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near the cigarettes. He squirted lighter fluid on the register and on
the little table behind him. The can was empty now, too, and he
stumbled toward the window he’d broken earlier. He climbed out,
stepping on broken glass, hearing it crack and pop. Standing by
the side of the house, he flicked the lighter and held it against the
gas-soaked wall, watching as the wood caught fire. At the back of
the house, he touched the flame to the stairs and the flames rose
quickly, shooting up to the door and spreading to the roof. Next
came the far side.
Fire blossomed everywhere, the exterior rippling with flame, and
Erin was a sinner and her lover was a sinner and the Bible says
They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction.
He stood back, watching the fire start to consume the building,
wiping his face, leaving trails of blood. In the glowing orange
light, he looked like a monster.
In her dream, Jo wasn’t smiling as she sat beside Katie on the
Ferris wheel. She seemed to be searching the crowd below, a
frown of concentration on her face.
There, she said, pointing. Over there. Do you see him?
What are you doing here? Where’s Kristen?
She’s sleeping. But you have to remember, now.
Katie looked but there were so many people, so much movement.
Where? she asked. I don’t see anything.
He’s here, Jo said.
Who?
You know.
In her dream, the Ferris wheel lurched to a stop. The sound was
loud, like the shattering of glass, and it seemed to signal a change.
The carnival’s colors began to fade, the scene below dissolving