Current

by Rian Harper

  She placed her hands back on his chest and let out an agonizingly mournful howl.

  "I can't do it!" She screamed as she sat back. In that instant, she started to glow, charging with electricity. She looked like she had in Jasmine's living room when we discovered Nate's ability. I didn't understand how that was possible with Nate lying dead in front of us, unable to act like a catalyst. At that point, I was terrified, because she wasn't controlling her current. She could have easily burned a hole straight through Nate instead of simply giving him a shock.

  "Emma, hold back! We won't ever be able to bring him back if you give him that much." She didn't act like she heard me. She just kept building and building until she leaned forward and discharged everything she had right into his body.

  A blast rippled through the forest. Arcs of electricity danced all over; through the air, across the ground, in the trees. All of us were enveloped in a giant cloud of electromagnetic energy. The force knocked Emma and I a few yards back from Nate. As soon as I could, I regained my footing and ran back to his side. I fully expected to see third-degree burns all over his body, but he looked the same as before. Only this time, I could see his chest rising up and falling down as he took shallow breaths. At first, I thought I was imagining him breathing, but I put my hand on his chest, and felt it rise and fall with every breath. I checked his pulse, which was faint but there. I couldn't believe Emma did it. She brought him back.

  Emma showed up beside me, and saw Nate breathing. She let out a sigh of relief, then leaned down and kissed him. At this point, Jasmine finally started waking up from the initial blast from Nate, and joined us. We explained what happened while she was still unconscious. She looked at Emma, and gave her a hug, telling her that everything was going to be all right. We were all kneeling around Nate, just thankful that he was alive when he suddenly sat up and gasped to take in a deep breath. His breathing was deep and rapid as he looked around at us, trying to figure out what had transpired.

  "Where is he?!" He asked, panicked. Jasmine looked at me with a puzzled expression, that I'm sure mirrored my own. Emma moved closer to Nate, and took his head in her hands, turning his face towards hers.

  "Nate, calm down and slow your breathing..." Her words trailed off and she jerked back away from him. I watched as her eyes got bigger and bigger.

  "Emma, what's wrong?" I asked, terrified of the answer.

  "His eyes, Everett. Look at his eyes." She reached out and placed her index finger on Nate's chin, then turned his head until I was looking directly at his face.

  I gasped when I finally saw what she was talking about. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Nate's eyes were naturally a stormy grey color. They weren't that color anymore. There was something I never specifically told Nate about the descendants, because it never occurred to me to be of any importance. When powers manifest in someone, the iris of the eye changes to a vibrant color specific to eat branch. We who produce electricity have electric blue. Those like Jasmine have a darker blue/violet. Shifters have emerald green.

  Nate looked at me through his bright orange eyes, then down at his pants, as he realized his clothes were catching on fire.