Second Chance

by

Paul G Jutras

 

"A roes for a roes." Steve said as Roes stepped off the elevator at the news paper office they both worked for. A series of snickering and cat calls came from the computer terminals near by. Roes just smiled and gave Steve a kiss on the side of the face before going to sit cross legged at her own desk

"Seem like just yesterday still I asked you to marry me." Roes said as he sat on the edge of her desk and snickered.

"You told me it was a leap year so you were allowed to ask the guy instead of waiting for the guy to ask you." Steve chuckled. "Real old fashion."

"You forget I wasn't human until we that day on the beach." Roes spoke in almost a whisper. "As a once immortal mermaid I only knew what sailors spoke as they passed. One couldn't hear most talk on modern cruise ships." She went on. "But when the chemical spill took away my caused me to start aging and gain human legs out of the water, I didn't know things changed so much."

"Roes! Steve!" The editor called from his office. "Reports of a bank job in progress! The police have the pinned down but their hostages. Get down there and find out what you can!"

"Yes sir!" They said together and they raced out of the office. They got down stairs quickly and took the first taxi they could down town. As Roes was paying for the cab; however, Steve notice one of the crooks trying to escape out into the side alley.

"Front page scoop, here I come." Steve thought as he raced into the shadows of the alley only for the criminal to start shooting and forced Steve to duck behind a dumpster. As soon as the shooting stopped, he followed the thief into a chemical warehouse with Roes moving up from the rear.

"Where is he?' She asked as he spotted the crook up on a catwalk. The two ran across the room and up a ladder to follow. As he began shooting again, he ducked and slipped off the catwalk.

"I got you!" Roes shouted as she grabbed her arm. The criminal shot a electrical wire that hit a vat of liquid. As both the electricity and formula hit Steve, he vanished before her very eyes. The crook snickered at her screams until he stepped outside into the police's waiting arms.

Steve found himself encase in darkness for what seemed like both mere moments and an eternity at the same time. He felt warmed and loved like nothing would ever harm him. Then the light as a felt like he was riding a slime slide to where he heard someone say: It's a girl.

"I'll call her Susie." He heard Roes say.

That was when he realized the energy and whatever was in the vat had combined to transfer his soul into his future wife's unborn child. Now he was that female child. He was more relieved when his body grew old enough for his adult mind to full control.

One afternoon he was standing in his favorite blue dress while his wife/mother wore black at his own empty tombstone when the crooks him and his wife help put away showed up. Having recently gotten out of jail, they opened upon Roes.

"Mother!" Steve screamed as he jumped between roes and the bullets. He stood his ground wasn't sure who were more shock as the bullets bounced off her and back at the crooks. "What?"

"Whatever was in that warehouse vat must of affected you while you were in my wound." Roes said as Steve found his body was elastic and if she concentrated to grow to giant size as well as shrink to the size of an ant.

When Susie / Steve became old enough he / she joined the police force and became the world's first badge wearing super hero. Just like the ones in the comics he /she enjoyed reading.

 

THE END

 

 

 

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© 2002 by Paul Jutras. All Rights Reserved. These documents (including, without limitation, all articles, text, images, logos, compilation design) may printed for personal use only. No portion of these documents may be stored electronically, distributed electronically, or otherwise made available without express written consent of the copyright holder.