Helena wiggled her toes inside her new shoe, smiling as she stepped forward.

  The woman was on the ground, writhing, her fingers twitching uselessly as the molten remains of her hair clung to her skin, leaving raw, red burns wherever it touched.

  Gdly it was still not hot enough to burn her alive.

  She gasped in pain, her face twisted in horror, her bald scalp glistening with sweat.

  Helena crouched down next to her, tilting her head.

  “So,” she said casually, “what was it you wanted to talk about?”

  The woman choked on a sob, trembling violently.

  "Come on, don’t be rude. You came all this way.”

  The woman’s lips quivered. She tried to speak, but only a pained wheeze escaped.

  Helena sighed dramatically.

  “You know,” she said, tapping her chin, “I really don’t get you people. You knock on my door, act all serious, and then just scream and almost gets me deaf when I try to have a little fun.”

  She leaned in closer, whispering.

  “You’re not very good at conversations, are you?”

  Helena sighed, rolling her eyes as the woman kept sobbing and twitching on the ground.

  This was getting annoying.

  She stood up, brushing off her skirt. “Ugh, fine. Stay there, Sophie's mom. I’ll be right back.”

  The woman barely reacted, her body still writhing from the pain of her melted hair.

  Helena stepped inside, heading to the kitchen. She grabbed a gss from the cupboard, filled it with ice-cold water, and walked back outside.

  The woman was still there, barely moving now, her breaths shallow and ragged. In addition, the woman was blind because of the liquid that fell into her eyes.

  Helena crouched down and dumped the freezing water over her almost totally skinless head.

  The woman flinched violently, her whole body jerking at the sudden shock.

  “There,” Helena said, crossing her arms. “That should help. Now, talk. What the hell did you come here for?”

  The woman shuddered, gasping from the cold. Her whole body was trembling, but at least she wasn’t screaming anymore.

  Helena leaned in, tilting her head. “Come on. I don’t have all day.”

  The woman’s breath hitched. She tried to lift her head, but her body barely responded. She was quite dead inside.

  Stll, she managed to choke out a few words.

  “…M-Mad-d-so-oin… t-ta-uu-gh us…”

  Helena’s expression darkened. “Of course she did.”

  The woman coughed, her voice hoarse. “W-we wrr t-the-ere t-to c-contain y-y-you......”

  Helena barked out a ugh. “Oh, so this was supposed to be some nice little conversation? Liar.” She gestured at the puddles of melted hair on the woman’s body. “Yeah, I guess that didn’t go how you wanted, hên?”

  The woman whimpered, barely able to shake her head.

  Helena tapped her chin, pretending to think. “Well, you got your answer, then. I’m not stopping. And now…” She smirked, her fingers exploding with magic. “Now, I think I deserve some prize for all this trouble.”

  Helena sighed, stretching her arms. “Well, since you came all this way… might as well make you useful, like your partner in my feet.”

  The woman whimpered weakly, her breath shallow. She couldn’t see. Could barely move. But she felt it when Helena’s magic surged again.

  Her skin tightened. Her body shrunk, twisting unnaturally. The searing pain that had already wrecked her turned into something worse. A suffocating, crushing sensation as her body molded into something new.

  Her legs fused together. Her arms vanished. Her whole being fttened, folding, shaping.

  Helena grinned as the transformation finished. A simple bck skirt, with a hint of dark red trim, floated in the air before gently settling into her hands.

  “Not bad,” she mused, running her fingers over the fabric, with some smoke left from the woman. “A little pin, but hey, at least you’re not agonizing anymore.”

  She takes off the skirt she was already wearing, and puts on the new skirt.

  With a satisfied nod, she looked down at her feet. Her freshly made satin ballet fts rested snugly, once a man, now just shoes for her amusement.

  “Look at that.” She pced her hands on her hips, admiring herself. “A full outfit upgrade.”

  She jumps excitedly and genuinely happy. Like the evil child-like teenage she is.

  Then she turned her attention elsewhere.

  Madison.

  That bitch had sent people to talk.

  Maybe it was time for Helena to return the favor.