24
THE REHEARSAL
Tunica sighed. Agent I and H, the two men who were testing out their "flight simulator" football last night, were helping out the other agents. Agent L and her groom were on their way for the rehearsal. Agent I and H weren't happy that they were going to be late for their party if they didn't go home and change.
"Agent T, we want to go," complained J as he and his partner pushed the final chairs into place.
"I want to go too," she said, giving them a scary look, "I have a nice hot bath waiting for me at home along with a lovely steak dinner but I'm stuck here! So shut it and get on with it."
They glared at her, but her glare was scarier. So, they continued. She looked at the time. She sighed. She still needed to get a song for herself and had to go to the party. Not to mention get everything else that needed sorting out sorted. Agent H and I put the last chairs next to the tables and groaned. "There," they said at the same time, "Can we go now?"
She smiled at them. "Okay, fine. Go. I'll just finish up here. Thanks guys."
They rushed for the door and left. Agent I looked back. "Don't be too long now, okay?"
"I promise."
He smiled and left. Tunica put the sound speakers in place on stage where she was standing and wiped her fore head. She looked around. This was the reception hall. It had tables everywhere for guests to sit and enjoy dinner. It also had candles on each table and a gift bag on each chair for each guest. Tunica smiled to herself. Her best friend was getting married. She then laughed.
"What's so funny?" came a voice for behind. Tunica stood dead still and stopped. She began to scowl and clenched her hands into fists. That voice. That dreaded, hated voice that was always taunting her. It was her worst enemy. She turned around only to have a hand clasp around her neck and lift her up above the ground. She gripped onto the hand, trying so hard to breath. She looked at her enemy, right in the eyes and spoke barely. "You."
Dr. Metropolitan looked at her and grinned. Tunica couldn't help but look at his left eye. He had flat light brown hair and wore a pure white lab coat that usually turned red. But his eye was what finished off his scientist look. His eye had a huge, ugly scar on across it. No one knows where he got it from. "It's been a while, Spellcaster. I must say you have been quite a nuisance these past few days…" he threw her across the room. She hit one of the tables and it split into two. She hit the ground hard. She groaned. Metro continued, "…the Witch is not happy."
"I don't give a…" started Tunica, trying to get up, but too injured to do so.
"Ah, ah, ah, temper Tunica. You've got to watch that temper. You've nearly killed your friends, your family because you lost that temper of yours. You remember that, don't you?"
"Because of you, you evil creature!" she shouted, up on her feet and pointing at him. "You poisoned me! You turned me into a monster! You even ripped my wings off! But worst of all, you turned me against my friends! I-I became your servant, your dog!"
"For good reasons, my dear."
Tunica screamed and threw waves of flames at him. He merely moved. He looked at her. "Men, detain her!"
Out of the red velveteen curtains came hundreds of robotic men. They walked towards her. She ran for the door but something tripped her. She looked down at her foot. A vine was wrapped around it. She cursed. Snapdragon walked in from out of the shadows. "Hello, cricket."
Tunica tried to crawl away but Snapdragon pulled her up and she dangled, upside down. Snapdragon punched her and she went flying out the doors. Metro and her grinned at each other.
Tunica got up, shaking the rebel of her hair and tried to make a run for it. Snapdragon and the robotic men burst through the doors, running after her as fast as she was running away. She scowled. Why tonight of all nights? She skidded around the corner and ran through the church's doors out into the streets. She looked back to see no one following her. She stopped and titled her head. Why did they stop? She then heard someone take a breath. She moved out of the way as a blow dart came flying towards her. She began to run again. She headed down the street, hoping she would make it to Jack's bar in time. She then felt a prick on her neck. She yelled and then felt it with her hand. She was hit. Her sight became blurry and she passed out.
Tunica opened her eyes. She groaned. She found herself strapped to a surgical table. She lay upside down on it; her stomach flat on the bed. She groaned even louder as a bright light managed to shine in her eyes. It was moved and she scowled. Metro grinned at her. "Hello, patient. I hope you're ready for my experiment."
"No," said Tunica barely and hoarsely.
"Good."
He walked off. Tunica looked at the restraints. They were bound with magic and spells. She cursed. She watched as Metro fiddled around with things on the table in front of him. Tunica closed her eyes, feeling like she may burst out into tears. Painful memories of having him experiment on her started to rear their ugly heads in her thoughts. She then opened her eyes and thought about something important. She looked up at Metro. "You know, whatever you plan to do to me, it won't be as horrible as I originally thought it would be."
"Really?" he said, his back still to her.
"Yeah. And you know why? Because the Witch just wouldn't allow it. Tomorrow, she thinks, as surprising as that sounds, that she's going to kill me and she wouldn't want any of the bad guys she's hiring to do that. I'm right, aren't I?"
Metro turned around, holding a pick that was red at the tip like it had just been put over a fire. "Sort of. You see, she's away tonight on a very important mission. So, she asked me here to prepare you for tomorrow's battle."
Tunica gave a gulp. "I take it I'm going to be branded now, aren't I?"
"More like cursed," said Metro grinning and walking up to her.
She sighed. "This is going to hurt."
He stood over her and tore her shirt. Her back was bare and he grinned as he began to move the pick over her back, carving the symbol into her skin. She screamed and wreathed.