It melted
It melted slowly, painfully, endlessly
The igniter turned off with a satisfied hiss
Then silence
As if it were admiring its own masterpiece
She screamed
She grabbed frantically at the people around her
Her friend from high school
Her favorite teacher
Her sister
Her dad
None of them spared even a look
Her mom
Yes, her mom, she would help her
But even she refused to speak
Her eyes shone with disappointment
Or was it hatred
Annoyance
Disgust
Wariness
It was as if her head was a knot
Someone was pulling it tighter
And tighter
And tighter
Until it snapped
The heat at the center of her palms gave her a jolt
She looked down
And the igniter stared back
With its singular eye
Deep as a black hole
Taunting as a witch