Here's another one! This was inspired by Vocaloid IA's Outer Science. Enjoy!
Lighter
My heart rate accelerates along with the speed of my legs as I bolt down the alleyway. The dogs behind me are barking at an annoying volume. My head throbs with every pound of my steps, my stomach lurches at every sharp-turned corner. I push off of a concrete wall, my feet skidding under me. The dogs seem closer now, but I don't risk turning to look for even a fraction of a second. My breathing is uneven and choppy, but I keep running. With blind hands, I pull the lighter from my pocket again. That red, beat up little lighter I've called my best friend for years. I crack a wicked grin as I skillfully flick my finger across the thing, and I feel the tamed heat of the flame. The park is coming up in front of me and I laugh, wasting my labored breath. The dogs are howling and screaming in their ugly voices. I can hear the scratching of their claws against the pavement, and I leap onto the street; just a little further. The healthy green grass sways nicely in the evening breeze. I lean down as I run into the park, and finally, I let it loose. My laughing booms into the perfectly dry night and my lighter dips into the grass, brushing against the blades. It hasn't rained for decades, it feels like, and the grass bursts alight. The flames consume everything in its path deliciously, and I watch in hunger and excitement as the previously ferocious police dogs scramble back, yelping and crying. Pathetic.
The police catch up to the dogs after centuries, hopping out of their cars and their mouths flop open at the red and gold park. The grey and black smoke emits dangerously from the flames. I grin at the officers, the flames dancing in my ebony eyes. The fire had made a barrier around me, a perfect circle of green grass left unharmed by the devouring flames. It's always done that, fire never harmed me. It was too cowardly. The officers look frightened, perfect terror illuminating their faces. Don't they know who they're messing with? They've always been after me, but they've never caught me. I look around, seeing a circle of police cars and officers of all shapes and sizes and colors surrounding the park. A certain blonde catches my eye. She isn't afraid, she stands in front of the flames fiercely. She's staring right at me. I hear a helicopter buzz over me, it's high in the sky and cloaked by the dense smoke. I walk towards the blonde officer, the flames parting just for me, bowing at my very presence. How flattering.
Her delicate doe eyes bore into me as I make my way towards her. They're guarded and hardened but on the inside they look all too fragile. I stop walking. I pull down my back hood and thrust my hands into my pockets. My lighter is in my right hand, and the smooth exterior rubs against my scarred hand. Her lips are in a perfectly straight line; her caramel eyes glower at me from under those thick eyelashes.
"What are you," She says coldly, nearly extinguishing my field of flames. A grin splits across my face easily.
"Nothing special," I say. Her expressions are unmoving, but it takes a sharp eye to see the light quivering of her shoulders. Her bottom lip quivers with it, a hardly noticeable movement. I give her one more look with my charred eyes, dig into my pocket. I pull out the lighter, a bold 'D' carved into it, and the edges scratched from years of use. I take her hand with mine, she doesn't move. I uncurl her fingers, noticing the crescent moons dug into her palm, and place the lighter into the palm of her hand, curling her fingers back into place. She looks at me, but her eyes are soft, like they used to be. I don't like the tears sliding down her cheeks.
"Why would you do this?" She asks, and I give her a smile. One of the smiles I used to give her. It felt strange. Instead of an answer, I bend down and plant a soft kiss on her lips.
"I love you," I say before I pull away and bolt back through the flames. The dogs and cars chase after me again. But this time, I look back. And I see her standing there, eyes focused on the ground. Her hand is curled against her chest. It's the hand I left the lighter in.
A dog lands on me; I feel the slobber oozing onto me. Dang, I like this jacket. I don't move. I let it grab hold of me with its teeth and claws and soon the other dogs and the police officers are all around me again. This time, they've caught me. I smile as an officer pulls me to my feet. My knees are weak. The man hollers in my ear, but I don't hear. I don't pay attention. I don't care. I don't know what happens next. I just know that it's dark.
