SOL GRIMONY'S POV
🎶For the first time and foreve—just kidding!🎶 Ahem.
"Tito Ish! Tito Ish!" the child shouted in a panic, running up to me and pulling me toward the edge of the riprap.
"Wait! Hold on! We might fall—HEY!"
This crazy kid—does she want me to fall or what?!
"Help! Blondie!"
Blondie?!
"Please help my Tito Ish! I'm begging you! What happened?!"
"Wait, let's do a recap."
"Huh?"
Center of Riverside and Roots. Under the bridge. Picking up plastic bottles. Argument. Black smoke. A fire? Ish burst into flames. Best scenario ever. Impressive.
I pulled the kid away just as she tried to run toward her burning uncle at the edge of the riprap. "Don't! It's dangerous!"
At this moment, I need to think fast. But how?
Am I really the only sane one here to be a hero?
"W-wait! I'll get a fire extinguisher! No! No! Sol, what are you saying?! Have you gone nuts too?!" I even thought of calling the fire department—but I don't have mobile credit!
Can't blame me. This is the first time 'this' has happened to me. Wouldn't you panic if you were in my shoes?
Sometimes there really are scary situations in life, but even then, there are usually people you can ask for help. Unlike now—there's no one. Just me, Dy, and the kid here under this old bridge.
What could a child and a panicking sister even do?
Wait? Maybe his own flames won't burn him, right? Maybe, he has resistance to his own element, yeah?
Maybe… but then…
Ish panicks… maybe this is his first time experiencing this?
He screamed and thrashed around until he slipped and fell into the river. I tried to grab him, but it was too late. He was gone—fallen into the water.
I couldn't believe it! I even had the guts to get close to him while he was on fire? I'm clearly not thinking straight too!
"Ish! Oh my gosh! Dy! Ish fell! He fell!"
I shook my dazed sister. "Hey! Wake up! Wake up!" I flicked her forehead. She blinked and cluelessly looked at me. "Ish fell into the river!" I yelled in her face. My spit was flying everywhere.
Dy's eyes widened—not because of my saliva, but because of Ish. She immediately looked over the edge, but Ish had already sunk. We couldn't see him.
Dy bit her fingernail—a habit whenever she's in panic mode.
"Sol! Ish fell! Is he dead or eaten by fish?"
"Huh?! What're you talking about?!"
My sister sounded completely insane at that point.
"We need to help him! Let's save him!"
I nodded and calmed her down. "Don't worry."
I mentally facepalmed when Dy grabbed a long but thin tree root. Her attempt to save Ish was hilarious, and she looked totally ridiculous.
"Ish! Can you hear me? If you can, grab onto the root I'm throwing!" Dy called, sounding like she was playing Spirit of the Glass.
She tossed the root into the water—but it didn't sink, it just... floated.
I needed to find a way to save Ish because if I didn't, my poor twin sister might never sleep again, and Ish might actually become a ghost and haunt us.
I don't want Dy blaming herself for whatever happens. And I don't want regrets either. So, Sol… you can do this! Yes, I can. I am very much capable.
I took a deep breath to calm myself and then extracted a large light from my body, sending it under the river to illuminate the water. Smart me, right? Applause for Sol.
The fish swam away from the light. Some curious ones approached, but then they swam off too. Guess they're scared of crossing over to the afterlife—just kidding!
"I can't see him!" I was getting nervous. "One light ball wasn't enough."
"What?!"
"I'll add more light balls! Don't be impatient, okay?"
The child Ish brought was crying. Poor thing… probably terrified. Hope she doesn't get traumatized.
"Don't worry! I got this! Trust me!"
I tried extracting more light and sent it underwater. I made around 50 basketball-sized light balls. Dy helped and added 50 more. So, now there were 101 total, including the first one.
Aside from plants, rocks, and fish, we saw trash underwater—like a pair of slippers and more.
Thanks to the light, we finally saw him. He was unconscious. The problem now was: how do we get him?
Neither Dy nor I can swim. If we went back to Roots or Riverside for help, it would take too long. If we used social media, everyone might just leave me on "seen."
"I'll help!"
I was surprised by the little girl's suggestion.
She said she could swap the positions of two objects—Switch?!
"That's a great exskill, but..."
I hesitated. Should I really entrust this to a child? Maybe she doesn't fully understand what she's doing?
But... I think she's the only one who can save Ish… especially with an ability like that.
So I agreed, even though it was risky. She insisted, too. I couldn't ignore the fire in her eyes—that burning determination to save her uncle. It was admirable for someone so young. I just prayed her plan would work 'cause if not…
I grabbed a small stone nearby and placed it in front of her. As she explained her extraordinary skill, she swapped the stone's position with Ish's.
Thank goodness! That girl's extraordinary skill was so useful! I worried for nothing!
Ish was soaking wet, unconscious, and his clothes were slightly burnt. Thankfully, not all of it was destroyed.
"Ish? Can you hear me? If you can, show a sign!" And there goes Dy again. She tapped Ish's cheek while I checked for a pulse.
I placed my right palm on his forehead—it emitted a small light. Hopefully, my solar heal would work.
After a few minutes, Ish regained consciousness. He spat out the water he'd swallowed and started coughing.
"Ish? Are you okay?" Dy asked sounding concern while rubbing Ish's back.
Ish caught his breath and nodded. I helped him sit up. "That was crazy, dude! So nerve-wracking! You're lucky you survived!"
He had no slippers on, and there were weeds tied around his neck. Dy removed them.
"Does anything hurt? Are you injured?" She checked him for wounds. "Looks like nothing serious." She sighed in relief.
"Where are my slippers?"
Of all the things to ask—why that?
The four of us looked at each other, searching for where Ish's slippers had gone.
"Maybe... you lost them. But don't worry—I have extra slippers at home. They might fit you," I said with a smile.
He gave a small nod and looked kind of sad. What happened? Were the slippers special?
"Too bad... I bought them for 100 spri..."
100 spri for slippers?! So expensive!
I patted his arm in sympathy because I know the feeling of losing something.
"Don't be sad… some things leave, some things arrive… What's important is to move on."
"T-thanks..."
"Bad weeds really take a long time to die," Dy said, looking relieved.
Ish frowned and his right palm emitted smoke.
"Want to get fried?" he offered with a criminal smile.
"Oh really? Maybe you wanna be the one to get fried?" my sister snapped back, creating a solar ball.
Are they both criminals or what?
I immediately stopped them before they actually tried to kill each other—we didn't have time for that.
"Can you do that on November 1 instead?" I suggested, giving them an angelic smile.
The two rolled their eyes at me. "Wow. Seriously?" I mumbled a bit hurt.
To be continued...