“Give me some room to work, please,” I muttered to the occupant of the desk. I was busy watching the output from the antivirius program, trying to figure out what had gotten into the computer this time. It was only a couple of minutes peace before the guy was running into my back again.
“Back off,” I grumbled, swatting at him. I hit the man’s arm and it fell off.
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the Phoenix: La Belle Dame Sans Merci
Since arriving in the City with the Warlord, the Phoenix has spent most of her time playing games with him. Now that he’s gotten bored with her, she’s forced to look for her challenges elsewhere.
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I had to get the stains out.
I poured bleach over them and scrubbed until I thought I was going to pass out. When I threw up, I wasn’t sure if the nausea was from the smell or the memories. It didn’t really matter, though.
It was just more to clean up.
With or without you never seemed like such an easy decision.
Now it was really you standing over me, looking down, and it was much easier to call.
Without you, dear.
I stood at the edge of the building’s roof, trying to breathe. I had to do something. I’d seen this so many times in movies, on TV, something crazy-like. It seemed crazy, anyway. But I didn’t have I choice, did I?
I leaped.
“Identical cousins?”
“I know it sounds ridiculous, but you can’t argue with what’s in front of you.”
“I guess that’s true. This is sort of exciting, you know? We match!”
“Not for long.” And then she pulled out the shovel.
We hid in the bunker for two weeks without even thinking about looking outside. But when the radio broadcasts stopped and we realized no one was coming, it got lonely fast. In the end we took a vote. We decided we didn’t want to outlive the human race.
I was at the edge of town, and then I was outside it. I felt like I could breathe again. I’d never driven so fast and I’d never felt so dangerous.
Not that it was really dangerous– I kept telling myself that. It was just the big bad world. How bad could it be?
I’m not brave. I’m just stupid. Some people will tell you it’s the same thing, but it’s really not. Bravery is understanding what you’re up against and doing it anyway, because you have to or because it’s the right thing to do. Stupidity is doing it anyway because you don’t know better. Maybe they overlap sometimes, but not here. I didn’t know better until I stared it in the face.
Of course, I’m still standing here. Maybe that’s bravery.
He raised his wand threateningly and she resisted the temptation to shy away.
“Aren’t you scared?”
“No,” she made her voice strong.
“You should be.”
And then the world was on fire, and she screamed.