Val The Vessel

11 / Strange Little Girl

My cousin and I grow more nocturnal with every passing day. Andrea had gone out multiple nights since she first touched down at the house, and rang the doorbell every crack of dawn. There was a morning where I had to literally drag her to bed and lock herself in her room because she would not stop laughing like a drunken clown. Whenever I'm not bringing Andrea back to a sober state, I lay down in bed and think about the 'cable guy'. That hazel-eyed jerk's words from the the other morning bother me. He singlehandedly managed to make me feel worse than I already feel. It's not like he knows a single real detail about me or my life. Maybe if he had taken the time to know me, he would see that I'm much more than just a depressed chick who used to pole dance for a living. "Ouch, what the—"

Both of my arms are numb so I slap them against my thighs for the stinging sensations to make their return. My body is face down on my mattress with my mouth suffocating over a pillow. I scramble my eyes in all directions, still beating my own body with my arms. Why can't I move? What's going on?

"Hello there."

A sinister feminine voice calls from my left. I glance to the side, and a gloved hand treads through the curls of my hair.

"Such pretty hair."

The intruder bends down to get a good look at me. She has on a tight white combat suit and long gloves with pointed studs where the knuckles are supposed to be. She breathes behind a blank white mask that completely shields her face. There are two dark chrome spheres that resemble eyes, and I think she can see me through them.

"What's the matter? Can't move?" she asks in an unconcerned tone. She tilts her head and I wish to know the expression behind her mask. "Do you know who I am?" She asks in a synthetic voice.

"Gee, I dunno... Aren't you just the psycho... who just broke into my house?" I say with sluggishness.

"Ooh, sassy. It's impressive that you're even able to speak right now. I hit you with a horse tranquilizer and you're still conscious. Now I see why you're so special." The woman reaches behind her to flick my light switch. A warm golden lamp fills the room and I can now clearly see the intruder.

"Holy.... shit..."

It's 'Hollow'. She's one of the prominent southern myths I had heard about growing up and one of the most dangerous villains in the world. How is she here with me right now? Why is she here? What does she want with me?

"Now, care to explain why you're hanging around with Doron?"

Hollow doesn't budge a muscle. She just stands over me quietly, gauging me from behind her mask. It feels incredibly uncomfortable. I can't form words for the life of me. She finally exhales, turns towards the front window, and falls back into my rolling chair. "It's 3 AM. Some call this the 'devil's hour'. Did you know that?"

I struggle to swallow. My lips are cracked and my throat itches from the dry heat trapped inside this room. I want to roll over but I fear attempting any sudden movements. Some feeling is finally returning to my hands but they do no good but to flail nervously against my leg. Hollow suddenly startles me from the silence. "But don't worry, I'm not the devil." She leans forward. "Is the devil after you? Are you running from something? Or some one?"

I finally gather enough strength to speak once more. "I have no... eff'ing clue what you're talkin' about... lady..."

Hollow rests her head against her hand, seemingly bored or unimpressed. Who can tell with that blank mask of hers? Her voice modulates itself as she speaks. "You see, I've been watching you for a while. I know all about your ignorant cousin downstairs, your workAholic daddy, and your trifling mommy."

"S-Screw... my... mom..."

Hollow laughs loudly, the voice modulater in her mask reducing her laughter to a raspy echo. "Aww that's adorable. I've never heard one of my victims say that before. Strange, you're a strange little girl." She stands up for a dramatic stretch and the air in her spine pops twice. "Listen, here's how this is going to go down. You tell me everything you know about Doron, and I won't kill you. Your choice. You can make this painfully easy, or pleasingly hard."

Shit, I'm screwed. Hollow drags a finger across my pillow, her flexing muscles bulging from her suit as she creeps closer to me. "I know you're with Doron, but you don't have to be afraid anymore. He can't hurt you here. Just tell me why he's seeing you. What's your significance to him?"

Hollow continues to edge closer. "Valentina García, that's such a pretty name. What do you think your daddy's gonna say when he finds out who you've been spending time with all spring break?"

Dammit, there's no escape. Is anybody out there right now? Somebody, anybody, Andrea, God, Jesus?!

"You're not important to Doron. He only helps poor fools like you to advance himself. He's only using you so that he can—"

"Shut up, cum face!"

I whip my eyes downward. A short stranger stands in my doorway, aiming a pistol at Hollow's head. My ears pop from the explosion of a gunshot. A white flash, and Hollow's head slams into the window behind her, leaving a messy crack in the glass. My ears ring so loud that I fail to even hear my own screams. Somebody slides their arms beneath my pits to yank me out of the bed and throw me onto the ground. My ears feel like they're turning inside out.

What's going on?