IMMOLATION: Chapter 29

The room was dark until a small flickering flame lit and cast long, wavering shadows like so many dancing figures. There would have been nothing extraordinary about the flame were it not for the fact that it hung in the air, in the middle of the room, alone. Slowly, the flame began to bob through the room, towards the hall and eventually into the bedroom at the end.

“Wha-?” Melanie said as she stirred in her sleep. She was always a light sleeper.

The fire began to grow, though it stopped once it reached the size of a melon, and hovered above Melanie's bed. Her eyes shot open and she jumped back from the fire. It went out.

Someone knocked on her door.

Melanie jumped out of bed and threw on a robe before going to the door. The air in her apartment was unnaturally warm from the fire and Melanie waved her hand about in front of her to clear the air.

“Joan,” Melanie began the moment she opened the door but didn't get to finish.

Joan burst into the apartment, sobbing, her clothing scorched in places, and she collapsed onto the couch.

“I've killed him!” Joan managed to say between sobs. Everything else came out as intelligible.

“What?” Melanie dropped down onto the couch beside Joan, “Who?”

Joan continued to convulse with her crying.

“T-T-Tom!” Joan stammered and fell face first back into the couch were she proceeded to scream.

“You burned him?” Melanie asked and regretted the accusation in her voice, not to mention the fear she felt at being so close to Joan.

Joan screamed again, beating the couch with her fists and leaving scorch marks on the upholstery. It wasn't until then that Melanie noticed that the burns in Joan's clothing were fresh, and spreading.

“Joan, you're still burning,” Melanie said as she backed away.

Joan turned to face her, tears sizzling as they streamed down her face before evaporating into steam. The effect was terrifying and Melanie continued backing away.

“Help me,” Joan plead, holding out her hands toward Melanie.

Melanie fought back her fears for the moment and reached for Joan's hands but stopped short. The air above Joan's hands wavered from the heat pouring out of them.

“I...” Melanie hesitated, Joan's pleading eyes boring into her.

Melanie slowly took hold of Joan's hands.

“It'll be okay,” Melanie managed to say before the heat from Joan's hands overwhelmed her. “Ow!” She cried and pulled her hands back.

“Please!” Joan shrieked, still in shock and not thinking clearly as she reached for Melanie.

“No,” Melanie pulled back even further until she fell off the couch, “Joan, you're going to burn me!”

At hearing this, Joan regained some control over herself and the heat radiating off of her cooled.

“Is Tom really dead?” Melanie asked after a few moments, still sitting on the floor rather than rejoining Joan on the couch.

“I don't know,” Joan whimpered and she began wiping off the ash from the couch were she'd burned it. “I burned him so badly and I...I ran away.”

Melanie jumped to her feet, “You mean he's still out there?”

“No,” Joan said at once, “No, help came, they loaded him into an ambulance, but,” Joan wiped her face and eyes, “But I couldn't stay. They...that if they...”

Joan collapsed back into her sobbing and Melanie inched away a little more as the air around Joan heated back up.

“I'm sorry,” Joan said, “I'm doing the best I can to control it.”

“It's okay,” Melanie said for lack of anything better, “Just tell me what happened.”

“They're going to take me away!” Joan shouted.

Melanie jumped backward and ran a few steps before she could stop herself. “Calm down,” Melanie said in as commanding a tone as she could manage.

Joan was slipping back into her state of shock. “I'm holding back the flame,” She said, hands shaking and eyes darting around the room. “But they're going to come for me. Please, you have to help me.”

Joan was advancing on Melanie and backing her into the narrow kitchen. Bits of fire were sparking around Joan and burning her clothes even more.

“Please,” Joan plead again, holding her arms out as though she thought hugging Melanie would make it all better. “Please, help me.”

Joan was almost to Melanie, the heat was almost unbearable and Melanie shrieked, “No!” and grabbed at the only thing she could think of, the faucet. The nozzle of the faucet could detach and a length of hose extended a couple of feet from it and Melanie pointed it at Joan and sprayed her in the face.

The cold water had little effect on the fire but it seemed to awaken Joan to the reality of what she was about to do.

“I'm sorry,” She muttered and slumped down to the floor. “I'm—

There was a knock at the door.

Both of them froze and Melanie motioned for Joan to stay down in the kitchen behind the counter while she answered the door.

“And if you need it,” Melanie held out the faucet nozzle, “Use it.”

Joan took the nozzle and Melanie made her way to the door.

“Who is it?” She called through it.

“It's me, Mike.”

Melanie let out a sigh of relief and opened the door. Mike immediately pushed his way passed her and began looking around the room.

“She's not here yet?” He asked when his initial search revealed nothing.

“Who?” Melanie asked.

“Joan,” Mike said, “She's gone crazy, burned Tom to a crisp, though amazingly he's still alive. Though, they're not sure how long he'll survive with how thoroughly she's fried him.”

A short burst of water sounded from the kitchen.

“It's nothing,” Melanie said at once, grabbing Mike by the arm before he could go and investigate. “It's been doing that all day, now tell me why you think Joan's gone crazy.”

Mike stared at her hard. “That's just what everyone from the restaurant is saying,” He said, sitting himself down on the couch.

Melanie left the front door ajar and then joined Mike on the couch, sitting so that Mike had to put his back to the door to face her. “But you've seen her, worked with her,” Melanie said, “You know that she just goes off sometimes. She can't help it.”

“Maybe so,” Mike said, though he didn't look convinced, “But still, I'm not going to let her endanger you any more.”

“My hero,” Melanie stated dryly, “But Joan is my friend and I'm not going to abandon her. Especially right now.”

“That's noble of you,” Mike said, “But it's only a matter of time before she loses control again and next time it could be you that the paramedics are having to scrape off the ground.”

Melanie put her hand on Mike's knee. “I know you're doing this to keep me safe, and I am so sorry about Tom, but I am not abandoning Joan and there's nothing you can do about it.”

“I was afraid you'd say that,” Mike said. “But it doesn't matter. They'll find her and lock her away where she won't be able to hurt anyone else.”

“No!” Joan shouted, jumping up from behind the counter and spraying herself in the face with the hose to keep her fire distracted.

“I knew it,” Mike shouted and leaped from the couch. As he landed, he pulled a taser out from where he'd tucked it into the back of his pants and took aim at Joan. “Don't make me do this, Joan,” Mike said. “The police are on their way and I wanted to make sure they wouldn't have to shoot you.”

“What do you mean?” Melanie demanded as she tried to pull Mike away from Joan.

“I figured she'd come to you and so I told the police,” Mike kept his eyes on Joan and, despite Melanie's attempts, he also kept his aim. “They said they'd give me five minutes so I would imagine they'll be joining us shortly.”

“They're already here?” Joan asked.

Mike nodded. “Just outside there, waiting. If you go peacefully then no one else will have to be hurt.”

Melanie could see the panic rising in Joan's face as the water on her body began to steam. Melanie made her choice and punched Mike as hard as she could right across the jaw. Mike spun partway around, a stunned look on his face before he collapsed to the ground.

“Ow ow ow,” Melanie said as she cradled her fist.

“Mel,” Joan said, shocked, “You just—

“Go!” Melanie hissed, “Out the back window, quick!”

Joan hesitated for just a moment before she took off. Melanie continued to rub her hand while she waited for either Mike to wake up or for the police to come in, whichever happened first. As it turned out, the police arrived first.

“Are you alright?” The first officer to take in the situation asked.

“Just fine, officer.” Melanie answered and braced herself for all the awkward questions she knew were about to begin.