Where There's Smoke...

Seki didn’t mean to burn the house down, but it happened anyway. She barely had time to flick her freshly pulled hangnail before she realized what was happening.  Now all she could do is watch in horror and odd fascination from across the street as the drug house became enveloped with smoke.

“Fuck”. She muttered in the middle of a developing crowd, “Dammit”.

Excited chatter from onlookers drowned out her self-deprecation, while camera phones fanned out around her:

“This goin’ right on WorldStarHipHop.com”! A young girl yelled as she recorded the burning house

Other teens laughed in agreement: “World Star, World Star”!

“Wouldn’t it be fucked up if a crackhead was still in there”? Someone asked

“Hell yeah”! The camera girl giggled

Seki caught her breath. What if someone was still in there? She never considered that. Everything happened too fast. One minute she’s begging her mom to come home, the next minute flames were shooting out of Seki’s fingertips. Well, that got her to leave. Seki thought dryly.  At least her mother wasn’t doing God knows what for God knows who in that house anymore.  Now if only Seki could get those “episodes” under control...

The first time was sudden, as it has a tendency to be now; without warning, but with provocation.  A recycled argument with mom proved to be the final straw.

“I haven’t seen or heard from you in 12 hours!” She shrieked, pointing towards the kitchen clock on the wall as if it would nod in agreement. A single blaze streaked from her index finger, finding it’s bull’s-eye on the number 2.  Both women, stunned into silence, stupidly stared at the melting clock as it slowly oozed away into a dark glop on the floor.  

A piercing crack! jolted Seki from her thoughts, as a blackened 1^st floor window split under the pressure of the unforgiving flames. It wouldn’t take much for the fire to rip through the dilapidated house. Echoes of “oh shit!” rippled from all corners of the crowd, but no one made a move to escape the possibility of shattering glass –not even Seki. She was transfixed. As much as she hated to admit it, the feeling of power drunkened her in a way that Medication, Shrinks, or exercise would never do.  

But the bigger problem still remained: How long would it take for her to be exposed?