going to speak, but nothing came out, so she merely rested the side of her face upon the oak and stared off into the distance. I cast my vision upwards, looking for the heartless Darryl.
While hovering in the air, I saw him, staring down at the unbelievable scene that had just occurred before him. I zeroed in on the jerk at breakneck pace. Before he could move, I was on him. His stupid, mystified look was interrupted when I plunged into his chest with a punch that would knock out Hercules. The force belted him backwards and thrust him through the sliding glass doors. He landed on his back on the floor and continued in a slide that eventually halted in the center of the room. I was already standing on the deck, snarling at him. He peered at me between his legs as he tried to push himself up with his elbows. I stood motionless. Everything was eerily silent between us until he drew the courage to speak.
“Who…who are you, what do you want?”
I slowly, and very deliberately, walked toward him. He shuffled his feet and elbows in an effort to get away. His efforts were unsuccessful. When he was able to scurry to his feet, I came at him in a blaze of livid lightning, grabbing him and bulling him into a wall a great distance behind him, neither of us touching the floor as I did so.
“I am Hell. Nice to meet you. What I want is for you to suffer. And soon, you will.”
A look of panic shot across his face; his eyes could devour watermelons. Darryl didn’t recognize who, or what was standing in front of him. I knew I appeared dark, smoky, and fuzzy to his eyes. His chin quivered as he dared question me again. “Wh-what…what…what are you?”
“Inspiration for what you never want to be.”
Looking perplexed, he could only muster up a worrisome moan in response.
“Touch the girl again and I will end you. After that, you belong to Hell. Rest assured, that is where you are headed.”
He responded with a fear that seemed to rock him to his very core. “Okay…okay. I won’t, I promise.”
I growled at him to put an exclamation point of our meeting.
He’d had enough; I cast him aside like yesterday’s garbage. He bounced against another section of the wall and was knocked unconscious. As his limp body slid down the wall, I stood over him briefly, looking at the wretched joke that was Darryl. No longer a bully, no longer a threat; the façade of strength and confidence was now reduced to a limp mass hunched over and helpless on the floor. I couldn’t help but smirk.
My vengeance almost made me forget that I left a very scared young woman clinging to a tree branch about four or five stories in the air. I whirled around and dashed back outside, soaring into the canyon. In a matter of seconds, I reached her. I hovered over her before landing on the branch beside her. She didn’t blink or move so much as a finger; I wasn’t sure if she even realized I was there.
“Ar e you okay?” I leaned over her. She just stared blankly into the darkness, only nodding twice. “C’mon, let me get you back to safety.” I bent over to hoist her up. She shook her head no and clung more firmly to the tree.
“Shade. Shade, easy ; I would never hurt you. Will you please trust me? I know what I must look like to you, but I have to get you to the ground and back to your friends. Understand?”
Shade finally looked at me; she spoke volumes without saying a thing.
“I promise, you ’ll be fine. Please, Shade. Trust me, trust me now.”
She unlocked her grip and reached for me. I swept her legs around my arms, cradling her again. I stood up , and very steadily, floated back into the air. Shade buried her head into my chest.
I pulled her a little closer and rested my cheek against her matted hair. I couldn’t help but marvel over her. She was so strong and courageous. Somehow, given everything she ’d just encountered, her composure held together well. Her strong will made her even more beautiful to me.
I landed just behind
While hovering in the air, I saw him, staring down at the unbelievable scene that had just occurred before him. I zeroed in on the jerk at breakneck pace. Before he could move, I was on him. His stupid, mystified look was interrupted when I plunged into his chest with a punch that would knock out Hercules. The force belted him backwards and thrust him through the sliding glass doors. He landed on his back on the floor and continued in a slide that eventually halted in the center of the room. I was already standing on the deck, snarling at him. He peered at me between his legs as he tried to push himself up with his elbows. I stood motionless. Everything was eerily silent between us until he drew the courage to speak.
“Who…who are you, what do you want?”
I slowly, and very deliberately, walked toward him. He shuffled his feet and elbows in an effort to get away. His efforts were unsuccessful. When he was able to scurry to his feet, I came at him in a blaze of livid lightning, grabbing him and bulling him into a wall a great distance behind him, neither of us touching the floor as I did so.
“I am Hell. Nice to meet you. What I want is for you to suffer. And soon, you will.”
A look of panic shot across his face; his eyes could devour watermelons. Darryl didn’t recognize who, or what was standing in front of him. I knew I appeared dark, smoky, and fuzzy to his eyes. His chin quivered as he dared question me again. “Wh-what…what…what are you?”
“Inspiration for what you never want to be.”
Looking perplexed, he could only muster up a worrisome moan in response.
“Touch the girl again and I will end you. After that, you belong to Hell. Rest assured, that is where you are headed.”
He responded with a fear that seemed to rock him to his very core. “Okay…okay. I won’t, I promise.”
I growled at him to put an exclamation point of our meeting.
He’d had enough; I cast him aside like yesterday’s garbage. He bounced against another section of the wall and was knocked unconscious. As his limp body slid down the wall, I stood over him briefly, looking at the wretched joke that was Darryl. No longer a bully, no longer a threat; the façade of strength and confidence was now reduced to a limp mass hunched over and helpless on the floor. I couldn’t help but smirk.
My vengeance almost made me forget that I left a very scared young woman clinging to a tree branch about four or five stories in the air. I whirled around and dashed back outside, soaring into the canyon. In a matter of seconds, I reached her. I hovered over her before landing on the branch beside her. She didn’t blink or move so much as a finger; I wasn’t sure if she even realized I was there.
“Ar e you okay?” I leaned over her. She just stared blankly into the darkness, only nodding twice. “C’mon, let me get you back to safety.” I bent over to hoist her up. She shook her head no and clung more firmly to the tree.
“Shade. Shade, easy ; I would never hurt you. Will you please trust me? I know what I must look like to you, but I have to get you to the ground and back to your friends. Understand?”
Shade finally looked at me; she spoke volumes without saying a thing.
“I promise, you ’ll be fine. Please, Shade. Trust me, trust me now.”
She unlocked her grip and reached for me. I swept her legs around my arms, cradling her again. I stood up , and very steadily, floated back into the air. Shade buried her head into my chest.
I pulled her a little closer and rested my cheek against her matted hair. I couldn’t help but marvel over her. She was so strong and courageous. Somehow, given everything she ’d just encountered, her composure held together well. Her strong will made her even more beautiful to me.
I landed just behind
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