City of Heroes - Live Forum Archive

Thorndolly

POST-ACTION

Ok, this one raged out of control a little, so apologies for length. If you like it, or didn't please leave feedback, it's what keeps me writing...
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The noises hadnt stopped all night. As Leonard crept down the stairs to his kitchen, he could hear them getting louder. There was definitely someone in his house, the thought terrifying him. It was probably the Skulls again although they hadnt bothered him for a while now. As he approached the door, his knarled hands clasped around the baseball bat, he wondered whether he should even be trying to take on burglars at 63.

When he entered the room, he was glad to see that the intruder was not one of the Skulls. Not unless they were now 5 foot tall with scraggly black hair. He breathed a little sigh of relief and then realised his mistake. His uninvited guest spun on its heel, Leonard spying dark eyes from beneath the mess of hair, and then it bolted for the basement door, dropping whatever it had gathered from his cupboards.

Leonard watched it go, its speed fed by fear, then turned his attention to the raided cupboard. Packets of rice and other foodstuffs littered the floor, some open, their contents devoured at speed. Leonard scratched his head, then heard scuffling in the basement. His guest was still here it seemed. He should go to bed, he thought, let the thing raid his cupboards, there was nothing there worth taking anyway, just his meagre supply of food. But he had always been a curious man and the trait had not receded with the onset of old age.

Leaving the baseball bat in the kitchen, he crept down the stairs into the basement where he could hear the thing noisily eating whatever it had stolen. He rarely came into the basement these days, the steps were steep and his old knees could hardly manage them. He spotted his intruder hiding underneath an old set of shelves, crammed into an almost impossibly small space. He got onto his knees slowly, lowering himself to its level. When he finally got a good look, he almost laughed. Hiding in his basement was a young girl, barely 15 to look at her, covered in dirt and rags. Wide eyes peered from behind tangled black hair. To Leonards eyes, she seemed like an abandoned ragdoll. She was aware of him and cowered deeper into the corner.

Why hey there, little girl, he said kindly. What are you doing hiding in my basement? Are you hungry?

The girl remained silent. If anything, she seemed to shrink even smaller into the corner. Leonard dared to creep forward.

The girls skin suddenly exploded outwards, hundreds of wickedly sharp spines shredding her tattered clothes even further. Leonard stopped advancing as she bared her teeth at him.

Whoa there, little girl! he managed, I didnt mean to scare you none. Youre like a right little thornbush aint you now?

The girl said nothing. She didnt seem to be aggressive but the barbs remained. Leonard started to retreat.

Well ok little thorndolly, Im going to go back upstairs now, he said, trying to placate her, but I dont mean to harm you none, I just want to help. You look real hungry though so you want something to eat, you just come take it ok?

Leonard stood back up, his old bones creaking. The girl didnt seem to move although the spines appeared to be retreating back into her flesh. As Leonard climbed the stairs, he saw them retract, not a blemish left on her pale skin.

Ten minutes later, he descended the stairs again, a tray held in his hands. On it was a bowl of hot soup and some warm bread. Hed included a glass of milk and had a soft blanket draped over his arm. He laid the tray at the foot of the stairs. Not seeing the little girl, he called out to her, keeping his voice pleasant and soft.

Hey little thorndolly, theres some hot food here if you want it. You make yourself at home here ok?

He heard a rustling at the back of the basement but didnt stop to watch her. He climbed back up the stairs again and left her to it. As he sat in the kitchen and watched the sun come up, he heard the sounds of hot soup being drunk by a hungry mouth and smiled.

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Iona stood in the background, saying nothing. They were doing it again, they did it all the time.

And where exactly is this money going to come from!? shouted her father, inches away from her mothers face.

Oh youll find it, Im sure you will! retorted her mother, Youll have it ferreted away in one of your secret accounts somewhere!

Secret!? screamed her father again, If theres anyone here with secrets, its you!

At least I care what school our daughter goes to, unlike you, too busy to even speak to her when you come home!

Iona tried to block it out, but she couldnt. They always did this, all the time. Their house was huge, her family rich. But in accumulating all their wealth, they seemed to have forgotten their child. They never spoke to her, just about her, as if she was invisible. She wasnt a daughter to them, she was just another commodity to argue about. Even now, as they screamed at each other about her future education, they did it while she was in the room, oblivious to her presence. The rage inside was too much for her, it made her want to scream.

So you want her to remain here then? With all the other plebeians!? Our daughter is special! her mother shouted.

Special!? replied her father, Shes certainly special! She never says a bloody word! Shes always locked away in her room! If shes so bloody special, you pay for a private school then!

Stop it both of you!! came the tortured scream.

For a second, both of her parents stopped. Standing apart from them, their twelve year old daughter stood, tears streaking her face. With her hands knotting her dress and her dark hair hanging in front of her face, she looked a miserable sight. It should have been enough to stop any parent.

Now look what youve done! spat her mother.

ME!? replied her incredulous father. The pause had been momentary.

Aaaaaaaagghh! screamed Iona, her wail causing them to stop and stare at her again. Sharp spines ripped through her dress, shredding it. The barbed thorns stood out from her skin, standing to attention like a porcupine. Her parents stood aghast, unsure what to do. Iona stood there sobbing.

Iona, I never meant to said her father as she reached for her.

Dont touch me! she cried, backing away, her quills quivering.

They stood for a second, looking at each other. Then Iona ran from the room, ran from their impossible lives

The girl awoke, a tortured yelp escaping her lips. Leonard paused as he put the tray down. The girl stared at him with wild, panicked eyes, looked about herself and realised that she had been dreaming. She crawled out from underneath her bed and over to where Leonard sat on the stairs. He had put up the folding bed to give her somewhere to sleep but instead she always crawled beneath it along with the blanket he had given her.

The girl sat on the floor and greedily devoured the buttered toast that he had laid out for her. He watched her eat. It had been three weeks now and she had gotten used to his company. She was still as nervous as anything and had yet to say a word to him. But Leonard enjoyed her company. He had considered calling the authorities to deal with her but hed had trouble enough with them in the past and simply didnt trust them. Plus, he didnt think they would be able to deal with this little one. Put in a foster home, he suspected she would just run away.

You know, one day you should come up and sit at the table with me, he said, you might like to even learn how to use cutlery.

The girl looked up at him briefly then carried on eating, as if the food was about to disappear.

And I really got to find you a name somehow too, he said. You cant be my little thorndolly all the time, that just aint right. Tell you what, my daughter was called May. I always liked that name. Do you like that name thorndolly? Would you mind if I called you May?

She looked up at him briefly and smiled, crumbs dropping from her mouth. Beneath the grime, she almost looked pretty.

Well Ill take that as a yes then, he said, smiling. Youre about as prickly as a may bush too.

The newly dubbed May finished off her toast and belched loudly. She stood up and wandered over to the small window that looked up onto the sidewalk. Without pausing, she opened it and began to crawl through.

You know, there is a door to this place if you want to use it? said Leonard but he knew it was no use. She had taken to going out that way every day and returning at night looking even more bedraggled. He had tried to give her new clothes but they always ended up as rags within a few days. He watched her as she wriggled out and smiled.

Ill see you later on May, he called, proudly.

Out on the sidewalk, the girl stood up and looked around. A smile appeared on her dirty face.

May, she whispered

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Yes, Mr Gainsborough, youre daughter is very special indeed. Dr Hammond leaned forward in his chair, fixing Ionas parents with his steely gaze. He had no time for people with more money than sense and he could tell that Ionas father was asking only one question in his head: how much would it cost to fix her?

Well, shes always been special, said Mr Gainsborough, but I wasnt expecting to have a mutant child. Can she be cured?

Dr Hammond hated that question. No, Mr Gainsborough, he stated, There is no cure for mutation, it is a perfectly natural process. However, it has left your daughter in a very difficult situation. The human body can only regenerate tissue at a certain rate but in your daughters case, that rate has been magnified over one hundred times. Her body is under a constant strain to repair itself, even to the detriment of her mental health.

But those spines! said Ionas mother, What were they? Where did they go?

You are familiar with the term Fight or Flight? asked Dr Hammond. After receiving the requisite nods, he continued. Ionas body is in a constant state of neural stimulus. It doesnt know how to relax. Its why her regenerative rate is off the scale, why she has trouble with her food and why she doesnt sleep well. It seems that when threatened, her body has found a way to defend itself almost reflexively. Mutation often occurs during puberty but for a reaction this extreme I would expect her to have come under some sort of additional pressure.

A knowing look passed between Ionas parents but no guilt was in their eyes, if anything, only more animosity towards each other.

Has there been much disruption in her home life recently? asked Dr Hammond, pressing for an answer.

Iona didnt wait to listen to the answer. She knew both her parents would deny it. She had not been allowed to sit in the room with them but the walls were paper thin and by pressing her ear up against it, she could hear every word. She always suspected that there had been something wrong with her. Whereas other children would get colds and sickness, she always seemed to be unaffected. But now her parents knew, she could not see understanding or kindness in her future. She could only see more arguing, expensive doctors and long stays in hospitals being prodded by experts. Her father would be outraged at having a freak for a child and would somehow find a way to blame either her or her mother. No, she could not stay like this.

She looked around at the doctors surgery. There was one nurse on duty at the desk. She hopped off of the chair and walked past her.

The nurse looked up briefly but Iona simply nodded to the ladies toilets. Content, the nurse went back to her books. Seeing her attention distracted, Iona pushed through the doors and ran.

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It was late in the evening when Leonard opened his back door to put the trash out. He was concerned that May had not come home yet. It had been two months since she had come to live in his basement and this was the latest that she had been out. But even so, he did not worry. She was more than capable of looking after herself and she was at least company, even though she had only said two words to him in as many months. He was so lost in his thoughts, he failed to notice the two Skulls that were lingering in his backyard.

Looky, more people to play with! shouted one of them to his friend.

Leonard looked up, dropped the trash and ran back towards his door. But the Skulls friend was younger and easily closed the distance, coming to stand between Leonard and his back door.

Where do you think youre going old timer? he asked, cold eyes staring out from behind the mask.

Look, I dont want no trouble now.. began Leonard.

I dont want trouble either, interrupted the Skull, but I do want your wallet.

Leonard looked about for an escape but the Skulls had him cornered. I dont have much he started when the first Skull produced a flick-knife from his pocket.

Maybe my friend wasnt clear enough, said the second Skull. Wallet. Now.

As he reluctantly reached into his pocket, Leonard saw movement in the distance. There was something racing towards them at breakneck speed. He squinted with his rheumy eyes but couldnt make out what it was.

Are you deaf as well as stupid old man? asked the Skull before he became aware of the object approaching from behind them. What the? was the best he could manage before the pain began.

May leapt onto the back of the first Skull, shooting her thorny spines into the back of his neck. The Skull gave a strangled yell and fell to the ground, trying to reach round to where she had stung him.

The second Skull tried to reach for his gun but May had already shot him full of quills. His eyes glazed, her painful neurotoxin already at work in his bloodstream. May flailed her arms at the wounded Skull, her thorns ripping his clothes and tearing his flesh. Gasping in pain, the Skull glared at May and ran off, his stricken companion stumbling along behind him.

Go away! shouted May. Bad Skulls!

She waited until they had disappeared down the alley before retracting her spines. She looked over at where Leonard had sat down on the step to catch his breath. May knelt down in front of him and looked at him with concern in her eyes.

Thank you May, he managed to say. Are you ok?

May just shrugged. Then she suddenly threw herself forward, grasping Leonard in a big hug. For a second, Leonard was taken aback. It was the first time she had allowed herself to be hugged in all the time hed known her. He wrapped his arms around her and smiled.

There, there, he said, Youre home now.

May smiled as she hugged him. Leonard ruffled her dirty black hair affectionately.

Youre quite late tonight little thorndolly. He said. Where have you been?

May just shrugged and grinned. Hunt. Kil. Skulls, was all she said. It seemed to be enough.

FIN