Harbinger: Postcards from an Apocalypse ((Open))


Romanov

 

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((Open thread for short stories about characters facing the various entities escaping from the dark dimension as part of the Harbinger plot. Or even stories inspired by the Zombie Apocalypse))

[u]SCREAMS FROM A MALL[u]
Starring Miss Teen

8.38am, Apartment of Mindy and Melissa “Missy” Winters, Founder’s Falls, Paragon City

Missy Winters, also known as the hero Miss Teen, held her pink and silver cellphone to her ear with a look of intense concentration on her face. “Thanks for letting us know. I’ll like be there as soon as I can.”

She snapped the cell shut and looked at the three other girls in her bedroom that looked like the site of a Miley Cyrus explosion. Missy was a slender, blonde girl in her late teens. She perhaps had slightly more muscle definition that her friends who were all dressed in similar vest tops and short skirts, but nothing to hint at the awesome strength and resilience she possessed.

She looked at her friends. A look of serious contempt ion on her face. “The rumours are true girls. The new DKPC winter line is going on sale at the So Chic boutique this morning. It’s like a third off but this is like the last delivery before Christmas.”

“No way,” gasped one of the girls.

“Way, Briana,” said Missy seriously. “Way. But it’s not all bad news. Lucy is holding us a place at like third in the line.”

“Then we’re fine, we have plenty of time to…”

“No, Cyndi, we don’t. Lucy says there’s this like old, serious lady in the line and she’s afraid she’s going to call no cutsies.”

“Can she do that, Missy?”

Missy nodded. “If she calls it, then we’re at the back of the line, ladies. So we have to get there on the double and prepare for a charm offensive. Make sure you have your cells and credit cards, girls, because once we leave we are not coming back until I have that pink top with the swirls and those cute little strappy shoes.”

8.58am, Marvelsdale Train Station, Paragon City

As the girls walked down the ramp from the elevated train station, Missy could here the commotion and sirens.

She turned to her friends. “Oh no, looks like word about the delivery got out. Ok, remember, don’t make eye contact with anyone. Just focus on Lucy and walk straight to her.”

The girls nodded. But as they got closer, plumes of smoke spilling from the concrete and glass palace of consumerism suggested that something more sinister was afoot. Missy had seen smoke from fires hundreds of times in her hero career, but this was different. The smoke seemed alive as if it was ensnaring the mall rather than escaping it.

“Oh my gosh!” squealed Missy. “The mall! And Lucy is in there!”

She turned to her friends and signalled them to halt with her hand. He voice lowered a few octaves and became more authoritative. “Wait here, this is a job for…well, you know the drill. I’ll go see what I can do.”

The PCPD were setting up a cordon as Missy approached the mall. A fresh faced young officer called to her. “Hey, miss, you can’t go in there. All hell’s broken loose.”

Missy looked at him, thinking to herself that he kinda looked like slightly more mature Zack Efron. “Hold on, let me get my licence.” She rummaged in her little handbag. “It’s in here somewhere.”

A sergeant jogged up to Missy. “Sorry, commander, Jenkins here just transferred from Connecticut. Please, come through, we need all the help we can get. We’ve sent officers in but…something’s sealed the place up and we haven’t head anything for about five minutes.”

“Thanks, Sarge,” said Missy with a smile. “I’ll go take a peak.” She turned back. “And don’t be too hard on Jenkins…you could even say like if he wanted to ask me for coffee or a movie one day that, you know, I’d probably say yes.”

9.02am, Quesada Shopping Mall, Marvelsdale, Paragon City

The dark smoke seemed to be forming a barrier around the mall. Missy closed her eyes and charged at the entrance. Rumble and dist fell as Missy smashed her way through. Inside the mall looked like a twister had passed through it. Unearthly screams resonated around the place causing a chill to pass over her skin even beneath the glowing pink energy that now protected her.

Ahead she saw a cop taking shelter behind a metal bench. She ran up to him.

“Don’t worry, sir, I’m not just a girl, I’m Miss Teen. I’m here to help. What’s the sitch?”

The officer seemed relieved but there was a look of terror in his eyes. “There evil. I don’t know what they are. There like something from a horror movie. We lost the food court to them when the first wave came through…from wherever they came from. Sanchez and Richards reclaimed the frozen yoghurt stand but I don’t know how much longer they can hold out. Last I heard, more had appeared and they were headed up to the Mezzanine.

Missy gasped. “Do you mean floor 4b near the one hour photo kiosk because sometime people incorrectly refer to that as the Mezzanine?”

The cop looked at her sternly. “No, I mean the Mezzanine often called Little Rodeo Drive due to the proliferation of fashion boutiques like…”

Missy bowed her head. “Like So Chic,” she said as she clenched her fists. “Then that’s where I’m going.”

“But you’ll have to pass through the food court.”

“Then that’s what I’m going to do.”

9.05am, The Chris Farley Memorial Food Court, Quesada Shopping Mall, Marvelsdale, Paragon City

The floor was littered with pretzels, soda cups and melting frozen yoghurt. Several cops were lying still on the floor, Missy could not tell if they were alive or dead. As she walked over the Beverly Hills Ninja mosaic in the centre of the court dark ominous shapes appeared in her peripheral vision. As they ambled closed she could see they were zombies dressed like people she had seen in pictures in history class. All armour, leather and pointy bits.

She looked at them. “Oh no,” she said. “An medi…mede…olden days army of the dead. And here I am just a pretty young girl, who many comment looks like a skinny Hilary Duff, in an amazingly cute outfit. What am I to do?”

She waited as they came closer. Moaning and screaming as is often the want of zombies and such. She pouted. Apologising beneath her breath for the property damage as she smashed her foot down into the smiling face of Farley. The shockwave sent the undead flying like ragdolls in a washing machine. As they crashed into kiosks, benches and walls they exploded into the stuff of shadows. And then nothing.

The pink energy around Missy glowed brighter as her body raised from the shattered floor and she flew forwards the Mezzanine.

9.08am, The Mezzanine, Quesada Shopping Mall, Marvelsdale, Paragon City

Missy felt as she was in a wind tunnel as she landed on the Mezzanine. A group of people were huddled in a corner as screaming shadows flitted around them like hyperactive bats. Missy sighed with relief when she saw Lucy’s distinctive yellow wheelchair with pink and baby blue details.

“Lucy!” she called as she ran over to the group. “It’s ok, don’t be scared, I’m here.”

The younger red-headed girl smiled at her friend. “I wasn’t scared, Missy. I don’t want to get blasé in the face of danger and stuff but when you’re best friend is an indestructible hero who can bench press a locomotive you tend to have a different perspective. Like, you have faith in her to come rescue you.”

Missy smiled and hugged Lucy. “Awww, that’s so sweet. I feel like I’m going to cry. Love you!”

“I love you too, Missy,” replied Lucy. “But…those guys look pretty intense.”

Missy turned to where Lucy was looking. At the top of the escalator was a row of hooded figures on dead, monstrous horses. More were on the escalator and as they reached the top they formed a second row of dark riders.

The lead rider raised his hand then hurled a ball of dark energy. It struck the jewellery stand, completely destroying a display stand of butterfly barrettes.

Missy clenched her jaw, worrying that it made her look less that attractive but thinking it was worth it to show these bad guys she meant business.

She matched up to the riders. “Look, I’m happy to play the girl scout hero. Stopping all your kinds fiendish plans without giving you the butt whupping you deserve. But you have gone like way too far. Not only have you threatened my friend but you have trashed the mall! The mall! Is nothing sacred to you people? This is like the best mall in the city. To get the one in Atlas Park we have to change trains and it doesn’t even have a nail bar!”

Whatever hideous visage was beneath the lead rider’s hood looked at Missy. It spoke in rasping whisper. “The Shadowriders have waited centuries to escape the Netherworld and bring chaos to these lands. The small yellow haired female will not stand in our way. We will destroy her and then her precious…mall.”

“Hey,” shouted Miss Teen, “Talk to me, not about me!”

Outside the mall, a moment of stillness was shattered as a row of windows exploded. Five undead horsemen and their mounts hurtled into the street and exploded on the sidewalk.

Three minutes later. Missy was assessing the damage she had caused after flinging the last protesting rider through the window. “Maybe, I went to far. I mean, those windows can’t be cheap and I guess I could have tried to talk them round.”

Lucy gave a reassuring smile. “Think of all the damage they would have caused if you hadn’t stopped them. And they probably would have harvested our soles too! I can’t wait to write this up for the school newspaper but…do you think they’re going to open So Chic to…”

One of the men who had been cowering in fear stood up. “I suppose I could open up…although I really think I should get a day off for emotional trauma.”

Suddenly the people got to their feet and started rushing to the So Chic boutique.

“I was here first,” said one.

“No, I was first in line,” said another.

Missy gripped the handles of Lucy’s wheelchair tightly. “Call the girls quick and hold on!” she said as she sped towards the store. “This is a job for Miss Teen!”


@Romanov
Nadja Romanov, Lily Pink, Little Death - The Cadre
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