Soul Fire

when he found out that Javier’s father was back. And anger makes people do crazy things, especially on a night like tonight when the city is
alive with fire and explosions. Gabe may think he has nothing to lose.
    In this street, the TVs and radios are silenced. All I can hear is a scaredy-cat dog, whining whenever a firework goes off in the distance.
    ‘Gabe, where are you?’ I shout louder this time.
    Something smashes onto the pavement, just a couple of metres away. A firework?
    I get closer. It’s not a firework, it’s a doll. At least, it was . Now it’s a pile of pink plastic limbs, and a porcelain head with a fixed smile on a half-smashed
face.
    I look up and see two figures, close to one another, on the roof.
    ‘Gabe?’
    It’s definitely Javier’s building. I run backwards, dodging bins and uneven paving slabs. I still can’t see the men clearly. But now I’m tuning out the sounds of the
fireworks and trying to focus, because I think I can hear raised voices. A furious argument.
    The bench where we sat just a few hours ago might give me a better view. I clamber onto it.
    Two men are squaring up to each other, shadowy against the gunpowder-red night sky. Gabe is one of them, I’m certain. We recognised Javier’s sister from her slightly arrogant walk,
but Gabe gives himself away with his surfer-boy movements.
    The other figure is shorter, stockier. The voices are getting louder but they’re speaking Spanish, or Catalan. I can’t understand the words, but the threatening tone is frighteningly
clear.
    ‘G ABE!’
    They start to fight. They’re getting closer to the low stone wall that borders the roof. It’s no higher than their knees.
    I think of what happened to the doll. And of what happened to Javier.
    I can’t let it happen again. Yet there’s no one around to help me. I cry out, ‘Gabe, STOP!’
    It’s impossible to tell who is attacking who. But if Javier’s father could murder his son without a second thought, then killing a stranger would surely be easier still. The sounds
aren’t words anymore, but screams and grunts and cries.
    Is this history repeating itself?
    No, it’s even worse than that. Because if the worst happens, it will be my fault. I brought Gabe here. I am responsible.
    ‘Gabe, he’s not worth it!’ I’m shouting so loud my throat hurts, but I’m nowhere near loud enough to be heard above the firecrackers exploding across the city.
    And all the while, they’re getting closer to the edge.
    I jump off the bench, race back towards the front door. I should have done this sooner. I smash my fist against the wood, and press all the buzzers with my left hand in case someone is
still in the building who could call for help.
    And then the front door bursts open.
    I fall into the hallway.
    ‘Alice!’
    It’s Gabe.
    I struggle to get up, my hands slipping on the tiled floor.
    ‘Come on,’ Gabe says, grabbing my arm. ‘Let’s get out of here.’
    ‘What did you do to Javier’s father? Did you hurt him?’
    Gabe shakes his head, but his face is grim. ‘No, though he bloody deserved it.’
    ‘Where are we going?’
    ‘Far enough away that I won’t be tempted to smash his face in. But close enough for me to watch him leave.’
    We’re both shaking as we stumble back round to the bench. When I look up at the rooftop this time, all I can see is the silhouette of the wall against the sky. It’s
as if nothing happened.
    Gabe’s panting. ‘Jesus, Alice . . . I never knew evil had a smell . The guy looked normal from a distance, but when I got close to him it was stronger than body odour.
    ‘How did you get in?’
    ‘The mum went out with the girls, all dressed up for the Correfoc . J’s Mum looked upset, and Rosa was telling her that they’d have a good time, that Papa would have
calmed down by the time they got back. He’d been there the whole time.’
    ‘What did you do?’
    ‘I sneaked in after some neighbours left. When I got up to J’s old flat, right at the top, the old man was smoking on the terrace. He was too drunk to even look surprised that this
stranger had appeared from nowhere. I told him my name but obviously it meant nothing to him.’
    In the distance I hear drumming, but the fireworks have stopped – almost as if out of respect for Javier.
    ‘The old guy was swearing, and then he turned to face me. Alice, it was like seeing this hideously warped version of J. And then I looked down. Such a long way down. I’d
planned to