Justice through Pyromania
Suggested Themes:
Kaz- Into the Fire by Thirteen Senses, Inside the Fire by Disturbed
Main Themes- A Knife Called Lust by Hollywood Undead, Jeremy by Pearl Jam
Middle school is a bridge between elementary and high school. A world that can be viewed as a prison or some form of a sanctuary to some of the students, it was never painless or benevolent to some. It was there where some people change for the better or worse, it was a time to experiment in cliques to determine where you're going to end up in high school. It was also a place that can swallow you whole and spit you right back out, and all you are then is some disturbed freak with an addiction to fire just like what happened to Kazdan Kalinkas. In other cases it gently licks your ego and softly pushes you towards becoming a popular jock just like what happened to Tom Majors. Kazdan was considered part of the "Social Outcasts" clique where they dressed in black like the "Goths" but didn't listen to Marilyn Manson or Good Charlotte or have troubling home lives, they just couldn't find any cliques that they were accepted in or felt right so this little clique formed. Tom was part of the "Popular Ones" clique; they were mostly made of successful sport teams, cheerleaders, and socialites. Tom was only part of them because he was the baseball team's star hitter at the time, plus it didn't hurt that he was gregarious and handsome. Normally the "Social Outcasts" and "Popular Ones" didn't associate or even acknowledge one another, but Kaz and Tom were exceptions to that rule. Best friends since kindergarten, nothing not even their experimental cliques can keep these two apart…..
Like best friends they tell each other their secrets like when Tom went to ballet camp that one summer or when Kaz vandalized the school's cafeteria, these secrets are harmless but embarrassing. Yet like best friends, they don't tell each other all of their secrets. Those secrets are far too personal, fatale, or dangerous to tell; they weren't about murder, drugs, diseases, or abuse. No, these, or this secret, in particular would send Kaz a one-way ticket to the asylum or jail. Tom would probably be horrified by him, his mother would look more disappointed than usual, and everyone else…they would just laugh at him and say how right they were about. Kaz liked setting fires, not buildings, people, or houses on fire but just watching the fire. The fire would wave back at him and lull him into a state of gratification and solace; it was like the fire understood him. He could tell it anything and the fire wouldn't judge him or even say how crazy he was since fire is not alive; it comforts him when he has a fight with Tom or the bullies at school heckle him hard that day. Fire doesn't ditch him for some hot cheerleader, or say, "Kaz, why can't you be more like Tom." Fire is just there until Kaz decides to extinguish it.
Today was supposed to be a great day because Tom set Kaz up with a cheerleader who really liked him or so she told Tom. Kaz was very eager to hear that a girl had a crush on him, since most of the girls, not counting the ones in his clique, avoided him like a plague. The cheerleader was named Marcy; she was a rich, Hispanic girl with pretty brown eyes and wavy black hair. Kaz met Marcy at the movie theatres, they went to watch "Transformers" the movie had enough handsome actors for Marcy and plotline for Kaz. Kaz, like a gentleman, bought their tickets and expensive refreshments for his date. As soon as the movie was over, they both started talking about the movie. Marcy talked about the actors and how they emote, while Kaz talked about the history of Transformers and the mechanics of the graphics. They both quickly realized that they weren't just compatible with each other, so they both decided this was just a one-time thing and parted on amicable terms after Kaz walked her home. Kaz decided to take a shortcut through the park, since it would only take Kaz ten minutes to get home. The park was more of a trail through thick woods with a few water fountains than an actual park, he liked the park because it was secluded and he could watch his fires without prying eyes. It was night and crickets were chirping at the silence, Kaz whistles and walks down the path without any fear.
"Aw look it is Crazy Kaz coming back from his date with one of our women." A voice whistled out. Kaz's heart stopped and he turns around to see a group of jocks, all of them are dressed in their varsity jackets and have stones in their hands. Kaz knew these jocks because they were the same ones that bullied him when Tom wasn't around, usually they taunt him and Kaz would ignore them. Unfortunately this time was different, they had weapons and Kaz couldn't ignore them.
"Crazy Kaz is trying to make a fucked up baby with a sane girl!" A jock yelled. Kaz could make a run for it, but the odds of him outrunning these guys are very minute. He could try to attack them, but most likely get hurt himself. In other words, I am screwed. Kaz groaned inwardly.
"Maybe he's trying to prove that he's not a fag!" Another jock chortled. Kaz was slowly stepping back; he was going to make a run for it and hopes to reach an adult or his house. The jocks notice this and started stalking towards Kaz, and then Kaz turns around and ran. He runs like his life depends on it and doesn't look back, he jumps over tree roots and rocks but the jocks were close behind him. Kaz thought about how he tried out the track team and failed, and he remembers most of the jocks use track as their practice in the winter. Kaz could see the street lamps and could almost smell his mother's late dinner of mash potatoes and pot stickers, but the jocks tackled him to the ground. He could literally taste the dirt in his mouth and feel the weight of the jocks on his back, he began to scream until a jock used a stone a bludgeon him to be silent.
"Got a new name for you, it's a combo of crazy and Kaz. I dub you Kazzy!" The main jock cackled at him.
"Hey captain dumbass, the 'z' in 'crazy' is only annunciated once." Kaz retorted. The main jock turns red with fury and lifts Kaz's head up, he then brings it down to the ground hard. Kaz lets out a yelp in pain and surprise. He refuses to show his tears, he won't let these bullies see his vulnerable side.
"Look at here boys, Kazzy is sure fiery today, fiery as a faggot! Dirt puts out fires, so let's put him out boys!" The main jock said to his two minions. The main jock grasps Kaz's head again and slams it down onto the ground, the other jocks grabs a handful of dirt and rub it against Kaz's clothes. Kaz didn't cry out after his head got slammed, he only restrains his urge to scream. He didn't want to satisfy these bullies with his screams.
"Go fuck yourselves!" Kaz yelled when his head got slammed on the ground again. The jock again slams Kaz's head on the ground and his minions continue to rub dirt on Kaz. Kaz could hear footsteps; the bullies were too busy tormenting him to notice. I have only one shot and if I fail, I'll most likely die. Kaz thought.
"HELP SOMEBODY HELP ME; THEY'RE GOING TO KILL ME!" Kaz screamed from the top of his lungs. The main jock was about to slam Kaz's head against the ground again but he could hear someone running towards them.
"Boys let's get the Hell out of here!" The main jock yelled. The jocks get up from Kaz and run away from the spot, Kaz coughs out and screams again. He lays his head gently against the ground and begins to sobs; his "savior" finally finds him and calls 911.
About three days later, Kaz was released from the hospital and hungering for vengeance. He has a bandage wrapped around his head and bruises across his arms and legs now, he wants those jocks expelled for what they did. It was only when he entered the principal's office that day with his mother and told the principal what happened that Kaz realized the school was entering some sports championship game soon. The jocks that assaulted Kaz were the best players out of the whole school, if the jocks were somehow unable to play in the game the school would most likely lose their championship. Kaz wasn't deterred by that fact, but kept on telling the principal what happened in hopes that the jocks still received their just punishments. Kaz didn't notice the bored look on the principal's face or the disappointment on his mother's face. He just kept on prattling on about truth and justice until the principal stops him.
"Kaz I can assure you the boys have been adequately punished. The boys have received a week of out of school suspension and when they come back, they have detention for the rest of the year." Was that supposed to satisfy my need for justice? Kaz almost gritted out. The principal wasn't going to do anything to jeopardize the school's championship, Kaz realized. Kaz quietly said thank you and he left the office wordlessly with his mother to head back to their house. It was there that Kaz finally let his feelings be known to his mother.
"What an idiot, does he really think that's enough to teach them a lesson! I wound up in the hospital for three days because of those meat heads! Mom, tell me you at least pressed charges against them!" Kaz pleaded. Kaz's mother looks at him, a look of worry crosses her face and disappears.
"Yes Kaz I did, but…you see I settled it out of court. But the families were able to compensate us and then some, so there is no need to continue this." Kaz looked dumbstruck at his mother. She traded justice to pay for my hospital bills and then some….the jocks get to roam free…I'm going to get bullied again…..money instead of justice…Kaz's mind was cluttered with these thoughts. Yet he was able to hear his mom utter this one phrase that drove him mad.
"I wish you were more like Tom." Whenever he hears that phrase the urge to start a fire rages through him. It is time for me to deliver my brand of justice, Kaz thought.
Kaz, wearing gloves and armed with a box of matches, enters the ruins of a boarded up church. He knows inside that the jocks were there, boasting about how they beat the shit out of Kaz. There they are, ready to be framed for arson. They left their book bags outside the church, makes my job even easier. Kaz thought. He grabs two matches from the box and sticks the box into the main jock's book bag. He goes to the back entrance of the church; the back entrance was boarded up with wood. Kaz strikes a match, the little fire that would later become a beacon of justice, waves at Kaz. Kaz smiles and drops the match onto one of the wooden boards, he watches as the small match consumes the board to become a fire. Kaz strikes the other match against the wall and drops it into the church, through one of the broken windows. Kaz smiles as the two fires began to grow larger and he then walks away, he cannot wait to find out that those thugs shall be in jail for the rest of their life tomorrow.
"Today an abandon church that was going to be torn down was burn today by a bunch of boys yesterday. The boys say they don't remember ever starting a fire, but a box of matches was found in the book bag of one of the boys. Fortunately the boys made it out of the building alive and no one got hurt. Unfortunately these boys are facing serious actions that may result into jail time when they turn adults. Now back to Ted for the weather report." Kaz watched the news from the small TV in the local hobby shop; he was here hoping to find something to take his mind off making fires. Last night, he had a nightmare that all of the jocks were burned to death and he was sent to jail for it. He swore that he would never make fires for fun ever again and that he'll find something else to do in his time.
"Hey little boy you look like you need a hobby. Why don't you try this new card game called Chaotic?" The store clerk suggested. Kaz looked at the red started deck in the clerk's hand. Sounds creative and new, Kaz thought. He takes the deck from the clerk's hand and gives the man money for the cards, he says thank you and leaves the shop. When he got home he opens it up and finds several red cards, all of them looked like monsters but one catches his eye. Chaor is what the card, or Creature, is called. He is the Ruler of the UnderWorld and Lord of Fire. He was red like fire and looked like a gargoyle, Kaz loves fire and gargoyles.
"Chaor, what interesting Creature you are. Maybe you can be my new obsession, red like fire but rough as a gargoyle." Kaz mumbled thoughtfully.