THE KILLING CHILL
Maddie sat in the van near the cemetery. The evening sky was beginning to turn into a darker gray. She looked at the cemetery and saw the numerous gravestones ahead. She got out of the van and walked up the hill. She was wearing a black dress with long sleeves, black heel boots, and had her blonde hair in a ponytail. It was rare that Maddie would be nervous about something, but visiting her dad's grave sent a chill through her. Her legs felt weak and her heart was beating faster. When it came to her father, her emotions could not be contained. As she passed the gravestones, she took a deep breath. She walked along the concrete path and found the grave of Tim Brennan. The date read: 1952-2008. It was a marble gravestone that unlike many others, was kept clean. Maddie stood in front of it with her head down. Part of her was still angry for what Tim did on the last day of his life, but she had great memories of all the good things he had done for her. Maddie looked at the gravestone and a memory was triggered.
It was many years earlier when Maddie was only eight years old. She was sitting on the couch as Tim came downstairs. He was dressed in a white lab coat, a tie, brown slacks, and a blue shirt.
"Madeline, are you ready for school?" He asked with enthusiasm.
She kept her head down and did not answer. Tim noticed her looking glum and kneeled beside her.
"Madeline, are you okay?" He asked.
She shook her head.
"I don't want to go," she somberly replied.
"I know you don't want to go. But you need to. Come on."
He took her by the hand, helping Maddie get off the couch. Tim held her book bag and carried it with him as they walked to the door. Maddie still had a sad look on her face. Tim kneeled beside her and placed his hands on her shoulders.
"Now Madeline, I want you to do something for me," he said, "Smile."
Madeline stared at him with anger.
"I don't want to," she replied, "There's nothing to smile about."
"Of course there is. I go through terrible things just like you. And I'm still happy because I get to come home to the greatest daughter in the world. That's what makes me smile. Now I want you to smile."
Maddie showed him an evil smile.
"No not like that," he said, "You'll scare people. I want a happy smile."
Maddie cracked a smile and then giggled. Tim returned a smile.
"That's better," Tim said.
"Daddy, I'm glad I get to come home to you to."
Her words made Tim feel happy as he hugged Maddie.
Back in the present day, Maddie no longer had the joy of Tim's company. A tear rolled down her face as the sky was getting darker. The days of her being a little girl and having Tim around had been long gone. It was a moment in time that she would give anything for. She thought about how unfair it was. Over the years, she had wondered what Tim would have thought of her now.
Maddie continued to look at the grave. Suddenly, four men in black suits appeared on the other side of the tombstone. She stopped.
"You Maddie?" One of them asked.
She stood there with a confused look.
"Yeah, that's her," another one said.
Maddie had no idea who they were but could sense that they were trouble. Before she could answer, one of them pulled out a gun. Maddie quickly dove behind a tombstone as the bullets struck it.
"Kill that bitch!" One of the thugs shouted.
Maddie ran across the graveyard, using the tombstones as cover. Although she has been surprised by this sudden attack, she came prepared with her knives. She kept one strapped to each leg underneath her dress, one attached on a necklace and two more underneath her sleeves. As the thugs pursued her, the sky became dark. The moonlight and the lights around the graveyard illuminated the area. Maddie had managed to remain hidden in darkness as she made her way back towards Tim's grave. Then, Maddie saw more thugs in black suits. She ran into the depths of the graveyard. Using her speed, she managed to get quite a distance away. The thugs looked and sounded as if they were part of the mob. Maddie wondered who would be after her and how they knew she was here. Maybe it was someone she killed and they were out for revenge. That had to be it, she thought. But who was it?
Maddie was now on a hill overlooking the cemetery. There were more tombstones behind her. She saw that some of the thugs were standing near Tim's grave. Some of them had pistols, assault rifles, and laser rifles. She was clearly at a disadvantage and needed to get back to the van. However, the aura of the graveyard began consuming her. The killing chill she was experiencing began to grow stronger. Maddie had her knives ready and her next victim would suffer. She moved through the darkness, keeping herself hidden. After descending the hill, she quietly snuck up behind a thug. She quickly sprung up and wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing him to the ground. She held him tight, making sure he couldn't scream and then stabbed him in the chest. Then, she saw two more thugs standing next to each other. She took out another knife and quietly approached them. She stabbed one in the chest. The other thug managed to avoid getting stabbed. Before he could fire a shot, Maddie took him down with her legs. She tried to stab him again, but he blocked it. Maddie grabbed his hair and slammed his head on the ground. Then, she dragged him near a tombstone and smashed his head on it, causing a piece to break off and killing him in the process. Maddie contemplated the idea of running for the van and killing as many thugs as she could.
Maddie knew Dawn would be worried about her and she would probably come looking for her. The killing chill had taken over Maddie and there was only one way out. As she observed the thugs, she was surprised to see that only a few of them had brought flashlights. She moved closer to them and hoped to find some information on who they were and why they were after her. Three thugs were standing in the middle of the pathway. Maddie hid behind a large tombstone and listen to the conversation.
"So what is this girl, some kind of ninja?" One of them said.
"Yeah, and she's supposed to be some psycho killer. Like the man says, she's been doing it since she was a kid."
"Ooh, I'm scared now. I wonder if she has her scary clown make-up on. It would really make me piss myself."
"Man, she has a killer bod though."
"You freak, she's still a teenager."
"No, you jackass, she's legal now."
Maddie realized there was no way she could escape without alerting them. She quietly snuck behind another tombstone. A few seconds later, she sprung out and delivered an open palm strike to one of them and jumped in the air, kicking one thug and then spinning around to strike the other thug with another kick. Just like that, they were unconscious. Then, a bright flashlight shined on her. She shielded herself from the light.
"There's the little bitch!" The thug shouted.
He shot at her, but Maddie disappeared. More thugs ran into the area. They saw the bodies of the other thugs and continued to search for her. She kept herself hidden behind a mausoleum.
"Too scared to fight? I thought you put fear into people."
"Where are you Creepy Maddie?
She knew right then that these were hired goons. The list was long of those who would want to kill her. She knew she was not a cold-blooded murderer and only killed bad people because she felt it was necessary. However, someone from her past had hired this group to hunt her down. Maddie needed to interrogate one of them. The first thought that came to mind was Dawn. There was a high chance that Dawn would worry and come after her and she would unexpectedly fall into the trap. Maddie hoped that Dawn would remain at the Stratosphere, at least that's where she was supposed to be. One of the thugs had come close to her. Maddie jumped out and placed him in a headlock. She squeezed hard so he could not scream and dragged him behind the mausoleum. She placed a knife to his throat.
"Who the hell are you?" Maddie asked.
"Piss off," he said.
"You know who I am, so you know what I can do to you."
The thug had a wide-eyed look and began breathing heavily.
"Shit! Some guy, I don't know his name, I swear. I just follow orders, that's all. That guy paid us to kill you."
"Then who would know?"
"Dixon, the one with the short blonde hair. He's the one who took the job for us."
"Good, now you get to die quick."
Maddie stabbed him in the chest. She used the tombstones as cover as she got closer to two more thugs. She ran up behind them and stabbed one of them in the side of the stomach. She tried to stab the other thug, but he blocked the knife. He tried to shoot her with his laser rifle, but she kicked it away. Maddie tried a series of punches but they were blocked. The thug tried to kick her, but she moved back and struck him with a kick of her own. She tried to follow up with another kick, but he grabbed her leg. She immediately struck him with a kick to his head. He stumbled back as Maddie took out another knife and tried to stab him. He grabbed her arm and flipped her onto the ground. Maddie quickly wrapped her legs around his neck and squeezed tightly. He broke free and they both stood up. Then, Maddie saw Dixon on the hill. He fired his plasma rifle at her, but Maddie grabbed the thug and used him as a shield. The plasma shot struck him and turned him into a green liquid. Before Dixon could fire another shot, Maddie had vanished.
Maddie had run into the morgue. The place was cold and had white walls all around. There were tables that usually held bodies, but the place was empty. She was sitting on one of the empty tables. In all the commotion earlier, she managed to take a laser rifle. Guns were not her style, but now she was left with no choice. Maddie was prepared to fill the empty morgue with bodies. She headed to the chapel down the hallway. She walked past the rows of seats and headed towards the front. She stood behind the podium which had a bible on it. After turning a few pages, she knew she was never the religious type and this was only her second time in a church. There was a platform above her that contained an office. Maddie had questions to ask. Why was Tim dead? Why had the world gone into desolation? Why are there such things as disease, famine, war, and suffering? There was never a clear-cut answer. Then, Maddie heard more thugs coming her way. She ducked down behind the podium as the thugs searched the chapel.
"I saw the little whore run in here," one of them said.
"Come on out. When you do, you'll get to be with your daddy."
Maddie got angry and stood up. She shot one of them with the laser rifle and quickly ducked down as they returned fire. One of them had an assault rifle and the other had a laser pistol. The impact from the shots put a few holes in the podium. The remaining thugs approached the podium with their weapons ready. When they searched behind the podium, Maddie was gone. Suddenly, Maddie rose from behind one of the benches and shot down the two thugs. Before she could escape, more thugs appeared. They fired lasers and bullets at her but she ducked down to avoid fire. She crawled along the carpet and returned fire, hitting one of them. The impact knocked the thug to the ground. A gun fight was not Maddie's expertise. Although she told Dawn not to come, she was still expecting her to storm in with guns blazing. She remained hidden as a thug came near the bench. She grabbed him from behind, took him to the ground, and snapped his neck. The sound of bones breaking satisfied her. The remaining thug became nervous and wiped the sweat from his face. Then, Maddie appeared behind him with a sinister smile. She whistled and he turned around. Maddie grabbed his gun and kicked him on the side of the head. She took out her knife and stabbed him in the stomach and chest. He fell to the ground as Maddie smiled. She went into a trance as she stared at the bloody knife. She wiped the blood off and wiped it on her lips, forming a smile. She stood in the aisle with a blank stare. Then, Dixon appeared on the platform and began firing his plasma rifle. Maddie evaded the shots by diving behind the bench.
"How appropriate for you to die here," Dixon said, "Since you put a lot of victims here."
He continued to shoot at the benches.
"You like when people suffer?" He continued to taunt, "You like when people fear you? The feeling is mutual, Maddie."
Dixon aimed his gun down below. Maddie was pinned down. Looking around the chapel, there was no cover for her to get around. She could not wait there and risk more thugs storming in. She had to risk going below the platform.
"I got you dead in my sights asshole," he shouted, "Come on out, unless you're scared."
Maddie shot back at him, but his cover behind the barrier was too good. She was out of cells and needed to get up there. There was the option of scrambling to the dead thugs for more ammo, but it was too risky. Then, she decided to make a run for it. She dashed forward as Dixon fired shots at her. Her quickness allowed her not to get hit as she dove below the platform. Dixon, anticipated Maddie might try to come up the stairs.
"Stupid bitch!" He said, "There's nowhere for you to hide."
Maddie climbed up behind him and went over the barrier. She snuck behind him and stabbed both of his arms. Maddie pulled his head back and kicked the gun away. She placed a knife to his throat. Dixon saw her face, evil eyes with a bloody smile.
"Let's play a game," Maddie said, "I wanna see how scared you can get."
"I'm not afraid."
"I guess I'll have to make you. Now tell me who sent you after me. How did you know I was here?"
Dixon laughed.
"Ain't gonna say," he said.
Maddie made a small incision on his cheek and giggled. Dixon grabbed her by the hair and flipped her over. She rolled on the ground and was on her knees. She giggled. Dixon took out a large knife.
"Whatsa matter?" Maddie taunted, "Afraid of a little cut?"
"I'm taking your head," Dixon said with anger.
Maddie laughed. Dixon circled around her as Maddie kept her eyes on him. He made a few movements towards her but pulled back.
"Sick psycho," Dixon whispered.
The bloody smile on Maddie's face made him nervous and she could sense it. Maddie stepped towards him and he quickly backed away. She giggled.
"I thought you wanted to take my head," Maddie said, "Whenever you're ready."
He ran towards her and tried to stab her. Maddie flipped over him and attempted to stab him as soon as she landed but Dixon blocked it with his knife. He tried to strike her with a kick, but Maddie moved back and attempted two kicks of her own. Dixon blocked them and swung his knife at her stomach as she jumped back. He tried to cut her again, but Maddie grabbed his arm and swung the knife at his throat. He ducked, allowing the knife to slice some of his hair off. Maddie could feel the shivers in his arm and smiled. Dixon starred at her bloody lips. He tried to kick her, but she blocked it and tossed him to the ground. She quickly got on top of him and placed the knife at his throat.
"Do you know what it feels like to have something sharp cut through you flesh?" Maddie whispered, "I know a lot of people who do. Too bad there not around to tell you. I know how great it feels to slice through flesh. When the blood comes out…"
Maddie made a soft moaning sound and giggled. Dixon grabbed her arm and threw her off. Maddie quickly got up and kicked him in the face. She spun around and kicked him again, causing him to lean over the barrier. He kicked her in the stomach and struck her with a backhand punch. She laughed as he punched her in the stomach and then kneed her in the side of the face. Maddie fell to the ground, laughing. He got on top of her and held her head to the ground by her hair. She smiled at him.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" He yelled.
"Tell me who's after me!" She replied.
"Damn it, you're insane. I'm in control now."
"Tell me!"
Dixon slapped her repeatedly in the face as Maddie laughed.
"Shut up!" He yelled.
Maddie continued to laugh. He gripped her hair tight and held her head to the ground.
"I said shut the hell up!" He yelled again.
He slapped her in the face. Maddie giggled and blew a kiss at him.
"I really enjoy slapping you around," Dixon said, "Med-X does wonders for pain resistance."
He attempted to punch her, but Maddie got her arm free and blocked it. She pulled his arm and struck him with an elbow to his face, knocking him off. She quickly wrapped her legs around his neck and began to suffocate him. He tried to struggle free but was beginning to weaken. Maddie let go of him as he gagged for air. She got her knife ready and held him by the hair.
"If you suffocate, you won't get to experience the decapitation," Maddie said.
She laughed as Dixon was still trying to breathe. She raised her knife and swung it at him. The knife was now covered in blood. She exited the chapel and was back out in the cemetery. She was carrying a small black bag. She walked down the path back to the van. Before driving away, she opened the bag. Maddie drove down the road, heading back to New Vegas. Back at the cemetery, more thugs arrived. It was then they saw Dixon's head impaled on the picket of the entrance gate.
Back at the Stratosphere, Dawn was staring out of the window at the night sky in her room. She had short blonde hair with pink highlights on the tips, a slender build, and her eyes look worn and tired. She was wearing a white tank top and plaid sleep pants. In the oasis suite, there was a large bed, a bar, a desk, a large couch, and a large TV mounted on the wall. On the desk was a copy of Boxing Times, Future Weapons Today, and True Police Stories. She had a bottle of whiskey and took a few sips as she became paranoid about Maddie. With her missing, it was hard for Dawn to cope. Then, Maddie walked into the room. She had taken the time to wash the blood off her face. Dawn's vision was blurry but she could tell it was Maddie. She was relieved. Maddie stood there with a smile on her face.
"Maddie, I was so worried," Dawn slurred, "What happened?"
Maddie remained silent and smiled. Maddie took off her boots and laid down in the bed. Dawn set the bottle down on the nightstand and laid down next to her. Dawn placed her hand on her shoulder.
"This mercenary group came after me," Maddie said, "They knew about me and wanted me dead."
"Damn. I should have gone with you."
"I handled it. I killed all I could but I know there's more of them."
Dawn ran the back of her hand across Maddie's face and then rubbed her hand on her stomach.
"The important thing is that you're okay," Dawn said, "I hate worrying."
Maddie held Dawn's hand.
"I miss him," Maddie whispered, "Even though this world has turned to hell, I still wish he was here."
"Sorry."
Dawn and Maddie starred at each other and smiled. Dawn ran her fingers through Maddie's hair.
"Dawn, make love to me."
Dawn got on top of her and they kissed. Maddie took off Dawn's shirt and then wrapped her legs around her. Next, Dawn pinned Maddie's arms to the bed as they sensually kissed while making soft moaning sounds. Then, Maddie got on top of Dawn. She took off her dress and they continued to kiss. Together, they experience sensual pleasure, heavy breathing, and orgasms.