Lenny looked up from tying his shoe, the still-smoldering remains of Mrs. Bark sputtering on the concrete in front of him. “Nice day, isn’t it?”

The grimy little girl simply stared at the remains of her former teacher. She ignored the old man as she clenched and unclenched her fists.

Squinting in the bright sunlight, Lenny stood and gazed off into the distance. “Looks like there’s a storm coming. Little girl like you should be inside with her momma where it’s dry. You run along home, now.”

The little girl stepped slowly away from the pair, one living and one dead, and stumbled off. Lenny watched her go, scratching his chin absently. He glanced down at the remains of the gym teacher.

“Teach you to laugh at a child,” he told the corpse.