The Change

“It’s going to hurt, you know.” Roman’s bedside manner was terrible.

“I know.” 

Carmen got comfortable. Thank god she went with stretchy pants. The last thing she needed after self-immolating was to feel the dig of a waistband.

“You could die.” 

His words didn’t mean much. Her mind was made up. If little Romey who always teared up from papercuts could handle the transformation, so could she.

“Come on Romey, I’m ready.” 

She flipped her arm up to show blue-green veins, and he pressed into her skin. Finding the best one felt like playing a game of whack-a-mole. His eyes searched hers for any hesitation.

“Okay.”

Currents of electricity sprawled upwards shocking her system. Carmen smiled, thinking of what she would become to prepare for the pain.

Future Carmen never got sick. She didn’t need to sleep and could work a third job to keep her family fed.

Blue flames swirled the surface of her skin. She could only endure open eyes for a few seconds at a time, but the sight was mesmerizing. Then she was screaming.

Carmen saw her sister in the fire that changed everything. The flames crawled up her fingertips and braids until her whole body was engulfed and her sister’s mouth was agape.

The last time he heard that scream was fifth grade. She’d fallen off the slide and broke her collarbone. One kid ran for a teacher while everyone else gathered and stared. He was the only one who dared to be close to her, and he tried to comfort her by patting her leg.

Roman wanted to touch her now, let her know she wasn’t alone in her pain, but there were too many risks until the flame went away.

Violent shakes set in, sending the blue flame rippling like waves.

A sudden squeak behind the metal door alerted Roman back to his surroundings. He listened intently, neck craned, unwilling to leave her side completely. Muffled voices. Metal brawling.

“Shit.”

He squeezed her flame-free hand. “Carmen, if you can hear me, it’s time. We need to leave.”

Her silence meant she was almost done transforming, but it was going to be close. Roman grabbed his gun and aimed it at the door.

Carmen sensed the danger and begged the transformation to find its ending. Her body itched and ached, but her fingers were moving, and that meant she could hold a gun too.

The alertness in her eyes was the confirmation he needed. She’d already pulled out the IV. He put her gun in her hand, which had steadied. Hopefully, her legs would stabilize just as quickly.

“Ready?”

“Ready.”