Radioactive
(Based on the popular music video by "Imagine Dragons"
Alyssa's ears perked as the crunch of leaves beneath her feet made it sound like someone was following her. After turning around and being satisfied that no one was there she continued down the wooded path brushing the field flowers as she walked by. She readjusted the cage beheld in her hand remembering to be careful not to jar its cargo. As she walked she remembered the old days, before the fallouts "Earth that was." It wasn't unlike you'd expect dark gloomy and cold and she'd almost gotten used to it in the worst years of it, the scavenging and all the glory that came with it. But even that wasn't the same as have your reality turned inside out because really it was like a fantasy and the world did with it just like everything else, perversion and profit.
Mr. Stuffles, that's what was in her cage he was her first and most beloved teddy bear, and he'd been there. When everyone else left it was her and Mr. Stuffles, it too was what you'd expect, he was just… someone to talk to on those lonely camping nights. Until the day of rising that is. Alyssa looked down at the address she was given on a piece of yellowing paper, 'Yeah, this is it but… it's a barn' she didn't know what she was expecting, a shady concrete bunker or run down mansion maybe? She kept walking as she began to hear the cheering and yelling billowing from the barn like rancid smoke." Los Dios el chuppacabra" that's who she was here to see. She heard the menacing translation ring in her ears "God of the goat sucker" it still sent chills down her spine hearing horrid descriptions of what they do to pets in there.
'Pets' were what happened in the day of the rising just after the fallouts had begun to subside, the government decided that they had to do whatever possible to heal the world to its former glory. So, they released the nano-clouds, molecular robots designed to heal everything and everyone. And in a complete fluke, something happened, a miracle that no one could explain. The nano-clouds animated every stuffed animal on the planet. Including Mr. Stuffles, but for some reason it was like all the love and emotion poured into them… shaped them. Each became a reflection of its owner. Luckily Mr. Stuffles and Alyssa were already best friends so it would be easy for her to get used to him being alive.
"I'm sorry I had to put you in a cage Stuffles" she whispered to him through the raggedy sheet covering his cage. As she opened the barn door it creaked as if it were screaming for help. She wouldn't even consider going somewhere like this usually she thought as she crept down the intricately carved spiral stair case. But this was no ordinary occasion, she had a plan and in her eyes the intensity, will power and concentration was obvious however her poker face just as practiced. She reached the bottom of the stairs and came into a completely shiny finished oak wood room. On the opposite wall was a chalk board perfectly positioned in between two doors. Across the top it read 'champion' on one side 'vistor' on the other. Underneath the side marked 'champion' was nearly full, however the other side is completely empty.
She watched as directly after uproars of cheering a young skinny boy rushed out of one door quickly marked to board with a single tally mark and ran through the other door; before she could stop him he was gone. She couldn't help but think about bobby. Bobby was her crush, and her friend, he ran a group of rebels trying to shut down and dismantle local 'pet fighting rings' but this time they got captured. She was secretly hoping even if her mission failed and she got captured to that it might make him see her in a different light, a more, romantic light. She shook off the thought. That was not her main priority right now she had to get them out. She had a plan, but could it work?
She crept through the door into the arena area trying to blend in as much as possible keeping her hood up and her head low. This was the waiting time, figure out what's what, figuring out where the key is, who the toughest guys in the room, and what does los Dios el chuppacabra look like? All these questions and more swirled through her mind as she waded through the crowd. She camp the edge of the pit lined with wood planks, the arena was littered with stuffing and beaded eyes. She watched pet after pet enter the arena only to get slaughtered by the chuppacabra, and sometimes if it was decided that each opponent had endured enough dios del chuppacabra would pull his master lever releasing them into a dark pit. Bobby… that's where he had to be. The chuppacabra itself was a purple gorilla rhino intent on destruction, his predatory instinct only outweighed by his ruthless cruelty. A perfect reflection of his master.
Dios del chuppacabra sat high on his thrown above the arena for a great view of the brutality. A single key hung from his neck as he blew smoke rings from his cigar. There was money flying as each new opponent was struck down everyone made a little bit. There was no question chuppacabra was a crowd favorite. It was her turn as she couldn't bear to watch any longer she stepped up to the arena as the chuppacabra was still bathing in the newly earned winnings. She lifted the sheet from Mr. Stuffles cage and opened the latch. Carefully he plucked him from the cage and dropped him into the arena he knew what to do. She had faith in her pet. Even before he'd hit the dusty ground the crowd was laughing at the pink teddy bear on display before them.
The plan was to make it look good Mr. Stuffles would start out losing long enough for Alyssa to get to a good spot. And that's exactly what happened he took punch after punch as Alyssa crept around the arena getting just close enough to be able to act fast but not enough to be noticed. She gave Mr. Stuffles the signal, as she did this the match was reaching its usual climax. Mr. Stuffles climbed to his feet, he was in pain but deep down he knew how much this mission meant to Alyssa, so he kept fighting but his time was different, now, he could win. He summoned all the energy he could into his hand and rushed the chuppacabra nocking it off its feet. The stadium was quiet, everyone was silent from shock, except for Alyssa, who was smiling from pride. Dios del chuppacabra was the first to snap out of it yelling at his goons to, "Grab the bear!" As the thugs jumped into the arena posed to strike, beams shot from Mr. Stuffles eyes disintegrating them on the spot. Panic ruled and what happen next was almost too fast to grasp. Alyssa swiped the key from dios del chuppacabra's neck as he jumped into the arena to catch Mr. Stuffles himself. But before, he could realize what had happened Mr. Stuffles had already gotten out of the arena and pulled the lever dropping Dios del chuppacabra into the pit where he'd already sent so many.
After all of the people had cleared out she found a hatch leading to another basement level. The dungeon where Bobby and his friends were she slipped the key into the lock and swung it open. Bobby gave her a hug for saving them and as they exited just glad to be out of there Alyssa couldn't help but feel a need to tie up one lose end. She found the cell where the condemned pets go, and she made sure that He would never hurt any pet ever again.