Free Arson by Estevan Vega

of sunlight reflecting from Mickey Mouse’s nauseatingly joyous grin. His smiles had seemed like miracles when she was five, but there was nothing funny about a boy drowning himself. This wasn’t a game anymore. Perhaps this was a—if he would simply move, kick his leg or something, then she would know he wasn’t dead.  Oh no , she thought. Anything but that.
    She never liked to admit it, but watching people die terrified her, right down to her bones. It always made her question what lay on the other side. Heaven or hell? God or the devil? At the thought, Emery fidgeted, thinking back to the time when Tina, her cousin, had been found on the bathroom floor, eyes rolled back in a deep sleep. The panic of that night revisited her now. The slow breaths that followed felt like a spell, a spell that even now forced fear upon her. It was a miracle her cousin had survived. That was more than enough drama for an entire lifetime.
    â€œHey!” she yelled, flailing her arms to try and get his attention. “Hey, you!”
    Alien boy didn’t move. He’d been under the water now for over two minutes.
    â€œIt’s time to come up. Whatever the problem is, I swear you can handle it. It’s not as bad as you think.” Butterflies swarmed inside her belly, but they felt more like bats, chewing away everything but the anxiety.
    â€œNot again.” She winced, diving from the dock headfirst into the lake. As she hit the water, her mask slipped off. Swimming underneath the boy, she fought to bring him up for air. Suddenly, his eyes opened. Paralyzed in fear, she screamed, heart racing, her throat swallowing the bitter water that fought to enter. She sank deep. He noticed her, but she wasn’t ready for those eyes.
    Immediately, the boy went into a panic. Bubbles popped from his mouth as he emerged. The mask drifted by him, startled him. He reached out to grab it, taking in more oxygen.
    Emery’s ferocious struggle to breathe outweighed logic. He tried to help her, but she rejected him. Her fingers slid down her face; the rough spots of the scars made her regret diving in at all. What was she thinking? The fate this boy might have endured would have been better than seeing her without her face.
    â€œWho are you?” he asked.
    â€œWhere is it?” Emery said, shivering. The cold water stung in spite of the summer’s heat.
    â€œWhat were you doing? Why did you dive in after me?” A black shirt hugged his chest. Jeans clung to his waist and sagged as he started to climb up the dock.
    â€œAre you insane? I was trying to save you from making a colossal mistake!” Emery was nervous, painfully nervous. “Where is my face? Give it back to me!”
    â€œI don’t need anyone to save me,” the boy spat, brushing back his soaked, ash-brown hair.
    â€œPlease, just give it back. I want my mask. If you want to, go back to drowning yourself for all I care, but I need that mask back. Now!”
    â€œWhat are you talking about? And why are you covering your face?” he asked, staring down at her from the dock, eyes locked.
    Emery observed the boy through narrow slits her fingers had allowed. Letting her hair fall down, she said, “What are you looking at?” Emery climbed up onto the ground.  Put me out of my misery , she thought.
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    * * *
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    â€œWhat is it?” Arson asked her. He should have been more careful, shouldn’t have been trying to clear his head, not with new neighbors. New, nosy neighbors like this girl.
    â€œIt’s a mask.” Her voice was muffled because she buried her face in the fabric of her shirt. “What, you’ve never seen a mask before?”
    â€œI have, but not one like this. It’s freaky. You know, for a girl. You friends with Michael Myers?”
    She shrugged. “Typical.”
    â€œWhy do you wear it?”
    â€œWhat is this, twenty questions?” She seethed. “It’s for my