Wither: Cheer For The Sacrifice
by Quortoth
Chapter 9: Cheer For The Sacrifice
Ramona road her bike quickly towards the hospital. The wind blew the hood off her head of her jacket. She road to the front of the hospital and just got right off of the bike.
The bike went into a bush. She ran into the hospital.
Ramona went up to the main desk, “Looking for the military people’s room, John.” She thought she should say it faster.
What if he wasn’t okay. What if somehow Cillian hurt him. There wasn’t any somehow about it, he could have. Could have tortured him.
The nurse pointed to a room nearby. Ramona hurried to that room. She went up to it slower. She was afraid of what she’d find.
She opened the door and went in. Slowly looking around the room. Ramona found John.
He sat in the hospital bed hooked up to an I.V. one of Riley’s people standing next to him. She stopped dead in her tracks. John had a large bruise on his cheek, that was all though.
“John.”
Graham spoke: “We found him in Ohio,” Ramona went towards John. Graham continued, “Doctor says he’s dehydrated. Fatigued, but other than that he’s fine.”
John watched Ramona, he quickly looked to Graham, “I want to be alone with Ramona.”
“Sure,” answered Graham.
Graham stepped out of the room. John looked at Ramona for a long moment. She didn’t say anything, waiting for John to start talking. She had stopped moving towards him, just stood there.
“What the hell is this?” he asked.
“What do you mean?” asked Ramona, “There’s a lot of, ‘This’.”
“Him, what is he? Vampire, why is he real. What does he want with you?” questioned John, “What are you?”
“I’m a Slayer,” she stated. John’s eyes opened up slightly in disbelief. Seemed like he’d either scoff, or laugh. Ramona continued, “It all seems unnatural.”
“Isn’t it supposed to be?” asked John, distastefully.
“I’m one of hundreds, a thousand maybe girls out there chosen to save the world from demons, vampires-the etc.” John laughed, Ramona kept going, “Cillian, that vampire, he wants to kill me.”
“So he brings me into this?”
“He knew it’d hurt me.”
“Why didn’t he take someone else?” questioned John selfishly.
“I don’t know….John….I’m so, sorry this had to happen-”
“Thanks for being sorry. I might need visits with a shrink from this but I’m glad your sorry,” he interrupted.
“I can’t control what other people do,” said Ramona.
“People?” he scoffed, “You know, I’ve seen bad things in the past couple of days. Things, I want to go away. Just stuff,” he growled. “He is not a person.”
“Vampire, demon. Unholy beast-”
John took a breath like he was calming down, “I take it your slayer thing, secret?”
“Yeah, except for some people…knowing.”
“I don’t know whether to believe, or think you’re crazy. Think I’m crazy,” he stated.
“Why don’t you just let me explain before you interrupt me?” she questioned, “I can’t stop-”
“I don’t think there’s anything to explain,” he sighed, calming himself down.
“I wanted to move to the ends of the earth to find you. I wanted you safe. I will kill Cillian, I will,” answered Ramona.
“That’s good,” he said softly, “If this isn’t some big figment of my imagination.”
“It’s not.”
“I wish it was,” stated John, “Make it go away.”
John was looking down at his legs. Ramona was sad, she could feel her feelings rising, “I never wanted to tell you. Because, you’d think I was crazy. That’s why I can’t tell people.”
“Does Katie know?”
“Yes.”
“That man you go visit?”
“Fisher? Yes. He’s my watcher, he trains me for stopping evil,” sighed Ramona.
“If there’s hundreds of you, that thousand. Why can’t you have a normal life and let them deal with it?”
“I ask myself that question all the time,” she said hurt. They were quiet, “I only wanted you safe,” she stepped closer towards him. Felt out of place, “I got in fight with Katie over you. How I wanted you safe. But she doesn’t understand my job.”
“Am I part of your job?”
“No, I love you,” answered Ramona.
John looked up at her. Didn’t look angry with her, “Give me a hug before you leave.”
“I want you to understand.”
“I do. I’d kinda like to think about it for a little while,” assured John, “Alone.”
“Oh.”
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Ramona sat down on her bed. Fully dressed, she slowly pulled her jacket off. Then stopped, looked at the phone on her nightstand. She put her hands on her lap.
After a moment she picked up the phone and dialed in a phone number. She waited a moment. No one picked up.
“Katie,” she stated, sadly, “We found John. He’s okay, dehydrated, Cillian hit him in the face once. But I just wanted to call you and tell you that-”
She heard the phone picked up. Then she heard it on the other side as it was being picked up, put down. Hung up on.
Ramona sat there at the phone, hearing that tone. She hung up the phone on the receiver.
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A couple of days passed. She just picked up the phone and told John’s parents that he was at her house. Or that they were going somewhere, never told them he was in the hospital. She always had to write down where they were going of course so she could tell him and they could keep the story straight.
Gave him the paper when she visited him. Of course he didn’t feel like talking. He just looked at her nicely. Said thanks, and stuff like that.
Ramona would just wish that he wasn’t mad at her. She couldn’t help what Cillian did. Couldn’t help any of it.
John dropped by Fisher’s one day after he got out of the hospital. Three days later. Mark got the door.
“Hello Lover boy,” laughed Mark opening the door. “I’ll get Ramona,” he turned away from John, “HEY, RAMONA!!! IT’S YOUR BOY-FRIEND!!!”
Ramona came down the stairs and pushed Mark out of the way of the door inhumanly. She stepped outside the door grabbed it, closed it and held the knob as Mark tried to open the door.
“Mark,” she spoke firmly, “Go play your X-box.”
She waited a moment when her brother couldn’t open the door. John just watch, holding his jacket in the cool weather. She turned towards John after knowing Mark had gone upstairs, “Hi.”
“Hi,” he replied in the same.
“How are you doing?” questioned Ramona.
“Better,” sighed John.
“Did the story work? The places?” asked Ramona.
“Yeah, except for the yelling, and being grounded stuff. Yeah, perfectly,” he said nicely.
“I’m sorry.”
“You can’t help your life,” said John, “I understand that. I read some books to, last night.” Make that 4 or 5 days later.
“About what?”
“Your stuff. And you have super strength, and more,” said John.
“I can hold back if this is pride thing,” she said, he just looked at her. “I guess that’s not the best thing to say. Well-”
“Don’t say your sorry,” he answered. John stepped off the porch, he turned towards her, took a breath. Ramona looked at him confused, “I can’t do this.”
“What?”
“I can’t. It’s not pride. No. I just can’t,” stated John.
“I-”
“I don’t care. But I do,” he stated, “I understand that you won’t be able to control what pops up in your life. Possibly, you won’t live past, 25. And that’s not it, but the control thing is.”
“Control thing?” asked Ramona.
“Yeah,” he looked down, “I take it I’ve been marked. This Cillian knows where I live probably. I’m connected to you, my sisters, my mom, my dad. They’re connected to me. I don’t want them to get hurt.”
“So you’re dumping me.” She looked away, “I’m going to kill Cillian. Stake him, whatever, burn him. He’s not going to take me, or anyone close to you.”
“That’s not a guarantee. I asked Katie about this stuff-”
“Katie?”
John continued, “He has almost killed you already. I can’t rely on just you saying you’re going to kill him.”
“But-”
“You’re not going to change my mind,” stated John, “Not. We’re done. I’d prefer that we didn’t have any contact.”
Ramona kind of felt like crying at the moment. She didn’t want him to feel this way. Didn’t want him to feel he had to worry about his family. She wanted to say anything that would make him change his mind.
“I’m connected to you, if I’m not, then, my family isn’t,” he said stepping away from her. Ramona looked at him like she was going to die, “I’m sorry this time.”
They were quiet he was going to get his car and leave, he said the final words, “I did love you.”
Ramona watched him get into his car and drive off. He drove down that road. She didn’t cry.
She felt terribly alone. In a ‘What the hell happened there?’ situation, mood. Surprised.
Instead of standing there in the cold. Ramona slowly walked through the front door and up the stairs dragging her hand on the stairwell. Feeling the smooth wood. Going to the top.
Ramona went down the hall. Her brother’s door open. He laid on his bed reading a girlie magazine, he put it down and looked at her as she was going down the hall, “You and your boyfriend-”
Before he could finish making fun of her, she said, “Just shut up, alright,” as she walked to her bedroom.
Ramona closed the door behind her. Locked it and went to her bed. She laid on it looking up at that ceiling.
Time slowly passed, she didn’t know how long she was looking up at that ceiling, she grabbed her phone and dialed Katie’s number again. She put the phone to her ear waiting for it to pick up.
Only came that answering machine she had. Katie was rich, had her own phone line, the etc. “Katie, it’s Ramona. Please don’t hang up. I’m sorry. Sorry, sorry.” A tear went down her cheek, “John dumped me. I’m sorry we fought, please pick up.”
Katie didn’t.
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~ April 12, 2004
Time had passed. Ramona stood in the hall at her school. Going through her locker, getting her biology book for, biology. Ramona closed the lock and turned towards the Cheer leaders.
The Cheer leaders. The coming crowd. The snobs, the witches, and bitches. Katie had decided to become part of that self-centered gang. Cheerleaders, high priced rich girls. And Ramona could bet money that none of them were virgins.
Katie hadn’t called, anything in that past time. Ramona watched the gang coming by, Ramona feel like a true loner at that time.
The girls smiled at her as they passed, smiled at Ramon in that mean way. As they walked by The lead cheerleader took the book Ramona had on her hands and dropped it on the ground then slammed her spiked heeled pump into the cover.
She laughed, giggled like an idiot, mean one. Then she turned and walked off, Ramona gave her a bad look. Katie didn’t even look at her. Nothing from Katie.
Ramona watched them walk away picking up her biology book. She looked at it.
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Fisher was her only friend in the world now it seemed. Fisher liked the situation as much as she did, one reason because she’d take out her anger on him in training.
Ramona would go to Fisher’s house after school to train everyday. Week ends sometimes when she wasn’t busy.
She was punching into his hands while he wore the padding around them. “I knew that was coming,” stated Fisher.
Ramona gave his left hand right, back and forth, lefts, rights. She continued with her rant, “Katie drops me, starts hanging out with the other cheerleaders.” Punch, “That I can’t believe, but what makes it worse,” punch, “is that she tells that friggin’ cheerleading squad about our falling out.
“So now I’ve got to pay $35.69 on a knew biology book,” punch, right, left. “Why me?”
“I saw that coming, try something else,” stated Fisher.
“Aren’t you listening?” asked Ramona.
“I’m not your little friend, I’m your trainer, preparing you for-”
“Blah, blah, blah,” punch, “The end of the world. Shifts of Evil.” she punched. Fisher didn’t know those punches where coming, he held up though. “I just don’t understand why all this stuff has to happen. Her telling about our friendship ‘personals’ and,” punch, “John braking up with me-”
Ramona punched Fisher in the hand quickly with her right, punched him in the wrist though on accident. Fisher pulled away, “Bloody hell.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” answered Ramona. Fisher held his hand, it throbbed, he hoped it wasn’t broken. Took the mitten like thing off wincing in pain, “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m okay,” he answered entrapping the things, coming back from the blow. He threw down the thing, held his hand, “See this is why the first slayer didn’t have a watcher or personal life.”
Ramona didn’t like how he just said that, “Well thanks. Good to know that I don’t need what’s one of the most important things in the world, socialization.” Then she blew a raspberry with her tongue, “To that.”
“It’s not broken he sighed,” replied Fisher.
“You big girl,” stated Ramona folding her hands over her chest.
“Well sorry I don’t care much for your girlie hotty tot conversations.”
“Called rants Fisher,” growled Ramona.
“Now don’t get angry with me,” said Fisher, “I’m not the cause of your problems. I just train you, don’t take it out on me.”
“I wasn’t.”
“My wrist says different,” assured Fisher, he took a calming breath, “Now lets get me some ice for the poor extremity.”
“What should I do?” asked Ramona.
“Keep to your studies, ignore those girls and train. Oh, don’t forget to not die either,” assured Fisher.
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“I’m really excited about that party,” replied Katie laughing with her new cheerleader friends.
They were standing by their lockers in the girl’s locker room, “I hardly know what I’m going to where,” said one of them.
They walked off. Ramona had stayed behind in the locker room. She had heard the conversation. The ‘complete’ conversation. Just before they’d been talking about her ability to dress. Stuff like that.
That’s not what brought Ramona to tears though. It was the John thing. John was dating already. Ramona had her hands over her face, she knew she had to stop this crying stuff.
Ramona didn’t know him that well. But that made the ache worse. She was a slayer, a fighter, not some crying girl on the side lines. Did Katie know that Ramona had been in there? Heard the whole thing.
She took in a deep breath, “Time to suck it up,” she whispered to herself, “No more tears Ramona Locke. No more.”
The ache. The anger. She was really wanting a vamp right about then, wanted to fight him. Kill him, take out that anger. But that wasn’t the wisest thing.
Ramona wiped her face off and put her jacket on, flipping her hair over the hood. She picked up her back pack and went down the row of lockers. One of the cheerleaders had left there’s opened.
She walked past the locker and thought about it. Stopped, thought about just ruining everything that sorry excuse for a female, no sorry excuse for dirt had. Ramona wouldn’t do it. She knew better.
“Can’t,” she sighed to herself, “Not going to sink to their level. Nope.”
She stopped about to take the next step towards freedom. Or was that back there freedom. Just turn around go over to that locker and mess the damn thing and everything in it up. Ramona turned, just looked at that locker for a long moment.
Thought about what she could do. Just go right up to it, take the blow dryer out and smash it into little bits. She could with accuracy, Ramona had the talent. Take all her make up, the hundreds of dollars of it and mix it with her clothes. Just have a field day with that stuff.
“Don’t sink Ramona,” she sighed.
She went to turn around and something caught her eye. Ramona turned back to the locker, she went towards it slowly, something was shining there. Ramona cocked her head to the side, wasn’t close enough to tell what it was.
Ramona stepped closer to it. The sun from the window above shinning on the thing. There was more than one, whatever it was. Circular, gold. She touched one. Very warm from the sun.
Took one from the top shelf. Wasn’t going to be petty and steal it. No. Wait….
There were odd markings on the rim, odd markings in the middle of the coin. It wasn’t just some nice little trinket. Like that cheerleader would have ’trinkets’ anyway?
This looked like something of mystical value. Ramona looked around, no one watching. Mystical stuff, that was Ramona’s area of expertise, or well…Fisher’s. She looked at it, turn it. Something written in Latin around it.
Ramona put one in her pocket and would take it back to Fisher and ask what it meant. Pride. Ramona felt a feeling of pride rise up in her, happy kind. Just found something that could blow the cheerleaders, whatever, right out of the water.
Ramona looked down, that pride went away. It was fear now. What if Katie was into something she couldn’t get out of?
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“This is great,” laughed Katie sitting down at the table in the club, The Rose. She sat down with her, alcoholic drink.
“Now aren’t you all kinds of happy, that we’re around?” smiled the leader.
“You bet,” said Katie taking a drink of her drink.
One of the football players came over with John. They went up to their cheerleaders. Katie and John caught eye contact with each other. John smiled.
“Well Johnny,” giggled the lead cheerleader.
The other one, the Jock, the grabbed one of the other cheerleaders by the waste to dance with her. Kissed her on the neck.
John smiled at his new girlfriend. The cheerleader then looked to Katie who was taking a sip of her drink, “Kat, Katie, honey, you didn’t bring anyone?”
“Well uh…” began Katie.
“Don’t worry, there’s single men all over here,” said the cheerleader. “Find one.” Katie smiled bashfully, John kissed his girlfriend’s cheek. That one giggled, cackled almost, “Oh stop that. Not in front of Katie.”
Katie tried keeping up appearances. But the way that leader was acting was hurting her feelings a touch. “Oh it’s okay. I’ve been to brothels.”
“Oh, isn’t she funny?” laughed one of the other cheerleaders coming over.
“I’m a regular comedian,” assured Katie putting her drink down.
“Sure,” sighed John, in a nice way, he was the nicest one to her, that night.
Katie looked down, “I’ll find a guy don’t worry.”
“We weren’t worried a bit for you,” assured the squad leader, “Come on lets go back to the car. Now remember what I told you.”
“Look pretty and check for money,” giggled Katie.
“Yup,” she turned to John, started doing that annoying giggling thing.
They walked off. Katie was left there alone. Not even that other cheerleader there with her. Did she have a lucky man? Or idiot.
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“So what is it?” questioned Ramona.
“A talisman,” answered Fisher sitting down at his kitchen table, “It might take me a little while to figure out.”
“I think Katie could be in big trouble Fisher,” stated Ramona pacing, arms crossed over her chest.
“What do you suggest, the cheerleaders are in a cult?”
“I wouldn’t deny the idea,” said Ramona looking towards Fisher.
“Yes, I see the plot entirely,” he said sarcastically examining the coin, “I can see it now. Doing the ancient chants, mispronouncing it all and giving up their virginity to the demon Um-far so that they’d have the best cheer in the Tri-state area.”
“You think?” asked Ramona sarcastically.
“I think you should go patrol for a little bit, then go to bed.”
“I choose my own bed time,” stated Ramona.
He looked to her, “Do I need to make one for you?”
“Fine, I’ll go. But, figure this out-”
“I will child, for heaven’s sake. I’m not just going to put it down and get some shnops. Go. We still haven’t relocated Cillian.”
“Don’t remind me,” stated Ramona going out the apartment door.
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~ London England
Loud Heavy Metal Music played over the speakers of a truck speeding down the highway, followed right behind by the police. Cillian wasn’t driving.
The truck sped around a corner with a hard turn. Sped down that road, by passed the cars in it’s way. The truck was heading out of town. The drivers were vamps.
The truck hit the side of a car as it passed it up, speeding up even more. Smashed up the side of it. Gaining distance with the police.
As the truck was driving it started skidding against the railing which wasn’t good for it. Obviously, the pain wouldn’t be in, any form of condition but bad.
The cars no longer came down the street as the speeding went, the cops calling for help over their thing. Suddenly the truck started skidding and turning. The roaring and laughing vamps in it playing with the steering wheel.
The truck stopped moving the occupants slamming out of doors. The police quickly pulled over, only one car. They got out to arrest them, help them.
One called over his scanner that they’d need an ambulance. The other went towards the vamps, those vamps laying out on the pavement. The loud music going.
The police man pulled his gun out walking around the occupants suspiciously. Two more cop cars drove up parked.
3 vamps. 6 cops. Suddenly on the vamps jumped up and over the cop. The authority blew off the bullets over head trying to get it. He was thrown to the ground.
The vamp on the ground just under the truck grabbed him and sunk his teeth into his throat. One of the vamps jumped at one before he could call in for an ambulance. The cops blowing bullets, yelling.
The first vamp had one that he used for a shield. Threw the body down, he kicked the closest cop in the face and tossed him down to one of his buddies.
A brawl was going. Two female officers left. One of them was grabbed up by one of the three vamps. Blood surged down the fiends throats. One of them was backing up, reloading her gun, shaking with fear.
One of the vamps walked towards her. Suddenly a hand was put on her shoulder, long of fingers, white hand.
She turned around quickly almost screaming, “Hi,” smiled Cillian.
“Who are you?” demanded one of the British Punk vamps.
“A friend,” assured Cillian putting his hand on the police officer’s back. He smiled at the other vamps. That police officer was only a woman now, shook off her steel coating, figuratively.
Cillian’s face changed, “Turn the music up,” laughed Cillian.
One of the free handed vamps was okay with it. Cillian sunk his teeth into her throat. The police officer screamed.
That warm nectar just flowed down Cillian’s throat making him feel stronger. 4 victim that night, but he had been feeling absolutely starved for this one. She screamed and struggled till she couldn’t anymore.
He dropped her to the ground licking the blood off his mouth. Messy eater. Cillian looked towards the other vamps, “What a night,” he laughed going towards them.
“We should get out of here man,” assured one, “Before more pretty cops come along then we can handle.”
“I understand,” laughed Cillian, his face changed back as he stepped up to one of them, that vamp on the right of him.
Suddenly Killing ejected a stake from his left sleeve and slammed it into the demon’s heart, pulled away. He pointed one quickly at the vamp in the truck and shot it from his right sleeve. The last one went to punch him.
Cillian ducked out of the way and punched him in the stomach. He then slammed the stake across the demon’s face. The beast fell backwards yelling in pain. The demon grabbed his face and rolled back up onto his feet.
Cillian wasn’t in the demon’s sights. He turned around, too late Cillian slammed the stake into the demon’s heart. He looked around listening. Cop cars coming. A smirk flowed onto his face.
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Katie sat at that table. It was pretty late, she stood up to leave. This life wasn’t working out all that well for her.
Ramona stood across the way. Katie knew that, they caught each other’s eyes. Standing on opposite sides of the room, people around them dancing. Katie looked away and went towards the door.
Her friend, poor Ramona looked down. Worried for her friend.
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John had left and the other cheerleaders were going to go back in. They caught Katie, “Oh, honey, what are you doing out here?”
“Going home,” shrugged Katie.
“Oh, you shouldn’t do that,” answered one of them.
“I’m not feeling too good,” assured Katie, “It’s nothing that I can’t sleep off.”
“Was it that girl?” asked the squad leader.
“Ramona,” asked Katie, she laughed, “Oh, no, she doesn’t mean anything.”
“Really?” asked one of the girls amongst the group.
“Really,” answered Katie, she folded her arms, “It’s nothing, I can just go home.”
The leader put her arm around Katie’s shoulder, “You’re one of us, you’ll be one of us forever,” they walked her, agreeing under there breath like a bunch of people saying Amen or something.
“And I’m grateful,” smiled Katie.
“You need to learn to pick your friends wisely, and to make up for your mistakes,” said the leader walking her back towards the club.
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Ramona scanned the crowd for vamps. The routine. She sat down at the bar after a little bit. She was tired.
“Hi,” said a man.
“Hi,” said Ramona, didn’t care who he was.
“You seem awfully sad,” stated the young man.
He sat down next to her, “That’s the way things are sometimes,” she sighed. “Life just sucks.”
“I know how it feels,” he said, clearly trying to say all the right things. “A pretty young woman like you shouldn’t be sad.”
“I’ve been told,” said Ramona.
“Do you need someone to talk to?” asked the man.
“I don’t know who you are,” said Ramona looking at him.
“Michael,” he said putting his hand out.
“Ramona,” she said shaking it.
“You know who I am,” he smiled, sweetly.
Ramona wasn’t stupid, she knew what he was trying to do, exactly. He looked away from her. To Katie who’d walked up to Ramona. Ramona turned around, “Katie?”
“Hi Ramona,” said Katie.
Ramona didn’t know whether she should smiled that her friend was talking to her, or just keep, very, very still and see if things would turn out for the best. “I’ll leave you two alone,” said Michael going towards the door of the club.
“I see you’re getting back to the dating field,” said Katie.
“No, just met him,” said Ramona. They were quiet, “I’m sorry. You were right-”
“Just stop where you are Locke. I don’t need to be flattered, especially by you,” Katie folded her arms, “We’re through, get that. No friend thing. No.”
“I said-”
“You say a lot,” answered Katie, “That could be your problem, you just talk too much. Yes, that’s the answer to everything.”
“I, what?” Ramona didn’t understand what was going on.
“I, what?” she mocked.
The cheerleaders walked up behind Katie. Smiling, folded arms, the way they were. Cheerleaders were.
“I’m sorry, I…What are you doing?” asked Ramona.
“Oh, and I saw John today. He’s happy,” answered Katie.
Ramona felt like she’d been struck by a lighting bolt. Katie turned from Ramona.
“How dare you turn your back to me,” said Ramona. First thing that popped up in her mind.
Katie ignored her and walked away with her group. Ramona sat there, dazed, angry. Confused. She stood up and went for the door of the club. She went out of the door and down the alley towards her house, her eyes becoming cold and filling.
Michael walked up to her, sympathetically, “Are you okay.”
Suddenly Ramona stabbed her stake into his heart and he turned to dust. She just kept going, unfazed, kept going.
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Ramona laid down on her bed, putting her head into her pillows. She didn’t want to cry, probably wasn’t going to. Just, let the pillow hold her face. She turned around, kicked her shoes off, the shoes hitting the floor with hard thuds.
“Honey?”
Ramona looked up to see Tom standing at the doorway, “Tom?”
“What are you doing up?” he asked.
“I have no idea,” she said rolling over away from him.
Tom stepped into the room, “Is something wrong?”
“Everything is.”
“You can tell me,” he said.
Ramona looked off in the distance for a long moment. Her problems burning a hole in her. Ramona rolled on her back. Tom sat down next to her. “Why do you still call me Tom?”
“Because that’s your name,” sighed Ramona looking off in the distance.
“I remember when you used to call me daddy,” he sighed.
“It’s late dad, I want to go to sleep,” sighed Ramona.
“You’re growing up, but Ramona you’re not too old for me to tell you stories-”
“You never told me stories,” assured Ramona.
“I did, remember,” he encouraged, Ramona looked up at the ceiling, “When you wouldn’t sleep.”
“Oh,” she sighed.
“Yeah,” said Tom, “I thought you’d remember.”
“I remember it all,” assured Ramona.
He put his hand on her knee, lovingly, “I’m sorry girl. Sorry that I did that. Sorry for everything.”
“You didn’t do anything-”
“I’ve done things,” answered dad, “Just like other people, they do things. Things we don’t think we can forgive. But we can.”
“Sure.”
“We can,” he assured folding her hands in his own lap, his hands laying on his soft robe. “I hope anyway.”
Ramona looked off to her right off the side of the purple blanket. He pat her right hand and stood up, “Whatever happens,” he said, “You can forgive, you sound like you forgave me didn’t you?”
Ramona looked at him. “I thought so,” he said, he smiled at her, “Good night honey.”
“Good night,” finalized Ramona.
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Katie walked with pride going towards the lunch room, for lunch. All the cheerleaders have to walk with pride, that’s how it went. Walked with pride and kept up the level of snob.
No one was in the hall as she went towards the doors. Nobody it seemed to her. Katie went to the main door of the lunch room and went to grab it.
Something from behind grabbed her and put their hand over her mouth. She tried to scream. The cloaked figure, she couldn’t see him anyone, back turned. The cloaked figure had put a white napkin to her mouth. She took a breath in passing out in that person’s arms.
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Ramona walked into Fisher’s office. Fisher was playing chess on his computer over the internet. “No customers?”
“Nope.”
“No info. On that talisman?” questioned Ramona.
“Oh, actually I’ve got a butt load on that. Modern cult thing, young women join together using those coins to summon their demon lord, goddess person. Lunascimus.”
Ramona folded her arms over her chest after setting down her book bag, “Why?”
“For luck,” assured Fisher, he smiled, “I’m going to get that king now,” he laughed. “Damn it.” He said, “Check mate, how’s that?!”
“How about you go out and get a good job when you’re done telling me about my problems, Katie’s problems,” answered Ramona.
Fisher turned in his chair towards Ramona, “At sunset they usually do the sacrifice.”
“Sacrifice, what kind?” questioned Ramona.
“Human,” stated Fisher.
“You’re on the internet playing that stupid game instead of calling me up and telling me this. Katie could get killed,” said Ramona outraged.
“I tried to call you, got a yelling at from your father too,” stated Fisher.
“He knows that I’m around you?”
“No, man thought I was your boyfriend,” explained Fisher.
“Ewe.”
“Those girls if they have bright enough light bulbs will go to a place near where they want luck. They’re home. So, school I figure.”
“Gym,” answered Ramona going towards the door quickly.
“It’ll happen at sunset,” he looked at his watch, “I’d get there fast.”
“You should have tried calling me harder,” replied Ramona going out of the door of the office quickly.
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Katie was being tied down to the floor of the gym, she looked at the shackles hooked into the floor, “Now, when did these get here?”
Hooded figures stood around him. As many of them as there were cheerleaders. The girls pulled down their hoods.
“What are you guys doing?!” demanded Katie.
“Sorry Kat, but we need to luck,” assured the leader.
“What luck?!” demanded Katie, “What’s going on?!”
“Ever since Aaron sprang her ankle we haven’t been able to do a human pyramid,” stated one of the other girls.
“That girl was Anorexic!” said Katie outraged. “Let me go,” Katie started screaming.”
“Gag her,” ordered the leader.
They gagged the struggling Katie, one of the other girls spoke: “Sorry that we have to kill you.”
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Ramona didn’t care about the past weeks. She had to save Katie, she ran and ran down the streets. Ramona ran towards the school. The sun would be going down it seemed any moment.
Katie had to live, she was Ramona’s last friend. The sun sunk just a little.
Ramona ran towards the gym. She jumped up on the back dumpster then jumped up again. She jumped in through one of the windows. Shards of glass rain down.
She landed on the floor of gym. The room was dark, opened by the new light of the setting sun. Candles were lit around Katie. Ramona stood up straight.
“Get away from my friend,” growled Ramona.
The hooded Cheerleaders dropped their hoods. They turned towards Ramona. “Oh, come on Locke. Why are you here?” demanded the leader, “Really, this is so, You.”
“You don’t know me,” replied Ramona, “Now step away from my friend.”
“Uh, no,” stated another.
“Fine, then, you want it to be done the hard way. I’ll show you the hard way,” Ramona went towards the girls.
Would these pink fluffy balls of happy really take on the slayer? At least try? The leader gave a hand gesture which would be later interpreted, or just interpreted right then as “Attach.”
One of the girls went towards Ramona. She went to punched the slayer, Ramona grabbed her arm and snapped it behind her back then tossed her down on the gymnasium floor. Another of the girls went at her. Ramona grabbed her by the hair and kneed her in the face with ease.
One of the girls took off. One of the others went to kick Ramona in the face. Ramona grabbed her by the leg and slammed her against the bleachers. The leader just looked at Ramona.
She went up to the leader and punched her in the face knocking her unconscious. The other girls that weren’t unconscious took off out of the room. Ramona snapped the shackles in the floor. She helped Katie up.
“The things Cheerleaders will do for Luck, and Cheers,” answered Ramona.
Katie brushed off her jeans skirt and played for a moment with her wavy hair. After a moment of silence she turned towards Ramona who was acting like she wasn’t paying attention of that girl fixing herself up, “So, I guess I say…Thanks.”
“Your Welcome,” spoke Ramona.
“Why did you just do that?” questioned Katie.
“Because it was right, because, I thought you were my friend,” stated Ramona folding her arms across her chest.
“They wanted to kill me.”
“I know.”
“I’m sorry about what’s been going on,” assured Katie, “Really.”
“What’s that supposed to mean, exactly?” asked Ramona.
“Don’t milk it-”
“No, no,” smiled Ramona.
“Sorry,” sighed Katie.
“Did you tell that Cheerleader to take my Biology book and smash it in with her heel? The etc.?”
“No, no, no,” explained Katie, “I didn’t, wouldn’t ever. I just didn’t want to have anything to do with you, no matter how bad that sounds. I thought I could rely on them,” she looked around, laughed, “Well, just turns out I can’t.”
“Unless you like the idea of being sacrificed to a goddess, that as it turns out is just some kind of demon,” said Ramona.
“Oh, no, I was struggling- you did see the struggling right?” questioned Katie playing with that thing they had used to gag her, she had removed with ease on her own.
“I can forgive and forget,” said Ramona.
“Me too.”
Katie and Ramona looked up into each other’s eyes smiling. They gave each other a friendly hug, “I’m sorry about John.”
“It’s okay,” stated Ramona, “Everything is going to be okay.”
They pulled away to walk out of the place, Katie with her arm around her best friend, “We can go to my house and I make hot chocolate and we can talk about guys.” Ramona laughed as they left the gym, “Not to mention a key guy, what’s up with that Cillian guy anyway. I haven’t heard about him in any of those messages you left.”
* I'm 94% sure that the next one will be alot better. The next one will be in main about Cillian too. :-)
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