Sparkle Like Bowie

"Are you ready?" Cola says with her hands placed on my shoulders, "I'm pretty sure." I say with a smile, Cyanide Cola wraps her arms around me and hugs me tightly. "Be safe Sparkle," she says and I nod before leaving the shop and heading down Route Guano. I bite my lip trying to suppress a smile, "this is great!" I yell to myself and skate down the road.

After a while of skating and admiring the view of the desert, even though it's practically the same everywhere. I've seen two killjoys zoom by on a motorcycle, I am pretty sure that they have not been around the shop before. But man do they look hella rad. A white van with the Blind Industries logo drives past but then stops, as if they saw something or someone they need. This will be exciting!

Around five Draculoids exit the van, one of them point in my direction and they all start sprinting towards me. I immediately get on my skateboard and start trying to get away from these vampire mask wearing sons of bitches. Suddenly I feel a sharp slicing pain in the side of my leg, I yelp in pain. One of those fuckers shot me! I continue skating, ignoring the excruciating pain through my right leg.

I look behind myself, those nazis of Battery City are still following me. "If only you had a mother fucking ray gun Alexandria!" I yell quietly to myself, why the hell are the Draculoids chasing me. I haven't done anything wrong, apart from going into Battery City numerous times but hey! If they saw me there they would have ghosted me in the city.

A million thoughts are buzzing through my head right now, like what would happen if I died out here. Cyanide Cola won't know what's happened, I'm out here alone. Or if I get badly injured who's going to help me? No one, because I have no way of contacting anyone and no way to protect myself.

There has to be another reason why Cola wouldn't let me have a ray gun. Although she is pretty stubborn at times, Cola probably thought it'd be a good thing to keep me safe from the harsh reality of this world.

Another sharp pain stabs me, causing me to plummet to the desert floor. "Must, keep, moving." I say, I'm basically crawling across the desert. I need to get away from those Draculoids, I scream in pain as I accidentally nudge my leg onto something sharp. I'm going to die and I haven't experienced anything good in life yet, I'm never going to get married, never going to have children, never going to know the feeling of loving someone so much that you would die for them.

I'm afraid, I curl myself into a ball and wait for death to come...

But it doesn't, did the Dracs leave? No, they wouldn't have left without killing me since they took all that time chasing me. "Come on girl, you are going to eventually die if you stay out here." A old voice says, I open my eyes to see a tough but kind looking old woman with pastel pink hair. "Listen, I can't help you out here. They'll get the Scarecrows onto us," I take the lady's hand and she helps me to my feet.

"Lean on Mama Fallen's shoulder now, good. Now we don't have to walk that far." Mama Fallen, that must be her killjoy name.

****

"It's a good thing you screamed out or those Dracs would have ghosted you then and there," Mama Fallen says gently dabbing disinfectant on my leg. "What's your name girl?" She asks, "Sparkle Boom. I work with Cyanide Cola on Route Guano," I say and Mama Fallen stiffens. I swear she muffled something along the lines of 'Odette' but I was probably just hearing things.

"Thank you for helping me Mama Fallen," I say nicely and she smiles at me. It's a heartwarming smile, a smile only a mother can give. It reminds me of my own mom, "it's all good Sparkle. We need killjoys to fight against BLI," she says and I nod agreeing with Mama Fallen. I've learnt that she is one of the first ever killjoys and she specialises in medicine and cures, killjoys from near and far go to get a herbal remedy from the elderly woman.

"Why don't you have a ray gun, child?" She asks and I shrug, "Cyanide Cola never wanted me to have one. Even though I am twenty two." Mama Fallen gives me a hearty laugh, "oh when I used to see her she was so stubborn. But then she stopped," I look over too Mama Fallen. She looks heartbroken, "why?" I ask and Mama Fallen sighs, "I'm not sure. She met a boy and she fell in love, she was much to busy too visit her own mothe-" my eyes widen, Mama Fallen is Cyanide Cola's mother.

"You're Cola's mother!" I say and she smiles sadly, "well I know her as Odette. Odette Faye, I suppose she has forgotten her own name like everyone else," her name doesn't even start with H?!?! "Her father made her take the pills, I don't even know where he is anymore." Cola probably forgot about her mother as well, "do you remember your name?" I ask and Mama Fallen furrows her eyebrows.

"I remember the beginning of it, Lee." She says and I smile, "I am sure you have a beautiful name." Mama Fallen smiles at me.

****

"Right tomorrow you'll be able to continue going," Mama Fallen says leading me to a room. "Thank you," I say before she shuts the door, "good night," I whisper before making my way through the darkness to the bed and falling into a dreamless slumber.

Notes