I begin screaming when the blisters pop, my flesh drooping from my bones, melting, slowly, agonizingly, peeling away and the pain pain pain is brighter than the flames, louder than the screams as they taper off, throat closing, shriveling from the smoke and heat and blood evaporates into a thin mist and I can’t make a sound as I die I’m bleeding into the air as Fear and Insanity can do nothing but watch watch watch me burn alive no escape from the pain pain pain of those eternities before death when the fire laps at my bubbling skin like waves on sand like a cat’s rough tongue on my cheek like a warm hug held too long like Death Death Death reaching for me with arms wide open and he touches my face, cups my head in his two hands of ice as fire rages around and inside me a storm of agony he wishes to take away wishes to steal wishes to carry the burden of life so I don’t have to-