18 Guilt and Explosions

The next day at school everyone told the news.

Piers Polkiss is dead.

Apparently, the tiger thought that he was simply a larger version of the rats it hunted in the zoo. As such, it ambushed him while he and the Vapids, minus Dudley, were egging a house. The other three managed to get away unscathed. It seems that the tiger isn't familiar enough with turtles to desire to hunt them.

Instead, after mauling and consuming part of Piers, it simply wandered the streets of Little Whinging. After being startled by a loud sound, it rushed back to the zoo where it re-entered its cage and went to sleep.

And that's where the zookeeper found it in the morning. Asleep in its cage, the door wide open. Due to the expert opinions of the zookeepers and tiger enthusiasts, the government decided not to execute it for killing Piers. Officially, it was an unfortunate circumstance that occured due to his resemblance to a rat that caused his death.

Unofficially, they only have one tiger, and they don't think they'll be able to get another one. And so the newspapers told the story of how a young boy with a rat-like face, and dressed as a giant rat, was unfortunately mauled by a tiger.

Of course, the newspaper being the newspaper, it was written in such a way that all the blame resided solely on Piers.

All across the school you could hear people talking about it. Some people pitied him. Others mocked him. The feeling the vast majority of people felt though, was relief.

Relief that one of the most malicious bullies in town could no longer target them. That he could no longer beat them, steal from them, or threaten them.

These children looked to the Vapids with a glint in their eyes. You could almost hear their thoughts. (He deserved it. And so do you.)

Of course, there's always one person who thinks differently from the rest. One person who blames themselves for what happens.

Behind the school, in an isolated section that forms a long corridor that finishes in a dead end, a girl is crying.

Her sobs echo in the enclosed space, her only company the trash in the corner. At least, that's what she thinks until a hand lands on her head.

Clarity starts and turns around, rapidly rubbing her eyes to clear the tears. Behind her, she sees me, my hand still resting on her head. I start to pet her as she simply stares at me for another moment.

The she lunges and her arms wrap around me. I wrap my arm around her as the other pats her head.

"It's okay Clarity, it's not your fault. Just a coincidence is all." I try to soothe her, but her sobs continue.

"Bu-but, I threatened him! I told him that a cat would hunt him! And then, th-th-then..." Her sobs grow louder as she recalls how she told him that she was a witch, and that her cat would hunt him down.

(It's all my fault. I should have just ignored him like I usually do. Maybe I really am-.) Her spiraling thoughts are interrupted when my hand karate chops her head.

"Hey now, none of that. If you recall, I told him a cat was going to come after him too. Does that mean you think I'm also to blame for his death?"

She looks up at me in shock and takes a step back out of my embrace. My arms cross in front of my chest as she exclaims, "Of course not! What happened has absolutely nothing to do with you! How could you have known that the tiger got out of the zoo, or that it would target him because of his costume. You are NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS DEATH!"

I give her a smirk. "If that's the case, then you shouldn't blame yourself either. There was no way for you to know about the tiger, you had no way to know it would target him. If don't blame me, then don't blame yourself. Misplaced guilt isn't cute."

She blushes and stutters. "B-b-but..."

I heave a great sigh before pointing at a bag lying next to the trash can. "Look, if either of us is to blame for Piers' death, then let this trash explode!"

Clarity giggles at me, but before she can respond...

*BOOM*

The trash explodes.

...

The two of us stare in silence for a moment at the smoking area where the bag used to be. We exchange looks and Clarity's face rapidly pales. I hurriedly wave my arms at her.

"No, no, no. That was just a coincidence! I mean, come on, the trash ACTUALLY exploding because of what I said? If that was true, then that bag of trash should explode too!" I point at another discarded bag of trash.

The two of us look at it for a moment as if waiting for it to react. Ater nothing happens, I glance at Clarity. "See, nothing ha-."

*BOOM*

...

"It exploded again..."

Clarity's words are quiet, but I can still hear them clearly. I look at the new smoking area, then I look down at my hands. Slowly, I raise them to point at another bag.

"...Boom?"

The bag explodes and my eyes widen. Clarity's shocked eyes meet mine. Our mouths open at the same time.

"What the-." "AWESOME!"

...