Sparks Into Flame

"I'm sorry I wasn't there in time, Simin." John started, no hint of accusation in his voice.

I looked up from my ashy fingers and stared at him stonily, unsure how to respond.

"Unfortunately, now you need to decide: You can either come with me, learn to control your abilities, and help me protect others like us. Or, you deal with the police now where I cannot help you, your powers will continue spiraling, and you will likely end up dead." John had given me these options before, but never with this much urgency.

Both of those choices are terrible. "I didn't mean to do it," I said aloud, my voice hoarse from smoke and disuse. There was so much movement outside, bustling of cops, the social services lady, my parents. I winced, hearing my mother shouting outside the sterile, quiet room John and I were in.

John sighed, sinking into the worn office chair. "I know. But I cannot help you as a counselor anymore. There are too many eyewitnesses, too many past incidents."

"You believe me," I persisted, hating that John was right. He warned me during our first meeting, three incidents ago that my powers would only get stronger. "Why can't you tell them-"

"I believe you because I am like you, but if other people knew, you would be in danger," John explained once again, patient despite everything. I felt my frustration unfurl, and on cue, flames sprung up again on my arms.

I leapt off the chair in panic, and John raised a hand, turning my powers off for me.

For a moment, I nervously eyed the singed armchair, breathing fast. "I think I'm the danger, John." Outside, everyone had clearly heard my chair screech back, and there was quiet for a moment.

"Simin, calm down. I won't let anything happen to you." John's voice was still calm. "Your parents are being controlled, and they won't understand. They can't protect you from everything that is coming after you."

I looked away; I knew they wouldn't understand. I remembered the saga of my crazy therapist: Dr. Hazelwood had tried to kill me with a poisoned apple, but nobody had believed that story either. I was growing steadily angrier and angrier with being treated like a delinquent.

My parents looked at me with betrayal in their eyes, like I'd somehow lied about being a good kid, a good student. They questioned everything, yelled, tiptoed around me. Except for John, there wasn't anybody in my life who didn't treat me like a problem.

Teachers, cops, other kids. Nobody treated me normally anymore. The more I was treated like a freak, the less I wanted to try to prove them wrong.

And all of that boiling anger exploded today when the kids began snickering at me, purposefully knocking chemicals onto me.

I closed my eyes, perfectly recalling the smoke, the flames licking the lab benches from my clenched fists. My classmates were screaming, trampling each other to escape my flames. I remembered the drowning shrieking of the fire alarm, the whole school terrified.

And I couldn't put it out. I had been surrounded by my own fire, safe, watching my teacher gasp on smoke as she tried to grab my blazing arm.

"-okay, Simin?" John was frowning slightly, looking concerned.

I shook myself out of the daze, returning to this room. "I hate them," I murmured, feeling strangely floaty.

"Who?" Now, John definitely looked concerned and sympathetic, his thick accent coating his words.

I dug my fingers into my knees, staring determinedly at the stacks of boxes lining the walls. "My powers. They're dangerous and I can't control them." I replied bluntly, burying my feelings before another fire broke out. Smiles, tears, the flush of blood when I got angry, everything triggered the flames.

John nodded. "I can teach you how to control your abilities. I know I'm asking for a lot," He paused here, and I finally listened to him. "I need you to trust me. I understand the struggle with abilities you cannot control, that could potentially hurt others."

I imagined my parents' reactions when I disappeared. Their fear, anger, maybe relief. What would they do? I felt my heart squeezing, missing them already.

Then I looked down at my destroyed full sleeve t-shirt, both arms completely eaten away by flames. There wasn't a single scar on my wrists or forearms, but I knew Brenda, Jamie, and Kevin had to go to the hospital for burns. I knew Ms.Wheely had been rushed into an ambulance, grey and weakly wheezing.

John made his way around the desk that separated us and kneeled beside me. "Simin, it wasn't your fault. You couldn't have controlled your powers, and I wish it hadn't come to that." He exhaled deeply, "It's not going to be easy, but I promise to protect you. Simin, both of us used our powers. You remember what I told you about your therapist?"

I nodded, feeling a little numb and confused. "She's a witch, she has powers, and she's trying to kill me." A wave of exhaustion slammed into me suddenly, and I swung my legs half-heartedly.

"Well she's outside, and she definitely sensed both of our powers." John held up a hand when I began panicking. "There's an officer out there who's a friend of mine. He's willing to help us escape out of here, but Simin you need to decide."

I looked into his light blue-grey eyes. Decide between equally shitty options 1 and 2? It's not like I could choose the second option since surprise surprise I didn't want to die. "Where are we gonna go?"

John smiled a little sadly, seeming to understand that the decision had been made. "Harry's keeping a safehouse ready for us right now. You remember Harry?"

It was hard to forget the unnervingly quiet boy. "The quiet ventriloquist's dummy," I answered, and fought a tired smile when John laughed, almost sounding surprised.

"Be nice." John got up and checked his watch. "I am sorry about this. I wanted to give you more time, speak to your family."

"Will I ever see my parents again?" I asked, getting up. I breathed deep, feeling nervous again, and sparks flew out with my exhale.

John thought about that for a moment, clearly deciding whether to lie or not. "Everything I do is to make sure people like us are safe. I promise I will do anything I can to give you a normal life again." He smiled at me. "You are sure about this?"

I nodded, watching him open the door, and following after him.

John headed for the kind cop who had brought me here from school. "Hey Bruce, I'm taking her for some air. We'll be back in five-ish minutes?" John was all smiles, shaking Bruce's hand and giving him a meaningful look.

I forced a smile for Bruce. He'd been really nice to me, even though I was suspected of arson and probably attempted murder or something.

Bruce nodded seriously and glanced at me with pity. "They've come to a decision, John. A psychiatric facility for juveniles in Carlston." He looked at me again, swallowing hard. "You're doing the right thing, man." Bruce gave a meaningful look of his own and I caught him slyly handing John a slip of paper. "I changed your name on all the address logs, the witch is looking into you. You need to get her out of here."

John nodded gravely and turned to look at me.

My mom walked over to me, wrapping her thin arms around me. Her eyes were red, her normally perfect brown curls frizzy and loose on her shoulders. She smelled like stale coffee and cigarettes.

I was shocked and I kept quiet, hugging her back tight. "I'm just going outside for a minute," I said, struggling to hold back tears of my own.

My mom nodded, ruffling my hair and sniffling. "You're burning up, baby. Do you have a fever?" Her voice was cracked and tired, and I guiltily scanned her face, memorizing the hooked nose and tanned skin we both shared.

"I'm fine. I'm sorry," I injected as much feeling as I could into those words, looking into her eyes. "I love you."

"Go, he's waiting for you. I love you too." My mom replied, and I walked over to John, following him down the corridor.

John kindly said nothing, briskly moving down the hallway. "We must move fast, Simin. Two other children, Devon and Elysse, need to be found. One has been captured by a witch."

"Can I help?" I asked, furiously dabbing away tears with the remnants of one sleeve. We took the stairs fast, and I carefully avoided looking any of the police officers in the eye.

John smiled, "I'm going to need someone with your powers. Danke, Simin."

I looked back one more time as we drove away, my heart ripping into two with my decision. "You promise you're going to fix this? You're gonna stop me from hurting anyone else?" I began fixing my messy brown hair, lifting the tangled mess into a ponytail.

"Simin, together, we're going to save a lot of people. I promise you, we're going to fix this." John said. "Is your seatbelt on?"

I rolled my eyes. "John, we're in a lot of trouble. I'm pretty sure you just kidnapped a twelve-year-old," I smiled when John raised an amused eyebrow. "And we're currently heading towards murderous ladies with poison apples. That's what you're-"

"Simin?" John glared at me in the rearview mirror.

"Yeah, yeah," I sighed and swung the seatbelt on, tearing my eyes away from the building in the distance. "Thank you for helping me, John."

John merely smiled and turned on the German music radio.