Fester

I covered the windows before lighting the fireplace.

It wasn't really cold or anything. I just loved fire. It was calming.

I'd been watching the flames dance for nearly an hour before the Girl came in again.

I'd been close to asking how long she'd stand there before she took a seat on the couch across from me. She laid her gun on the coffee table between us. We sat and watched the fire.

"What happened to your face?"

She didn't look at me when she asked.

"I got cut." I skimmed my finger over my scars. One across my forehead, straight before dragging across my temple. One across my nose, barely touching my cheek. And another down the side of my lip. I relived the incident. I felt the knife drag across my face again.

"By who?" She still gazed at the flames.

"My mom." She finally looked over at me. Sympathy and an empathetic anger made especially for mistreated strangers passed over her face.

"She wasn't the best drunk," I added. "I can't even remember what she was so angry for."

There was another silence.

"Did you kill her?"

"No. I left before this started." The fire was making the room too hot. I went to put the fire out.

"Do you know if she's..?"

"No. She could barely sit up straight when she was drunk, I doubt she could hold a gun, nevermind properly shoot it." I took a moment to put out the flames.

"You could stay here." She stood up. "If you wanted to."

"Maybe." I sat down again. "Or you could come with me instead. If you wanted to."

"Maybe." She picked up her gun and turned to walk out. She paused at the doorway.

"What's your name?" I almost didn't hear her.

"Kida."

"I'm Addy."

And she was gone. I slept better than most nights.