Kill or Tell

.vi.

As we settle down underneath an ancient oak, I look out over the overgrown, debris strewn lot. There used to be an actual park here, but the neighborhood didn't care to rebuild it after it - and a few nearby houses - was demolished by a tornado. Now, it's really just a place people go when they don't want to be bothered.

Cassidy doesn't want to be bothered.

"Why didn't we go here - the other day, I mean." I cast a sideways glance at Cassidy, relaxing my tense shoulders when she doesn't get annoyed.

"Didn't want to," she simply says, waving a limp hand off in no particular direction.

Nodding, I bite my lower lip waiting for her to say something.

"Do I look like a slut to you?" Cassidy blurts out, her eyes closed.

"No." I refrain from looking at her... revealing outfit.

She lets out a dry, mirthless laugh before pulling out her matchbox. "Let's do something fun today, love." A tired, weary smile stretches across her face as she tosses the box from hand to hand as if it were merely a toy.

"Fun?" Eying the box uneasily, I shift in my position.

"Fun." Cassidy tosses the matchbox into the air, catching it in the palm of her left hand.

"How fun?"

"So very fun." Cassidy gets to her feet, brushing dust and grass from her legs.

Following suit, I brush of miniscule amounts of grass and dirt. "What kind of... fun?"

Cassidy doesn't answer right away, instead opting to take out two matches. "The best kind," she says, the smile on her face growing. She strikes the two matches at the same time, twirling them in her hands as they burn.

I'm frozen, staring uncertainly at the ignited matches. "Cassidy..." I begin, yet I can't find any words.

"Just say the word, love," Cassidy breathes, transfixed as she watches her matches. "Say the word and I'll put them out."

"I..." My tongue feels leaden, heavy and useless. I want to tell her to out them out - beg her to stop, but I say nothing.

"Hmm?" Cassidy's not even paying attention to me anymore, she's playing with her fire, ignoring how closely the flames are getting to her skin.

I keep my mouth shut, bouncing on the balls of my feet.

"Beni," Cassidy looks up, turning to me with a spark in her eye. "Beni, let's see something burn."

*******
When we got here, I hadn't payed any attention to the dry, dead grass, nor to the rotted remains of the wooden playset.

I can't stop staring at it all, now, as the blaze eats it up.

I'm in the street, watching tensely as the old, rubble remnants of the playground burn bright and scorching. Beside me, Cassidy is transfixed, watching hungrily as the park is devoured by ravenous tongues of wild flame. On her face, a disturbingly unhinged grin is spread, giving her a ghastly look in the light of the fire.

"Cassidy?" I make as if to rest my hand in her shoulder, but I hesitate and drop my arm back to my side.

"Isn't it just wonderful?" Cassidy isn't paying attention to anything but the bonfire. "Isn't this just.... exciting?"

I bite my lip. "No. No, not at all. I'm scared. It's scaring me - you're scaring me," I want to admit, but I don't. Instead, I say, "What about the neighbors?"

At this, Cassidy looks away from the inferno and up at me. "The neighbors?"

"Yeah." I eye the houses farther down the street - the ones that weren't destroyed by the tornado. It's a Saturday. Somebody might be home.

Cassidy's face shuts down, and her usual, uncaring expression returns. "Can't let them see us, now, can we, love?" She begins to stroll down the street, not even looking back to check if I'm following her or not.

I am following her, of course. I always do.

As we reach the bend where we can escape into another street without being noticed, Cassidy halts. A crushed, half-empty beer can lays pathetically on the side of the road, surrounded by a puddle of wasted beer.

"Hey, love," she says, her eyes narrowing. "See this?"

"Beer can," I say, because that's all I see.

A sneer twists up Cassidy's pretty face. "And some idiot who decided to get drunk." Delicately picking the can up off the asphalt, Cassidy flings it into the now spreading grass fire. The flame bursts up into the air as the alcohol ignites within the can. "Don't drink, love. Ever." She turns away as the can explodes in the heat of the blaze. "It's such a horrible pastime."

Not mentioning how she'd talked me into getting drunk two nights ago, I nod and follow her as she walks away, even as I hear the sirens begin to wail in the distance.

I mean, what else can I do?