Baptized

He baptized in fire.

There was a once a city that gave people everything they wished for. It is the place where dreams are made real. An urban environment boomed with technology and architecture. Fast cars and exotic life was the dream of every young bud who came to this city. But beyond its boundaries were hell, stinking and fuming with harmful gases billowing into space. When the World found various ways to make our lives easier, they forgot to break down the things we leave behind. 

Joe Flint has never been a fan of the pomp and showy lifestyle. He lived in his tiny apartment in the borders. It was a brown building with creepers and leaking taps. His room smelled of chemicals, an abundant mix of strange aromas that no one has never known. After studying chemistry and coming out as a gold medalist, he never took up any big company offers. He believed in making the world a better place by discovering a solution to free the World from pain.  

Flint woke up in his bunk bed and climbed down. He was a young man in his 30s, brown-skinned and big personality. He came by his window. It was airtight and sealed from the outside fumes and burning gases. His face reflected on the windowpane with a French beard and raven black hair. Joe clicked his machines, bringing it to life, and he started his work. 

A truck rumbled from the other side of the waste camp. The driver wasn't dumping; he was collecting. Sweat rolled down the bald man's temples as he drove past the gate into the urban city. He muscles flexed, and his hands gripped the wheel. 

The brown apartment's basement sparked a light. An electric wire broke and fell onto the dirty floor. Suddenly a bright flick spurted out and lit the building. A raging fire enveloped the entire structure in a matter of seconds. Scream and havoc stormed the apartment. Joe did not realize as he went on with his work deeply immersed in chemicals. As soon as the fire touched his room, it blasted like a gas tank. All the chemicals danced in a new reaction that nature has never known or tasted before. He went blank.

In his unconscious mind, he knew that he had burnt; his body was disintegrating. Yet somehow his spirit was alive. Joe was in a dark space; he could hear the flames, the fire engine alarm, voices of people, beeping from the heart monitor… then silence.

The fire dream came thrashing again into his mind, and Joe bolted awake. He was in a room surrounded by stretchers with white sheets over the ones who laid. He felt different. Something fresh. He climbed down and walked over towards the door and kicked it open. It was midnight, and nobody was in the corridor. He walked into a staff room and put on a uniform. It was the basement. He took the lift up to the ground floor, he looked at his reflection and seemed all fine, much brighter and young he thought. The doors opened to a rush of people. 

Doctors, nurses, stretchers were rolling up and down. People were on a stampede in the hospital. Everybody was wearing masks as if there is a gas leak happening. 

'What the hell!' he thought.

These are not the people from his apartment. Something else was happening. He saw a gang surrounding a large screen.

"World has never been so scary! Keep yourself safe and stay indoors!" flashed in the news. Bold letters came on-screen "VIRUS PANIC: CATASTROPHE." 

Joe was devastated seeing this. He went outside where an ambulance screeched into the front porch. 

'What the hell are you doing? Can't you help!' yelled a nurse.

Joe looked at his hospital dress and rushed into the van. 

It was an old man on the stretcher. He coughed badly. 

'Hey, hey! It's okay' said Joe 'Let's get you to a doctor and checked up!'

He held the man's hand and pulled down the stretcher. As they came into the ICU, the older man had stopped. He didn't cough. 

'Thank you, son! I feel much better' said the old man.

'Don't worry, we are all there for you' replied Joe.

The doctors took him in, and Joe went again to help others out. 

'Hey, man! Why are you so careless?' asked a nurse 'Get a suit and mask!'

As he went past the isolation ward, an old woman fell before him. Her elbows scratched, and it started to bleed. Joe bent down and held her arms. He pressed on her elbows to stop the bleeding and took her to the emergency room.

'Doctor!' he called.

'Need help here!' 

'I'm okay son' said the old woman. 

'No, you are bleeding!' he showed her arms.

To his surprise, there was not even a single cut or drop of blood. 

'What!... I … ' 

He took her to sit by a chair. She seemed much better than before. She was smiling and looking at Joe as if he was Jesus. 

'Thank you so much my dear' she said.

'I didn't do anything!' he replied.

'Some people don't have to, just being present is enough' she replied with tears rolling down.

I took her back to her room. 

Joe felt confused as he walked over to the emergency ward. He came near a little girl breathing heavy and struggling. He went near her and touched her head. Her nerves calmed down, and there was a sigh of relief on her sweet face. Her breathing became normal. 

Joe sat beside her, and she looked at him as if he was an angel.

The young girl then drifted to her sleep, smiling. 

Joe walked out and looked at his hands, wondering what he is doing. 

'Am I healing people' he thought.

He went over to another bed, where lay a man who lost his leg in an accident. He was screaming and bellowing in intense pain. His family stood by his side, comforting him. 

Joe touched his forehead, and he stopped.

He opened his eyes like a newborn. His painful tears turned happy.

He lay silent, looking at Joe as if he was performing a divine miracle.

They all held his hands thanking him.  

Joe went into deep thoughts. Is this a dream?

He went over to the reception desk. There sat a receptionist behind the round counter.

'Hi, what happened to the people brought from the fire?' he asked.

'I'm sorry, sir. None survived!' she replied. 

It struck Joe like a bolt. 

'What am I?' he thought.