Savages

20

FIREBUG

“Tonight. We’ll do it tonight.”

“Can’t we wait a little longer, make sure?”

“We’ve waited long enough.”

“What if he’s not-”

“How many times do I have to tell you? It doesn’t matter.”

“It matters to me.”

“Stop whining! I hate it when you do that.”

“I’m sorry, I can’t help thinking-”

“You want me to smack you?”

“No.”

“Then don’t argue with me. We’ll do it just like we planned.”

“What about Runyon?”

“Forget about him, will you? He’s doesn’t know anything.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, yes, I’m sure.”

“… All right. Whatever you say.”

“I’m so amped I don’t want to wait until tonight-I want to do it right now. ”

“God, no, not in the daytime.”

“I’m just saying I want to.”

“But we’re not going to until tonight.”

“Fire’s better at night. Brighter, hotter.”

“Yes.”

“It’s what we both want.”

“Yes.”

“Payback.”

“Yes.”

And the flames, the burning.

“Are we going in and… you know, check first?”

“We have to. We can’t leave any traces.”

“I don’t think I can stand it.”

“You’ll stand it, all right. If I can, you can.”

“I’ll probably puke.”

“Then go ahead and puke. I’m gonna laugh. I’m laughing right now.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever laugh again.”

“There you go again. Candy ass! Just shut up and do what I tell you, or I swear I’ll make you sorry.”

“Don’t get mad.”

“I’m not mad. Amped, totally amped.”

“Can I ask you one thing? Then I won’t say another word.”

“Well?”

“Promise me this’ll be the last time?”

“Last time for what?”

“Fires.”

“What else?”

“Games.”

“What else?”

“Payback.”

“What else?”

“You know.”

“I don’t know. What else?”

“Killing. I don’t want to kill any more people; I don’t want you to. Please? For me?”

“All right. For you.”

But only for a while. A very short while.

So much more to burn, so much more to pay back.

The biggest, the hottest, the best, was yet to come.