Chapter 36

CLAUDIA. The fire dances right before my eyes like a wall of bright orange flowers covering the walls of the buildings. It spreads fast, intensified by the strong winds, melting the snow on the ground and sending a big cloud of black smoke into the night air. I watch as it spirals, stunned into complete silence and pinned in my place due to fear. I want to move and see what’s going on, but I can’t. I still can’t believe that what I’m looking at is real. But it is. I can feel the heat in the air. I can hear the distant screams of the people…. However, something catches my attention. In the distance, at the back end of the gates, there is a man wearing all black, carrying gallons of liquid. He’s pouring it haphazardly over the walls, soaking and splashing but making sure that he’s avoiding himself. He then takes out a match, lights it, and tosses it into the pool of liquid. The shock in my head gives way to realization. The puzzle pieces start to come together. The village is not