Chapter Five: Will Williams

He was the oldest one in Joseph’s group. He had gotten held back in first grade for resisting learning.

Will had just got home from a track meet. He was sweaty from running, so he planned on taking a shower.

“Will!” his mother shouted up the stairs. “I’ve got to take your father to counseling. I’ll be back later.”

“Bye, Mom.” Will waited for the sound of the car’s engine. When he saw the car leave the street, he shouted, “Yes!” Then he grabbed the phone and called his girlfriend, Kelly.

“I’m sorry,” Kelly’s mom answered. “Kelly isn’t home. She’s at a swimming practice. I’ll tell her you called, though.”

“Damn,” Will cursed after he hung up the phone. Then he headed upstairs to the bathroom for his shower. “I am so bored. I’m dying, dying, dead!”

Will took his clothes off, grabbed a towel, stepped into the shower and turned on the water. While he was getting wet, he sang, “Dying, dead! Dying, dying dead! Dying, dying…” Something smelled like¾

“¾lighter fluid?” Will turned around to see the familiar appearance of lighter fluid coming from the shower nozzle. “What the hell?” He shut off the water and jumped out of the shower. He grabbed the towel and put it around him. Then he turned to the door. A guy and a girl dressed all in black stood, each wearing a black ski mask, an unlit match in the guy’s hand.

The guy grinned and lit the match. Then, in a deep voice, said, “Dead,” and threw the match towards Will.

“What the…” Will burst into flames when the match reached his body. His heartbreaking screams filled the house as the fire burnt his skin. The guy in black laughed cruelly, watching Will burn on the tiled bathroom floor.