When You Were Young

Veronica stood against the wall as a wave of flame washed over the fountain. The fire burned for ten seconds and then fizzled. "Well?" she said to David.

He crept over to the edge of the fountain, peering down. "What the hell-" he began, but never finished. A blob of algae leapt from the water, attaching itself to his face. He screamed as the algae began to pulse with angry red light. "Help me!"

"How?" Veronica said. David wiped furiously at the algae, but it only spread across his body, the glow becoming even brighter. He let out one last horrible wail and then collapsed to the ground.

The algae oozed off him, returning to the Fountain of Youth. In its place, David lay unmoving, his body charred from head to toe. Bile rose up in Veronica's throat. "Holy shit," she said. The algae continued to pulse with light in the fountain, sounding a warning to her.

"This isn't over," she said. Then she slid along the cave wall and ran.