Page 94 of Burn With Me

My father chose to beat the shit out of me and drink heavily, and he found himself an early grave at the hand of the son he chose to hurt. If you could call it that, those that treated me like shit at the hospital got what they had coming to them, too. Each one burned alive as they screamed for forgiveness. This man chose to do drugs, and this was where the road led him.

What would his life have looked like if he’d chosen a different path?

No one would ever know, but it probably would’ve been a fuck load better than being burned alive inside a barrel with garbage. Life choices were important. That really should be taught more to kids.

He hadn’t tried to get away as he continued to wheeze on the ground, but I wasn’t taking any chances and cracked him across the face with a hard right hook. His body went limp in his semi-conscious state. The man weighed nothing as I picked him up, and I stuffed him feet first into the barrel. He groaned and slumped down.

I could almost picture the guy’s appearance before the addiction took control of his mind. Without asking, I’d assumed he was estranged from his family. Maybe he didn’t have a real friend left because the only people that would hang around him were others with the same addiction. Could you trust and call someone a friend who would sell their soul for the next high?

Putting my hand in my sweater, I pulled out the small canister of accelerant I’d planned to use on the cottage and my brother, squirted it all onto the guy in the barrel, and then tossed it in with him. Grabbing the bottle of whiskey, I took a large swig before the rest was poured on the guy’s head.

“Pleeease, man.”

Another time and place, on any other night, I may have stopped myself from hitting the igniter on my lighter. Instead, I pulled it from my pocket and flipped open the lid to hit that little wheel. A soft whir and click would be the last thing this guy heard before he died. Well, that and his own screams as I tossed the lighter into the barrel.

The screaming was instant, and I stepped back as the heat flared and soared into the night sky as my creation came to life. He knocked the barrel over as he thrashed around inside, and I stared at his body as he rolled around on the ground. I waited until only the twitching of the smoking carcass remained before I walked away.

For whatever reason, I didn’t get the same enjoyment out of this kill that I normally would. Pausing, I bent and picked up a small brown wallet that must have fallen out of the guy’s pocket and flipped it open, but the sound of a siren in the distance had me closing it and putting it in my back pocket before marching for my truck. I’d forgotten about the gunfire, and you couldn't be too careful even though I hadn’t touched it. Grabbing the gun off the picnic table, I flicked the safety on and ran to the truck.

I glanced at the broken glass from the headlight and swore again. Fucking kid, fucking choices.

Violet

I’d never pictured wearing an ugly Christmas sweater and being happy, and I certainly had never dreamed about meeting someone like Asher or his family and wanting to be part of their lives. Yet, here I was, and I couldn’t be happier.

Breakfast had been massive, and by the time we were done, I didn’t think I could handle being out on the water and not be sick.

“You sure you don’t want to come,” Asher asked. I could tell he was disappointed, but the thought of being sick over the side of the boat and not enjoying Christmas dinner didn’t sit right.

I picked up the charm on the necklace Asher gave me and played with it between my fingers. “I might be a daredevil, but my stomach knows its limits after two helpings of breakfast. I’m going to nap and keep Monica company.” I stepped in close to his half-naked body and wondered if I was crazy for not going with them. Any excuse to see him shirtless in the sun was a good one. “Besides, this way, I’m well rested for after dinner,” I whispered and wrapped my arms around his waist.

“Is that so? I’m looking forward to dessert as well.” When he smiled, I followed suit before he kissed me, leaving me completely speechless.

“Come on, Asher, we got to go if we want to make it back in time for dinner,” Sabrina called out.

“I guess that’s my cue.”

“I promise next time I won’t eat so much so I can go,” I offered.

“Next time, huh?”

Clearing my throat as the warmth spread across my cheeks with the blatant assumption.

“I like the sound of that.” Asher said and smiled.

“Today, Asher, or we are shoving off without you,” Sabrina said again. This was apparently her tradition, and she was very protective over it.

“You better go. I don’t need to be the catalyst of a family feud,” I teased.

Asher kissed my forehead, then turned and jogged off to the dock and the boat waiting for him. I waved as I watched it speed away and walked back to the main house. The smells in the kitchen were already making my mouth water despite having just eaten. Monica liked to do things a little differently and would prepare a traditional Christmas dinner but also smoked a pork-wrapped turducken. I had no idea what exactly that was, but my mouth began to water when she was describing it.

“Monica, you need any help?” I called out as I walked into the kitchen. A pot was boiling, and her knife was on the counter with the vegetables she was cutting, but I didn’t hear her anywhere. “Monica?”

I walked out of the kitchen into the hallway and tried to decide which way she’d go.

She would’ve had to go toward the front of the house and the living room or down the hall to the bedrooms. Deciding on the living room first, I made my way to the room I’d deemed the 'Wrath of Christmas’ in my head.

I wished I’d asked Asher how many people were going to be here. They’d all gotten me a gift while I’d only got a gift for Lizzy and Asher. Luckily, Asher had been thinking ahead and picked up gifts for me to give everyone.