Electric Girl

• Isobel Cassin, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2019

Taylor's hair looks like a bright blue halo as it spreads around her face like she's just received an electric shock. Her mouth is open in a silent scream and her eyes are glazed over. She's losing control.
Only a single thought crosses my mind. I have to save her, stop whatever she's doing before she completely drains her powers. I urge my legs to move, my feet to run, but I’m stuck, standing here, watching Taylor suffer, unable to do anything to stop the immense amount of pain she's feeling. Taylor is levitating to my right, stuck in a black hole of pain and I’m the only one who can help her. But I’m frozen, the ground beneath my feet the only thing keeping me upright.
Suddenly, a rush of adrenaline engulfs my tired bones and fatigued body. I'm bursting with energy and I don't know why or how. The moment my brain makes the connection an amused smile tugs at my lips. Taylor's siphoning some of her power to me. Clever girl.
I break into a run, my chest pounding, the breath rattling in my chest. I'm running faster than I ever have in my entire life. I'm tumbling towards the beacon of massive, pulsating red light that is radiating from Taylor.
I skid to a halt my feet kicking up dirt as I slam my hands down onto my kneecaps, gulping air into my lungs. I stare up at the figure before me, finally asking myself the question I’d been dreading. How exactly was I going to save Taylor? I do the only thing that comes to mind. I reach up and grab her arms. I start to yank her down, screaming her name over the deafening sound of the wind whistling across the abandoned field we're standing in.
I'm slowly making progress in bringing her down when I suddenly yelp and my hands drop. It feels like my hands have just been dragged across a bed of hot coals and bathed in lava. Painstakingly I take a deep breath, the air like daggers in my throat, my heart tearing my chest apart with its frantic pounding. I raise my arms again and grab Taylor by the wrists. Her skin is burning and feverish. I swallow my screams as I dig my nails into her wrists, the pain jolting her back to life.
The glazed look is slowly slipping from her eyes, like raindrops sliding down a window. Her hair stops glowing and returns to its normal reddish colour.
Taylor collapses to the ground a few feet away from me and I scramble towards her. I gather her limp form into my arms and sigh. I feel her melt into my arms as she begins to sob, massive, wrenching sobs. Relief floods my body.
"Don't ever do that to me again," I whisper into her hair.
She lets out a small laugh, and it's such a pure, innocent sound.
It's the best sound I've ever heard.