Saving the Fabulous Killjoys (DISCONTINUED)
Chapter 9: Vampire Money
Party Poison
My stomach burst into unquenchable flames. I tried to open my eyes from the light sleep that I had plunged into, but they were too heavy. Someone was kicking me. Hard. And calling my name. something rose from my stomach and up my throat. “What the fuck?! MY SHOES!”
I opened my eyes to see Michael glaring at me in disgust. My eyes searched him face to see a slight glimmer of pain in his left eye. “Mikey…” “Get up.” I scrambled to my feet, covered in blood. My head swam. My stomach was sick of seeing so much blood. “Look at my feet.” I looked down at Michael’s white rubber boots. The tip, once shiny, was now covered in blood. “So?” I looked away and back to his face. “I want you to get down on your knees and clean them.” Was he serious? I looked at him for a while. Then, a sharp burning began in my cheek. He had slapped me. “Don’t stand there like an idiot! I just told you to do something!”
“I’ll do it.” I heard Shirley say, from across the room. I watched in disbelief. Michael… Shirley… they were both broken. In a few seconds, the smudges were barely visible. She was about to leave, when he grabbed her arm with a crushing force. “Last time I tell Poison to do something, HE needs to do it. Not you. Step out of the line again, and you lose this pretty arm.” Shirley gulped and nodded. The word “Monster” came to my mind, but I flicked it away. This wasn’t my brother.
My stomach rolled with another wave of nausea.
I was taken from my room again. I looked back to see Michael closing the door. At the last second, he whispered to Shirley. “You do nothing in hoping. You’ll die here.”
We walked for a while. In a few seconds, two more guards intersected us. They had Fun Ghoul.
“Party!” Fun’s eye was purple and his lip was bruised. I barely had time to look before I was throwing up again. “Control yourself, Poison.” Michael said “I won’t be cleaning up after you.”
We were taken to an interrogation room and strapped into chairs. I was too exhausted to resist, but Fun Ghoul never stopped trying to get free. By the time he was tied up, he had another bruise on his face. A thought came to me: Why didn’t he just stop fighting? Things would go smoother this way.
I shook that thought out of my head as quick as I could. I couldn’t let this Battery City change me. I looked at Michael. He was putting on white gloves and seemed to be in deep thought. What was he thinking about?
The guards took their places outside the room and Michael closed the door. Now I knew what the gloves were for.
“Korse insists on doing this, and it’s such a bother” Michael said rolling his eyes “Agree to work with him and you won’t die. Deny his offer and… I get to kill you!” “You know my answer.” Fun Ghoul said, spitting on the floor.” Adrenaline rushed through my system. “My answer is simple. NO. FUCKING. WAY. I’d rather be ghosted and lay out to dry in the desert.” “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” Michael said, coming closer “But you’ll never see the desert as long as you live. And that’s a promise.” Now!
I knocked Michael off balance with my chair and stood up awkwardly… well, as well as one can with their butt on a chair. As soon as Michael regained composure, he smiled and came for me. Without having my hands to aid me, he was able to wrap his hands around my neck.
“Stop!” I choked out. It was then that tears began to come out of his eyes. It was the strangest thing I’ve ever seen. His face was murderous, but he was crying a river. Then, Korse’s voice. “Michael, don’t get carried away.”
He released me. I fell back into my chair, coughing and gasping for air.
In a second, Michael pulled a ray gun out and shot Fun Ghoul in the chest.
Michael
Something inside me was yelling for my hand to stop. It was difficult to put my finger on the trigger, but once I had fired, there was no going back. Fun Ghoul hissed and his head fell forward. Party Poison was silent, staring at the newly-formed hole in Fun Ghoul’s chest. His face was horror-stricken. I… I had killed him. I looked at my hand. It was still holding the ray gun. Part of me thought that I wouldn’t pull the trigger, but I had. I smirked and looked up to the camera. “May I end Poison too?” Two words. And my insides shivered. “Another day.” I looked back at Party, who was now looking at me. “Congratulations Michael. You just became a murderer.” “You’re lucky my orders are to keep you alive.” I heard myself say, but his words weighed my down like a rock.
I opened the door and told the dracs to take Party out. He didn’t take his eyes off me as he left.
“Korse, sir. Can we talk about something?” No answer. I knew that was a yes. I left the room, without even bothering to close the door.
Fun Ghoul
I felt the ray simmer my clothes and hit me. I hissed and lowered my head. My heartbeat accelerated. “I must remain still.” I told myself “My life depends on it.” The three metal trays I had put inside my shirt heated up. I had been one inch from getting shot.
When a drac came to remove me from the chair, I remained limp… then I attacked. I switched my clothes with his’ and stepped out into the hallway. Slowly and cautiously, I made my way back through the corridors. In almost no time at all, I had found Party’s door. I saw him inside, with his head on his knees. I tapped on the window and lifted my mask when he looked up.
He was surprised, then happy, then worried. I looked around in his cell. Dried blood was everywhere and Pink was huddled in the corner. Had she given up? I shook that thought out of my head and waved to Party. Finally, some excitement!
I walked away like I owned the place and into the area I well recognized to be the recruits’ training room, even if I had only seen it once. It was full of newbies. I creeped inside and blended in with the ones that were going to be sent out to the zones.
For the second time, the alarms went off. I stood perfectly still and acted… well… drugged.
The door opened and I saw a pair of white, shiny boots. Michael again? Damn it! Why did he want to kill me so bad? Was it because I threw that can at him that one time? I suppressed the urge to groan and stood straight. No… it was just a new recruit. The second I saw his face, my blood chilled. What the fuck was going on?!
It was Ray.
My stomach burst into unquenchable flames. I tried to open my eyes from the light sleep that I had plunged into, but they were too heavy. Someone was kicking me. Hard. And calling my name. something rose from my stomach and up my throat. “What the fuck?! MY SHOES!”
I opened my eyes to see Michael glaring at me in disgust. My eyes searched him face to see a slight glimmer of pain in his left eye. “Mikey…” “Get up.” I scrambled to my feet, covered in blood. My head swam. My stomach was sick of seeing so much blood. “Look at my feet.” I looked down at Michael’s white rubber boots. The tip, once shiny, was now covered in blood. “So?” I looked away and back to his face. “I want you to get down on your knees and clean them.” Was he serious? I looked at him for a while. Then, a sharp burning began in my cheek. He had slapped me. “Don’t stand there like an idiot! I just told you to do something!”
“I’ll do it.” I heard Shirley say, from across the room. I watched in disbelief. Michael… Shirley… they were both broken. In a few seconds, the smudges were barely visible. She was about to leave, when he grabbed her arm with a crushing force. “Last time I tell Poison to do something, HE needs to do it. Not you. Step out of the line again, and you lose this pretty arm.” Shirley gulped and nodded. The word “Monster” came to my mind, but I flicked it away. This wasn’t my brother.
My stomach rolled with another wave of nausea.
I was taken from my room again. I looked back to see Michael closing the door. At the last second, he whispered to Shirley. “You do nothing in hoping. You’ll die here.”
We walked for a while. In a few seconds, two more guards intersected us. They had Fun Ghoul.
“Party!” Fun’s eye was purple and his lip was bruised. I barely had time to look before I was throwing up again. “Control yourself, Poison.” Michael said “I won’t be cleaning up after you.”
We were taken to an interrogation room and strapped into chairs. I was too exhausted to resist, but Fun Ghoul never stopped trying to get free. By the time he was tied up, he had another bruise on his face. A thought came to me: Why didn’t he just stop fighting? Things would go smoother this way.
I shook that thought out of my head as quick as I could. I couldn’t let this Battery City change me. I looked at Michael. He was putting on white gloves and seemed to be in deep thought. What was he thinking about?
The guards took their places outside the room and Michael closed the door. Now I knew what the gloves were for.
“Korse insists on doing this, and it’s such a bother” Michael said rolling his eyes “Agree to work with him and you won’t die. Deny his offer and… I get to kill you!” “You know my answer.” Fun Ghoul said, spitting on the floor.” Adrenaline rushed through my system. “My answer is simple. NO. FUCKING. WAY. I’d rather be ghosted and lay out to dry in the desert.” “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” Michael said, coming closer “But you’ll never see the desert as long as you live. And that’s a promise.” Now!
I knocked Michael off balance with my chair and stood up awkwardly… well, as well as one can with their butt on a chair. As soon as Michael regained composure, he smiled and came for me. Without having my hands to aid me, he was able to wrap his hands around my neck.
“Stop!” I choked out. It was then that tears began to come out of his eyes. It was the strangest thing I’ve ever seen. His face was murderous, but he was crying a river. Then, Korse’s voice. “Michael, don’t get carried away.”
He released me. I fell back into my chair, coughing and gasping for air.
In a second, Michael pulled a ray gun out and shot Fun Ghoul in the chest.
Michael
Something inside me was yelling for my hand to stop. It was difficult to put my finger on the trigger, but once I had fired, there was no going back. Fun Ghoul hissed and his head fell forward. Party Poison was silent, staring at the newly-formed hole in Fun Ghoul’s chest. His face was horror-stricken. I… I had killed him. I looked at my hand. It was still holding the ray gun. Part of me thought that I wouldn’t pull the trigger, but I had. I smirked and looked up to the camera. “May I end Poison too?” Two words. And my insides shivered. “Another day.” I looked back at Party, who was now looking at me. “Congratulations Michael. You just became a murderer.” “You’re lucky my orders are to keep you alive.” I heard myself say, but his words weighed my down like a rock.
I opened the door and told the dracs to take Party out. He didn’t take his eyes off me as he left.
“Korse, sir. Can we talk about something?” No answer. I knew that was a yes. I left the room, without even bothering to close the door.
Fun Ghoul
I felt the ray simmer my clothes and hit me. I hissed and lowered my head. My heartbeat accelerated. “I must remain still.” I told myself “My life depends on it.” The three metal trays I had put inside my shirt heated up. I had been one inch from getting shot.
When a drac came to remove me from the chair, I remained limp… then I attacked. I switched my clothes with his’ and stepped out into the hallway. Slowly and cautiously, I made my way back through the corridors. In almost no time at all, I had found Party’s door. I saw him inside, with his head on his knees. I tapped on the window and lifted my mask when he looked up.
He was surprised, then happy, then worried. I looked around in his cell. Dried blood was everywhere and Pink was huddled in the corner. Had she given up? I shook that thought out of my head and waved to Party. Finally, some excitement!
I walked away like I owned the place and into the area I well recognized to be the recruits’ training room, even if I had only seen it once. It was full of newbies. I creeped inside and blended in with the ones that were going to be sent out to the zones.
For the second time, the alarms went off. I stood perfectly still and acted… well… drugged.
The door opened and I saw a pair of white, shiny boots. Michael again? Damn it! Why did he want to kill me so bad? Was it because I threw that can at him that one time? I suppressed the urge to groan and stood straight. No… it was just a new recruit. The second I saw his face, my blood chilled. What the fuck was going on?!
It was Ray.
Sorry I stopped commenting. I've been horribly ill. But I'm back now and hope you'll continue this.
5/3/16