365 Days of Madness - Fireweed Style

[Fireweed_honey]

A New Beginning
001

The world really wasn't darkest before dawn. It was darkest hours before dawn, but as the event approached, the world started to lighten. The rising of the sun, while gradual, painted the morning first in soft grays and light purples before bursting into full color as the first ray crested over the horizon. Too slow, too subtle. The heralding of a new day should have more fanfare than this.

Angel Lee Aeuternum took another sip of her coffee as she watched the front yard shift from dark grays and near-black greens to the brilliant lush lawn in daylight. Just out of her sight was the fence that separated her estate from the lands she officially ruled over. Every time she looked out the window, the face of her lands changed. Of all her people, she was the one who stayed on Home the least.

That was going to change. New day, new beginning, new Angel. Six months ago, she had finally destroyed her greatest enemy. Two weeks ago, she had been released from the hospital. And this morning, she finally woke up without her butler, Stevens, hovering over her like a worried hen. Gone was the oppressed feeling that haunted her for most of her immortal existence. She was finally free.

“Your Ladyship?” Stevens entered the room pushing a small cart. Angel could smell the breakfast that lay under the domed lid. “You should eat something. You'll have a full day.”

“I should go and see how my lands have coped without me,” Angel said, her eyes still on the distance. “I can't really remember the last time I was here.”

Stevens patted his bald head. “I had hair, your Ladyship.”

“How long ago was that?”

“Maybe thirty years, ma'am.”

Angel nodded. “Then it's time for me to see the people.” She sighed, finally turning to look at the old man. His family had served her for centuries. There really wasn't much to it, if she was honest. As one-third the ruling body of the Aeuternums and the head of the protective forces, she was rarely on Home. Always gone to fight this war or that, always on the run from her greatest enemy. Her lands, and her estate, ran themselves. Would they even really need her?

“You have a message from Lords Percivil and Benny, Ladyship. They request that you join them at the capital as soon as you are able, to show that the Elite are still together and strong,” Stevens said as he placed the breakfast cart by her bed. “Word of your long illness has shaken many.”

Angel groaned. Her eldest brothers made up the other two-thirds of the ruling body. Between the three of them, the final word of any decision on family or Home was made. Percy, the first born, ruled over the brothers who left Home to create revenue. Benny, his twin, ruled over the brothers who kept their people a secret on the planets they inhabited. Other than Angel, there were no more natural Aeuternum women left. The Sisters had vanished when she was a baby, fleeing the great evil that, without them, hunted only Angel. All the inhabitants of Home were either born to or brought in by her brothers, the Elite of the Aeuternum, the Immortal race born between the stars before there was Time.

“Anything else,” Angel asked.

“Yes, Ladyship. Lord Mortimer left a message that he will be by today to talk about a heir. Lord Eric will also be dropping by to see how you are feeling. I'm sure many others of the Elite will arrive today, as well as many of your people. I would suggest, Ladyship, holding off leaving the house for another day. At least until Lord Eric has given you a clean writ of health.”

Angel walked over and lifted the lid from her breakfast. She only realized then that she was hungry. “Very well, Stevens. See to it that the Green Room is prepared for guests and ask the cook to continuously prepare small snacks for the visitors. There's no need for a huge lunch or dinner today.” She sat on her bed, pulling the cart closer. “Oh, speaking of the cook, I didn't recognize her.”

“Maribel retired last year, Ladyship. Your new cook is her grand-niece, Farrah,” said Stevens. “Though, Ladyship, on the subject of retiring, mine is coming up. When you are well enough, I would like to introduce you to my grandson, Edmond. He has expressed an interest in working for you.”

“Thank you, Stevens. Tell Farrah she's doing a fine job.” After Stevens left, Angel looked down at the food. A new day, a new beginning, and a whole new staff for her house. Her new life was filled with more changes than she thought possible. With one last look out at the dawn, she smiled and raised her coffee mug. To a new start and an era of peace.

Prompt: 001/365  

[Fireweed_honey]

Cause/Effect
002

Angel sat under the memorial tree in her garden. Well, garden was not the right description for the vast acres of wild flowers she grew. Cemetery was correct. Each lovely flower represented a child of hers killed during the Great War. In all the many millenniums she lived, this was her greatest regret. Each was named, lovingly buried and never forgotten.

Everything in her past was pushed along by one cause or effect. Including her garden. When she was created (not born, for that would imply parents of some kind) from star dust and the wind of heavens, her sisters had a vision of the evil that would settle in one of their own. Instead of warning everyone, they left so that the evil would focus on Angel alone. When that ungodly evil awoke in her elder brother Rune, there was no one to protect her. Ages upon ages were spent in a cat and mouse game between them to see who could deliver the final blow. Only sheer luck granted that honor to Angel.

Well, not really luck, she mused. Another cause and effect. Rune's madness soon set its eyes on Sally, their niece. He kidnapped her, forcing Angel to hunt him down and bargain her own freedom for that of Sally's. Rune's right hand man, a ruthless assassin named Kahge, assisted Angel after realizing that his own master didn't value his life. With the secret to finding out how to finally kill one who was immortal, Angel destroyed Rune.

Had her sisters not left her, Rune would never have pursued her. Had Rune never pursued her, Angel would have developed in the feminine arts of her people instead of being forced to learn weapons and fighting to protect herself. Had she never been forced to shut away her natural gifts for that of her brothers, she would not have developed the ability to master both sets of powers, and would not have become as powerful as she was today. Power came with a price, and she had to always keep it in check or risk accidentally destroying a whole civilization again.

All her life toppled like dominoes after one simple choice. Now that the fight was behind her, now that Rune was gone for good, she wondered about how life would have been? Would she have married? Would she be one-third the ruling body of her people? How many kids would she have had? It was too late to really regret the life she never knew, but it wasn't too late to create it.

Standing up, she dusted off her clothes. The vacuum of Rune dieing left her way open to a new effect in life: the real desire to create a family.

Prompt: 002/365  

[Fireweed_honey]

Scream
169

Josie hated babysitting. It had to be the worst job in the world. At the beck and call of two snot-nosed little kids for a few measly dollars an hour. She could get paid more at McDonalds. She just knew it.

“Yeah, I'm stuck with the O'Lynch kids again,” she huffed into her phone. “Mom doesn't even give me a chance to say no. She had agreed to this without asking me. What if I had plans?”

“Did you have plans,” asked her best friend, Mandy.

“No, but I could have! What if Jeremy asked me out? I know he's going to soon. I heard it from Kathy, who heard it from Jenny, whose brother is best friends with Jeremy's brother. He's thinking of asking me to prom.”

Mandy squealed, causing Josie to pull the phone away from her ear. “We have to go dress shopping, Josie! It would just be so cool if we found you a dress to match his blue eyes.”

“That won't happen if I keep getting stuck babysitting these brats.”

“Who's a brat?” Josie looked down to see five-year-old Donnie at her side. He had chocolate all over his face from the ice cream she so kindly let him have.

“What did I tell you,” she asked. “You can have dessert if you...”

“Don't bother you,” Donnie said. “Who's a brat?”

“You! Now get back on the couch with your sister and watch your cartoons!” She turned away and ignored him. “I'm telling you, Mandy, I hate kids. All they do is whine and get dirty. I'm not getting paid enough for this.”

Behind her, she heard Donnie and his sister, Allie, fighting over the remote. Donnie wanted to watch Star Wars, while Allie, being four, wanted to watch some princess movie. Josie was getting a headache.

“Hold on, Mandy. I need to fix this problem.” She stormed over and took the remote. Without a word, she popped in the first kiddy show she could find. “Sit there and watch your movie!”

“I'm telling Mommy you're mean,” Donnie said.

“I don't ******** care,” Josie answered, causing the two to gasp.

“You said a bad word,” Allie muttered.

Josie sneered and went back to her phone. She took it with her to the parent's bedroom. She could still hear the tv, but she could at least lock the brats out. It had to be close to their bedtime. That would be a blessing.

“God, Mandy, I wish they'd both just disappear,” Josie said. “I could have been out at the mall tonight, instead of stuck in Hell.”

“They can't be that bad,” Mandy said. “I think you're being too hard on them.”

Josie snorted. “Whose side are you on, anyway? You're supposed to be on my side! My best friend and all that!”

“I am. I just think that you're blowing this out of proportion. Those kids aren't at fault. Stop treating them like the enemy.” Mandy paused for a second and quickly added, “Jeremy likes kids and if he ever finds out you were mean to the O'Lynch kids, he'll never ask you to prom.”

Josie sighed. “Fine. I'll try to be nice to the little crotch-droppings.”

“Josie!”

“Ankle-bitters. I meant to say ankle-bitters.”

“That's mildly better. Now go in there and play nice before they remember to tell their parents about how mean you were.”

Josie hung up and stomped back to the front of the house. Donnie was sitting on the couch, but Allie was no where in sight. The movie she put in was still playing.

“Donnie, where's Allie?”

Donnie shook his head, his eyes glued to the screen.

“Donnie, where's Allie?” Josie tried again, putting more of a command in her voice. Still, Donnie refused to answer.

“Damnit, Donnie! Where's your sister?” She moved to stand in front of him. That's when she noticed it. He was shaking, scared. There was puddle of piss under him. Josie warred over shaking him until he talked, and actually being worried over what could have caused this.

Neither feeling won out as Donnie looked up at her, blinking as if waking from a dream. “Allie?”

“Donnie, where's Allie?”

“The Boogyman got her,” Donnie said. “The Boogyman got Allie!”

Josie rolled her eyes. Great, the kid must have seen some scary movie. “There is no such thing as the Boogyman,” she said. Allie must be around the house somewhere. Josie left Donnie and went looking for Allie. She checked every place possible for the little girl. Not in the bathroom. Not in the kitchen. By the time Josie got to the kids' rooms, she was starting to get really pissed off. This was not worth a lousy five bucks an hour.

When she got back to the couch, she saw that Donnie had hidden himself under a blanket. Not well, mind you. She could see where he was.

“Okay, Donnie, where is your sister? It's bedtime. You two are going to sleep.”

Muffled under the blanket, she heard, “Boogyman.”

“There's no Boogyman!”

“Boogyman!”

Josie gritted her teeth and turned off the tv. “If you don't tell me where Allie went, I'm going to have to punish you. Do you get what I'm saying, Donnie?”

“Told you! Boogyman!”

Having enough of the little brats, she reached over and pulled the blanket off. It took her a moment to realize that there was nothing underneath. Who had she been talking to, then?

Josie took a step back and tripped over something. She looked down and realized that it was Allie's arm. She recognized the stupid little blue night dress she had one. The only problem was, there was no body attached to the arm.

Josie screamed, jumping up and running for the door. She could hear something behind her, like claws on the floor. She struggled to open the door, forgetting how to unlock it. Taking a glance back, she stopped.

The tv was on, Donnie and Allie were sitting on the couch watching her. There was nothing lurking behind her.

“Are you okay,” Donnie asked.

“Yeah. Fine. Whatever,” Josie said. Maybe it was some kind of stress trip. “Bedtime! Both of you! Now!”

“Do I have to,” Allie whined.

“Yes! March!”

She shuffled them off to bed, not caring that they were supposed to brush their teeth first. She wanted them in bed and she was going to call Mandy to come on over. There was no way she wanted to be around this place alone.

“Josie?” Allie sat up in her bed.

“What?”

“What if the Boogyman comes?”

“There is no Boogyman,” Josie said. “Go to sleep.”

“Yes, there is,” Allie said.

“No, there's not.”

Allie nodded her head. “Yes, there is. He's real.”

“He's fake. Now go to sleep.”

“But he's real,” Allie said. She started to sniffle. “He's really real.”

Josie sighed. “Fine, he's real. Now sleep.”

“He's here.”

Josie's hand paused over the light switch. “What?”

“He's here.”

“Who's here?”

“Boogyman.”

Snapping the light off, Josie quickly shut the bedroom door. She had had enough of this nonsense. She scooped up her phone and dialed Mandy's number.

“Mandy, get over here. I can use some company.”

“I can't,” Mandy said.

“Why not?”

“The Boogyman.”

“Not you, too. Seriously? That's kids stuff.”

“He's there.”

Now Josie was starting to get creeped out. She turned the phone off and heard a creaking noise. It was loud in the silence. Turning, she saw that the kids' bedroom door was open a crack. She knew she closed it all the way.

The little brats must be playing with her. She marched over and shut the door. She held her hand on the doorknob, waiting for them to try and open it again. When nothing happened, she turned to leave.

The door creaked again.

Josie shut it once more. She watched it, but nothing happened. When she turned to leave, it opened again. Angered, she pushed open the door and walked into the kids' room. If the fact that they were both in bed surprised her, she didn't let it show. She glared at them, the only light coming in from the open door.

“Sleep, both of you. Stop playing with the door.”

“It wasn't us,” protested Donnie.

“Don't tell me it was the Boogyman,” Josie said.

“It was,” said Allie.

Josie spat out a curse word. “Look you little brats, the Boogyman only goes after bad kids. That means little boys and girls who don't do what their babysitter says. And right now, I'm looking at two very bad little kids. So if there is a Boogyman, I'm not the one that has to be scared. Now go to sleep!”

“Not true,” said Allie.

“Go to sleep!”

“He goes after any bad kid,” Donnie said. “Kids who cuss. Kids who lie. Kids who are mean.”

“Yeah, so? I'm not a kid. I'm seventeen. Practically an adult.”

“You count.”

Josie rolled her eyes. “If you two aren't sleeping by the time I count to five, I'm going to let your parents know just how horrible you two really were. One! Two! Three!”

The door slammed shut.

Josie jumped, turning as the room was plunged in darkness.

“We tried to warn you,” said Donnie. “The Boogyman tried to give you a chance. You're just a mean person.”

“You're still a kid,” said Allie. “Now he's going to get you.”

Josie tried to protest, but she felt the shadows in the darkness close in on her. Her screams echoed in the dark room before cutting off to silence.

Prompts Done: 003/365