Devil's Soul

Chapter 23 (a day that changed my life)

***Surprise! A new chapter! I know I literally just told you last night that I probably wouldn't be posting another chapter for a while, but my mind works in mysterious ways. Even I don't understand it sometimes... Anyway, I hope you like the new chapter! Vote, comment, and follow me if you do! Now I need to go to class. Yipee for me!***

I met Remy the same day that I discovered I could light a fire by creating friction between my fingertips. It's funny because at the time I thought the discovery of my new ability was the event of greater significance to my life. It turned out to only be significant because of how it indirectly led me to meet Remy.

I'm not sure how to describe Remy without making you think I was in love with her. I suppose I was, in a way. No, I didn't lust for her. It was more like I was in love with the idea of her. I had never had a close female friend, and she became everything I could have ever wanted in one. She was supportive, fun, and affectionate. She had a fiery personality and was never afraid to speak her mind. I admired her ability to be rude to people when they deserved it. That was something I never seemed to have the guts for.

Remy had pixie cut auburn hair and preferred to wear layers of clothes with clashing colors and patterns. Unlike me (and possibly Desmond), she didn't feel the need to hide the tattoo on the back of her neck. Her hair cut and clothes left it bare for all to see.

Remy double majored in studio art and computer science. She had only just graduated when I met her, and she was working as a freelance graphic designer.

She was different from me in many ways, but she was perfect for me. Meeting her changed my life.

But I didn't know any of this when I snapped my fingers together in an attempt to illustrate the instantaneous nature of something to Desmond. All that was on my mind then was how my fingers were on fire, and even though I couldn't actually feel them burning, I very much needed the fire to go out.

I managed to limit the expression of my horror to gaping, rather than letting loose with screams in the coffee shop. I had realized pretty quickly that this incident was probably demon related, and the last thing I needed was an attentive audience. Unfortunately, flaming fingers are still pretty conspicuous, even if the owner of those fingers isn't screaming. Desmond seemed to realize this because he immediately grabbed me by the elbow and shoved me into the women's restroom. This is probably something I should have been able to manage on my own, but Desmond's instincts had warned him to not wait for mine to kick in. So there we were, together in a women's restroom for the second time. Except this time we weren't alone.

A woman was standing with her hands below the hand dryer, watching us.

Desmond and I froze, with him holding my elbow and me holding live flames.

Then the woman broke into a full blown smile and surged toward us. "Desmond?! It's been so long!" She embraced him, and he hugged her back.

"Look who's all grown up!" Desmond observed.

Apparently neither of them were concerned that my hand was freaking on fire! "Desmond! I could use some help here!" The panic seeped into my voice by the end, making me squeak on the word "here."

Desmond pulled away from his precious long lost friend so that he could grin at me like an idiot. "Congratulations, Mavis, you're experiencing your first ability."

"How do I make it stop?" I asked, nervously holding my left hand a safe distance away from anything that might be flammable, like my hair. This was really not okay with me. Were my fingertips going to continue spewing flames for the rest of my life?!

While Desmond continued to grin at a situation that clearly did not merit smiling, the woman spoke up. "Geez, Desmond, I don't know why Satan ever thought you would make a good mentor." Then she turned to me, her expression softening. "Why don't you try clenching your hand into a fist to extinguish the flames against your palm?"