Anna sat on a park bench, wishing there was more of a breeze.
Any
kind of breeze, really. The sky was getting pretty heavy with smoke, gibbous moonlight struggling to get to earth. Sirens going off everywhere. Screaming.
This place basically sucks right now, she was thinking.
Not that it's ever been all
that
nice or anything.
She was pulling the blade of her knife idly across the little knife sharpener that had been in Heather's knife block.
A group of young-looking people holding gasoline cans came running up to where Anna sat.
Anna put up her hand in a hello.
"Who are
you?"
the woman leading the group demanded.
"I'm definitely not police," Anna said sweetly. "I'm just sitting here sharpening my knife. Waiting for an old friend to show up. What are you all up to tonight?"
"We're going to burn down that fucking capitalist pig bank," the woman pronounced, pointing across the street. "Cindy Lou says we can't let a single one stand. So don't get in our fucking way."
"Oh, I won't. Go right ahead- I think you burning down that bank is a great idea, a wonderful idea. I think my friend might find it interesting too, and then she and I can have a conversation about it."
"Just steer clear, bitch. We're changing the fucking
world
tonight."
"No need to be rude. Who is Cindy Lou, anyway?"
The woman looked confused. She pointed and the rest of her group rushed forward to the bank, and began dumping the gas cans on the brick exterior. Some of the others threw bricks into the windows and started to climb in.
Some of them got cut, very badly in some cases, climbing in. Anna noticed that they didn't seem to slow down much.
"You don't worry about who Cindy Lou is," the woman hissed. "She has a plan for you, too."
"Does she
really?
Because I've been away- far away. I wonder how she would know about me. Have you ever met her? Have you ever met Cindy Lou? I'd love to meet her myself."
"You know, I- just, you know, fuck it. Is it OK if I go burn that fucking bank down now? I mean, don't try and fucking
stop
me."
Anna held up her hands.
"You do you, sweetie," Anna said. "Like I said, just waiting for an old friend. She and I are really going to clear the air tonight."
The woman ran off towards the bank. Before she got there, though, the windows of the bank blew out as the people inside ignited the gasoline they had poured all over in there. Some of the people inside were immolated immediately. Some were on fire as they tried to crawl out of the broken windows again.
They were all very