MAGICAL DISASTERS

REBIRTH

She pierced his amber toned skin slowly, deliberately. The blood softly dripped onto the concrete floor. It's pitter-patter echoed in the large room.

A smirk graced her tawny beige face as the tears streamed down his cheeks. Before, there were muffled screams. Now, there was mostly the sobbing. It was music to her ears.

Qualia was unsure if perverts ever felt true pain. They were usually the ones inflicting it on others.

It took every bone in her body to keep her focus on the task at hand. If she lost control, the soundproof barrier would falter. Her magic was strong but it was new to her. After casting a series of spells to cover the warehouse, she wanted to preserve every bit of energy she had to ensure she was not discovered. Normally, she would have been afraid of fulfilling such a task, but when innocent lives were at stake, desperate measures had to be taken.

Which knife to use next? she wondered. She hummed as she flew around the room, searching for new tools to explore his flesh. Her eyes filled with delight as they landed upon a pair of pliers. Even better.

Qualia closed her eyes. "Remember why you're doing this," she whispered. "If no one else will protect the children, I will. I have to."

Her eyes opened slowly. The mission burned into her mind. With shaking hands, she flexed her fingers. Qualia took the time to roll her shoulders and relax her muscles, allowing a sense of composure to wash over her.

So many fingers to choose from. What was a predator to do without his hands? "Of course, you won't be needing those anymore," she said in a sly tone.

His eyes widened in horror. His body jerked on the freezing metal table. Though his mouth was gagged, he pleaded with his eyes. No matter. There was no room for negotiation here.

There never was.

Qualia stared into his piercing, lifeless eyes. "Which would you like me to start with first?" she said, voice thick with sarcasm. "Oh, that's right. You don't get to choose. None of us got to choose, remember?"

Qualia's jaw tensed. Memories flooded her mind. She closed her eyes and gently rolled her neck, blinking the tears away.

There would be no signs of weakness here either.

As a child, Qualia had come to her family to let them know her uncle Jay had molested her. Their response? Laughter.

She begged and pleaded for them to stop inviting the monster that plagued her dreams, but no one bothered to take action.

When aunt Lisa lost all her hair from chemo, Qualia's mother got her a mop as a wig. During the months that uncle Lonny laid in his deathbed, the family planned a celebration while fighting over who would get to burn his old suit collection.

Pain was a joke to them. Nothing more.

Tonight, Qualia would do what no one else did. She would end the toxic cycle.

A loud crunch, a muffled scream, a blooming smile. Crimson red flowed onto the cold grey floor. Soon, there would be enough to paint a vibrant mural.

Qualia held Jay's pinky in her hand, inspecting the details of it.

With each move, a raw form of her emerged. Stronger. Fiercer. More confident than ever before.

Years ago, if you told her that her sorcery would return, she would have grimaced with uncertainty. If you told her that healing from her trauma would bring about a power she had never known, she might've said you were trippin'.

She was once told that she had to forgive to find peace, but she had already done that. This experience was a matter of providing safety. By utilizing her new gifts, it became more than that. It was a rebirth.

Severed fingers in hand, she stood in the dim light grinning from ear to ear.

A loud noise erupted outside. Qualia paused to take in her surroundings.

Everything looked right, but something felt off. Fuck, I'm slippin', she thought. She scanned her fields and energized her chakras, one at a time. Sweeping her arms up over her body, she crossed them over her crown and brought them down to her center. She was anchored. After taking several deep breaths, the protection spells strengthened and the thinned veils were repaired.

She prayed no one found a door.

After years of enduring her family's casual perpetuance of harm, she had enough. At the last family reunion, Qualia noticed uncle Jay sitting with Yara, her niece. She saw the fear in Yara's eyes.

She knew that fear all too well.

Qualia held the pliers up high. Jay twitched. Nervous about what was to come, perhaps. It reminded her of darker days when she had no control over what was to come.

Icy hands. A tight grip on her warm thighs. Heavy breathing against her neck. Waves of fear crashing through her vertebrae.

No one protected her then.

No one would rescue him now.

She removed the gag from his mouth. He gasped for air like a man desperate to be saved from drowning. "P-p-please. You d-don't have to do this. I've changed. I-I-I can change!" he pleaded.

Qualia's eyes rolled without her permission. "Men like you never change." She inhaled deeply, taking the time to anchor herself in the present moment.

"I swear, I-"

"I can assure you, you're only digging yourself into a deeper hole." Her voice was cold but her body temperature rose with fiery anger. He would dare lie to me even now? Fucking bastard. A discomfort settled over her, causing the walls of the warehouse to tremble. "Wasn't sure if you would be too proud to beg. Looks like I was wrong."

Qualia pinned his head back with one hand and gripped her target with another. She yanked. Hard.

A piercing scream ripped through the air.

A shiny tooth dazzled her sight.

With each scream, part of her felt like it was worth the risk. She was not the type to take extreme matters into her own hands, but maybe it was exactly what she needed. Yara would be safe and Qualia would be able to test the extremities of her focus.

Magic grows as much as you allow it to. It provides a sense of purpose and passion when you allow it to flow freely. With her emotional blocks out the way, Qualia's magic flowed through her, reinvigorating her with life force energy. It was a part of her that was lost for some time, but forgiveness set her free.

Thing is, she learned that forgiveness did not mean condoning the actions of those that harmed you. It certainly did not mean letting them back into your life, or into the life of others that they prey upon.

It meant letting go of the past and choosing to be fully present.

Qualia plunged a knife into Jay's gut. Carefully, she removed his liver and held it high for him to see. "All of your power--gone." A cackle escaped her lips.

She had a deeper sense of peace now. She gained a magnificent sense of strength. It was the sweetest thing she would ever know.