One

Chapter One: Suzie, Do You Copy?

   A small flower curls in on itself, its vibrant red color fading to muted brown. Petals fall, one by one, off of its crisp stem. Cut from its bush, the vibrant flower was dying, slowly but surely.
Gentle hands cradle the decaying husk, their touch warm and welcoming like the suns rays. The flower seems to lean into them, craving the life that flows from their palms.
Like it had lost them, the petals grow back, one by one, a red so rich and a smell so sweet that it seems false. Artificially made to trick the senses and fool the mind.
The girl smiles down at the flower between her fingertips, at the faint light that came from her palms. Swirling and dancing across her skin, jumping towards the flower with childish glee.
"Hey, Phina! Is that arrangement ready yet?"
"Almost!"
Phina carefully places the red rose in with the others, the center piece of an arrangement of many colors. She runs her fingers across each petal of every rose one more time, the sweet smell becomes intoxicating, filling the whole room and her nose with it.
"Phina!"
"Coming!" Phina yells, rolling her eyes.
Phina carefully picks up the flowers and walks through the door that leads into the front of the shop.
Zoe smiles, "Finally! The guy who ordered them got here early."
Phina rolls her eyes, "Why didn't you tell me! I would've gone faster!"
Zoe shrugs, "No big deal, he went down to the food court, said he'd be back soon."
   "Then why were you rushing me-"
As soon as the words leave her mouth a young man walks in the shop. He's wearing an expression that can only be described as nervous, whether that's because he's got a date tonight or because he's trying to apologize for something, the girls didn't know, but they were gonna have fun guessing. It was one of their favorite pass times in between customers.
"Oh, thank god," he says, grinning. "You're a life savior. These are perfect."
The flowers themselves were beautiful, Phina knew that, but the arrangement was tacky to say the least. With the upcoming Independence Day, a lot of red, white, and blue flowers were requested, and this arrangement was no different.
"Thank you," he says as Phina hands him the flowers.
Phina gives him a closed lip smile and lets Zoe take him over to the register. She turns to the back room, more than ready to start closing up for the day.
She starts by cleaning her arrangement station, picking up thorny stems and fallen leaves. She grabs bows and ribbons, rolling them and tucking them away into a basket.
She reaches for the metal scissors on her desk when the low hum of electricity leaves the air and the room goes dark.
The sudden darkness leaves her blind and her hand comes down on the open blade. The sharp metal stings as it nicks the edge of her palm.
Phina jerks her hand back, "Shit!"
It's little, but blood wells in the cut, warm. She touches the wound lightly with her other hand, hissing when it stings.
"What's up with the lights!" Zoe yells from up front.
   Phina grabs a wash cloth off the table, wrapping it around her hand. She opens her mouth to answer Zoe, but all that escapes her lips is a gasp.
Suddenly all she can feel is cold, ice replacing the warmth that runs through her veins. Her teeth chatter, her body shivers trying to chase the heat as it leaves her. She can't summon the warmth of her fire, she can't feel the life of the flowers around her, and it leaves her feeling empty.
   It feels like she's trapped in her own body, like the world around her doesn't exist, just the cold. So cold, so, so, dead-
Just as fast as it came, the feeling leaves and the lights flicker back on, it only lasted a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity. Warmth spreads through her, replacing the ice. Her fire rips into it, ridding it from her system as fast as it can.
"That was weird," Zoe says as she walks into the back room, "Woah! It's freezing in here."
   Phina shakes her head, willing her warmth to spread around the room, desperately trying to push away the cold. It leaves so quick that Phina can almost believe she imagined it.
   "Did you leave the walk-in open?"
   Zoe walks across the room and checks the walk-in fridge where the flowers are kept. The door is open just an inch and cold air seeps out of it.
   Phina could've sworn she'd closed it, but apparently she hadn't. Maybe that's why it was so cold.
   It's a simple explanation, one that Phina readily accepts. What else could it have been?

-735 words-
   So, here it is. Season three! I know it's been a long, long, long time since it came out, but I'm gonna be honest with y'all, I have been in the deepest writers block ever, especially with this story in particular. I'm so sorry to have made you wait this long, but here goes nothing! I hope you enjoy!
Thank you,
Morgan