Chapter 17: Malvagita's Redemption
Calendrica walked over to me, a sly grin on her face.
"Poor sweet Fiona," she cooed, "This all must be terrible for you, mustn't it? I mean, here you are all alone. Your mother can't help you; your friends can't help you… You're all alone."
I bit my lip as Calendrica spoke, realizing the truth behind her words. I was all alone. What could I do? My thoughts were muffled as I heard the voice of my brother.
"She's not alone!!!!"
I whipped my head around. Jack had bitten through his bandanna and was now screaming at Calendrica.
"You, you…thing you!!! You think you can just do whatever you want; take us against our will, force us to do horrible things, well, you CAN'T! We'll find a way to get out of this, and you'll be dead, you hideous crone!"
"SHUT UP!" roared Calendrica, practically flying over to him, "I am sick of you and all of your talk. I don't like you, I've never liked you, and now I'm going to do something about it!"
She raised her hands high above her head and a ball of light formed in her hands. Jack's eyes widened as Calendrica threw the ball of light at him.
"NO!"
A blinding light filled the room and a cry of anguish was heard. When the smoke cleared, a crumpled body lay on the floor. I gasped staring down at the dead body that lay before me.
"Well," said Calendrica, "We all have to go sometime."
She then walked over to the body and picked it up, smoothing back the auburn hair.
"Farewell, old friend," she said softly, "You were of great help to me. But we both knew it had to end this way."
She then carried Malvagita's lifeless form to a corner of the room, placing it on the ground. She muttered a few words, and Malvagita's body disappeared in a cloud of pale pink dust. Calendrica then turned and walked back to us, a grim look on her face.
"Enough stalling," she said, "Let's proceed."
"You're heartless!" I cried, "Don't you even care that you killed your friend?"
"My friend?" replied Calendrica with a laugh, "Malvagita was just a lackey, a follower, a crony."
"She was not!" I cried, "She saved my brother's life!"
"But she intended to take it," reminded Calendrica.
"No, I don't think so."
We turned to face Jack.
"She was sweet to me," he said, "She may have talked tough in order to fool you, but I don't think she would have gone through with it. She's not like you, Calendrica. She's not pure evil."
Calendrica's eyes glittered in the dim light of the room.
"Well," she said, "If I'm pure evil, then why are you deliberately trying to get on my bad side?"
Jack was at a loss for words as Calendrica walked over and deftly tied another bandanna around his mouth. She stepped back.
"Enough talk," she said, "Let's begin, shall we?"
She turned and began to walk to Annie, a smile on her face. I watched Annie, who was crying harder than ever. I desperately tried to think of something to do, but came up with nothing.
"Wait," came a calm voice.
I turned and looked. In all the confusion, nobody had remembered that Clu was still able to talk.
"Yes, Angel?" asked Calendrica, walking over to him and running her hand over his chest.
"You don't want them," he said flatly, "Let them go, and I'll go with you willingly. I don't know what you want me for, but I'll do whatever you ask. Just please, let my friends go."
Calendrica looked into Clu's pleading face. She ran a hand over his jaw and smiled.
"Of course, Lovely."
Calendrica turned and deftly untied Annie and Jack, but before either of them could run, she had murmured a few words. The two tumbled to the ground, both out cold.
"You said you'd let them go," said Clu.
"Dear heart, I didn't harm them at all," said Calendrica, "They're merely in a state of relaxation. In their world right now, they're both on a tropical island enjoying the warmth of the sun and each other's company."
"What about her?" said Clu, looking at me.
Oh no. I knew Clu was mad at me, but I couldn't help myself.
"No," I said, "I'm not leaving you."
"You'll get hurt," warned Clu, looking at me, "Please Fi, I have to do this, just please, you have to go."
"I can't," I said, "If I leave, I will have lost everything good in my life. Don't make me go, Clu, I'm begging you."
Calendrica cleared her throat loudly.
"As much as I love this teen soap opera, I feel I must interject something. I actually had no intention of letting you go, Fiona."
"Why not?" asked Clu, his voice laced with fire.
"Sweetness, isn't it obvious? Fiona's special. Even if I let her go, even if I blocked her memory, she would still know, still be able to remember what has happened. She's not like the rest of you humans. She's different. That's why we need her. That's why she must come back with me."
"What?" I asked, "Need me for what?"
"Our culture…" faltered Calendrica, "My people…our way of life…we're a dying species. That's why we came to Earth. To replenish our population. And also…to find you. You're special. You can help us rebuild our civilization. You can rule us, help us to thrive again."
"Why would I help you?" I seethed, "You've kidnapped my friends and me, nearly killed my brother, and seem to delight in torturing me. Why would I possibly want to help you?"
"Because if you don't, I'll kill you," replied Calendrica, "And your precious Clu will be forced to watch."
"I thought I was supposed to watch him die," I said, mocking her.
"I decided this would be more fun," said Calendrica, a wide grin on her face.
Calendrica walked over to me, a sly grin on her face.
"Poor sweet Fiona," she cooed, "This all must be terrible for you, mustn't it? I mean, here you are all alone. Your mother can't help you; your friends can't help you… You're all alone."
I bit my lip as Calendrica spoke, realizing the truth behind her words. I was all alone. What could I do? My thoughts were muffled as I heard the voice of my brother.
"She's not alone!!!!"
I whipped my head around. Jack had bitten through his bandanna and was now screaming at Calendrica.
"You, you…thing you!!! You think you can just do whatever you want; take us against our will, force us to do horrible things, well, you CAN'T! We'll find a way to get out of this, and you'll be dead, you hideous crone!"
"SHUT UP!" roared Calendrica, practically flying over to him, "I am sick of you and all of your talk. I don't like you, I've never liked you, and now I'm going to do something about it!"
She raised her hands high above her head and a ball of light formed in her hands. Jack's eyes widened as Calendrica threw the ball of light at him.
"NO!"
A blinding light filled the room and a cry of anguish was heard. When the smoke cleared, a crumpled body lay on the floor. I gasped staring down at the dead body that lay before me.
"Well," said Calendrica, "We all have to go sometime."
She then walked over to the body and picked it up, smoothing back the auburn hair.
"Farewell, old friend," she said softly, "You were of great help to me. But we both knew it had to end this way."
She then carried Malvagita's lifeless form to a corner of the room, placing it on the ground. She muttered a few words, and Malvagita's body disappeared in a cloud of pale pink dust. Calendrica then turned and walked back to us, a grim look on her face.
"Enough stalling," she said, "Let's proceed."
"You're heartless!" I cried, "Don't you even care that you killed your friend?"
"My friend?" replied Calendrica with a laugh, "Malvagita was just a lackey, a follower, a crony."
"She was not!" I cried, "She saved my brother's life!"
"But she intended to take it," reminded Calendrica.
"No, I don't think so."
We turned to face Jack.
"She was sweet to me," he said, "She may have talked tough in order to fool you, but I don't think she would have gone through with it. She's not like you, Calendrica. She's not pure evil."
Calendrica's eyes glittered in the dim light of the room.
"Well," she said, "If I'm pure evil, then why are you deliberately trying to get on my bad side?"
Jack was at a loss for words as Calendrica walked over and deftly tied another bandanna around his mouth. She stepped back.
"Enough talk," she said, "Let's begin, shall we?"
She turned and began to walk to Annie, a smile on her face. I watched Annie, who was crying harder than ever. I desperately tried to think of something to do, but came up with nothing.
"Wait," came a calm voice.
I turned and looked. In all the confusion, nobody had remembered that Clu was still able to talk.
"Yes, Angel?" asked Calendrica, walking over to him and running her hand over his chest.
"You don't want them," he said flatly, "Let them go, and I'll go with you willingly. I don't know what you want me for, but I'll do whatever you ask. Just please, let my friends go."
Calendrica looked into Clu's pleading face. She ran a hand over his jaw and smiled.
"Of course, Lovely."
Calendrica turned and deftly untied Annie and Jack, but before either of them could run, she had murmured a few words. The two tumbled to the ground, both out cold.
"You said you'd let them go," said Clu.
"Dear heart, I didn't harm them at all," said Calendrica, "They're merely in a state of relaxation. In their world right now, they're both on a tropical island enjoying the warmth of the sun and each other's company."
"What about her?" said Clu, looking at me.
Oh no. I knew Clu was mad at me, but I couldn't help myself.
"No," I said, "I'm not leaving you."
"You'll get hurt," warned Clu, looking at me, "Please Fi, I have to do this, just please, you have to go."
"I can't," I said, "If I leave, I will have lost everything good in my life. Don't make me go, Clu, I'm begging you."
Calendrica cleared her throat loudly.
"As much as I love this teen soap opera, I feel I must interject something. I actually had no intention of letting you go, Fiona."
"Why not?" asked Clu, his voice laced with fire.
"Sweetness, isn't it obvious? Fiona's special. Even if I let her go, even if I blocked her memory, she would still know, still be able to remember what has happened. She's not like the rest of you humans. She's different. That's why we need her. That's why she must come back with me."
"What?" I asked, "Need me for what?"
"Our culture…" faltered Calendrica, "My people…our way of life…we're a dying species. That's why we came to Earth. To replenish our population. And also…to find you. You're special. You can help us rebuild our civilization. You can rule us, help us to thrive again."
"Why would I help you?" I seethed, "You've kidnapped my friends and me, nearly killed my brother, and seem to delight in torturing me. Why would I possibly want to help you?"
"Because if you don't, I'll kill you," replied Calendrica, "And your precious Clu will be forced to watch."
"I thought I was supposed to watch him die," I said, mocking her.
"I decided this would be more fun," said Calendrica, a wide grin on her face.
