Can You Tell Me Why?
It’s Friday Fictioneers time again. Every week Rochelle supplies us with a photo prompt and we get 100 or so words in which to write our story. This week’s photo was supplied by Roger Bultot.
Here’s my rather dark story for this week, and to read all the other stories you can click on the little blue froggy.
Copyright Roger Bultot
“Can you tell me why, Jimmy?” The doctor, notepad in hand, looked at the young man sitting across from him.
“Don’t you know? Don’t you feel it too?”
“Feel what, Jimmy?”
“That rush, that surge… elation! The flames live.” His eyes became dark, furtive, his voice suddenly hushed. “They need to live.”
“And the people you’ve hurt?”
“The fire must eat. That is why the fire exists.” Cold now, dispassionate.
“Tell me about your family, Jimmy. I understand they died in an electrical fire when you were seven?”
Jimmy’s eyes gleamed. “My first. You never forget your first!”
Recommend continued psychiatric detention. Advise police reopen case 104723/A – “Matthews fire 1998”.
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draliman on life 
Creepy! Especially like the case note at the end.
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Thanks! I was in two minds whether or not to leave that in.
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Ai, ai, ai! You did go over to the dark side with this one! As usual, you capture the scene just so.
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I did indeed! I didn’t have the strength to write an “exploding meth lab” story or some such 🙂
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Ohh I was waiting for the punchline with you! Nicely creepy.
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Just a minor revelation at the end for this story 🙂
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Garry has met some of these people and they are just as creepy as you think they are.
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I imagine he met many creepy characters as a journalist. I don’t think I would want to.
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probing the mind of arsonist. well done.
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Thanks, I tried to imagine what would motivate such a person.
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Nicely dark, D-man. It felt like a snippet from an episode of “Criminal Minds” 🙂
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I can imagine Dr Reid as the doctor trying to get into his mind while Hotch watches from the other side of the glass 🙂
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love your work. It always amazes and entertains me what you can do in so many words. This guy is scary and I am glad he will remain incarcerated. I wonder what his family were like? LOL!
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I don’t think he’s ever getting out. I expect his family were quite nice people – that wouldn’t have stopped this guy.
I’m glad you liked it!
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Extra crispy!
What? Too soon?
Nice story Doc. 🙂
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🙂
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Pyromania: hot stuff and good piece.
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Thanks. This guy’s the very definition of “pyromaniac” I think.
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I admit to being something of a pyromaniac when I was a kid (My Dad liked to call me “Matches”), but my sickness never got beyond always quickly volunteering to burn the trash in the barrel at the grandfolks’ house (where burning trash was legal at the time)….
Of course, I did love to throw all kinds of “neat” things in that fire and watch them burn… tightly sealed plastic bottles were always fun! 😉
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Ha, “Matches” 🙂
It’s always fun watching bottles go kablooey.
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good one. very chilling. sounds authentic!
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Thanks, I was hoping to accurately portray the mind of a pyromaniac.
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You did!
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Effective portrayal of a pyromaniac. Well done.
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Thanks, I tried to imagine what might motivate someone like that.
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Oh yes.. i definitely recommend continued detention…
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Me too! We don’t want to let this one loose.
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Dear Ali,
This is different than your usual humorous fare and well done at that. Have you ever seen the movie “Spider” with Ralph Fiennes? This story put me in mind of it. Dark and chilling. You never disappoint.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle,
I’ve haven’t seen that film, I’ll keep an eye out for it. I’m glad you liked this departure from my norm – not even any dark humour in this one.
Ali
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Dear Plaridel,
Your last line really added a jolt of realism to this piece. Dark, yet illuminating, your story got into the mind of an arsonist perfectly. Very well crafted.
Aloha,
Doug
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Dear Doug,
I’m glad you reckoned I got into an arsonist’s mind. I was trying to think what might motivate people like that (and also drawing on TV shows such as Criminal Minds!).
Ali
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It is scary to think someone grows up thinking this way. A tough story to tell but told well.
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Yes, it is scary to realise that there are people seemingly without conscience, or who are driven by something destructive the majority can’t conceive of.
I’m glad you liked it!
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Wow, Ali. That was creepy.
The psychiatrist’s note at the end was especially scary. Makes me wonder how many seriously disturbed people are roaming free. 😦 Well done. 🙂 — Suzanne
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Too many, I fear. Hopefully one day they’ll work out how to help these people so they feel okay in themselves and don’t hurt anyone else.
Glad you liked it!
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The fanaticism of that young man is scary. I think the case note added to the creepy feeling. Who knows what else young Jim got away with. Great story.
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There’s probably a long list of “unexplained” fires with his name on them. I’m glad you enjoyed my story!
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Ali,
We both probed the human mind this week. Your character expresses his suffering outwardly to make others suffer and mine internalizes hers and tortures herself. A psychiatrist would love to unlock the minds of these patients. Excellant and chilling portrayal of mental illness.
Tracey
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Tracey,
We did, I felt for the person in your story.
I’m glad that you felt my description of this chap’s state of mind rang true. Hopefully one day psychiatrists, doctors and scientists will be able to help people like Jimmy.
Ali
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Ali,
I never lose hope.
Tracey
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A creepy tale Ali! Loved the story! You always remember the first!
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And I haven’t even watched any Criminal Minds episodes for months! I’m glad you liked it.
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Me neither! I did very much!
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🙂
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Another creepy fellow. The hills are alive with them.
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They are indeed, they’re everywhere.
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That Jimmy scares me, Draliman. Hope he stays wherever they brought him. Let’s quenche the fire now…hiss hiss 🙂 Pawkisses 🙂 ❤
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He scares me too 😦 Thanks for reading my story, LB!
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That was fab! I really enjoyed it and love the way you wrote him, fire and ice. 🙂
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I’m glad you liked it! I tried to portray him as someone whose mood could change just like that.
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You did an excellent job, it was spot on 🙂
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Thanks 🙂
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Yes, DrAli is back. Enjoyed your character, interesting.
Criminal Minds is in your subconscious.
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I think Criminal Minds will always be with me – I did binge-watch the whole lot at once!
I’m glad you liked my dark story.
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Well THAT was creepy!
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Yep 🙂
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This is a case of three hots and a cot. But for Jimmy, skip the hots – just a cot.
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Yep, just a cot for Jimmy from here on in. And a straitjacket.
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Not meaning to sound callous, but callous it is, skip the straitjacket until he attempts to kill himself. And if it’s too late, c’est la vie. or in his case, mort.
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Ooh, harsh justice!
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Yes, this is plenty dark, Ali. The fire needs to live is pretty creepy. If he was hoping his explanation would help his case…well no. Well done.
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No, but his explanation has guaranteed a place in a psychiatric hospital rather than a prison cell, I guess.
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Oh, that’s true! It sounds like that’s where he belongs.
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1998- not surprised he’s still there.
Very effective – very creepy.
If I really like a story my mind starts writing the rest – this would be great to take backwards, to way before anything he’s told us here.
PS Always a bit shocked by the pull the plug comments. Not that we’re letting this guy out.
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Thanks!
You’re right, this could be the start of a book which then goes back over his life. Perhaps as a he tells it to the doctor, or perhaps just in his memory.
No, I doubt he’s ever getting out. I never thought of capital punishment as an ending, maybe because we don’t have it in this country and I’m not a particular advocate of it anyway. Maybe over the years in hospital the doctors will be able to help him at least find some peace within himself.
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Excellent story depicting a very deranged individual.
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Thanks, I tried hard to put myself in his mind (which was a pretty freaky experience to be honest).
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Frighteningly good portrayal of a young but accomplished firebug. Now I have a severe case of the heebie jeebies!
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Imagine how I felt trying to imagine what young Jimmy might be feeling and what drove him 🙂 It’s scary to think there’s people like him out there.
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Oh good grief! Yikes! Just after I viewed your sweet dove photograph, too. Maybe you’re in a brighter mood 😛
Ellespeth
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You should have viewed them the other way round – the dark story then the light picture 🙂
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Ohhh, that’s good! Creepy and good!
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It is creepy, and disturbing. I’m glad you enjoyed it, though 🙂
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Dark side indeed. Well written. The psychiatrist recommendation was right on. Glad you left it in. 🙂
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Thanks. I’m glad I left it in too, a couple of people have mentioned that it made a good ending.
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Scary! Interesting, chilling dialogue.
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Thanks, it’s scary to think about such people.
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Chilling. Even the doctor didn’t expect that conclusion to the interview, I suspect.
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No, I think he was expecting that the trauma had set Jimmy on this path, not that he caused it!
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He definitely needs to remain in psychiatric detention! You write really good dialogue. 🙂
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Thanks, I enjoy writing dialogue!
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This reminds me a little of Stephen King. Great job!
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Thanks, I’m glad you liked it!
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Now that got him fired up, deliciously evil take on the prompt.
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Thanks, I tried to make Jimmy sound as “psycho” as possible 🙂
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Yes, what Subroto said, deliciously evil…
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I just love that phrase, “deliciously evil” 🙂
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Very serious, nicely done! 🙂
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Thanks! It was quite interesting trying to get into the head of such a person.
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Loved it! The common sense of the insane? Sometime I wonder???
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