Never Have I Ever

Chapter 16

After we’ve finished marking her burial spot on the map, we sit back in the circle, removing her chair. We become four. Thomas, Celia, Mason and I. And one of us still has to die. I’m beginning to understand how this is going to happen now. I mentally begin to prepare myself for the inevitable.

A cold detachedness is the only way I’m going to get through this. To focus on the unimportant to force my brain to file and analyse what the hell has done on. An analytical approach.

It’s much easier for Thomas. He does this naturally. Where I’m fuelled by emotions in a white-hot mess. It’s rather irritating, often.

We sit in a square around the fire pit, the coals burning low even in the Californian sun. celia looks at me sadly, and Mason just smiles. Thomas is unreadable, and I’m beginning to worry the consequences of that. He’s been disengaged for quite a while, and it’s becoming unnerving. I’m going to have to fix that.

“So, who’s next?” asks Mason quietly, with a barely-hidden smile. “You, I believe?”

“Yes,” I say, standing up. “Never have I ever done the fire challenge.”

“Low blow,” says Celia. “What are you thinking?”

“A lot of things. Look, we’ve done a lot of those old internet challenges, so why not this one? I’m broken enough already. If we’re going to the ER, why not add burns as well?”

“You’re gonna end up with an amputated left arm,” says Thomas offhandedly. “It’s a matter of time.”

“Good job I’m right-handed then.”

“Oh, my God,” says Mason. “She’s given herself a challenge, fucking do it.”

“Mason, does the curse stop me from shooting your brains out?”

“No,” he laughs. “Because you don’t have a gun.”

“Say I did.”

“Probably not. It’s not under their jurisdiction anymore.”

“Exactly. So if we survive another round, I would advise you don’t piss me off.”

I walk into the house, and into the kitchen.

“The gas and all is outside.”

“Well done, smart ass. I was thinking alcohol. Scare myself into sobriety.”

“Yeah, we’ll tie you to a chair as well. You’ve been watching too much TV.”

“Celia, fuck off, I know what I’m doing.”

“Yeah, you have a fire blanket? Or were you gonna put it in a bucket and hope for the best?”

“Okay, maybe I didn’t think about that bit. You have one?”

“Yeah, there’s one in the cupboard under the sink. Just tell me when.”

“Mason, get my phone. I need you to video. Thomas, will this work?”

“You’re gonna end up killing yourself.”

“What, doing stupid challenges? Quit it. I know what I’m doing.”

“Yeah, sure sure. Let’s get this over with.”

Mason and Thomas walk to the other end of the phone, and Thomas unlocks my phone. He taps away for a second before giving it to Mason. He puts his thumb up.

“Celia, prepare for disaster.”

I lay my hand, having removed all braces and coverings, on a metal oven tray. I pour a bottle of some kind of spirit, the label’s come off, all over it. I grab a lighter, brace, and cause a spark.