Inner Turmoil- Chapter 4
Just as Blossom had suspected, dinner was in fact an uncomfortable affair. Bubbles spent the entire evening dabbing her blotchy face with her napkin. Every once in a while she'd sniffle, then fall back into silence.
The professor had changed his attitude again from distant obliviousness to being overly cheerful. With exaggerated gusto he asked how their last day at school had been and commented on how delicious the dinner was. He was clearly making up for his strange behavior earlier by masking the fact that he was really troubled. Blossom and Bubbles still didn't say anything about the conversation they'd had earlier.
Buttercup didn't even come down to dinner, despite Blossom's frequent calls up the stairs. She'd never answered, but Blossom had known better than to burst into her room when she was acting this way. Despite the fact that they were sisters, Buttercup had never been afraid to attack them when the time called for it.
Blossom ate her own dinner in silence, completely at a loss for words. Mostly, she thought about what had happened to her earlier as she'd walked home, going over thoroughly what Bubbles had told her and what her own experience had been. What troubled Blossom was the fact that Bubbles had also sensed something evil and was clearly worried about it. So was she.
What would they do if something had followed them from Townsville? Was it a former enemy coming to finish the job?
Impossible, Blossom thought, they'd never been able to beat us before. Why would they suddenly think they could now? We've only gotten stronger as we've grown-
-Yes, but what if this enemy has gotten stronger as well; more wised up to your strengths. and weaknesses?
"No!" she said out loud. She hadn't meant to blurt out what she'd been thinking, but she'd caught the attention of the professor and Bubbles, who looked at her curiously.
"I just spilled on myself that's all," Blossom lied. She got up from the table trying to be as elusive as she could, because she hadn't really spilled anything.
"Don't worry about your plate, I'll clean it up," the professor said happily, getting up from his own seat and moving towards the sink. Bubbles looked at Blossom with a huge, childish blue stare. Her faint eyebrows were scrunched up in worry. Blossom returned her expression, and then moved from the kitchen to the stairs.
As she was walking towards her room something caught her attention. It was coming from Buttercup's room. It sounded as if she was repeatedly hitting something with a pillow. The sound was dull and quiet. Blossom went to her door and knocked. There was no response, but feeling fed up with her sister, Blossom opened the door anyway.
"What's wrong with you?" she asked forcefully. Buttercup stopped doing whatever had been keeping her occupied and turned. She'd clearly been hitting her bed with her recently found boxing glove.
"It was under my bed the whole time," Buttercup said coolly. "Nothin's wrong."
"Yes there is. You can say there isn't until hell freezes over, but I know you too well-"
"You don't know a thing about me. Or even yourself for that matter!" Buttercup suddenly shouted. Blossom was taken aback.
"Of course I do. I know all about you. and I certainly know all about myself!" she retorted. Buttercup walked towards her swiftly, and Blossom suddenly thought she was going to get punched in the face.
"Sure. Right. Whatever." Was all Buttercup said. She narrowed her eyes.
"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" Blossom screamed. All the anger and tension she'd felt the entire day suddenly had to come out.
"NOTHING!"
"WHATEVER!"
"GET OUT OF MY ROOM!"
"NO! NOT UNTIL YOU TELL ME WHAT'S UP YOUR ASS!"
Buttercup suddenly lunged at her, throwing Blossom onto the floor heavily with a muffled grunt. Buttercup had her pinned to the ground, and pulled her fist back to punch. She caught Blossom squarely in the jaw, which hurt pretty badly considering Buttercup's Chemical X induced strength.
Blossom screamed angrily and threw Buttercup off with her legs in retaliation, trying to shake the stars out of her vision. The next moment Blossom was trying to stand, dazed by the incredible blow, but Buttercup had charged towards her again, this time grabbing Blossom by the hair.
"OWOWOWOWOW!"
"I'LL RIP EVERY HAIR OUT OF YOUR HEAD!"
Blossom could taste blood in her mouth.
"GET OFF ME YOU STUBBORN BITCH!"
By that time they had attracted a crowd. Bubbles was framed in the doorway, sobbing with horror. The professor looked absolutely livid. He stormed into the room, grabbed Buttercup firmly by the nap of her neck and threw her off Blossom. Blossom yelped in pain as she felt a good amount of her hair leave her scalp.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" the professor screamed at Buttercup. She wasn't staring at him with remorse, but was glaring at him with pure loathing. She didn't answer him. Bubbles had moved into the room to help Blossom get up, gingerly touching her scalp with sisterly concern.
"ANSWER ME!"
Buttercup kept her mouth shut. For a minute, Blossom was afraid the professor would go so far as to hit Buttercup for her blatantly rude behavior. He loomed over her ominously, but Buttercup just stared back blankly.
"Why do you constantly insist on beating up your sisters?!" the professor said, voice shaking with rage.
Buttercup didn't answer. She kept staring at the professor as if she was staring at the late Mojo Jojo. Pure unbridled hatred. Buttercup had never looked at him that way before.
"Well?!"
Silence.
"ANSWER ME!"
Silence.
"Do you want to be thrown out of this house? Trust me, I'll do it-"
"Why should I? All you ever do is lie," Buttercup spat, pushing past all three of them into the hallway. The Professor stood exactly where he was, completely aghast at what had just been said to him. Buttercup's last comment had been completely irrelevant, but incredibly hurtful at the same time.
Buttercup had gone into the bathroom, because a few seconds later they heard the bathwater running. Clever. The Professor wouldn't dare go in there if she were in the bath.
"You two better go to your rooms," the professor said slowly. He actually sounded mournful. Was he going to cry?
"Professor, I-" Blossom began to apologize. It had been partly her fault.
"Just do as I say, please," he whispered, his voice shaking.
"Come on Blossom," Bubbles said, and with Bubbles's arm still around Blossom's shoulder they left the room. Blossom hugged her sister, and then mumbled something about going to bed. They parted ways and Blossom didn't bother to turn her lights on as she walked into the room.
She lied down on her bed, too saddened to bother changing, and began to stare out her window. She was unwilling to go to sleep, and unwilling to face her dream again. Blossom was also very shaken at the fight she'd just had with her sister. They'd had physical fights before, but Buttercup had always held back to some degree.
This time though, she had been surprisingly violent, and clearly wanted to let out some of her mysterious stress on her sister. Blossom didn't doubt that she'd really meant she was going to rip all her hair out.
Buttercup had stayed in the bathroom for a long time. Once, Blossom heard the professor walk past her room to go downstairs, sniffling and mumbling to himself about being sorry. Soon she heard Buttercup leave the bathroom and then go into her own room, closing the door behind her. Blossom was fairly certain Buttercup was going to lock the door.
Soon, Blossom began to doze off, watching the outlines of the trees outside her window make funny shapes on her walls. They almost looked like a pack of monsters dancing outside her room, and once she could swear she saw the outline of their old nemesis Him in the shadows. She slept peacefully for a while, and then sure enough she began to dream.
Long hallway, running, panting, not fast enough-
-Can't breath, throat is being crushed.
Very familiar. I know who you are. Who?! What do you want?!
Then a new terror, one she'd never experienced before.
There was a faint outline of horrible eyes, watching her die. cold, cruel laughter, imprinting on her mind.
She tried to scream or struggle, but she couldn't. She wasn't strong enough. not anymore.
???
Anymore?
There was pain all over her body; she felt a rush of something leaving her. blood. she was bleeding to death.
Cruel laughter. cackling. gleeful. enjoying watching her die. so familiar.
For the first time since Blossom had begun having her dream, she woke up screaming in terror.
Just as Blossom had suspected, dinner was in fact an uncomfortable affair. Bubbles spent the entire evening dabbing her blotchy face with her napkin. Every once in a while she'd sniffle, then fall back into silence.
The professor had changed his attitude again from distant obliviousness to being overly cheerful. With exaggerated gusto he asked how their last day at school had been and commented on how delicious the dinner was. He was clearly making up for his strange behavior earlier by masking the fact that he was really troubled. Blossom and Bubbles still didn't say anything about the conversation they'd had earlier.
Buttercup didn't even come down to dinner, despite Blossom's frequent calls up the stairs. She'd never answered, but Blossom had known better than to burst into her room when she was acting this way. Despite the fact that they were sisters, Buttercup had never been afraid to attack them when the time called for it.
Blossom ate her own dinner in silence, completely at a loss for words. Mostly, she thought about what had happened to her earlier as she'd walked home, going over thoroughly what Bubbles had told her and what her own experience had been. What troubled Blossom was the fact that Bubbles had also sensed something evil and was clearly worried about it. So was she.
What would they do if something had followed them from Townsville? Was it a former enemy coming to finish the job?
Impossible, Blossom thought, they'd never been able to beat us before. Why would they suddenly think they could now? We've only gotten stronger as we've grown-
-Yes, but what if this enemy has gotten stronger as well; more wised up to your strengths. and weaknesses?
"No!" she said out loud. She hadn't meant to blurt out what she'd been thinking, but she'd caught the attention of the professor and Bubbles, who looked at her curiously.
"I just spilled on myself that's all," Blossom lied. She got up from the table trying to be as elusive as she could, because she hadn't really spilled anything.
"Don't worry about your plate, I'll clean it up," the professor said happily, getting up from his own seat and moving towards the sink. Bubbles looked at Blossom with a huge, childish blue stare. Her faint eyebrows were scrunched up in worry. Blossom returned her expression, and then moved from the kitchen to the stairs.
As she was walking towards her room something caught her attention. It was coming from Buttercup's room. It sounded as if she was repeatedly hitting something with a pillow. The sound was dull and quiet. Blossom went to her door and knocked. There was no response, but feeling fed up with her sister, Blossom opened the door anyway.
"What's wrong with you?" she asked forcefully. Buttercup stopped doing whatever had been keeping her occupied and turned. She'd clearly been hitting her bed with her recently found boxing glove.
"It was under my bed the whole time," Buttercup said coolly. "Nothin's wrong."
"Yes there is. You can say there isn't until hell freezes over, but I know you too well-"
"You don't know a thing about me. Or even yourself for that matter!" Buttercup suddenly shouted. Blossom was taken aback.
"Of course I do. I know all about you. and I certainly know all about myself!" she retorted. Buttercup walked towards her swiftly, and Blossom suddenly thought she was going to get punched in the face.
"Sure. Right. Whatever." Was all Buttercup said. She narrowed her eyes.
"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" Blossom screamed. All the anger and tension she'd felt the entire day suddenly had to come out.
"NOTHING!"
"WHATEVER!"
"GET OUT OF MY ROOM!"
"NO! NOT UNTIL YOU TELL ME WHAT'S UP YOUR ASS!"
Buttercup suddenly lunged at her, throwing Blossom onto the floor heavily with a muffled grunt. Buttercup had her pinned to the ground, and pulled her fist back to punch. She caught Blossom squarely in the jaw, which hurt pretty badly considering Buttercup's Chemical X induced strength.
Blossom screamed angrily and threw Buttercup off with her legs in retaliation, trying to shake the stars out of her vision. The next moment Blossom was trying to stand, dazed by the incredible blow, but Buttercup had charged towards her again, this time grabbing Blossom by the hair.
"OWOWOWOWOW!"
"I'LL RIP EVERY HAIR OUT OF YOUR HEAD!"
Blossom could taste blood in her mouth.
"GET OFF ME YOU STUBBORN BITCH!"
By that time they had attracted a crowd. Bubbles was framed in the doorway, sobbing with horror. The professor looked absolutely livid. He stormed into the room, grabbed Buttercup firmly by the nap of her neck and threw her off Blossom. Blossom yelped in pain as she felt a good amount of her hair leave her scalp.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" the professor screamed at Buttercup. She wasn't staring at him with remorse, but was glaring at him with pure loathing. She didn't answer him. Bubbles had moved into the room to help Blossom get up, gingerly touching her scalp with sisterly concern.
"ANSWER ME!"
Buttercup kept her mouth shut. For a minute, Blossom was afraid the professor would go so far as to hit Buttercup for her blatantly rude behavior. He loomed over her ominously, but Buttercup just stared back blankly.
"Why do you constantly insist on beating up your sisters?!" the professor said, voice shaking with rage.
Buttercup didn't answer. She kept staring at the professor as if she was staring at the late Mojo Jojo. Pure unbridled hatred. Buttercup had never looked at him that way before.
"Well?!"
Silence.
"ANSWER ME!"
Silence.
"Do you want to be thrown out of this house? Trust me, I'll do it-"
"Why should I? All you ever do is lie," Buttercup spat, pushing past all three of them into the hallway. The Professor stood exactly where he was, completely aghast at what had just been said to him. Buttercup's last comment had been completely irrelevant, but incredibly hurtful at the same time.
Buttercup had gone into the bathroom, because a few seconds later they heard the bathwater running. Clever. The Professor wouldn't dare go in there if she were in the bath.
"You two better go to your rooms," the professor said slowly. He actually sounded mournful. Was he going to cry?
"Professor, I-" Blossom began to apologize. It had been partly her fault.
"Just do as I say, please," he whispered, his voice shaking.
"Come on Blossom," Bubbles said, and with Bubbles's arm still around Blossom's shoulder they left the room. Blossom hugged her sister, and then mumbled something about going to bed. They parted ways and Blossom didn't bother to turn her lights on as she walked into the room.
She lied down on her bed, too saddened to bother changing, and began to stare out her window. She was unwilling to go to sleep, and unwilling to face her dream again. Blossom was also very shaken at the fight she'd just had with her sister. They'd had physical fights before, but Buttercup had always held back to some degree.
This time though, she had been surprisingly violent, and clearly wanted to let out some of her mysterious stress on her sister. Blossom didn't doubt that she'd really meant she was going to rip all her hair out.
Buttercup had stayed in the bathroom for a long time. Once, Blossom heard the professor walk past her room to go downstairs, sniffling and mumbling to himself about being sorry. Soon she heard Buttercup leave the bathroom and then go into her own room, closing the door behind her. Blossom was fairly certain Buttercup was going to lock the door.
Soon, Blossom began to doze off, watching the outlines of the trees outside her window make funny shapes on her walls. They almost looked like a pack of monsters dancing outside her room, and once she could swear she saw the outline of their old nemesis Him in the shadows. She slept peacefully for a while, and then sure enough she began to dream.
Long hallway, running, panting, not fast enough-
-Can't breath, throat is being crushed.
Very familiar. I know who you are. Who?! What do you want?!
Then a new terror, one she'd never experienced before.
There was a faint outline of horrible eyes, watching her die. cold, cruel laughter, imprinting on her mind.
She tried to scream or struggle, but she couldn't. She wasn't strong enough. not anymore.
???
Anymore?
There was pain all over her body; she felt a rush of something leaving her. blood. she was bleeding to death.
Cruel laughter. cackling. gleeful. enjoying watching her die. so familiar.
For the first time since Blossom had begun having her dream, she woke up screaming in terror.