Inflorescence • Poison Ivy's Daughter

chapter 16 ~ dreaming

Calla never really had a problem with heights, she always enjoyed being above everyone, not in a superior complex way she just enjoyed the isolation from time to time, it was peaceful. But now as she stared down at the 50 story drop below her she did not feet at peace. Her arms were shaking at this point, she could feel them start to go numb with pain. The pouring rain wasn't helpful either, causing the rail to go slick, she focused on feeling, if she lost it now it'll be all the much easier to slip up splattering her across the pavement below.

'Time!?' she shouted over the pouring rain.

'Three... two... time.' a voice answered with the click of a stopwatch.

Calla sighed in relief as she stood down from her handstand lying on the concrete roof.

'Bloody hell Selina, you trying to kill me?'

'Only partially love,' she winked, 'that's how you win.'

'Oh yes, now that I've mastered the skill of holding a handstand for a solid 20 minutes, Batman is going to be quivering in his leather boots. All will fear the mighty gymnast Belladonna.' Calla exasperated, opening her mouth to allow the icy rain to run down her throat.

'Don't underestimate the power of gymnastics Calla, it's helped me out more times then I can count.'

'Yeah, I bet it has,' Calla smirked raising her eyebrows.

'You little...' Selina growled lunging for Calla, Calla rolled out of the way, scrambling to her feet and sprinting towards the door to the stairs. Before she could reach the handle a leather whip wrapped itself around her legs. Calla fell face first into the concrete and was quickly pinned down by Selina's knees, she leaned closer till she reached Calla's ear, 'Apologise.' she whispered, her breath tickling her ear.

'Never!'

Selina lent back, considering. 'So be it.' she then pinched Calla's sides, the action causing Calla to burst into an array of giggles.

'Stop!' she managed to gasp, 'I can't breathe.'

'Apologise.' Selina repeated in the same calm, cool tone, but now a slight smirk played on her lips.

'Alright, alright, I'm sorry.' Calla giggled, and Selina immediately pulled her hands back.

'See that wasn't so hard was it?' Smiled Selina. Calla scoffed hands wrapped around her sides, out of breath. Selina's smile faded slightly. 'How are you going girl?'

Calla smiled taking a deep shaky breath, 'struggling.'

'That's not what I meant'

'I know what you meant Selina.' Calla bit back, slightly harsher then she had intended. Selina looked startled. Calla winced, "Sorry, I didn't mean... it's just difficult without her here.'

'You want to talk about it.'

Calla sighed and rose to her feet heading over to a bar connected to a water tank, she tested it before leaping and grasping hold of it, her feet dangling above the floor. 'I keep having this reoccurring dream of my father.'

'Your father?' Selina strolled over to Calla who was now using her weight to pull herself up into a handstand on the poll.

'My mom never told you about him?'

'Never wanted to.'

Calla laughed, 'Yeah, he's not the best topic of discussion.' she lowered her legs slightly swinging around the poll twice before reverting back to the handstand. 'So I keep having this dream, and first, it's just me in my childhood room and my father is on a chair, looking at me. He doesn't say anything or do anything. Just sits there staring with those gray eyes.

"And I'm frozen. I can't move at all, I can only look back. And that's when I look behind him, at the glass window. It's black as anything and through it, I can see my own reflection. And I'm a child, the child I was...

"And I see a shadow behind me, another child who looks exactly like me but isn't. They whisper something in my ear, but the words are drowned out by the sound of liquid. Then I notice it, thick, black blood, oozing from every corner and edge. Washing over my feet, then my ankles, and it keeps rising.

"The child walks away from me, over to my father and stands next to him. My father draws out his knife, and runs a straight bloody line under their jaw.'

There was silence. Calla sprang from the poll in a flip landing facing away from Selina, afraid to meet her eyes.

'Pretty messed up huh? I can't control it though, and I wake up and it feels like I'm not real, like I'm not here. I feel like I'm not a whole person, parts of me died in that place I grew up in and they visit me in my dreams. I'm afraid Selina. So afraid, what if they come to the surface-'

'Calla. Calla!' Selina moved in front of her, turning her head so she could stare into her eyes, 'Everyone, and I mean everyone feels that way. That there's another side to them that can hurt those they care about. Yours may be in the more literal sense, but it's still the same to everyone around you. And even if you do snap, Calla baby, you'll be fine. Because, although you've had a rough life, rougher than most, you are also incredibly lucky. You're surrounded by people who love you, and I mean truly love you. People who would give up their whole lives for you and that's more then anyone can hope for. Alright?'

Calla blinked away, looking at the concrete floor.

Selina sighs, 'Anyway love I've got to go now, do you want to stay at mine?'

'Thanks, Selina, but I think I'll be alright now.'

Selina smiles kissing her cheek, 'Later love.' and with that, she disappeared off the top of the building.

Calla felt the quickening of her heart in her chest, her powers surging and mixing with the raw anger she felt inside of her. She didn't push it done, she let it grow with her shallow breath and gritted teeth the sound of her blood rushing in her ears was deafening.

Suddenly Calla whirled around and punched the water tank behind her. It gave way around her fist easily tearing a clean hole through the solid metal. Water rushed from it gushing over Bella, she stumbled back but held her ground as the water's pressure slowly decreased leaving her standing in an ankle-high puddle and dripping wet.

'It sure as hell the literal sense,' she growled quietly to herself wringing out her now long dark hair. Who else would have this kind of strength, and still feel so powerless?