Threat of Annihilation

Chapter 4 - Cheap

Warning: Choking, swearing, violence, assault, harassment  

Where to even begin?

Several weeks have already passed,  I've witnessed several colleagues come and go, none gone dead thankfully. It feels like I've survived through an almost diminutive amount of time, very few weeks have been peaceful, but they all flew by in a blur. The chaos manifested itself through the sheer anxiety I felt for days after seeing Marigold briskly walked through the walls, almost everything in this place is laced or made of metal, the material Marigold has all dominion over. 

My run ins with Marigold began more spaced out, but gradually became more frequent. I consider them more like her attempts to kill me, but every time I see that vast smile and hear that deep chuckle its clear that to her it is all a fun little game.

And in a weird, completely fucked up way, it became one for me too. 

She'd appear through the walls at any time of the day, some sort of item of piece of furniture at hand and throw them towards me at full force just like the first time. She set the boundary of only playing the game at day time and never stepped foot in my room, thank fuck. I could never find her, or catch her once she had her fun, but she seemed to enjoy it when I fought back regardless. At first I'd instinctively throw the items she'd launch at me back at her, which she liked, but soon I could recognize when incoming danger was near and controlled myself to simply placing the items down. I wanted to show I wasn't trying to pick a fight, but she definitely was. Once she caught on, or got tired of my pacifism, she'd throw more and more things my way. The way she would tease and beckon me to attack each time, with snarky comments and some huffs and puffs were merely a warning to the grater actions she'd take to make me fight back. 

I got fed up quite quickly with the volume and quantity of attacks steadily rising, so I snapped and threw everything back at her with all I had and she joyfully cached every single item before vanishing to who knows where. Soon enough I began carrying random things with me to throw at her, all non metal items so she'd have to at least try a little harder. When I first did it as a surprise, I like to believe the cardboard box almost hit her like revenge for when she ruined my boxes before, but metal spikes came from the floor and stabbed it into pieces. It was  a HORRIFYING discovery to make, that at any time she could just poof up some 10 foot tall spike to kill me, but given it only happened that one time when I surprised her, it must not be something she does often.

In my shocked state I didn't realize the chair flying towards me, I slowed its movements enough to not completely knock me out when it hit my head, but I still tumbled to the floor and had to hold my head as it bled when I sat up. I still think I imagined it, but her laughter immediately died and her face turned serious once she noticed my state. She approached me with hasty steps, I still doubt she'd ever be worried. I couldn't control my smile when I noticed her guard was down, If I had I'm sure the chair I threw back at her would have landed. But alas, it didn't and giant spikes of metal from the walls quickly dealt with it. I stood and laughed, my head already healed and said something stupid like "Haha! Didn't see that coming!" 

She seemed a little surprised, for a very brief moment, but her devious smile and giggle as she disappeared to who knows where again made me shiver. I could hear her voice echo, "You will not be lucky twice." Literal. Chills.

I hate to admit it, but it became fun. I began to look forward to seeing her and playing this violent game with her. She'd appear right when my paperwork became a little too long, or a meeting turning ever so boring and the games would begin once again. I began to feel her, or some sort of vibration, a rumble, whenever she'd approach and I'd wait enraptured in the anticipation of her arrival. I don't know how, but she caught onto me and soon enough only random objects would come flying my way now and again just to keep me on my toes.