A Flash of Evil - Twist Fate Challenge

In the Blink of an Eye

My name is Barry Allen, and I woke up this morning after being in coma for nine months. I was kinda struck by lightning. Yeah I know, awful, right? But, it's not all bad. At least I got to be reunited with my loved ones...and can now run at the speed of sound. Oh, did I forget to mention that? Honestly, I'm trying to act cool about the whole being-a-superhero thing, but it still blows my mind! I was just an ordinary forensic scientist one day, and the next I can run from one side of Central city to the other in minutes! Well, technically is was one day and then nine months...but you get the picture.

But despite all the shocking things that have happened today, standing here outside Jitters, looking in to see the girl I grew up with kiss her dad's coworker, the new "prettyboy" cop, Eddie Thawne, tops it all. And not in a good way. Iris pulls her lips away and peers over Eddie's shoulder, seeing me through the window. A look of embarrassment blossoms on her face. Busted. She says good bye to Eddie and comes outside to meet me, the the bell above the door tinkling as she rushes past it.

"You can't tell my dad. He doesn't know about me and Eddie," Iris says after walking together in silence for a while.

"Doesn't seem like anyone's in on the secret."

Apparently my guilt-trip worked, because her voice wavers a little as she replies. "I was going to tell you."

"I thought you said he was a jerk."

"When you were in the hospital, Eddie covered my father's shifts so we could both be with you. I just assumed he was doing it to suck up to my father. I accused him as much. Then he told me, he'd spent some time in a hospital himself. Alone. And how much it would've meant to him to have loved ones there. He wanted that for you." Great, now I look like the jerk.

"Dating your partner's daughter. Isn't that against department regulations?"

"Why are you so upset?"

"I just don't like having to lie to your dad, you know?" My voice isn't very steady as I answer and she gives me a suspicious look. I avoid her eyes, suddenly very interested in my shoes, and eventually I feel them move off of me. That was way too close, any more close calls like that and she might find out I li-...uh...never mind. Why am I so jealous anyway? They're just dating, it's not like they're getting married...yet. And even if they were, there's nothing I can do about it. To her I'm probably more like a brother than anything else, no matter how much I wish otherwise. She has her feelings, and I have mine, that's that. Maybe one day, I'll share them with her.

I hear the sharp screech of a car skidding, but I am so lost in my jealousy that I don't notice that the screeching is heading right towards us until it is too late. The out of control police cruiser crashes into Iris and I as a green car speeds past. I am able to catch a glimpse of the green car driver's face as I fly through the air and I see it is none other than Clyde Mardon, a criminal who supposedly died the day I was struck by lightning. But this supposed back-from-the-dead criminal is the least of my problems right now. I see time in slow motion as I watch Iris hit the pavement a moment before I make impact, hearing the sound of bones breaking before the pain registers.

"Iris!" She doesn't respond. Luckily, I landed on the grass lining the road and am only dealing with a soar neck and, what I guess from the pain, is a broken shoulder blade, which will heal quickly due to my newly-found accelerated healing. I bite my lip to keep from crying out and push myself to my feet with my uninjured arm, moving towards Iris's unmoving form as fast as my bruised legs will take me. "Iris!" I crouch beside her and see the blood flooding the pavement around her head for the first time. "Iris! I-Iris wake up!" My voice finally breaks and tears pour down my cheeks. "I-Iris...please."