Fortunately for Keith, Angel Afriel was fast on her feet. She deftly caught him before his head could hit the concrete floor.
Sam and his fellow inmates stared with bulging eyes at the spectacle.
"Is he...okay?" ventured Lee Chin.
Angel Afriel blushed furiously. "In hindsight, I guess that was a bit too much. Nurse? We need help over here!"
In a few moments Namine and Nicole were at the scene, checking Keith's vitals before loading him onto a stretcher. "He'll be fine," Namine kept assuring Afriel. Nevertheless, Angel Afriel insisted on accompanying the nurses as they brought Keith back to their office.
"She's gonna be one hell--...one heck of a magical girl," said Lily Lilith. "Once she gets settled in, at least."
The magical girls took the prisoners to the processing station, where each inmate was issued their new social security number and identity. Sam gaped at the white ID tag they pinned to his coveralls. "Starlight Stella," it read. A small photo accompanied the name; it depicted a wide-eyed young girl wearing a big conical blue witch hat decorated with golden stars.
"Interesting," said Lily Lilith. "Looks like you're going to end up on the younger side. I'd guess around eight or nine, tops."
Sam's heart sank to the soles of his feet. "You can't be serious."
"I don't choose the changes," said Lily. "In fact, none of us do. It's all decided by the Star Stone. And while I see why you're upset, keep in mind you could've gotten -far- worse."
His morbid curiosity got the better of him. "How?" he demanded.
"Last year, we had an inmate by the name of Rob Jackson. He was 6'5 and built like a tank. He came out of this prison as Ruby Robin; a three-year-old. Apparently, the only way for him to become an effective magical girl was to start from square one."
Sam gulped. "Oh."