Work Text:
[CLICK]
[KNOCKING]
ARCHIVIST LEGUNDO
Come in!
[THE DOOR OPENS AND THEN SHUTS]
ARCHIVIST LEGUNDO
Oh, hey Apo. It's been a while-
APO
Save it. Legs, this is Cherri. Cherri, this is my boss.
CHERRI
Hi.
ARCHIVIST LEGUNDO
Oh! You're Cherri!
CHERRI
(Teasingly) What, has Apo been talking about me?
APO
No.
ARCHIVIST LEGUNDO
(At the same time) She never stops talking about you.
CHERRI
Awwwww.
APO
Let's just get this over with.
ARCHIVIST LEGUNDO
So what brings you here today?
CHERRI
I was talking to Apo about her job, and I sort of realized I might have something that fits your statement criteria? I don't know if it was supernatural, I could have been hallucinating or something. But I want to get it off of my chest, you know?
ARCHIVIST LEGUNDO
Yeah, I get it.
APO
You really don't have to do this if you don't want to.
CHERRI
I know. (A pause) How do I begin?
ARCHIVIST LEGUNDO
Name, date, subject, anything else you think is good to share.
CHERRI
Okay! I'm Cherri Soluna, and I'm here to talk about a fire in my childhood home. Today is the 23rd of July, 2016.
ARCHIVIST LEGUNDO
Do you want us to leave the room?
CHERRI
Um, no, I guess. I mean, Apo's already heard it.
ARCHIVIST LEGUNDO
Okay. Whenever you're ready.
CHERRI
Right. I don't really know where to start. I never liked that home, even when we lived in it. It had all these old pictures I never really knew what to do with. Mom died when I was really little, so the only real memories I have of her are photos. There was this one of her on the mantle, and it was her at her wedding, and she always seemed to happy. But I never actually knew her. She's just the lady Dad would say I looked a lot like, who all his friends said was the nicest person they had ever met. Even now I don't know how Mom and Dad met, or anything about them, really. It's not like I'm missing much, but still.
Anyway, Dad had gotten remarried real quickly. It's always been me, him, and Pop. I know Dad discussed moving at some point. Too many ghosts, he said. But Pop would always have an excuse. There was a good primary school in the area for me, renovating a new home was too expensive, ecetera, ecetera. So we stayed. And stayed.
Dad sort of gave up on doing a lot of the renovations, and stuff started to go into disrepair. Faucet was always leaky, kitchen window always let in a draft. He would fix it if I ever complained, but not before then.
All this to say, I didn't register than anything was wrong at first. I was about eight or nine, and I had snuck into the kitchen for a midnight snack. I had both hands in the cookie jar before I noticed the light.
I turned around, because light meant Dad or Pop had heard me, and I was going to be in so much trouble. But it wasn't either of them. In fact, the light wasn't from any of the lamps or the bulbs. It was from this little ball of fire.
It was floating in midair, too large to be a stray ember, to small to have anything fueling it. There were no eyes, but I could feel it watching me. Judging me. I was a little kid and always fascinated by fire, so I wasn't scared or anything. Actually, I took a step closer.
As I reached out, it flinched back. Like it was scared of me. That sort of made me sad, I was that kid that wanted animals to like me, you know? So I thought, if I were a little fireball, what would I want? Fuel, of course! So I ran over to the kitchen table, where I had been doing my homework a few hours ago, and I held it out for the flame. Sure, I needed it for tomorrow, but Ms. Fisher would understand. I was so excited to tell everyone at school about this.
The flame didn't come any closer for a second. Then, it slowly began to light the paper on fire. When the flames got too big, I dropped it, but the flame ate it all. It didn't get any bigger, but it was bouncing around now, and was circling me. It seemed happy, almost. I was laughing, because look at my fun new friend!
It started doing tricks for me. Splitting itself into two and then remerging. I was giggling and ooh'ing and aah'ing. It's strange Dad and Pop didn't hear me, acutally.
So I started doing cartwheels for it, and any tricks I knew how to do. And soon we were all over the place, having play time at eleven at night. Then I started showing the flame around my house. It's when we got to the bookcase that we had problems.
Dad loved that bookcase. It had all his favorite books in there, but it also had our photo albums. My baby pictures, his baby pictures, the whole kaboodle. And the flame was getting really close to the books. So I told it no, it oculdn't get any closer. It seemed to get sad. I said it was okay. We could go outside next. But the flame didn't move. I actually pushed it away, and it was hot, but it didin't burn me. That's when it got angry.
It went big, and it flew into the bookshelf. All the nearby books caught fire, and then the whole bookcase was alight. I scrambled back, but at that point, the fire was engulfing half of the room. The fire alarms were blaring, there was smoke everywhere, and I think I was screaming.
I remember Dad rushing in to carry me out, because I was too scared to move. The fire department. Pop trying to see if anything had been salvaged.
We lived with my aunt for the next few months, until we found a flat to move into. It was easy, since we barely had anything to transport. We lost everything in the fire. Dad was always coughing, and I learned much later that his lungs had gotten damaged from the smoke. It carried with him for the rest of his life.
I never told either of them about the flame. I didn't want them to blame me for what happened. Maybe I made it up. I don't know. Apo's the only one who knows. Well, and you now.
I don't do fires anymore. Even little ones. Every time, when I stare at them, I swear I can feel them staring back.
[A PAUSE]
ARCHIVIST LEGUNDO
Thank you for sharing. Is there any follow up you want me to do?
CHERRI
Not really? Dad passed away a few years ago and Pop doesn't like to talk about it. Even if they did know anything they wouldn't want to help.
APO
We'll be leaving now.
ARCHIVIST LEGUNDO
Apo, one thing? When are you coming back? I just want to know since Pyro-
APO
I don't know, okay!?
ARCHIVIST LEGUNDO
Okay. Come back when you're ready.
[THE DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES. THE ARCHIVIST SIGHS. THE DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES AGAIN.]
DRIFT
Was that Apo?
ARCHIVIST LEGUNDO
Yep. She's been doing okay, I think.
DRIFT
That's good.
ARCHIVIS LEGUNDO
Mhm. I think they're still on break, though.
DRIFT
Yeah. It's just good she's not-
ARCHIVIST LEGUNDO
Drift.
DRIFT
Mhm. Yep. Still no word from- right. I'll just go back to my work. Did you need any follow up?
ARCHIVIST LEGUNDO
Nope.
DRIFT
See you around then.
ARCHIVIST LEGUNDO
See you around.
[THE DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES.]
ARCHIVIST LEGNUDO
Recording ends.
[CLICK]