energy as her bolt demanded to be released. She had held it too
long.
Lucas wouldn?t leave her, and Helen knew she could kill him if
she didn?t do this right. She racked her lightning-filled brain and
luckily remembered fourth-grade science class. Desperate to rid
herself of the monster she had summoned, she slid on her knees to
the exit door at the end of the hall and rammed her shoulder
against it.
As soon as she came in contact with the metal release bar that
ran across the middle of the door it glowed orange with heat and
started melting. She barely moved fast enough to open it before the
whole door turned into a solid block of smoldering metal. Tumbling
down the short flight of steps and crawling outside on her
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knees, she threw herself forward onto her hands. With a welcome
sigh she discharged her bolt into the one place that it would be
safely dismantled?the ground.
After a few seconds she felt herself get pulled up from the forgiving
earth and carried away.
?Are you injured?? Lucas asked anxiously.
?Just wicked tired,? she sighed, a little surprised at herself for using
the word wicked. She was too weary to care. ?Really, put me
down,? she demanded when he didn?t respond. He stopped and
balanced her on her feet. She rubbed her tongue across her teeth
and then sucked at the roof of her mouth.
?Wow, I?m thirsty! And I think I know why! It?s like lightning,
right? So that means I?m generating the electic?I mean, erlecic?I
mean, the bolt?by ripping apart the water in my body! That makes
total sense,? she said, hearing herself sound like a cheerleader who
had suddenly figured out how her pompoms were made.