Pieces of wood and debris fall around me, a selfless gust of flames engulfing what was once a child’s home in front of me. I sigh heavily, wiping the sweat off my forehead as another job was well done. I cross the remnants of the home, looking at the damage that was dealt and inspecting if anything notable was still alive. The kitchen was swept up in flames by now, along with the living room, backyard, and the sleeping rooms. I walk over what was left of the stairs and inspect the child’s belongings. All of what remained of a nostalgic, sweet, and youthful childhood was a charred bed frame, pieces of a bright pink dollhouse, and plushies that littered the floor, their cotton gutted from the inside out. I pick up a small plushie, and, by holding it above my head to get a clear view with the light from the fire, it seems to me that it was a mouse, with its grey fur turned black and knotted and its pink tail long gone. It’s smile, however, seemed to be untouched, with its two big black eyes staring back at me with a youthful and bright sparkle in its gaze. _I wonder what my life could have been like if my childhood was as bright as this. _Maybe it would include family picnics or gatherings, going to the movies, maybe even going to the park and picking flowers. Definitely not hiding from my mom every day after coming home from school, fear overtaking me as I stand frozen in front of her everytime as she hits me over and over. _I wonder what this child’s life was like with her mother. _I quickly shake the thoughts away, the bitter feelings coming back to me from the age old days. I continue my persuit of investigation, and once I clear the home, I get into the back of our helicopter and we take off.

"Where we headin’ next, Ms. Revenge?" My partner, Mikey, asks. "Big Chungus ´ere was thinking just down the street since he saw a Mcdonalds" he jokes as he elbows my other partner, Trevor. The duo are like brothers to me, since they’ve been supporting me since I ran away from my home, away from my mom for good. I laugh as I respond "Mcdonalds sounds good, but I think our next location is far away from there." I pause as I read over the address. "Cedar Avenue? That sounds familiar…" I shrug it off. "No Mcdonalds there, but maybe we can find something else that’s high in cholesterol for you." I joke as I also poke Trevor with my elbow. We make our way through the air to the next job site, with Mikey’s gentle, precise hands steering the wheel. Both Trevor and Mikey seemed quiet, so I ask "Why so silent?" It took a bit before Trevor could respond "Cedar Avenue is where your mom lived. You sure you wanna go there?" _Of course. That’s why it was familiar. _I think this over, reciting all the possible scenarios in my head. We could get the job done and over with, and leave quickly. But she could see what we are doing and try to stop us. What if she figures out our intention? She would rip us into pieces, that’s for sure. And what would be her reaction after seeing her daughter after 25 years? Would she even recognize me? Of course she would, she would never forget the face that brought her all of her disappointments and problems in her life. I almost consider backing out of the job, but then I remember why we are doing this in the first place. _To get back at my mom for what shes done to me and my childhood. _After remembering this, I am once again fueled by my anger, so I turn to Trevor and say "It has to be done."

It was a silent ride to the job site, but my mind was racing with the loudest of thoughts. We get out of the helicopter, Trevor unloading the gasoline and flamethrower as Mikey hands out our heat protectant face shields. Everything was a blur as we walked over to the site, poured the gasoline and watched the flames eat it up. I almost didn’t want to do the investigation, but I thought of our goal again and continued my way in. I very quickly scanned over the remnants of the rooms and belongings, and rushed to get out of the destroyed home. I feel as though I can’t get a breath in my lungs, and i’m not sure if that’s because of the smoke or the fact that my mom was standing right behind Mikey and Trevor. "Come on! We can get out of here fast" Trevor remarks as he walks back to the helicopter, blind to the demon presence that was behind him. I think I may be seeing things, so I lift my face shield to get a better look at her.

"It really is you…"

We both stand in shock as we process each other. I take in her slenderness, her pale white hands bare of the shiny and colourful rings she used to wear back when she was happier.

"I would have never thought that my children’s home’s would go to flames, and I certainly never thought that the arsonist behind it all would be you."

I take a moment to myself before responding, the edge in her voice rattling memories that I never wanted dusted off. "Surprised? You treat your first daughter like hell and you act surprised when she finds a way to get back at you?" I scoff and shake my head. "Even after your death, you still find ways to abuse me in your afterlife." I walk through her eerie figure of her spirit and attempt to get into the helicopter but stop when I feel a cool breeze on my shoulder. I turn around and see my mom right behind me, holding up something small and familiar.

_My plushie._

__

__

It was a cute little thing really, a small brown dog with white spotted eyes and a dangling tongue. It was the last time I ever saw my mom, when she handed me that plushie and told me to think of her through the plushie when she was gone. It was her way of saying sorry to me before her suicide, sorry for all the terrible things that she did to me. I threw the dog in the trash immediately, not wanting to think of my mother ever again, the abuse and the memories coming back everytime I looked at it’s puppy dog eyes. Staring at them now, I fall to my knees in tears as I remember the feelings during the abuse, and after her suicide.

"Why? Why do all of this just to pain me more?"

I feel Trevor’s and Mikey’s hands on my shoulders with their attempt to lift me up, but I stay put. "I never had a safe home growing up. I had to hide bruises and scars everyday going to school. Seeing your other children going to school, all happy and carefree since your gone, I naturally felt jealous." My voice shivered at that last sentence. With tears blurring my vision, I could barely see Trevor and Mikey pull me up and drag me back to the helicopter. I stare out the helicopter window as we lift into the air, watching my mother’s lifeless face drift away, along with my already destroyed childhood. I think of my plushie one more time, and I think of all the other plushies that have been destroyed in our missions. I think of the bright faces plastered on those fluffy sockets filled with cotton, and I imagine the bright face on my plushie as I threw him away. The thought of that gift was my mothers last chance of being a normal mom to me, and I threw it all away. I didn’t even think of the fact that the plushie could be a gift of love, I just naturally assumed it was so that she could rub the horrible memories in my face in my every waking hour. I wish I could go back to my alive mother, to my old plushie, and to every other plushie and child that I ruined, just to say sorry. Sorry for being a burden in your life and ruining everything I touch. Sorry for never doing the right thing. Sorry for paining you, even in the afterlife.