Set the world on fire

That is a sad story... My sad story about a girl, who has been seeing someone, who desperately wanted to be seen, but never was.

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When I was eight I saw a girl around my age play with matches and a wind-up toy. Her mother noticed that and rushed to her, took the matches away and started yelling at her for misbehaving and being stupid. You could think, as an eight year old, she would've started crying, instead she just sat there, in silence and stared at her mother with a beady look. Women seemed not to notice, because she grabbed her daughter by her arm and literally dragged her into a car and drove home.

Day after the incident shocking news resounded around my little town - the mother was lit on fire in unexplainable circumstances. The local police started an investigation, but the only evidence was a popular wind-up toy and a burned match. Due to lack of evidence and no witnesses the case was closed only two days after.

§ § §

Today is my 13th birthday and my dad once again tried to convince me to have a party with friends. „Hey, it will be fun! We can invite some of your classmates and make some cupcakes together!" He said. The problem is - I don't have any friends. Since I can remember I was shy and never really wanted to talk with people. I'd rather go to the library than spend any more time with people than required.

He finally gave up, we put our favorite movie on, we made our own cupcakes and after I blew out a candle tucked into one of them - we began our private party as we have been doing since my eight birthday.

Next day, unfortunately , I had to go to school. Unfortunately, because as I said - I don't like people. In school I am kind of a wraith - invisible, no one seems to notice me and teachers don't even remember I am in class. The only one who sees me and hates me for whatever reason is Melanie - the most popular girl in school and the wealthiest one in our town. She's always picking on me, knocking books out of my hands and all the other rude things you can think of. „Don't be such a doormat!" She said to me one day, but her clique was confused and acted like they literally didn't see me. They even asked Melanie who she was talking to. Then I knew I was really invisible. I didn't even have to try and hide in my baggy hoodies and wide pants - I was just nobody.

English - I love that language and read almost every book from „Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austin to „Harry Potter" by J.K. Rowling, but those lessons were boring since I was easily getting only A's. Besides, our teacher is always bored with life and tired from just existing and it's not really helping.

While this boring lesson went on I saw a girl around my age in slim black jeans, red crop top, black, high Martens, big, reflecting jacket and cap. She walked up to a terraced house near school, vaulted the fence and began to tinker with something near the door. She rushed to the other side as soon as she finished, jumped over the fence once again and vanished in between nearby houses. Seconds later - a little explosion and the house lit up with enormous, white flames.

Everyone in the class was staring through the window, even the teacher was up and really interested in what was going on. I only walked up to my desk and sat there quietly until the alarm rang. Everyone rushed through the door and onto the school pitch where the principal told us not to worry and that the right authorities were on their way.

After the firemen put out the fire, the police could finally go inside and begin the investigation. Next day they already released the report. It stated that the arsonist wasn't found and couldn't be identified. There are no victims and no witnesses. The only evidence found on the scene was a popular, kids wind-up toy and a burned match.

For the next year there were several similar arsons. Three more houses were burned down to the ground, but every report stated the exact same thing: „The arsonist wasn't found and couldn't be identified. There are no victims and no witnesses. The only evidence found on the scene was a kids wind-up toy and a burned match."

§ § §

My 14th birthday went as always despite my fathers persuasions. Although this year was full of tragedies and many people decided to move out, afraid of having their home burned, my dad didn't want to. He has lived here his whole life and so did I, but when the local library stood in flames - he changed his mind.

We moved to a bigger city with better security. Our new house was small, but really comfy. Only the locks had been changed, because they were really old and rusted. The peace however didn't last long. Only two weeks after we moved in, another arson was committed.

I was having a history lesson and even though I was new in town and in school in the middle of semester, still nobody seemed to notice me at all. As this boring lesson went on I saw the same girl I was seeing during each one of her previous arsons since last year. She was wearing the same high Martens, the same big, reflecting jacket and the same cap. Once again she walked up to the door of a big building - the local bank and tinkered with something beside them. The most concerning thing was that there were lots of people in the street, but nobody cared about what she was doing. And once again, as she finished she rushed as far as she could and seconds later - explosion. The whole building was slowly disappearing in flames. At last someone reported a crime and within minutes fire department and police officers appeared on scene. One police officer found a kids wind-up toy and a burned match, connecting it to the same evidence in five cases from earlier this year. The officer decided to hire a detective to find a criminal responsible for burning all six buildings.

Two days after a mysterious girl set fire to the bank the professional investigation began. Unfortunately, after two months there was no other evidence than the toy and the match, so the case was put on hold.

§ § §

After that, there was nothing. Silence that could hold peace or complete destruction. Days have been passing, my dad has been working, I have been going to school, still unnoticed by anyone and there has been no sight of a mysterious arsonist girl. Until...

A week after my 15th birthday my class was on a trip to Washington DC to see the White house and some boring museums. That was when I finally saw the girl. The same reflecting jacket glowing in the bright noon light. She went up straight to the door of the White house, somehow unnoticed by the guards, she tinkered with something as always and stood up. This time she wasn't running away, she was standing and waiting. Explosion behind her, followed by several more in both directions circling the building, terrified people around. She slowly walked down the stairs, guards shouting and running around trying to evacuate people, were unbothered by her. When she stepped down the final step, she threw a little wind-up toy followed by a burning match and as soon as both hit the ground - she was on fire. She wasn't screaming, just standing there with the same beady look I saw seven years ago in that little girl's eyes. Nobody came to rescue her, although almost forty guards were in sight, they hadn't seen her.

§ § §

Almost two years after her public sueside, after all crimes committed - nobody discovered it was her. „The arsonist wasn't found and couldn't be identified. The only evidence found on the scene was a popular, kids wind-up toy and a burned match." every report on her arsons said. All around the world the case was being closed as „UNSOLVABLE''.

For all those years I was the only one who had ever seen her. The only one that understood her mad desire to be seen. Only I knew her motives for all those arsons. And now you too know and hopefully understand... why I set the world on fire.