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When I woke up we had moved again. Pahhur looked like she was setting up camp; in the remaining sunlight I could see deep red gashes on her arms.
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When I woke up we had moved again. Pahhur looked like she was setting up camp; in the remaining sunlight I could see deep red gashes on her arms.
“What happened?” I asked, sitting up. She jumped a good foot away.
“Y-You're awake!” She was breathing heavily.
“You're arms? What happened?” She quickly put both of them behind her back, giving me a look so innocent I could swear she was five.
“Nothing.”
“Bullshit.” I said, getting up. My legs gave a weak protest, but didn't give away.
“Look it's nothing. I'm just... weird.” She turned away and started unloading a tent.
“You got those wounds dragging me around, didn't you?” Nothing. “Let me see.” I touched her shoulder lightly, and was suddenly thrown off my feet.
“Don't!” She was crying. But she stopped. “Look...” She sat down slowly. “I'm just... a freak. You don't want to get too close. I don't know what will happen.” Her arms were in plain sight now, I could see where the rope burn had cut right through, it should have been bleeding, it looked like it had burned shut.
“How... Where... When did you seal these?” I said, coming closer, she shifted away again.
“I... I don't know. It just... was like this.” Turning to the sleigh I found the ends of the rope she had been using. The entire top part was a charred black color. “That's the fifth one today. They just, burn up.” She got up and returned to opening the tent. “So you see... I'm some sort of freak. Just don't touch me, I don't want to hurt you.” I watched her back for a while.
“You're not hurting the tent.” I said quietly.
“I.. I guess...” I watched her closely.
“So, you burnt the rope, but you aren't burning the tent; and your wounds were never even open. Like the moment you got them they were cauterized.” It was true, the most pronounced thing was the redness of her arms, the actual cuts were small, as if the blood had burned the second it touched the air.
“Yeah. So I'm a freak.”
“You also set fire to those woods when you were fighting.”
“That's... not the only time I set fire to things...” She said, I could see her ears turning the same color as her crimson hair.
“Sounds like you're not used to any of this.” She shook her head.
“I've only been like this for a week now, at the most. I wasn't even...” She stopped herself and continued setting camp.
“So you've been alone for a week, and you're body is completely different?”
“That's about right.”
“What happened?”
“Do you remember that strange light?”
“Yeah.”
“When I woke up, I was under a car. I was bleeding everywhere.” She turned to me, placing a few logs in a pile. They caught on fire immediately. “Then those things found me. Almost finished me, but an old guy saved me. I don't know how, but he used some sort of power, he gave me a new body. This one.” She started sobbing. “I'd almost have rather died. I don't understand anything like this...”
“Well, at least you are alive. And you can set fire to things, I think that's pretty cool.” She gave me a dark look.
“If I could control it, sure. But right now, I'm just a lit match. I don't know who I'm going to hurt, or how. Besides, that's not even the start of my problems...” I leaned in, and she gave me a strange look. “I... I was...” She stopped for a moment, her face a bright red. “Never mind.”
“What?”
“It's nothing, like I said, I've got a lot of problems. Like I can't touch water. Or I can't stop eating. I started eating tree branches today. Branches!” Indeed she had picked up a twig and was chewing on it quite furiously. “I mean, its not like I mind the taste. It actually tastes pretty good.” She mumbled a bit, then swallowed. “And... I'm not good at fighting. I mean, I've got abnormal strength suddenly, and I have a sword, but I'm just swinging wildly. The fact their bullets melt when they get close to me helps, but that's probably the only reason I'm alive still.” I could tell she was still hiding something, but I gave up on that.
“Well you saved me. And none of that sounds too bad. I mean, its not like you're thirsty right? And if those things taste good, then I'm sure the trees won't mind. You didn't set me on fire, and with practice you'll be a better fighter. Right?” She seemed intent on being depressed, and all I seemed to be doing was fueling it. I had enough of this girl's sulking finally and changed tactics. “Look, siting here pitying yourself isn't going to help anyone. In fact it might get the both of us dead. So, until we're out of this situation, why don't you focus on what you can do and leave the rest for later. If someone made you this way, I'm sure someone else can unmake you. We just have to deal with the hand we have for now.” I tried to keep my tone light, but as I spoke she seemed even more depressed. Then suddenly she started laughing.
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