Battle The Beast

Contest Entry

“Stop!” Quentin shrieked, trying to grab at Alice’s hands as she contorted and spun them in a forbidden spell. One that would no doubt kill her.

She shoved him back with sharp jab of the elbow and faced the spirit again. “He’s my brother, I can’t abandon him. I can fix this.” Alice wasn’t listening, so caught up in her dead older brother standing before her. She didn’t see the evil in his eyes, stuck with joyful memory now long gone. She didn’t see the way he watched Quentin like regarding a snack. It wasn’t comforting, especially when he knew there was no way to stop him.

“He tried to kill two people this morning, Alice! He’s not right.”

Her fingers never once stopped moving, “I can do this, Quentin. Let me help him!” One hand stopped it’s sharp jabbing to glide downward toward Quentin, who flew threw the air in the blast. He laid there, unmoving, a feeling of panic sweeping over him.

“Good job, sis. You’re doing great.” It wasn’t him. Why can’t she see? Alice never stopped the spell, even when she was hit by a blast of electricity so strong her head snapped back. In an instant, Alice was no longer herself but a blue and malice version. Her brother grinned, cocking his head at her in humor. A choked out no caused both to snap their heads in his direction.

Quentin held out the box, pointing it to the two creatures. With a quick slur of latin, it was over. Alice watched as her brother was ripped into the box, without a single tick or frown. At most, she blinked at the box before turning her attention to the sobbing boy on the ground.

“What have you done?” Quentin gasped, regarding the creature that devoured his Alice.

She studied him like a book, then cocked her head. “The world seems so uglier now. It’s interesting, really.” Quentin reared back at the voice. It was malice and dark, nothing inquisitive like the shy girl he met a few weeks ago.

Running and getting help was no option especially when expulsion and his friend’s life was on the line. Her brother, in his delirious state of arousal, nearly drowned two students in the fountain before. There is no telling what a powerful magician would do with this much juice.  Contrary to the tightening of his chest, Q pulled out his hands--palms up. Pointer and ring finger curl in, just enough to earn a sputter from the dark form before him. She was watching him, not a worry of what he was about to do. Both hands twist in, then a triangle position. She must realize what he’s doing, but stood still anyway. A magical box that trapped her brother appeared in his grasp from across the field.

“Quentin.” Alice’s voice had returned, “Why are you trying to hurt me?”

Defeated by the innocence of the very apparent lie, Quentin dropped his hand to his side. “You did nothing wrong.”

“I didn't. Let me go. I'm sorry I hurt you.” He would have, truly, if there wasn't a hint of darkness in the back of her throat. It growled a challenge at Quentin who yanked the top off the box in reaction. Alice slammed into him at the last movement, her energy sucking into the box as she snatched and slammed the lid on. When she looked up, her skin was no longer blue. Quentin’s heart soared until her eyes met his. Electric blue.

“Quentin?” Alice seemed confused, her voice lacking the darkness of before.

Hesitating, Q gently held her face. “Are you alright?”

“No.” A flicker of blue and she was off the ground, her hair crackling like fire.

She stepped towards him but Quentin responded by holding up the box, “Stop right there.”

“You're still scared of me.”

“The box took most of it. Maybe we can try again-”

Alice cut him off with a growl, “I'll die.”

She suddenly gawked. “We can beat him when I’m like this.”

“Who?” Quentin looked at her, confused.

“The Beast.”

“No, you’ll turn out like him if you don’t let me help, Alice.”

“We’re facing a murdering magician with more magic than ever seen before, and you’re worried I’ll become the bad guy? We should be celebrating, Q!” Quentin shook his head rapidly like shaking away the lure of an easy weapon.

“It isn’t safe.”

“We’ll die without my power!” True. So true.

She bared her teeth in a familiar look. The same way an alcoholic looks at the first beer of the day.

“How can you be so certain? Take out one killer just to let another loose? Tell me the real reason you won’t let me do the spell.”

“There’s nothing more, I just want to help.”

“Don’t lie to me, Alice! Tell me the truth!”

“I like the way if feels, alright? I don’t want to stop using what I’ve been given.”

Quentin wiped a hand over his face, “So we kill him. Then we help you.” She nodded her head fiercely. “If you step out of line, I open the box.”

“Deal. Let’s get this son of a bitch.” Alice grinned, her eyes glowing brighter almost with the excitement. Her eyes caught the side of the rec building, and moved beside it. She started to do magic, the summoning spell they had tried but failed and brought the Beast to them.

“What are you doing?” Quentin panicked, running to her. She spread her arms out and from the window, their reflections shifted and a hand reached through. Before he had even fully exited the panel, Alice lept at him with her fangs bared like a dog. Her teeth tore into his forearm, tearing off a chunk of flesh. She spat it to the side, nearly hitting Quentin’s show who was far too dizzy to recognize the amount of blood in the room. She didn't just enjoy the power, she enjoyed the blood.

Alice regarded the Beast with a haunting grin, flesh in her teeth.
“How interesting. You’ve never succumb to these measure before.” The Beast advanced, paying no attention to his blood that dripped like acid onto the seared path.  “Yet, it won’t save you.”

Moths fluttered the floor, crunching under his feet as he moved. Alice cackled, delighting in the way he would cough and sputter. Yet he did not slow, his pace still steady within a dance of magic that somehow kept him to his feet. Alice grinned, and cocked her head to the side. No more moths to block a young face. The Beast lifted a fist, and like that, Alice’s head was facing the wrong direction. Quentin screamed in horror, her dead gaze locked onto his feet.

“Quentin Coldwater. I can truly say it is no pleasure to see you again.”
“Again?” Q quivered, his back pressed to the far wall. He forced his eyes to meet the monster’s.

The man grinned slightly, opening his arms in a great gesture. ”This is the twenty-first time, you stupid boy! I am getting quite tired of killing you and your friends.” He approached, crunching over moth corpses and dead vegetation that spread with each stride. Stuck between a brick wall and a psychotic magician, Quentin came up with the best spell he could muster. It knocked the Beast back, just far enough for a space to open. He ran, running faster than his feet could go. Yet it wasn’t fast enough, because almost instantly he went immobile, slightly above the ground so his reflection in the Suicide Fountain stared back. Blood dripped from his eyes and ran down his cheeks like tears. The Beast lingered behind, a look of appreciation on his face.

“This will be the first time drowning you, did you know?” Quentin quivered, attempted to beg but his throat fought him painfully. But he had no fight in the matter before the world was submerged in a frozen fountain. Gagged and choking, Quentin had no control of his limbs as he sunk deeper and deeper. His lungs burned and his eyes felt ready to explode when unable to even blink as he dropped at inhuman speed. Then the burning ended.