Twice

The world ended in fire, as it turned out.  Spurting up through the ground, falling from the sky like rain, lancing through the planet in white-hot streams of plasma.  It was quick, for whatever that's worth.  Personally, I've never been a big proponent of the all-in-one-go school of Band-Aid removal.

"It's not so bad," Karen said as she burned, curling and flaking away like a leaf in a campfire.  "It's not really all that hot.  In absolute terms."


I watched her shatter as afist of superheated air slammed through her.  Ice, I thought.  Next time it will be ice.