The Fire-Starter

Bodaway stared down at his hands as the wheels of the bus turned rhythmically beneath him. None of the other passengers dared to look at him directly, but he knew that they watched him out of the corner of their eyes. They did not talk about him—out loud, at least—but they didn’t have to. Bodaway knew what they thought about what he did. They were the same thoughts that he had.

Images of flaming buildings flashed in his mind. People frantically fled before his eyes. He curled his fists tightly as memories of the screaming overtook him.

He hadn’t meant to set the community center on fire. He didn’t even understand how he had done it. He had just been so mad at the tribal leaders after they announced that they were defunding the youth basketball team, and then the flames began…

His parents hadn’t been surprised. Why had they not been surprised? Had they always known this about him, that he was destined to be this…monster?

Bodaway looked up as the bus came to a stop. They had arrived. No sign gave away its name, but he had heard his parents say it enough the past week to know where they had sent him: The Institute for Enhanced Human Abilities.

As Bodaway hopped off the bus, he could hear all the other students whispering about him. He glanced up. They all stole looks at him, avoiding direct stares, lest he turn his internal flame on them as well. Even here, Bodaway was a freak among freaks.

Bodaway pulled his baseball cap over his eyes and headed toward the administration building.

He didn’t care.

He couldn’t care.

He could only embrace what he had become.

The Fire-Starter.