Betsie

With my Familiar next to me, invisible to all but the most powerful Anathema and Torments, I put an end to the endless numbers of monsters, from the Guard Dogs: terrible dog-like creatures with entrails pouring out of their mouths, to the Beautiful Beastly Chandeliers: nasty metal ambush predators capable of breaking her sword with ease.

I helped reality itself with every slash of my sword.

The barbed hooks swung at me from every angle, but with supernatural Dexterity and Speed, I ducked and weaved and spun around. I cut off the tentacles by the dozen, dodging the ever-growing piles of poisonous purple sludge spewing out of the cut-open entrails, feeling the wind on my face as I defended the world from these monsters.

I use my teleportation skill Bounding Step to get a reprieve. The exhilarating feeling of space blurring beneath feet will probably remain for me the rest of my days.

I love magic with all my heart.

And I love my Familiar. I may have only met the adorable little fluff-ball of a dog today, but Kindhearted One knew me so well, we just became the best of friends.

I would defend the nerdy little girl with my life!

I look down at K.O. hopping like the fluffiest bunny on Earth around my ankles.

I never thought I would unlock my system so early, much less become a Magical Girl.

But then this area became Tormented. I never expected that would happen. The moment I heard the alarm, I ran out of the sports field into the school.

I refused to let my little sister Gillian and the rest of her classmates get stuck. They were pretty far away from the shelters and I refused to just stand out in a shelter doing nothing when others are in danger. Besides, I have an entire hour.

I HAD to help.

I hurtled through the doors past a couple of staff members ushering people out.

They shouted out after me. “Kid, come on back! Head to the shelter and let the professionals help.”

I grinned sheepishly, though they wouldn’t know, as I ignored them, continuing my path towards my sister.

I stopped.

Someone was shouting, muffled by something in the way. I looked around frantically, seeing a locker rattling. I used my class president key to quickly open it.

“S-m--ne -elp --!”

*Bang*

“Ple--e g-t me -ut! - d--’t -ant t- -et eate-!!!”

*Bang. Bang*

“P---se-AHHHHHHhhh. OOF."

A girl fell out.

I quickly rushed to help her. She quickly brushed off her tears, looking away from me as if she hadn’t been crying.

I’m not going to mention it. Maybe we can become friends and I can make her feel better? I hope so.

“You ok? Here. Take my hand.” I held out my hand and she grasped it, and I hoisted her up.

I look her eyes and say seriously “You have to get to shelter. Got it?”

She nervously nodded.

“Thanks.”

I blushed. “D-don’t mention it! No need to thank me! It was my pleasure to help.”

I started running away hurriedly, both of us going in the opposite direction.

I stop quickly in bathrooms and glance into classrooms, making sure that everybody is getting out. There were more than a couple kids who were blasting music just a bit too loud; feeling kinda sad in the bathroom; uh, well, high on drugs; or just really invested in their books. Finally, I came across my sister and three other kids who I didn’t know.

“Little sis! Are you ok?!” I hugged her, squishing her close.

“Ahhh! Sis... Let me go!” she squealed. She strained against my hug, making a very half-hearted attempt to push herself out of my arms.

I nuzzled with her for one more second, before standing up and gestured for them to follow me.

“Come on! We have to go quickly!”

The two boys, the other girl, and my sister nodded in affirmation all serious-like.

Squee! So adorable!

We sprinted for a minute, the air faintly purpling with Miasma, though the air always stayed completely clear at least 3 meters, or 10 feet, around us, and the Torment Warning blaring at an ear-piercing volume.

The poor kids were panting. None of them are particularly fit, including (don’t tell my sis!) my sister. They definitely still have that baby fat that makes you just want to pinch their adorable little cheeks.

Then the alert changes.

Warning! Get to the safety shelters inside the school now. You will not have the time needed to exit. Miasma is imprinting quickly. 5 minutes until formation. 4 minutes. 3 minutes. 2 minutes. 1 minute left.

I paled, and even though I did my best to put on a poker face, I think the kids saw the terror in my eyes and my serious expression.

“Come on kids. Let's get into this classroom.” I waved my hand frantically, practically shoving them into there. I looked to check that the coast was clear, and then closed the door behind me.

My sister and her friends looked at me with worried eyes, on the verge of tears.

I tried to put on a reassuring face for them, dramatically grabbing a cheap wooden-and-metal chair and hoisting it up as a makeshift weapon.

“Alright kids! I just need you guys to follow me, and we are certain to get out of here.” I valiantly shouted, pumping my fist in the air.

I have no idea what on Earth I’m supposed to do...

I just don’t understand why the formation happened so quickly.

I have heard of it happening, sure, but incidents like, well, this, are extremely rare.

How can we all be so unlucky?

This is a freakin’ school! It’s not like this is a war zone or a plague zone.

Could a cult of the Deity Diarrhea have set up a ritual? I mean, still, why here though? Again, it’s a freakin’ school! What’s the point?

I started to panic, my breath rushing faster than normal.

I steel myself. I promised myself that I would help them though!

“Yeah!” I blurted out loud. The kids looked at each other confused, my sister rolling her eyes at my antics, and I blushed in embarrassment again.

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I psyched myself up and then opened the door again. I looked both ways again just to be sure, and then pushed it all the way open, marching with assuredness that I most assuredly did NOT have.

My hands may have shaken against my will and sweat may have run down my back, soaking through my uniform, but the kids followed behind me, convinced that I had this well in hand.

We ran as quickly as we could, with the kids right behind me. From what I remember, the nearest shelter is only a minute away.

I cannot make a mistake.

I use my practice avoiding my best friend Theo’s pranks to scan all blind spots and angles.

Is he... alive?

I worry. If he died... well, I think pretty much everyone would be miserable. The androgynous kid is the life of the party, always knowing just what to say to help everyone. Even his mistakes makes everyone laugh. He's pretty inspirational.

Me and the kids pad down the carpet, nothing on the ceiling nor on the walls.

We quickly make it to a shelter and yet there is an obstacle, of course, because the frick not!?

There is an Anathema. A massive hound covered in russet-red fur and puke-worthy tentacles coming out of its mouth.

Actually, on second thought, I realized that those are not tentacles.

Those are... intestines covered in knife-like edges coming out its mouth. The way the intestines impossibly overlapped made my head hurt. My mind knew they shouldn’t be able to move.

It is standing up, wide awake and watchful for any hopefuls that thought they had succeeded in finding shelter.

I clenched my fists around the cold metal legs of the chair. No... I refused to let us just waste out here.

I wasn’t carrying this chair for show.

I didn’t lead my sister and her friends out just so we could break down in a different location from that classroom.

I turned to them. Their teeth were chattering in fear. I looked in their eyes one-by-one.

“We are going to get out. I swear. Stay here until I say go. I promise that I’ll fight it off and you guys will be fine” I whisper firmly, gritting my teeth.

I mean every word I am saying. They are going to escape, even if I have to give up my life. I can’t let my sister die or let her get hurt emotionally by her friends dying.

Small silver lining, there is nothing else in the corridor.

Well, there is only one choice. All of the others are not actually choices. Abandoning the kids, just trying to speed by, going on a different path around the creature... I refused to let those even cross my mind.

I charged forward, yelling.

The bulky monster’s bushy, furry antennae sprouting out of its empty sockets wiggled for a second, before the creature leapt up to me. Its many intestines trailed behind it as it rushed toward me.

I entered a state of focus like never before. I was riding the line between life and death. The ultimate tightrope walker.

I think I was drunk on adrenaline.

I dodged to the left of the furry rust-red dog, taking advantage of the opening by slamming the wooden chair directly on its face to the best of my ability.

It opened its mouth wide open, as if to scream in pain. It halted in its incredible speed, its antennae broken due to sheer luck.

Having realized this is a weakness of the creature, I hit it with my full force again, a meaty smack resounding through the air. I raised the chair for another blow, but I am forced to dodge as the creature starts lashing out in every direction in a desperate attempt to kill me before I hit it. I duck under a bloated purple pipe of excrement whooshed over my head. Four tentacles slash down, blocked by my raising of the chair. I shuffle around the beast, blocking five diagonal slashes from my left, and rotating the chair to block three in a pincher movement.

“GO NOW!” I shout, turning my head towards them.

Turning away was an awful mistake.

Jagged cold enamel tears through my cheek. An intestine somehow attacked me from behind, unconnected to the actual body.

I shouted out in pain, reflexively closing my eyes in excruciating pain. My left bicep got torn into as I stumbled around in pain.

I hear my lil’ sis scream my name in the background.

“Get inside now, sis! I love you!” I shouted.

I stumbled away from the blinded monster, as I am blinded myself. Jolts of pain shoot up my arms and white-hot pain blots out any other sensation like a flood of White-Out over paper.

I’ve never felt such agonizing pain. It’s excruciating. Truly on another level.

I place down my chair and prop myself up on the frame. My own blood gurgles into my mouth, a bitter iron taste left as I open my mouth to leave it to drip onto the floor.

My muscles twitch in response to the wild pain ravaging my control over my own body.

I look at the creature, still wildly lashing out at nothing, moving in random directions.

Shouldn’t it be able to smell me? Maybe all that poo is stinkin’ up its nose?

Heh. That’s a pretty funny thought...

I think I might be a little delirious from blood loss.

I grimaced in pain.

I looked over to the entrance and then realized the people in the shelter thankfully opened it for them.

They are safe. I started crying with happiness.

I helped successfully.

I doubted I’ll be able to make it past the Anathema. It’s somehow moved back in front of the doorway despite its seemingly random movements. Might as well do one more act of good in the world before I die.

I shifted my weight back to my legs, shaking as they are with pain, and hoisted the chair up with both hands. My left arm practically screamed with pain.

I put the chair back down, leaning on it as my literal blood, sweat, and tears all poured down my face.

Drip, drip, dripping down onto the floor.

I won’t stop though. I need to do one more act of charity to the world. Getting rid of this “Monster!”

I power through the pain, dragging the chair along. The dog has calmed down, its tentacles no longer moving now that we aren’t fighting. With as a small of a motion as I can manage, I raise the chair and bash the head of the dog in.

Over. Its entrails start whipping out, cutting into my torso.

And over. They halt.

And over. They fall limp once more.

The dog is probably dead after a while, but I only stop when my body gives up on its own. I topple down onto the floor, dragging the chair along as I try to slow myself down to prevent cracking my own head.

I’m surrounded by dark purple Miasma. If I relented to my silly thoughts, it almost looks like it is marching around me, drumming on an invisible barrier around me.

A shrinking barrier.

I closed my eyes and started praying for everyone I knew. I wished for everyone to make it out alive. I wished for my family to be able to move on after I die. I wished for the chance to become an angel so I could continue to help others, even in the afterlife...

My vision blurred with pink and hallucinatory sparkles appeared at the edges of my vision, then they faded away.

Something wet poked at my face, reminding me of my dog Sniffles, short for Miss Denis Salvador Sweet-Candy Sniffles.

A soft, breathy voice tickled my ear. I really wanted to scratch my ear now, but I was so tired. “H-h-hey. Are you alive? I mean..., I know you are alive, but... uh... are you... uh... cognizant of your surroundings? I’m h-h-h-here to h-help. You can be a Magical Guardian, if you agree to the rules.”

I force my unwilling eyes to open. Right in front of my face was an adorable pink and white Shih Tzu that was simplified into a cartoon character standing on two legs, wearing a golden dress and big solid glasses. She was like a miniature doggie librarian! What an adorable hallucination!

The Shih Tzu brought its paws together in a nervous gesture, before pushing up her glasses. “Uhmmm, I’m not a h-hallucination. I am your Familiar,” she said, firming up with seriousness, before slouching shyly. “That is... if you’ll h-h-h-h-have me.”

But hallucinations know what you are thinking, and people, and cute dogs, can’t really read minds. And you know what I'm thinking. Therefore...

“But, I’m... uhm... a Familiar. Also, you are... uhm... dying, so we kind of need to skip this, and get to the Bond. At the very least, you won’t lose anything if this is fake. I really want to save you. I would explain, but we don’t h-h-have the time.”

If this is real, then I’ll gladly agree. I still want to help this world. I don’t want to go yet.

“Uh-uh-uh-uhm, great,” she stuttered out. She reached out to me.

“I, the Familiar of the Kindhearted One, stand witness to this Bond approved by Magic itself. Will you take my paw to exemplify the PUREST of Essence and become Magical Girl Charity? “

“I will.” Oh my gosh! If this is real... I, as in me and myself, I will be a Magical Girl.

I reach out and shook her soft little toe beans with decisivness, sealing the contract

The world around me was carved clean of illness with each syllable, and perfected with help from the loving Magic that looked upon the hallway floor that I lay down upon. A billion kind deeds distilled into Essence saturated the area around me. The Shih Tzu shook with barely contained power, blinding me with Pink light, before a flood of Pink infused my very soul. I could feel tunnels carved through my body, a surge of liquid magic traveling through my veins.

It scalded my flesh, remaking my very body to better channel the Magic of Charity. My hair flowed out, rearranged, grown, and cut into an elaborate hairdo with aid from the very light around me. My hair turned a vivid shade of hot pink, shaped into stylistic lightning bolts hanging from the big white bows pinned to my head.

My uniform shimmered with the light of an angel’s wings, waving and fluttering before it changed from the coarse blue fabric of our school into a pink-tinged white satin fabric. It touched my skin with impossible softness as it grew into a modest ancient Grecian outfit. If I remember correctly, Theo said these were called a chiton and a himation, a type of tunic and a type of cloak respectively.

I gasped as the magic had worked its way to my face, working a miracle of healing. My cheek knitted together painlessly; just a brush of magic and it was fixed. The magic then drained out of my extremities and body, before swirling around in the center of my chest, crystallizing into something solid. It started beating to a dramatic bass rhythm.

Two rainbow hands in a firm handshake appeared on my center of my pale clothing, expanding into their shape like an expanding inkblot, having much the same density of color as different-colored ink too.

Unbeknownst to me, my sister was watching me through the cameras of the shelter, squealing with happiness that her big sis just became a Magical Girl.