Remember the days of the innocence

“What should we do now?” I wonder, looking at Laila. “I want to do something, but how do you act in a situation like this?” I turn my gaze back to the little girl, hoping she knows better than us, but it’s stupid to expect someone who’s drowning to explain how to save them. “Maybe… we should leave her alone and go. Yeah, her parents are probably around.”

Laila turns toward the door, hands in her pockets. «Fine, we have nothing to do here, let’s go.»

I whirl around to her. «W-wait, maybe we should do something.» She pauses, leaning on the doorframe. «And what would you like to do? Let’s hear it.»

«I-I don’t know.» “She’s right. Until a moment ago, I thought the same thing. I’m just a hypocrite.”

Laila rolls her eyes with a sigh. «Fine.» She straightens with a push of her shoulder and walks toward the little girl. «What a bore you are. Always wanting something, then letting others handle it.»

“I know, damn it, I know!” I clench my fists, trying to restrain myself. “But anyone would be lost in this situation!” Still, I can’t deny the truth. I lower my head, relaxing my hands, too ashamed to look at her. “I’m useless…”

Laila crouches in front of the little girl. «So, who are you? What are you doing here?» she asks in the tone of a tired clerk after a double shift. She turns to me, thumbs up near her face, smiling widely—then glares at me. “I get it, I’m sorry.” She returns her attention to the girl. «So, are you going to answer? What’s the matter? Can’t talk? Come on, speak, silly girl!» She flicks her forehead.

«Hey, it’s starting to glow. Do children in this world explode?» she asks, pointing at her with her thumb.
«What do you mean?»

The girl stands, her red eyes glowing. Her white hair begins to shimmer blue, strands moving like flames. Laila levitates backward. The hare grows, changing shape. Slowly, I follow Laila’s example, crawling out the door.

Once outside, we start running, I glance back, the will-o’-the-wisp bursts from the house, smashing through the doorway, rapidly transforming into a huge dragonlike beast, at least three meters tall with four wings.

«Wouldn’t it be better to kill the little girl?»

«What?!» I shout, spinning toward her. «No!»

«Why not?» she asks, stopping mid-run, lying in the air. «After all, she’s trying to kill you.»

«It doesn’t matter, killing is wrong!»

«Why? Haven’t you ever wanted to kill? Even all those who mistreated and mocked you?»

“Yes, every single moment of my damn life they ruined!” «I…» I trail off, looking away.

Smiling, she pokes my cheek with her index finger. «Come on, you know I have the power to give you the power to do it.»

«Stop it, please. Can’t you just knock her out with your powers?» I’m already out of breath.

«Unfortunately, I can’t change someone’s physical state.»

«And that includes knocking them out?»

«I cannot cause harm.»

«Not even stop her?»

«I cannot control others’ actions,» she replies, picking her nose.

«Can’t you at least calm her?»

«I cannot even change someone’s emotions. If I could do all that, do you think I’d have left you as the loser you are?»

«You really are useless!»

Laila flicks the booger ahead, I barely notice before it becomes a large stone and I find myself prone. «Ouch, didn’t you say you can’t cause harm?»

In front of me, a tiny courtroom appears, composed solely of her. A Laila-as-lawyer rises and says: «Technically, my client said she cannot cause harm, but as we can see, the accusation tripped over that rock himself.» A jury rises. «The jury declares the defendant not guilty.» A gavel strikes. «The sentence is dismissed, and the accusation is advised to roll right.»

«What?» I barely have time to ask before a growing blue light hits me, I roll right, dodging the beast’s strike, but feel something hit me. Looking at my arm, I see a massive bleeding slash. My head spins, vision blurs.

The enormous beast hovers above, staring with huge eyes. Its owl-like head approaches, beak opening with a hiss. Flames rise, feather-like, crackling louder. Its body feels like a boulder, sweating. The head lightens. Eyelids, heavy, close.

My mind races with thoughts, confirming what I am and will always be… an inept. “It’s the end. I’ll go knowing I accomplished nothing. I’m scared, I want to run, I’m scared, I need to escape. Maybe if I use the last thread of my voice I can reach Laila, I’ll be safe, I can wish to run away… Maybe I should listen and get rid of the girl. After all, she’s a threat, right? This creature seems linked to her, it might disappear. After all, she’s just a desperate child, we’d only give her a gift by ending her suffering, right? I’d be doing the right thing… she can’t have a second chance after this…”

The twisted vortex of thoughts stops at that single phrase: ‘second chance.’ “Why am I here? What am I doing wrong? I’ve hated myself so long that I can’t remember what it feels like to simply love… myself, the world, the experiences I had, the people I knew. Where have I ended up? This new world could be the second chance that neither I nor anyone else has ever given… hahaha, a hopeless failure like me taking another shot at life. If someone like me could have a second chance, why take it from her?”

I reopen my eyes. Using what strength I have left, I crawl my hand to pick up a stone and hurl it at the monster.