The Girls of Virtue

[02-2] A Heart Blacker than Rot

As soon as she's outside, the cold seeps into her all over again. Beginning shives, frowning. She reminds herself to keep an open mind, to at least try to accept the strange world that she's been thrown into. A gust of wind blows, swirling through her skirt and sending chill all the way through her. She takes a breath, long and deep, and starts walking.

She goes slowly, trying to remember every turn she makes. If she gets lost here, she doubts anyone will be so kind as to help her get back.

She's made it to the part of the town with bigger, more rotten houses, when a loud, clattering sound echoes in the distance, bouncing off the buildings nearby. Beginning looks around, trying to place the sound, which seems to be coming from above her. It only grows louder, closer, and after just a moment, Hysteria lands directly in front of her with a crash and a shower of debris.

Beginning squeaks, taking a quick step backward. Hysteria stands, shakes herself off and grins. Her lanky body is covered in cuts, and her skin is bruised black-purple in huge splotches spreading across her limbs.

"New girl!" she screeches, voice so loud that it echoes into the fog. "Did I scare ya?" Beginning nods, just slightly, and Hysteria cackles. "I was up on the roofs! That's cool, isn't it? You think I'm cool, huh? If I'm cool, you gotta look at me lots or I'll kill ya!" With every word, she leans in closer, her expression going more intense. Her four arms land on Beginning's shoulders, digging into the marks that Obsession made just a little while ago. Watching her three mouths talk is bizarre, one voice emerging from three places.

"You've got good eyes, new girl." Suddenly, her voice drops, going low and hushed like she's sharing a secret. "I like you." That time, only one mouth talks and she leans in uncomfortably close, breath hot against Beginning's face. Beginning tries not to squirm away.

"Wait, wait. That's... You went too quickly. I don't understand. I, um, thank you?" She's trying to keep up, but once again, this person talks much too fast, says too many things that don't make any sense.

"It's okay!" Hysteria laughs, going right back to loud and annoying. "I just want your attention, get it? As long as you look at me, we'll get along just fine. You can even hit me if you want. I don't care!" All three grins stretch wider, vicious and sharp on her skinny face. "But for now, here, I'll show you something cool! You can be grateful to me for it!"

With that, Hysteria grabs Beginnings hands in hers, squeezes tight, and lets go, taking a step back. With unnatural ease, she jumps, landing on the rooftop behind her as if it was nothing. Beginning's head aches. There's something wrong with that, even if she can't place quite what.

"Come up here with me!" Hysteria yells. "Let's play!"

"You expect me to do that?" Beginning calls after her. "I... I can't jump like that. I can't do that." Her vision spins for an instant, blurring.

"Of course you can," Hysteria grins. "Just think about where you want to land, and jump! This isn't even that high. It'll be easy! C'mon! C'mon!" She's cackling, grinning with all three mouths, and yelling loudly enough that Beginning is half sure the whole town can hear it.

Somehow, Beginning knows that she's not going to get away with saying no. There's no way she can do it. She knows she can't jump like that. Her body won't do it. She eyes the rooftop, at least ten feet off the ground, and feels her throat go tight. But... it can't hurt to try, can it?

Following Hysteria's instructions, Beginning focuses on the top of the roof, where she wants to land. She takes a breath, hoping that nothing will go too wrong. With something like a hope that it will work, she jumps.

Air rushes past her ears. Scenery distorts. She's struck with a feeling of flying, of falling.

She clears the rooftop by four feet.