Val The Vessel

12 / Rag Doll

"Vaju o khay," says a warping voice.

"Vah, yo-kay?!"

I don't respond. My ears are still adjusting.

"VAL, YOU OKAY?!"

A pair of hands in leather gloves grips my face and jerks me upright. My weary eyes focus on a black mask with a red smiley face painted on the front. Wild blonde pigtails poke out from behind the mask. There's only one person I know with behead as untamed as hers.

"K-Kayla... the... cable lady?"

The short girl giggles. "Hey there, goldilocks." She taps my cheek. "You need to get up, we're not finished here yet. Her superpower is regeneration. She can't be killed."

Hollow digs her boots into the floor, propping her entire body upwards with just her legs, sliding against the window with her dark hair sprawled around her face. Kayla helps me to my feet and the two of us dash away. We take cover behind the kitchen counter downstairs with our backs jammed against each other. Breaths start to leave my body in quick, hyper bursts but Kayla clasps her hand over my mouth. We can hear footsteps from the upper floor.

"Come out, come out girls!"

I feel Kayla's hand tremble over my lips. She's scared shitless too. Didn't this Hollow chick just take a direct bullet to the head? How is this psycho even still alive?

Hollow groans. "Ugh, damn you for that. Did you really have to shoot me in the damn face? That shit gave me a head rush and now I have a wicked migraine. Thanks, I'll be sure to return the gesture by ripping your heads off."

Kayla's leather fingers tighten over my face. We hear Hollow step closer to our hiding spot.

"Awe Val, why couldn't you have just done what I had asked? You're really willing to die for a man who cares nothing about you? I guarantee that he would never risk his life to save yours."

"Wrong," a deep voice calls out from afar. Hollow turns around and there in the darkness floats a monster in a man's body. It's glowing red eyes are narrowed down as the creature emerges from the shadows with a waving black cape behind it. It's glossy suit is made up of the darkest material I had ever seen. "Now, care to explain what your ass is doin' in Val's house?"

The monster lunges for Hollow at breathtaking speed. He catches her mask behind his claw, then slams it down hard into the wooden floor like she's a rag doll. The ground splits beneath them and thick dust blows all around from the explosion. All Kayla and I can do is wince in terror as the monster levitates in the air, choking the life out of Hollow with one hand. "How dare you come here? Don't you ever lay a hand on Val! You can't be killed, but I'll rip you in half and stomp down on your skull to keep your torso forever separated from its legs!"

"Doron, no!" I shout aloud, enticing his evil glare. It really is him. Doron is the cable guy.

"Please don't hurt her. Not here."

Doron growls like a lion and slowly grinds his neck towards Hollow in diminishing fury. He suddenly releases his grip around her throat and she falls before crashing through the floorboards below. Kayla clutches her pistol and lowers it towards Hollow with a finger steadied on the trigger. "Get outta' here, tramp."

Hollow erupts with unflattering laughter. "Do you actually believe that? You really think that you have what it takes to torture me? I love this new tough guy act, but who are you trying to fool, Doron? You wouldn't hurt a fly. Plus, I know you wouldn't wanna leave a bloody mess in front of your new girlfriend."

I feel a sudden rush of anger sweep over me. "Stop... calling me... his... girlfriend!" I roar, leaping from the floor and planting a firm kick against Hollow's face. She soars back, bursts through the wall, and skids across the concrete outside in one motion.

I calm my nerves, but Kayla and Doron stare at me in disbelief. My cousin Andrea peeks through her room door and witnesses the destruction to the house. "What..." She exchanges a glance with Kayla, "The..." she takes in the power emitting from Doron in his beastly suit and finally lands her puzzled eyes on me.

"HELL?!"