked politely.

  "Nothing," they answered at the same time.

  I narrowed my eyes suspiciously, and Spencer cleared his throat beside me.

  Kyle spoke first. "We're going to cut classes," she whispered, looking around the room to see if someone was listening.

  Evan added. "We're visiting the village nearby. You can come with us if you'd like."

  I mulled over this for a second. Kyle and Evan seemed to be itching to break the rule--it looked natural to them. But I looked at Spencer, and I just couldn't comprehend how he could be up to this. "And you're going with them?" I asked, dumbfounded.

  "Yes," he replied quickly. "I can't let these two roam around and cause trouble. Besides, I need some parts for our project."

  Oh, that explains it. He's willing to cut classes for the sake of grades. Irony, irony.

  "Well," I capped my pen and closed my notebook. "Since I'm your partner, I'm going to have to come with you." I winked at Spencer playfully, and I saw his eyes light up again.

  Without further ado, I deposited my books back into my room and met them on the bridge, eager for my first adventure to begin. "I shouldn't be doing this," I shook my head unbelievingly. "It's my first week and I'm already breaking a rule. Reid would be furious if he found out."

  "If he does find out," Kyle sang, leading us out of the gate in no time. They seem to know where they were going, which made me wonder how many times they had done this before. We didn't have to walk very far, and I could already see the group of stalls that marked the beginning of the village.

  It didn't look like a big village, and the inhabitants seemed to have an eye for fun. Their long clothes flew freely with the wind and bangles lined their arms. The men were carrying guitars and banjos and there was actually a group of people at a corner singing an unknown song, with some of the girls dancing playfully to the rhythm.

  "What were you going to get for our project?" I asked Spencer who was walking silently behind us.

  He seemed at a loss for a second, then he answered that he needed some more screws. I found his response suspicious; since I'm pretty sure I saw a box full of screws last night among his things. He couldn't have used them all up already, could he?

  "The store's over there," Evan directed him. He looked at Kyle, who nodded back without unspoken words. "Kyle and I will be off here, see you in an hour!"

  "What? Wait!" I called after the two, but they waved away and ran to an alley before I could call out to them again. "What are they up to?"

  "No idea," Spencer replied, already walking. He didn't walk to the direction of the store Evan had pointed. Instead, he walked straight ahead, immersed in his own thoughts.

  I didn't know what to do. He didn't look like he wanted someone with him, but I didn't know this place either. What if I followed him and it turned out he wanted to do something on his own? What if he was meeting with someone? What if I got lost? Well, Evan did mention that we would meet up again in an hour, so I guess I could walk around and just get back here in time.

  I let Spencer walk on his own as I surveyed the different stores. Some of them were actually selling weird stuff. There were some clothes and shoes, and there were some witch doctor medicines. I shrugged, backing away from them. I didn't like witchcraft, and it freaked me out. I didn't realize I had turned a corner until I saw that all the shops had gone. There was only a long alley in front of me, and there was light at the other end. Curiosity kicking in, I walked ahead, cursing myself for not bringing any watch with me.

  As I reached the end, I noticed that there was a throng of people gathered around something in the distance. It must be interesting, since all of them were speaking at once. I walked over, standing up on tiptoes to see what was going on. Someone was shouting, and there was another one crying.

  This isn't good, my inner self said. But I wanted to take a look, and when someone before me moved, I saw what it was. Rather, what it had been. It was a human, with its stomach ripped open and its intestines strewn all over the place. Its mouth was frozen in a big O, probably from screaming with pain as his entrails were taken out of him. Its eyes were open, the pupils dilated, lifeless.

  I took a step back, revolted. I wanted to vomit, the stench of death staining the air, and the image of the dead man burning in my brain. I felt dizzy and started losing focus of what was happening in front of me.

  "It's you!" a woman screamed, her voice shrill and menacing.

  Somewhere in the distance, another woman hissed. "It's her! She's from that school, it must be her!"

  "I'm going to kill you!" the first woman shrieked, and I could see a figure walking in front of me, her hands outstretched in front of her, a dagger glimmering in the light. She was going to stab me. She was going to kill me.

  I screamed and closed my eyes, waiting for the blade to touch my skin. But the blow never came. Instead, I heard someone say the word cursed and I could hear feet shuffling away from me. I lowered my hand and opened my eyes. Someone was blocking my view, a tall man with brown hair. "Spencer," I breathed, relieved.

  Chapter 5 - That School

  I didn't realize I had hugged him until I heard him clear his throat. I was clutching him tightly. He was probably feeling pain from where my arms wrapped around his ribs. I hurriedly took my hands off him, embarrassed. "Sorry," I muttered under my breath, stealing a glance in front of him and seeing that everyone had left. Someone had the decency to bring the corpse with them, thank God.

  "Are you okay?" Spencer asked, his voice sounding concerned. "I thought you were with me. Why didn't you follow me?" He turned to me, checking if I had any bruise.

  He was asking a torrent of questions, but I couldn't bring myself to answer them. The look on the dead man's face was just so horrible; I could feel bile rising up my mouth. "Who would do such a thing," I asked, though I knew Spencer didn't know the answer. He probably didn't see the corpse.

  "Shh," he patted my head, forcing me against his chest. I didn't have the strength to decline his offer and I found myself crashing against him, my full weight supported by only his two feet. He wrapp
ed his arms around me and rubbed my back as I sobbed, trying to erase the image that was still clear in my mind.

  I clung to him tightly, as though he had the ability to clear my mind, to make the image go away. But unfortunately, even he couldn't do that. All he could offer me was comfort and his own strength. For now, that was enough.

  "What happened?" I heard a familiar female voice ask, also concerned. Spencer didn't answer, but Kyle gasped anyway. "Let's go back in, quick," she said, sounding panicked this time.

  "Where's Evan?" I couldn't see, as Spencer had led me out of the alley through a different direction and we were walking in front.

  Somewhere behind us, Evan spoke. "I'm right here." Even didn't sound enthusiastic. I must have ruined their trip.

  "Sorry guys," I apologized, fighting back the urge to break down. I wasn't usually this soft. Did I really just cry a few moments ago? That has never happened before. But I have never seen a murdered corpse before either.

  It took ages for us to reach the castle, and when we did, all I wanted was to get inside my room and hole up there for the rest of the day. I shouldn't have gone out. I shouldn't have broken the law. That's what I deserved, I guess.

  "Kayleigh?" Spencer was talking to me, though I had no idea what he was saying. We were sitting on the stairs leading to the girls' rooms.

  "I'm okay," I reassured them, though I knew they didn't buy it. "I think I'll just rest for now." I stood up, waving a weak goodbye.

  "I'll walk with you," Spencer offered. I was too weak to tell him not to bother.

  It seemed like I was walking alone. He wasn't speaking. I couldn't even hear him breathe. If not for the shadow he was casting beside me, I would have thought he had left me alone. It's okay, I wasn't in the mood to talk anyway.

  "I'm sorry about earlier," he said when we had finally reached my door and I was looking for my key.

  "Why? It wasn't your fault that man was dead," I reassured him.