Burning Road

The Story of the World Above- Part V

They walked into an empty apartment.  Cali'd told Mimi to wash her hands in the sink while she got the peroxide from the medicine cabinet.  She caught a glimpse of herself in the bathroom mirror and paused.  There were dark rings around her eyes, and her makeup had started to run.  She would have hashtagged the look 'hot mess', but she dared not post on Instagram.  Cali chuckled, and it made her feel a little better.

DotPrince had warned her demons were monsters to be avoided at all cost, and she had to agree with him.  The monster had an energy about him that made her doubt herself, and everything he'd taught her. Like the very heat he exuded was an aura of weakness.  With Wally gone she was starting to feel like herself again.  She wanted to kick herself for not taking any pictures.  She was coming out with the peroxide bottle when she heard the keys in the door.

DotPrince came in with a handful of bags.  He had on his leather jacket and worn leather pants.  His hair was freshly cut, and he had on the shades Cali'd bought him.  He tossed his helmet on the couch, and placed the bags on the countertop.  Shrugging out of his jacket he grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, he took a chug and stretched.

"I was going to get you guys some stuff, but the police were swarming all over The Mall," he said.  He took another drink of water.  "I brought beer, but I wasn't sure what brand you like or if the troll can drink at all."  He laughed but sobered quickly when he caught Cali's eye.  He looked to Mimi and back to Cali.

"Goblin," Mimi corrected.

"Lady outside said that two girls were attacked by a crazed store employee... I can't help but notice that she's dressed like a weird stalker and you look like you've had the worst day of your life."

"She's not dressed like a stalker, she's just wearing some of my clo- oh, I see what you did there.  Look, you're going to find out anyway so..."  Cali wanted to tell him, needed to tell him but she knew he'd be pissed.

"Going to find out what?  What did you two do?"

Her response was interrupted by a loud knock at the door.  Khouri didn't miss that both girls jumped at the noise.  He walked to the door, and looked back at them, eyes full of suspicion.  He looked through the peephole and the door burst open, slamming him against the wall.  A wave of heat and hate washed over the apartment, and standing in the doorway was Wally.  His left arm hung limp.  His clothes were a ruined jumble of tears, burns, oil stains, and blood.  His body was riddled with wounds, but where the blood should have stained there were smoking char marks.  He smiled at Cali, his gentle eyes smoldering holes.

He shambled into the apartment dragging with him an air of despair.  Cali was frozen in place unable to move, unable to think of anything, but the fact that they were going to die.  She was shaking.  The lights in the room dimmed, and the heat continued to rise.  Movement to his right caught her attention as Mimi lept off of the refrigerator, and smashed Wally across the back of the head with a frying pan.  Instantly the lights came back to life,  and Cali could feel her legs once more.  He seemed unfazed by Mimi's attack, and the aura of fear lingered.

Wally faced the goblin, and Cali caught a good glimpse of his head.  His skull was caved in.  Smoking black blood oozed out of his head to drip down his neck.  He grabbed Mimi by the throat, and hoisted her into the air with a hand in the shape of a warped claw.

"I can't let you get away, little goblin girl.  You're worth far too many souls.  Enough to ascend."  Wally licked his lips.  "I can already taste it"  He spoke in Under Common, what words she didn't know Cali was able to get the gist of.

"I'm not gonna help you get your horns, you piece of dragon dung."  Mimi kicked Wally in the chest repeatedly but his ruined body seemed impervious.

Cali needed to act quickly.  She ran to the workbench, and grabbed the steel bat from DotPrince's weapons rack.  She vaulted over the couch and cocked back for the swing, but Wally turned on her, the heat and fear attacked like grasping hands.  She skidded to a halt, her feet glued to the ground once again.  He grinned, his teeth falling out, and being replaced by pointy protrusions.

She wanted to move, to swing the bat, to run, but she was powerless under his gaze.  Cali could smell his putrid breath which stank of rotten eggs as he craned his neck to bite.  DotPrince struck suddenly with a machete, severing Wally's arm at the elbow.  He dropped Mimi and his fearful aura simultaneously.  Cali swung for the bleachers.  His pained scream turned into a horrible sound as her blow broke his neck.

With his head horribly twisted Wally should have been done for, but a demon was not easily dispatched.  He kicked DotPrince in the side then pounced on Cali, stomping repeatedly on her arm and stomach.  Cali cried out as pain raced through her body.  Wally's strength was immense, and it felt like hundreds of pounds were pressing her into the ground.  He crouched low bringing his face close.

"I'm going to tear your throat out, you little bitch," he hissed.

He reared his head back like a snake, and Mimi launched herself at him from the kitchenette counter.  She struck the side of his head with a plaque from Khouri's wall.  The impact sent demon and goblin tumbled over the couch and out of sight.  Cali struggled to her feet.  On the other side of the furniture piece Wally was choking Mimi with a smoking black tendril that had grown from his ruined stump.  Where she had struck him an impression of the plaque was seared into the flesh.

"If I can't have you, no one else can!  I'll drag your soul back down with me, you'll be mine to toy with for eternity," Wally hissed in Under Common.

Mimi struggled but she was pinned, and couldn't match his strength.  DotPrince buried his blade in the demon's back, but was swatted by Wally's limp arm. 

"Shiny! Use shiny money!" Mimi gasped.  In her distress her English was almost unintelligible.

"Shiny money?"  Cali followed Mimi's pointing finger towards the gold framing of the plaque.  "Gold?  Gold!  Khouri, use the plaque!"

DotPrince rolled under Wally's next attack, and grabbed the item.  He tackled the grotesque store employee and struck him full in the face.  The body convulsed and Khouri pressed his attack, striking over and over.  Under DotPrince's assault Wally's face opened to the room, within burned a blue flame.  The heat in the room turned into arctic cold instantaneously.  Frost gathered on DotPrince's goatee.

"Wait, Don't!  You've won, show mercy," the words came from the flame, though Wally's slack lips moved like a fish out of water.  "Let's make a deal."

"Fuck you!" Mimi rasped as she stood up.

"What the troll said, fuck you," DotPrince growled.

"Wait!"

Khouri struck the flame with the sound of metal ringing against metal.  The blue fire froze solid. DotPrince jumped back as the ice spread to the rest of the ruined body. Cali watched as the inky black blood stains all over the apartment froze too.  The temperature in the apartment dropped dramatically.  Mimi walked over to the frozen mass clutching the baseball bat.  Ice crystals bunched her shirt where Wally had bled on her.  She raised the bat over her head.

"Fuck you very much, Wally."

She struck the icy flame, and it exploded in a spray of thick black muck that coated everything the ice had touched.

A/N: Whoa, what a ride. Glad you've read this far. I hope you love this story as much as I do. Please click the star, and leave a comment. I'd love to hear your thoughts about Prince, Mimi, and crazy Cali.