Ly Faulk

The hot flashes came on like a cyclone, crashing into her over and over until she was dripping sweat and steam rose from her skin. She tossed and turned every night, trying to find sleep amongst the oppressive, inescapable heat. Her mother, her friends, her co-workers had all endured this indignity with as much grace as they could muster. With all due respect to them, she would not. 

She started small. A fire in the dumpster behind the Wendy’s, the greasy cardboard going up into flames faster than she expected. The sleeve of her favorite sweater, the one she had spent months knitting herself, caught fire too. Rookie mistake. She quickly put out the flame but the garment was ruined. 

Next, she burned down a bank. Some corporate chain that had always struck her as predatory though she had never banked there herself. Under the cover of darkness, she doused that place with gasoline so that the slick, shiny surfaces would catch better. One match was all it took. She fled to her car where she fanned herself with a Penny Saver mailer and watched the fire dancing against the city’s sky line, taking off once the sirens began to wail. 

With a few more buildings burnt, she grew bold enough to start the fire that really mattered. It was small compared to the others, just a bowl with some charcoal sprinkled in the bottom to foster a flame. In it, she burnt the letters he had sent her when they were at different colleges. So young. One by one, the memories of her love for that cheating bastard turned to ash and floated away. He was long gone by now, as were her kids. They had lives and dreams and secrets that had nothing to do with her. None of them would miss her. 

She shaved her head, burning the hair in the bowl despite the awful smell, and slipped a shawl over her bare scalp. Walking among the memories one last time, she sprinkled a little gas here and a little gas there. Once she was ready, the flames took hold easily and her entire life up until this point was erased. Stepping out into the night, she lit a cigarette and twirled like a little girl. She twirled as the freedom coursed through her and the smoke burned her eyes and the light of the fire flickered over her rapturous face. Then she was gone.