The Misadventures of Daria Pigwidgeon (39 page)

My mind blanks as pain consumes me.

In a delayed reaction my body jerks back and I quiver from side to side. Something wet fills my mouth and slides past my parted lips. I feel myself falling. In seconds I crash to my knees and I think I hear a cracking sound. But it’s drowned out by someone laughing. For a moment it sounds familiar, but I can’t quite place it. My vision swims in and out on flickers as my mind goes numb. I continue the downward motion to the floor when I hear footsteps approaching me.

When I land, there is only a second in which I turn my face away. Surprisingly all the pain evaporates for an instant as I lay still. Wetness pools outward from me though. It practically seeps. If I concentrate enough I can almost feel it pouring out of me. There is a vibration to it – magical and tiring – as it leaves me. A fog takes hold of my mind then, and any poetic thoughts I might be dreaming of disappear. I wait for the weight I know is about to press into me, but it doesn’t come. Instead, the footsteps finally reach me and come into view.

They are attached to two very tall legs. Those lead up to a boy that I know. A boy that holds a knife that is covered in my blood. I’m finally faced with my shadow stalker and he’s no longer hiding in the shadows. His imposing height is more threating now. His once pleasing dark hair and innocent like glasses spike a fresh bout of fear that’s not coming from him.

It’s Toby.

When he smiles, I muster enough breath to scream.

***

I can’t stop screaming. It pours out of me faster than the blood beneath me. My throat burns, my eyes blur, pain racks my entire body, and yet I can’t stop. This makes him laugh. I want to get away from him, my body quivers with the need, but I’m frozen to the screams that won’t stop. Finally he stops laughing and shakes his head at me. He kneels before then. He brings his face inches from mine so that I can taste the bitter fear that rolls off of him. It crashes into me in relentless waves. It steals my breath and stops the screams.

When I go quiet, he smiles once more. “There now, no more of that nonsense. We wouldn’t want to be interrupted before we have a chance to bond. Not when I’ve worked so hard to get you here.”

Another scream tries to build inside, but there is no breath to guide it out. Instead a whimper slips out, carrying something warm and wet that tastes of copper. The need to escape hits at me like a gong, but my body is a useless numb shell. All I have left is the ability to watch as Toby survey’s my struggles. He seems rather amused too. I can’t even muster the strength to flinch when he places a hand on my cheek. His hand is clammy and rough, I don’t like it. I really don’t like it when he brushes my hair out of the way and eyes me in an almost tender fashion.

He stops within seconds of touching me, like he didn’t realize what he was doing.

Then he glares at me.

My stomach rolls when he smiles again. “You know. I’ve been trying to get to you for some time now. You’re not an easy bird to catch. At first I wasn’t even sure what you were. I thought maybe we were the same and you just were ignorant. But you’re not ignorant are you? No. You know what you are. I like what you are Daria. It fills me with all that happy stuff humans are so fond of.”

He laughs at something I don’t understand and leans back on his haunches.

Is this it then?

Toby is going to be the one to kill me? It feels kind of like a let down. I mean shouldn’t I be bleeding out in the snow? Dying in a sub shop by this Harry Potter wannabe really sucks nasty demon breath. I want so bad to tell him so, but I can’t get my mouth to form the words. All that comes out is another whimper.

He continues to watch me with this glowing smile. It’s really rather creepy.

He claps his hands together. I finally manage a flinch. Pain makes me whimper again.

“It’s truly fascinating being able to see it without you blocking Daria. I have to say I’m kind of jealous. Not completely of course, because it’ll be mine soon enough. But it sure is a pretty sigh to take in. All shiny and bright. It fits you. I hope it fits me just as nicely.”

What is he talking about?

I must look confused, because he stops assessing me long enough to watch me with interest.

“Oh.” He laughs. “I bet you didn’t know about that did you? I’m sure there is never a mirror around when you work the funky little magic only you can provide. The only other time its present is when you are dying.” He moves in close again. “Your soul is shining little demon. It knows it’s time is running out and it’s trying to take a stand. Too bad all it’s going to be able to do is comfort me while I take it from you.”

I shine? That’s not weird or anything. And he’s going to take my soul?

“I just bet you didn’t even know that was possible did you? You’re very naïve Daria. I almost feel bad about having to kill you. Or I would if the bounty wasn’t so spectacular. But is it and I will.”

Sweet. Baby. Jesus.

Will he just get it over with already? It’s bad enough I’m going to die. Does he have to add evil mastermind commentary to it as well? I’m really getting the short end of the stick here. I manage to close my eyes in protest of it all. A fresh wave of pain and fear snaps them back open.

Toby is glaring at me. “Am I boring you Daria? Because I can make things more fun if you like. I had planned on making this easy for you. There was a time I even tried to be nice, but your recent companions made that difficult. So if my niceties aren’t working for you, I can do it the hard way. You should know I like it when you’re scared.”

As if to prove he means what he says, the numbing fear pulls back enough that the paralysis fades. Then there is only pain. It rises up like a rotting thing taking any rational thought I might have had about trying to get away. My blood pumps harder as it works its way out of me. A warped whimper stretches and pulls out of my mouth. All these sensations play over me on an endless loop until I’m sure it’ll never stop. But when it does, I cry out in relief.

My relief is short lived though.

In its place is the soul sucking fog that teases my mind. It’s urging me to let go. I want to listen to it, I really do. But I can’t. Not when Toby sit’s idly by watching me with a smirking marring his now hideous face. With the little bit of myself I have left, I push back. I mentally shriek for my soul to hear my pleas. Surprisingly, it answers me, in the most unusual way. The fog from below and the wind from around me comes from inside for the first time. It stirs as if it has always been there just waiting for me to use it. I’m wrapping it around me when Toby is in my face again.

Before I can flex my power outward, his hands grip my shoulders and flip me onto my back in one pain filled motion. My breath escapes me in a whoosh as he leans over me and screams in my face. His eyes are two black pools behind his glasses. The fear seeps out of him and back into me. But I’m protected this time. There is no paralysis or mind numbing paranoia. I’m still me. Weak and dying, but still me. He knows it too. The fear spikes to the point that my body convulses beneath his hands.

I bite back a scream and find my voice. “Toby stop! Please!”

He laughs.

His hands fall to his sides and leans his face even closer to mine. “Didn’t I tell you I like it when you’re scared? This is fun right? I could end it now if you want.”

Oh God help me.

Toby smiles at me again. This time he seems almost relieved that he can get what he wants. He must be the type that can’t take playing with his food for very long. Lucky me. When he leans back and disappears from my line of sight, my body relaxes instantly. I don’t have long before he tries something else, so I use the little bit of me I have left to try and move. I hate this plan as soon as I manage a twitch. Pain rushes through me in spades, but despite it all, I actually get my arms up. From there I push upwards. My stomach rips and tears in spikes of torture that almost make me fall back down.

I’m able to drag myself backwards for maybe an inch or so before Toby is back before me. He keeps his distance as he watches; arms crossed and smile firmly in place. I know he’s only playing with me in letting me think I’m getting away. But I can’t stop from trying. Not now. So I force my quacking arms to push all of my dead weight some more. I gain a few more inches away from Toby’s looming figure, when fear slams me crashing back onto the floor.

My eyes close as laughter surrounds me.

“Oh Daria. You really are making this so much fun for me. Seriously. I don’t remember the last time I had such a blast.”

I grit my teeth in frustration. “Glad I could help you friend.”

“Now, don’t be like that. It’s all in good fun.”

I bet.

I force my eyes open past the fear that urges me to keep them close. A glare worth a thousand more times the amount of pain that I feel is sent towards the boy that was able to full me for months. It knocks the smile from his face. That pleases me.

“You don’t have to do this Toby. It’s not too late. I’ve never done anything to you, in fact, I thought we were friends. We were weren’t we?” I plead.

He shakes his head. “That would be a no cupcake. I only wanted you to think that. Even if you weren’t what you are, I’d still probably suck you dry and kill you just because I can. But since your you with your pretty little soul, I find myself the luckiest earth demon in town. This alone will get me quite a hefty promotion.”

A promotion…that’s, just wrong on so many levels.

“Please you don’t-” I start, but his unnatural growl cuts me off.

“No more talking demon girl. I want what’s mine for the taking.” He smiles again. “I want to play now.”

He uncrosses his arms and flashes the bloody knife so I can see it. The sight of it sends my stomach rolling, bile rises upwards and the only thing that keeps it down is the fear he pushes at me again. Chills rushes through me as my breath tries to be pulled from me. A fog presses on my mind and I know my defenses are slipping if I can feel like before. The urge to sleep takes hold and my eyes slip closed. Trapped in the darkness of my mind everything swims in running currents of vibrating dizziness. It feels as if I’m free floating without a body of my own.

But I know that’s not the case.

Toby kneels down beside me, his knees poking into my side, and places his hands on my stomach. The blade of the knife lays flat across me, teasing the gaping hole it already made of my flesh. My muscles clench in anticipation of the new pain I’m about to feel. Instead of pain, there is only taste. Just beyond the bitter copper coating my mouth is the barest hint of ozone. My throat burns with it. Shocks flitter through me, zapping the fear that controls me, but I remain immobile. Toby hasn’t noticed yet. It won’t last. Within seconds of the first taste, a pressure builds in my head. The fog squeezes in response, but I fight back.

An electrical spark goes off in my head, causing my eyes to open wide as I thrash from the pressure.

Toby jumps away from me with a startled yelp.

All fear and fog disappear from me completely. And I’m buzzing like a live wire. Every single hair stands on end and each piece of me from my fingers to my toes tingle in little static shocks. Before I know it I’m sitting fully erect and putting as much distance between me and a very pissed of Toby. I drag myself halfway across the room and almost to the front door before Toby registers what it is that I’m doing. He growls out a series of curses and launches himself at me with the knife raised high.

At the last second I twist away so that he lands beside me rather than on me. I save myself from being stabbed, but I wind up causing an immense pain to take over so that when I fall there is a good possibility that I won’t be able to move again. I do try though. All I manage is a slight shuffle though as Toby takes hold of me and slams me on my back. Screams of pain fill my ears and it takes me a moment to realize that they aren’t coming from me. That’s when I feel the static building in waves of an electrical current along my skin.

And it passes into Toby.

He yanks his hands from me. “You bitch!”

I can’t help but to laugh. He doesn’t find it funny.

He makes like he’s going to come at me again, but this time I simply lift my hands. When I do, little sparks of live electricity bounces from finger to finger. My hands look like a charged up Taser. It makes him freeze within inches of me.

For the first time since I saw Toby here today, I actually think I might survive.

The feeling is short lived.

Suddenly the knife in his hand is raised and in the next instant he moves in a blur with it pointed right at me. He’s faster this time and as try as I might to avoid him or zap him, he gets passed me. I feel every inch as the knife goes into my skin, pushing through muscle and going deep inside. Its new home in me is very close to the space it once occupied, but all it feels like is an extension of what was already punctured. My heart shutters within me, breath comes out in a wheezing hiccup, and I fall down is dizzying spirals.

Only Toby still gripping the knives hilt and being so close to me keeps me conscious.

A hurried buzzing echoes through my entire being. It saps all of my reserve strength and uses it to fuel the pressure on my skin. The surge funnels at the knives location right before it branches outward to my hands. My soul cries out for me to move and I know what I have to do. I just have got to get my hands up to achieve it. When Toby pushes the knife deeper and twists, I know I have to act faster than ever. He’s so close. It would be a waste to not try.

I force my oh-so-tired arms to move and it feels like ages before they actually do. They feel weighed down and useless, but they take on an upward motion toward the goal before me. Toby doesn’t even see it coming; he’s so busy trying to watch the life spill from my eyes. Then my hands are on him. He really should have worn a coat or something, because I am greeted by bare flesh. There is a sizzle as the sparks jump from me to him, and then there is only the putrid stench of flesh burning. Then there are only screams of pain. And they aren’t mine.

Toby tries to pull away, but I hold on tight with a strength I didn’t know was possible.