Collect of Short Stories

Valerie and Her Venom

"I can sleep when I'm dead" Maven countered. He momentarily stopped his movements and turned to face Valerie who shot him a worried glance.
     She rubbed her hands together, despite the room hardly resembling any type of coldness. She tentatively placed a loose strand of black hair behind her ear. "You need rest, this isn't healthy..."
     The taller male ignored her and stared laser-focused on the target in front of him. It was a paper target with a red cross hair in the middle. Only he'd hit the center so many times, he was hitting the wall now. Evident indents appeared across the blank canvas as sweat poured down Maven's slim build.
     Maddison stared affectionately at such a blood-driven mindset and licked her lips. She was leaning against the wall, watching silently throughout Maven's training sessions. She never bothered him and he never bothered her.
     "Calm down, Valerie. Wouldn't you do the same thing?" Asked Maddison. She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at the shorter female. A smug grin laced her lips.
     "I—m-me?" She sputtered, almost insulted. "I wouldn't want to kill anybody! It's...it's just wrong. Why would I ever..."
     Maven flicked his wrist, letting the knife cut through the air before finally landing in a position that's been hit so many times: dead center. A loud ring rang through the air as silence settled over their argument. Pieces of chipped concrete fell to the ground, unable to withstand any more pressure.
     He turned to face Valerie, his expression devoid and stoic. "You're close with your family, right?" He asked.
     The girl shifted uncomfortably from one foot to another, biting her bottom lip. "Yes, but—"
     "You have sisters, right? Remy? Ava?" He narrowed his eyes, silver cutting through brown.
     "Wouldn't you want to kill the person who murdered your family? You don't expect me to believe you'd just cry and get over it, do you? What kind of bullshit is that, Val?"
     She bit the inside of her mouth at the use of her nickname but didn't say anything.
     A flicker of sadness crept onto Maddison's once sadistic expression but it disappeared as quickly as it came. She stretched her arms and shrugged absentmindedly at Valerie who was either on the verge of cursing or crying.
     "Trust me," she began "The first thing that comes to your head when when you know someone killed your family is who and how to get pay back. Since your so weak-minded, just think of it as the circle of life. Surely your dense mind can comprehend that?"
      Maven didn't add anything to her statement, deciding to merely study Valerie's face which contorted itself so much, you'd miss an expression if you blinked. Finally, she clenched her fist and pointed a finger at Maddison who smiled broadly at such a reaction. But her victorious grin quickly washed away.
     "You shouldn't be talking, you psycho! You don't know anything about me. You know there's a reason nobody wants to be around you! You're crazy! You're a lunatic! You can't tell right from wrong! And you always wonder why your parents never want to see you? Well that's why!"
     "You're alive when nobody wants you to be! Nobody wants to be around someone who all they can think and understand is how to kill. You're not normal. You're not a human. You're a freak!" She breathed in and out loudly, tears beginning to brim the outskirts of her eyes. But they weren't from guilt. They were created entirely out of anger and such loathing none would thought be possible for such a happy girl. She grinded her jaw so hard, her jaw might've shattered if she hadn't opened her mouth again.
     "Fuck you, Maddison! Fuck you!"
      Maven narrowed her eyes but not particularly at the fact that he was offended. Rather, it was alarming to see someone you've always known to have such an optimistic personality perform a 180.
     For the first time in this encounter, Maddison was speechless. Her sly eyes now wide with shock and her lips slightly parted.
      Valerie looked like she had something more to say but seemed to have put it off, at least, for now.
     "And Maven," she added suddenly.
     The two locked eyes.
     "I hope you know what your doing. Or else you'll end up like her." With one final glare, she left the room.