FREE

by Andrew J. Hogan

“Run,” she said. My sister’s eyes pleaded with me.

“Why?” I said.

“Because I am going to kill you.” The pupils of her eyes started to widen and darken. “Run!”

I started to run. I don’t know why I believed her. It didn’t make any sense that she would want to kill me. But there was something in her, I guess, that did. After about fifty feet, I looked back. She had gotten to her feet. She picked up a large, jagged rock. She glared at me and started running in my direction.

I ran up the trail, back to the parking area where our mother was waiting for us. I ran as fast as I could, but I wasn’t fast enough. Something was wrong; my sister could never run as fast as I could, but she caught me and cracked my skull with the rock.

~     ~     ~     ~     ~

          It’s been twenty years, and today my sister brought her two daughters to the same spot where she killed me. My sister led my two nieces down by the creek and then walked back to the picnic area at the top of the hill near the parking area where I have stayed, ever since she killed me. I think only one of my nieces is going home today.

          “I don’t understand why you killed me,” I told my sister. 

          “I don’t know myself. I only know that I had to do it,” she said.

          “It doesn’t make sense,” I said.

          “Only one of us can live.”

          “But why?”

          “That’s the way it is.”

          “Don’t you feel guilty?”

          “No,” she said.

          “You killed your own sister.”

          “I told you to run. You could have gotten away.”

          “I don’t understand. Why should I need to get away?” I said.

          “You didn’t need to understand. You only needed to die.”

          “It must be wrong. I’m here haunting you,” I said.

          “Not for long.”

          “What do you mean?”

          “Look,” she said.

          My nieces ran up the hill toward the parking lot, where my sister and I were talking. Julia chased Vicki with a large, jagged rock, like the one my sister used to kill me.

          “Why are you letting her do this?” I said.

          “To get rid of you.”

          “What do you mean?”

          I heard the crack of the rock on Vicki’s skull; I could still feel it, even though I’d been dead for twenty years.

My sister was right. Julia came up the hill, followed at a distance by Vicki’s ghost. My sister led Julia to the car and drove her away. As they left and Vicki came closer, I faded away. My sister was free, and I am gone.

“Free” originally appeared in February 2012 Issue of Twisted Dreams Magazine.

By Andrew J. Hogan

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Preparations: Site selection is paramount when using your HVHSK. Self-immolation can be hazardous to pets, property and other persons if undertaken inside a flammable structure. The HVHSK will produce a satisfactory open-air immolation under most climatic conditions, including light to moderate precipitation and winds less than 20 miles per hour. Non-flammable structures, such as concrete parking garages, are suitable for individuals wishing to self-immolate during a thunderstorm.

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Instructions: After selecting a suitable self-immolation site, mix the fuel and the binding agent in a large pail. Complete incineration can best be achieved by wearing absorbent clothing on all parts of your body. Cover your head with several stocking masks or ski caps to completely incinerate the skull and brains. Wear heavy socks on your feet. Light cloth gloves should be all that is needed for your hands, unless they are unusually meaty.

Once clothed in absorbent material, stand in the special immolation pan included with the kit and carefully wet all areas of the body, starting at the top and making sure there is at least one inch of liquid in the pan. Once completely saturated, ignite the Heavenly Vaporizing Lighter and drop it into the pan. Enjoy the rush of warmth that will quickly envelop you.

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Heavenly Vapors cannot guarantee that its self-immolation kit will obviate the need for cremation.  Many factors can affect the completeness of combustion. A combustion-friendly diet can be helpful—See “Healthy Diets for the Prospective Self-Immolator” by Fiamma Lancia, available directly from our website or Amazon.com

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