Deep Down

16

Red Hands And White Knuckles- The Bravery

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I pass Melisande's garden, the flowers looking more dull than my mood. The sky is dark as I pull out my gym shorts from my backpack, bunch them up and hold them to my face. It's too silent for my liking, especially since I'm sure the whole forest can hear my crying.

It takes me twenty whole minutes just to trek my way across her long ass driveway, and another ten of walking silently along the road until I realize I should probably call someone, considering Slade hasn't showed up out of nowhere to give me another mark. I shiver and look toward the forest. Nothing. He'll probably be mad when he finds out I electrocuted his wife. Oh well. Maybe he'll reject me or something.

Garner picks up on the first ring.

"Hey so listen-"

"Where did you go? Slade went fuckin berserk when I told him Melisande took you out of-"

"K, I was getting there. Please don't tell him about this okay?" I slow my walk and decide to just sit down on the pavement. I wonder how Garner came to gain the information that Melisande was the culprit.

"I- I have to, just tell me what happened Joanie, Where are you," his voice is more urgent than I would prefer.

"I'm not telling you if you're just gonna snitch to him," I clutch the shorts tighter to my face, the blood already starting to stain them.

"Where are you?"

"Are you coming alone?"

"Fine!" Hes growling.

"And he's not listening right?" Because I don't particularly want him to hear about how I shoved his wife's hand in a toaster and then electrocuted her.

"No. He's in the woods- looking for you."

Shocked and confused as to why her house wouldn't be the first place he looked, I conquer that perhaps he doesn't have any knowledge of the estate.

"Hm," I say, trying to ignore my motherfucking heart and its unsteady rythme.

"Okay I'm like a click away from her driveway, just chillin' on the side of the road. Can't miss me," I try to ignore the dizziness in my head. I try to ignore the fact that I've lost a lot of blood.

"Melisande's driveway?" He's a little clamer, no longer snarling.

"Ya," I say, telling him what I assume is his address then tuck my legs to my chest to preserve against the cold.

"I'm coming. Don't move."

"Wasn't planning on it," I mutter but he's already hung up. I consider emptying my backpack and curling myself into it to protect against the elements, but ultimately decide against it. The woods are ominous as ever, and I try not to think about getting attacked by those fuckers just a few weeks ago.

I don't really want to ponder what happened in that mansion just twenty minutes ago, but I can't help my dumb brain and it's snaky ways. I think of how prim ana proper I thought Melisande to be, until she literally showed me her claws and then everything went to hell. I'm not sure at all how I managed to get out of this one, but I'll be damned if I'm not proud of taking down the most powerful woman, likely, in the world.

But that power. Where did it come from? It wasn't Slade's raw, animalistic force, not the mutant strength that I've come to know. It was concentrated, deadly, it was magic. I watched her shut that door without touching it, and even as she writhed around trying to escape the toaster, I could feel the anger coming from her in waves. I start to wonder if Melisande was also part of the first generation of mutants, because obviously power like that doesn't exist amongst Garner and his friends.