Elle doesn't go to work for three days. She stays in her apartment, staying in bed. Anytime she thinks she might be hungry, she throws up instead. She's been having random shocks, shorting out her microwave and DVD player. It's just as well she thinks. It twists inside of her, growing. He's still making her suffer. She wants to get rid of it.
On the forth day, Zelda shows up and doesn't stop knocking until Mary Ann comes to the door and answers. "Jesus, doll, you look like shit." In this state of mind, Elle would've shocked her, but Mary Ann shrugs and lets her friend in. Zelda sits on the couch, plays with a glass knick knack from the table. "You decided what you wanted to do yet?"
Elle paces, chews on her fingernail and shrugs. "You could give it up, I mean it's not so bad."
She thinks a moment. Maybe if it was someone else's. She thinks of what she could be unleashing on some unsuspecting family. Open skulls and blood. She shakes her head. She wouldn't be responsible again.
Zelda lets out a hot breath. "Well how about we go down to the clinic and just confirm it. I mean those tests are known to be wrong. There's no harm."
"I guess."
Her stomach cramps again and she runs to throw up. She cries while she does it. Afterwards she pulls herself up to the sink, her fingers slightly slipping on the edge of the porcelain. She rinses her mouth out, takes deep heaving breaths. In the mirror an unfamiliar face stares back. Pale, eyes a dark shade of blue. A thin layer of electricity skims over her skin. ihow could you be so stupid/i? the other person says.
***
He's discovered a few new powers have surfaced. He can tell when people are lying, his body tingles, shudders. He can change his face, but only after he's touched someone. After the blonde had told him to stay away, he decides to use this, just for a minute, just to get close to her, maybe feel that spark.
He picks a person a random, someone who's younger than him with black hair. He works at the Ferris wheel, waits. Eventually the blonde comes around, the stroller folded and being dragged by a friend. The blonde carries the little boy who's face is still sticky with cotton candy. Wildly he starts jumping and pointed.
"You wanna ride the wheel?" the friend asks.
"I don't know," the blonde says, looking it over. The bright lights, the ringing bells.
"Mama, mama, high!" he chants.
"I'll take him, Mary."
They approach; they're the only ones who want on next. "Ladies care for a ride?" Gabriel says.
Zelda takes Noah from Mary Ann and moves forward. "Just us two, Mary's afraid of heights."
Mary, and yet somehow Gabriel knows that's wrong. Mary sighs. "I'm not afraid, I just..."
"High, high!" Noah kicks even more. Zelda and Noah get on, Gabriel fastens them in, and starts the wheel. Mary watches carefully.
"Don't worry," Gabriel tells her as the wheel goes up. "I'll make sure not to run it too fast."
Mary Ann smiles, holds herself around the waist. "Thanks."
She's beautiful, he thinks, now that he's up close. Her eyes are blue, the color of the electricity that shoot from his hands. He likes the way the lights shine over her face and her smile makes him think of confetti. "Your son?" he asks.
"Yes." Her smile is a little brighter at the thought of her little boy.
He claps wildly on the way down and back up. Zelda waves. "He seems to be having fun."
"Oh yeah," she answers. "I don't think I'll be able to get him down tonight."
"More, more!" Noah squeals when it comes back down.
"Sure," Gabriel says.
"Oh no," Mary Ann replies. "We couldn't."
"There's no one else in line."
Zelda rolls her eyes. "Oh come one Mary Ann, little man is having fun. Take us up to the top my good sir!" Noah claps in agreement, though all he understands is 'top'.
"Is that all right, miss?" Gabriel asks.
"Fine, but afterwards we should-"
"Yay!" Zelda says to get Noah going. Gabriel starts the machine again.
"That's very nice of you," Mary Ann says. "We don't get to go out that often," she quietly admits. She hopes that maybe this will be his first memory. The spinning of the wheel, the sounds of the games and smell of pop-corn.
Gabriel shudders suddenly. He thinks that the image has worn off, he's back to his normal form, but Mary doesn't seem to notice, she doesn't run away. "Dad here tonight?" he asks. She shouldn't think anything of it, there's nothing wrong with just polite small talk.
She shakes her head and tightens up. "No, no he's dead." She said it quickly and abandons the notion.
But Gabriel knows better; his body tingled. The father is alive. "I'm sorry."
"Don't worry about it."
He's stepped over the line; she won't say anything else to him now. But he's fine for now, just happy to be able to talk to her for a minute, seeing the lights gleam across her face. He brings the ride back down. Zelda undoes the seating, carries Noah down and passes him over to his mother.
"Did you have fun?" Mary asks. He giggles and gives her a sloppy kiss.
"You can see the whole place from up there, almost see to town."
Mary hugs her son almost tightly. "Now, what do you say to the nice man?"
"More?"
She laughs. "No. We say thank you."
He leans over to try and touch the nice man on the hand who gave him an extra ride. Mary obliges a bit, letting her son just barely touch Gabriel's finger. "You," he says, he can't quite pronounce 'th' yet.
Another tingle, but this time it's not about the truth or his appearance. He sees the life of the little boy; the first steps, how happy he feels with Mary. His favorite toy is a stuffed kitty, he loves the color yellow. Gabriel pulls back.
"Thank you," Mary says for her son. "Who's ready for the walk to the car?"
Noah is still excited. Zelda unfolds the stroller, the toddler is loaded up. "Be sure to come back and visit us," Gabriel says, leaning against the frame.
"Maybe," she says.
They walk away. When they are out of sight he changes back.
***
They had to wait half an hour before 'Mary Ann Moffett' is called back. She changes into a paper gown. Zelda sits in the corner by the desk and snatches the free condoms from the jar that sits by the edge; she stuffs as many as she can into her purse.
The technician comes in, with a bright smile. Elle hasn't smiled in four days. "All right, Ms. Moffett, let's take a look."
She puts a sheet over Elle's legs. It's humiliating, someone applying cold gel, then fiddling around 'down there'. Zelda giggles at the faces Mary Ann makes, then holds her hand. The technician fishes around until she finds what she's looking for.
"Here we go." She brings the screen up. "Looks like you're at about ten weeks."
"You're sure?" Mary Ann says. The technician nods.
"It looks like a bean," Zelda says.
There is a quick fluttering sound coming from the machine. "Is that the heart beat?" Elle asks.
"Yup. Looks good so far." She presses a button that freezes the image.
Elle looks away. "It's okay, Mary." Zelda squeezes her shoulder. "It'll be okay."
"We can have someone speak to you about all your options if you like," the technician explains. "I'll get you cleaned up and-"
"Can I come back later?" Elle asks. "Just, can I talk to someone later?"
"Of course."
She's cleaned, she changes back. The technician leaves for a minute. Elle curls up on the table, pulling her knees close to her chest. She doesn't feel like throwing up anymore, but she doesn't feel much better. "What should I do?" she asks.
"Whatever you want, sweetie." Zelda rubs her back, kisses her the top of her head. "No one's gonna think badly of you whatever you pick. I promise."
Elle nods, hugs herself around the knees. Zelda holds her close.