Val The Vessel

18 / Dark Power

I hold my twitching hand in front of my face, fearful of my own destructive power. I had blown Nicole's left leg into a mush of blood just by looking at her. This is Satan's doing. Whatever's happening to me is pure evil—pure darkness.

Nicole limps away from me with terror constricting her pupils. She struggles to move on one leg and it pleases me to see her in pain. My fingers curl into vibrating fists as I roar like a wild animal. I can feel warm blood surge through my throbbing veins. For the first time, the arterial pain is actually tolerable—almost coaxing in a way.

"You..." My heartbeat ramps up. A wave of anger sweeps over my burning body and it feels like I'm on fire. My sight limits its colors to red hues and everything around me starts to shake violently.

I slap my hands flat against the ground and growl with growing ferocity. My eyelids unfold, exposing the woman I hate most—standing there with her stupid, pretty face. I hate her because she likely slept with Doron. I hate her because she makes those flirtatious faces at him whenever they're together. I hate her because she's better than me in every physical way.

"I don't give a damn about you, or your world," I assert, my voice steadily dropping to a deeper pitch. "You're what's wrong with it!"

An awful black liquid pours out of my mouth and drips over every inch of my skin. The inky fluid has a mind of it's own the way it coats my arms and legs like a sticky cloth without failing to miss a single spot. The transformation ceases as soon my very eyeballs are veiled by the dark matter, but a disruptive door swings open from the basement's entrance.

"Nicole, you... God, your leg! Val?! S-Shit, is that... you?!" Kayla hollers, inching towards Nicole with her silver pistol aimed at me. "Stop this! S-She's had enough!"

I howl viciously like a bloodthirsty wolf and pounce on them both. Kayla sprays rounds of bullets in my direction. I remain still and watch the shells repel off my suit of armor. This power is extraordinary. Kayla runs dry of ammo and is horrified to see that her attack was rendered useless against me. I grin beneath my mask.

"My turn."

I crouch down and plow through the women in less than a second, hoping to slash them to pieces. When I look back, they're gone. Doron catches my attention from up above as he floats a meter over me with Kayla and Nicole in his arms. I won't allow them to escape. Nicole will pay for everything she's done to me. Kayla took her side, therefore, she will suffer the same gruesome fate.

I extend my arm towards the exit doors, sealing them shut with an invisible force that obeys my every sinful will. I wave a sassy finger at the trio hovering in the air. "Where are ya'll going? Come stay awhile! The party's just getting started!"

Doron shakes his head. "Val, you need to calm your ass down! Just breathe!"

I roll my eyes. "Don't tell me what to do. You're not my man."

Doron plummets from the air, lands on his bare feet, and stands before me in loose pajama pants. Kayla and Nicole manage to scatter away. My mind can't help but draw painful memories to the surface of my conscience. How dare Doron show his face here? How dare he swoop in and attempt to save the day? He's never around when I need him to be, yet here he is, coming to Nicole's rescue. How fortunate for her.

Drool spurts from my mouth as I bark at Doron. "You took everything from me! You stole my car, left me to die on the streets, harassed me for days, wrecked my dad's house, humiliated me, violated me, hurt me! You're no hero! You're just a lying, manipulative, selfish piece of shit! And I won't stop until I make you feel just a tiny fraction of that hurt!"

"Alright," Doron insists, dropping his guard. "You're right. Take all the hurt out on me then. I deserve it."

Just as I prepare a massive attack, I sense a small piece of flesh tap at my back. Andrea stands behind me with a frightened pale face. "Please," she pleads, "They're not worth it, girl. Please let 'em go."

I snort, ready to slash her throat until I suddenly feel the weight of my actions. "Damn you..." The suit morphs into black liquid and surges back into my mouth. I gag as every drop squirms down my throat like a slug. Doron and his group witness the transformation but he seems disappointed that I'm reverting back to human form. Part of him must want to test his strength against me because I'm probably the only person who can take him on.

I feel my legs give out from under me but Andrea catches me in her arms. "Val?! Girl, you straight?!"

Doron eyes me, his neutral face concealing his emotions. "Let's take her to bed, Andrea. She transformed for the very first time. She just needs rest is all."

Andrea nods in agreement but Nicole grows furious. She points to her missing leg. "What?! So you're just gonna give her a slap on the wrist?! Look at what that little cunt did to me!"

Doron whips his head around with an astral frown somehow distinguishable from his tone. "That wound won't be your only problem if you don't shut up. At least Val had the self control to spare your treacherous ass. Be grateful for that. You'll heal."

With that, he slings me over his broad shoulder and walks off. Nicole stays behind, silently envious.

"Christ, what the hell makes her so special?"