Pilot Stories

Death's Dame

January 2018 time.

CONTEXT: A superhero world context, following these two kids as they go through high school for people with superpowers. It's kinda just like their day to day adventure concept. 

The kick would be the main characters are Elliot, who doesn't have any powers at all, and Claire, who's superpower was death by touch and bred to be a villain. This is supposed to be roughly how they first met before having a lifetime of friendship because of reasons. 

Hope you enjoy. 

xx

***

Existence is a weird thing.

You don't remember being born, just at some point, you existed. You started to learn, to live, to understand.

From the earliest point I can remember, I had been bred to do and be one thing: a villain. 

Yet, I guess there's always that one incident, that one day that changes your mind, despite heritage.

*

She sprinted through the decries, branches scratched at her black clothes, nagging on her stockings and tearing holes in them from her haste. The girl leapt over bushes, climbed up shorter trees to flee through the canopy, before ultimately crashing down from a weak branch she failed to anticipate. She could no longer hear her pursuers, but she knew they would be close.

She stopped momentarily to catch her breath, tightening her gloves on her hands as she scanned her surroundings. Through the leaves, she saw the sides of skyscrapers, the town likely mere meters away from her. The once muffled noise of car honks and chatter became clearer as she approached, pushing aside branches and stepping over shrubbery when she saw the open grounds of a playground, littered with small children chasing each other around or climbing the equipment.

She sniffled, rubbing her face of the itch plaguing her skin as she walked into the park. She smoothed her appearance in any way she could, brushing off the leaves stuck in her skirt, straightening her white shirt under her overall dress, taking out her plaits when she found bits of branch and bark throughout it. She continued to look over her shoulder, waiting for those who chased her to emerge, but they had yet to.

She wondered how long it would take them to realise.

As she walked amongst the other kids, she noted some of their powers. Kids teased each other with embers shooting from their fingertips, the more advanced managing to muster small flames. A little girl building a sandcastle sneezed, but rather then disturbing it made the sand freeze. The wobbly flight of another child caught the girl's eye as a young boy flew overhead, their form less then elegant as they crashed into the roof of the play equipment.

The girl scanned the playground in search of a shield for when they did find her, someone her own age, if she was lucky, she hoped they wouldn't even notice. But amongst the children, her black and white attire stuck out like a sore thumb in comparison to their bright red shirts, striped shirts, blue jeans, play shorts and no shoes. She couldn't see a stocking in sight.

She considered her own outfit as she retied her hair, gathering the black locks to form a neat ponytail. A skill she immediately recognised none of the other children around her could accomplish.

I need one shield, she mused, There's bound to be one around here somewhere.

At first, there was nothing. All the children beamed with the possibility of power. Little boys with fat fingers on chubby hands, little girls with petite figures and thin legs, toddlers with abnormally large eyes, or big ears, or some abnormality that made her think they have powers.