I set the bottle going and hid back out in the woods. I always liked to watch how the flames licked up the side of the door frame. It was real pretty. Like Christmas.
He didn’t come out for a long time. The fire was pretty much all over the porch by that point. He looked real handsome in his robe. I imagined him coming over, me undoing his robe and touching the hairs on his chest.
It looked like he was thinking about going back in for his wife, but he never did. That confirmed it in my mind.
Oh my, this is great. I don’t know why, but I imagine the arsonist a man. Well written, indeed.
Wow, this is an interesting and well written story. I also imagined the arsonist as a man, and it definitely has the creepy factor!
Nice touch with the detail that the man didn’t go in for his wife! Well done story!
My favorite thing about flash fiction is when you’re able to create a twist at the end – when there’s minimal words to begin with. Your story was scandalous & I loved it.
What a creepy end.. sounds like a conspiracy to me.
Good stuff, like above I also imagined the arsonist as a man, real dark feel to this
Dear DDM,
Add me to the list of the readers who think of the arsonist as a man. Can’t say why, but that’s what stuck with me from the start. Perhaps it is because you never hear of female arsonists. Good story from a strange perspective.
Aloha,
Doug
Count me in on those who wonder about the gender, although it doesn’t take away from the story either way. Very dark and gritty, well done.
Dark, dark. Well done for not specifying gender. Gives it a further layer.
A creepy story and a reason for arson that hadn’t occured to me before – flushing out the quarry.
Wickedly good story. Classic creepy arsonist with sexual arousal instigated by fire. Gave me the heebie jeebies!
I think your other commentators here are right. The gender question does lend to a huge rise of conflict and tension in the story. For some reason it is really hard imagining an arsonist as a woman.
Why does everyone assume it is a woman? Now how’s THAT for a twist!!!
This was a fabulous take on the prompt!