Paintshark

by Kingsley Pilgrim

  “Piss off,” Cassandra snapped.

  Aphrodite set the tray on the bedside table.

  “I SAID WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE, APHRODITE?” Cassandra knocked the tray off the side. “ANSWER ME!”

  “I take it you’re not a custard cream fan? I think we’ve got some Hobnobs somewhere, you really don’t remember do you? You were hit by my daddy’s car after school, you were knocked out so we took you back to my house, I know we should have gone to a hospital, but I thought you’d like to see a friendly face when you wake up, remember?”

  Cassandra’s body relaxed slightly. “Remember what? How’d I get here? I can remember the house by the side of the road.”

  Her voice began to trail off as thought about her ordeal. “The house with the cannibal and the cannababies, they tried to kill me, THEY TRIED TO EAT ME, BUT I BLEW HIM UP WITH MY DRAGON FACE AND ESCAPED.”

  Aphrodite rolled her eyes and looked away, smiling. “Dragon face? Right…”

  “GOD DAMM IT I’M NOT MAKING THIS STUFF UP, OK YOU DON’T BELIEVE ME, FINE I’LL SHOW YOU, BUT…” She paused for breath and carried on. “You may not like what you’re going to see.”

  Aphrodite was unperturbed as Cassandra closed her eyes and concentrated, her head shuddering and fists clenched tightly, but there was no change, she tried again and broke wind.

  “Oh that’s nasty” quipped Aphrodite.

  “THIS IS NOT HAPPENING TO ME. Look, I went to a rave the other night, either something in the water or something we drunk, it knocked us out and then when we came to, we had powers.”

  “Rave, you say? Ok,” Aphrodite said, pulling down her sleeve.

  “I was at my job after school in the Chicken Shack.”

  Aphrodite butted in. “Do they still have that two for one deal on chicken strips?”

  “Yeah, wait…are you listening to me?”

  “Defo, babe.”

  Cassandra reacted angrily. “WHY AREN’T YOU TAKING ME SERIOUSLY? AND DON’T SAY ‘DEFO’, IT’S DEFINATE I HATE PEOPLE WHO SAY ‘DEFO’.”

  She calmed down. “Anyway, like I was saying I was at work and then suddenly my face changed into a red lizard thing and then Kimberley turned up and we were arrested, taken by the Network and forced to play in the game show.”

  Aphrodite bent down to pick up the biscuits and cocoa mugs from the floor, taking a bite from one of the custard creams. “So has Kimberley got powers too?”

  Cassandra perked up, thinking Aphrodite was finally taking her seriously. “Yeah, she can get really hot, she heated up the local swimming baths.”

  Aphrodite waved her half-eaten biscuit at her, crumbs falling from her mouth. “Put yourself in my shoes, babe, you accidentally get run over and you’re out cold all night, you come to and start talking about turning into lizards and super powers? What do you expect me to believe? You’ve obviously taken a nasty bump to the head and you’ve been dreaming about this whole ‘Network’ kidnapping you, it’s not real, sweetheart, you’re imagining the whole thing, there is no game, you’re just talking rubbish, listen to me.”

  Cassandra cupped her hand to her ear. “If you listen really closely you’ll hear the familiar sound of no-one caring.” Aphrodite stood up. “Fine, come with me and I’ll show you that you’re making the whole thing up.” She reached for Cassandra’s hand.

  “Come on.” Cassandra didn’t move. “I said come on”

  Cassandra took her hand and grimaced in pain as she got up from the bed, the two girls left the room and headed down a corridor, Cassandra limped as she took in the beauty of Aphrodite’s house.

  “So your dad ran me over, eh?”

  A clap of thunder made both girls jump before Aphrodite replied. “Yeah, he’s really sorry about that, you just ran out into the middle of the road.”

  Cassandra fell silent briefly. “I really don’t remember, are you sure?”

  Aphrodite was growing tired. “Yes, I told you already, just come with me and we’ll get you checked out properly, I’ll take you to the hospital myself, just stop with this stupid ‘Game show’ rubbish, ok?”

  Cassandra finally realised that they weren’t the only ones in the house, she could hear the sounds of loud music and people chattering at the other side of the house.

  “You having some sort of party?” Aphrodite grinned. “Yeah, just having a few friends over, end of term type thing.”

  Two scantily clad models burst out from a door in front of the girls, giggling with a bottle of champagne between them, running in front they disappeared down the corridor spilling the champagne as they went.

  Cassandra cocked an eyebrow. “Some party.”

  “I only throw the best, you would know that if I actually liked you.”

  Cassandra smiled and pointed to Aphrodite’s head. “Nice earrings you’ve got there.”

  “You think so? Thanks babes.”

  “I had some exactly the same though…where did you get them?”

  “Listen these are not your earrings, these were a gift from somebody very special and I got them tonight, ok?”

  Aphrodite took them out and gave them to her.

  “Try them on.”

  Cassandra took them and placed them in her own ears.

  Aphrodite pulled at Cassandra’s hand. “Come on, let’s dance.”

  Looking particularly tired Cassandra slumped against the corridor wall and tossed her hair behind her shoulder. “No, I just want to go to the hospital if you don’t mind?”

  Aphrodite wasn’t listening as she started dancing, wriggling her hips and pouting her beautifully formed lips, she took a bottle of champagne from another model, and swigged greedily from the bottle.

  She stepped up her dance routine as she gyrated her way around the statue-like Cassandra, whooping and laughing, twirling around her increasingly embarrassed and frustrated classmate.

  “COME ON, CASSANDRA, LET’S HAVE SOME FUN!”

  Aphrodite whooped a cry of enjoyment and danced further down the corridor, more and more guests flitted in and out of the doors, staggering drunkenly and hugging Aphrodite.

  Cassandra grew more and more uneasy. “Can we please just go to the hospital?”

  “In a minute babes, let’s have some fun first.”

  Aphrodite led Cassandra away from the heart of the party and through some dark corridors and down steep staircases, even though the sounds of happiness and debauchery were far away, she still danced to imaginary music, swirling in a tipsy haze. They came to a huge double door. Aphrodite, with her back to the door put a hand on Cassandra’s shoulder, breathless from dancing and unblinking, she stared right into the weary eyes of her houseguest.

  “You’ll be fine after we go through this door, Babes.”

  Cassandra was growing impatient. “Can you drive me home please?”

  “Once we get past this door, Babe, you’re going to go on a ride you’ll never forget.” Her voice contained some menace now but not enough to now sway Cassandra from entering, which she did whilst trying to find an irritating itch on her left leg. Aphrodite blew her a kiss as she went in second. The room was in total darkness and Cassandra yawned lazily as she walked in.

  “Any chance of some light here?”

  Aphrodite pulled away abruptly and kept her distance, she reached for the light switch and flicked it on. Cassandra was confused as her eyes grew accustomed to the light she was met with the sight of at least thirty guards, armed with laser pistols, bow and arrows and miniature crossbows attached to their wrists. Apollo stood there, he hadn’t left for Gommerstall yet, he had one more passenger to pick up, still injured from his ordeal in the arena, he looked tired and dishevelled but knew he had a job to do, he pointed his flame thrower square on the head of Cassandra.

  Cassandra whispered, “Oh my god! Aphrodite, what the hell is happening?”

  The wannabe socialite didn’t hesitate in answering with enthusiasm.

  “Babe, you were so freaking right…you’re sooo still in the game… “


  Cassandra’s breathing became faster and her face changed into one of hate. “YOU BITCH!”

  Aphrodite’s tone was cool. “Sounds familiar.” She watched as the colour began to drain from Cassandra’s face. “Sorry Babe, but business is business and you are very, very profitable. After your shenanigans with Streaky, Big Man wants you alive and well. Apparently he’s sending all of the ‘Freaks’ to Gommerstall Prison while he works on another project and rebuilds his studio.”

  Cassandra’s eyes squinted in anger. “You work for Big Man?”

  “Of course I do, Babe, I’m like an informant, grass, sneak, rat, whatever you want to call it.

  I saw you at the rave the other night and I’m the one who had you picked up by the Network, I knew where you and Kimberley would be at that time and I even got that little ‘Nerd’ thrown in there too – result.”

  “WHERE IS KIMBERLEY?”

  Apollo arched his back. “I wouldn’t worry about her.”

  “IF YOU’VE HURT HER…”

  He kept the flamethrower aimed at her head. “Bet my flame’s bigger than yours, freak.”

  She calmed down and concentrated back on Aphrodite. “You were at the rave? Then you must have powers too,” Cassandra said.

  Aphrodite picked at one of her fake eyelashes. “I think I would know if I had your ‘dirty powers’, not everybody who was there can turn into a freak like you.”

  Cassandra wasn’t convinced. “What does Sabrina think of this? Where is she?”

  Aphrodite shook her head nonchalantly. “She’s not here, I haven’t seen her…I have no idea where she is.”

  She quickly changed the subject, still keeping her arms covered. “Well you look absolutely ghetto fabulous, Babe, even for a crime of nature.”

  Cassandra’s stomach turned and twisted, but she stood her ground.

  “If I threw you a stick would you leave?”

  A few of the guards chuckled and Aphrodite wriggled her nose and turned to leave.

  “Cute, real cute, but listen bitch, who would really want to be you, a deadbeat loser, I’m stunned you weren’t put down at birth, you’re a freak and the only person who likes you is another freak, do us all a favour and drop dead, how does it feel to be a freak?”

  Cassandra wiped away a solitary tear from her eye and walked over to Aphrodite who had a slightly mocking smile on her face, she was still smiling as Cassandra hit her with a solid punch to the jaw.

  “How does it feel? Ok pretty much.”

  Aphrodite sprawled on her back, and stopped the guards from interfering by way of a wave from her hand, the same hand she used to stem the bleeding from her mouth.

  “Big Man wants you alive, we all know what you are and what you can do so they will rough you up before you’re taken to prison, have a nice life.”

  As Aphrodite held her mouth and headed for the door, Cassandra called out to her.

  “Aphrodite, how did you become the world’s biggest bitch?”

  “Breeding darling, immaculate breeding.” She motioned to the guards and then exited the way she came in.

  Cassandra made the effort of banging her hands repeatedly on the door after it had closed which caught Aphrodite’s attention. She started filing her nails and gave a smile to Cassandra and waved to her.

  Cassandra banged on the glass to be released but Aphrodite stood up, slipped off her very high heels and turned and ran up the staircase and now Cassandra was alone, more alone than she could possibly imagine.

  “Oh I do not need this shit right now.” She turned and stared at the arrows, growing impatient in their bows. Cassandra concentrated hard again, but there was no transformation into the ‘Dragon head’. Her little blond head shook hard, but there was no change.

  Apollo noticed her frustration. “Big Man wants you alive, but I’m not Big Man, what if we were to tell him that the ‘subject grew hostile and resisted arrest, or the subject became violent.”

  In a heartbeat, Apollo grabbed the gun in his holster and shot dead the guard standing nearest to him, the other guards held their arrows to Cassandra in the ‘aim’ position, barely flinching.

  “Subject shot whilst trying to escape,” Apollo finished.

  Fear slowly started to grip Cassandra and she finally found the strength to simply sink to her knees and cried out in frustration for her impeding death and at Aphrodite’s betrayal, but it seemed that tears weren’t going to save her, there was no sympathy coming from these guards, the only thing they forced themselves not to do was to look into the trembling girl’s eyes, her heart leapt to her throat as the last thing she saw as she closed her eyes was the sight of the archers growing tired with their achy hands.

  Still knelt on the floor, she stopped trying to transform and finally relaxed, welcoming her fate, she whispered to Apollo. “Ok then, let’s get this over with.”

  They drew back their bows a little further and on Apollo’s command…fired. Cassandra instinctively raised her hands to protect her face as thirty arrows flew through the air but failed to hit her head, Cassandra carried on screaming as her arms were still raised protected her face, but the arrows weren’t striking them, they were falling against something else, oblivious to the fact it wasn’t her arms that had protected her from the arrows’ fury, it was the loud sounds of men gasping and shouting that made her slowly lower her arms.

  She looked out from behind the gap between her small forearms and saw a huge dark shape in front of her eyes. Brown bat-like wings, she reached out and touched them they felt smooth and leathery and were translucent in the middle, they were folded neatly behind her head and Cassandra turned to see that they were growing out from her back, she arched her back and it felt so lovely.

  They were beautiful and strong enough to deflect the arrows from her head. Her heart continued pounding, the archers on Apollo’s orders fired again, Cassandra shrieked and shielded her face again with the same result, the wings opened from her back and shielded her from harm and as soon as she dropped her hands to her side the wings folded behind her.

  Apollo stared at Cassandra and scratched at his dirty chin. “Well, well, well, what a surprise.” There was a slight hint of urgency in his voice. “I hate surprises.” He took a long intake of breath and turned the flamethrower on at Cassandra; the powerful flame shot out and enveloped Cassandra until the door behind her turned a healthy orange.

  The heat was even too much for the guards who stepped back whilst wiping their brows and wondered about the mouthy teenager’s fate; they shouldn’t have had worried. As Apollo hit the ‘off’ switch and the flames came to an end, Cassandra remained with her hands to her face and wing shield intact, still trembling and unsure about her new addition. Apollo threw his hands in the air, exasperated. “This day just gets better and better.”

  The girl dropped her shield and waited for the guard’s next move, breathing heavily and wide-eyed, but a small calm was beginning to show from her, and Apollo wasn’t impressed.

  “What’s your next move, missy? The door’s locked and I’ve got the key. So what are you going to do? Take us all down by your pretty little self?”

  Cassandra managed a little smile. “Bingo!”

  She dropped to the floor in agony as she felt a burning sensation in her back, pounding the ground with her fists; the pain was unimaginable, one fist at a time and then the other until they were in tandem until Cassandra collapsed forward and laid still spread eagled on the floor.

  “What do we do, boss?” the archers asked as they surrounded her figure.

  “Kill her,” was the quick reply from Apollo.

  “Ok on three…one, two…”

  Then all the men stopped and watched in amazement as she lay face down on the ground, something was rising from beneath Cassandra dress, something big was trying to ease its way through, the trained guards took a few steps back in fear more than anticipation as her dress finally split to reveal that the huge bat-like wings had grown and now hung down her bare back and then began to f
lap, slowly at first, as everybody in the room looked on in amazement, until Cassandra was awake and airborne, screaming with surprise as she climbed higher to the ceiling she flew with concentrated urgency to find a way out. Cassandra had no idea where these new bigger wings came from but they were definitely keeping her alive, like a caged bird she fluttered at the top of the room unsure of her next move, her eyesight was greater then it had ever been and it felt as if there was an assault on her senses, she could see and hear what the guards were going to next and she would not allow it.

  She had only been flying for less than a minute but already it felt like she had been born with this gift of flight, swooping down she aimed for the already scattering guards and let her wings crash in to the ones foolish enough to stand in her path, neither her or the wings were hurt and she sailed high to take another dive, getting herself in position she hesitated and an idea came to her. Looking at the little men with their arrows aimed high Cassandra threw her hands behind her back and bought them forward in a huge clap, her wings mimicked the action resulting in a huge gust of wind that knocked some of the guards over. Before Apollo had a chance to use his flame thrower on the flying girl creature, she had flown a little lower and repeated the process, this time not even Apollo had the strength to remain on his feet from the powerful force from the wings, somehow Cassandra felt safer when she was flapping around the ceiling and the remaining archers that stood on their feet aimed high again, Apollo scratched his chin again as he was in full concentration mode. He yelled, “Aim for the split ends!”

  Cassandra put her hands to her face as the wings stopped flapping and swung to protect her face, she fell into a dive and swooped, causing the men to scatter, twisting and turning the giant wings on her back; surprisingly no-one from the party above heard the din, except Aphrodite who turned around after hearing some sort of noise and commotion a few corridors back.

  It wasn’t just the sight of the tremendous winged beast that had the archers staring; it was the fact that the bat-like creature was blond and was wearing knee high boots and the remnants of a high street dress; it was definitely Cassandra only now with the power of flight in her.