Chapter 3, dinner
Vivian was getting ready for her date with Damian, putting on her makeup, looking at herself in the mirror and realising that was how she always looked, but being fine with it. She was excited, this was her first real date in years. She'd been out before, but now she didn't have to constantly look around her shoulder to see if Beldam was there waiting to kill her.
They were meeting at the restaurant at 7, and it was 6:45. The restaurant was a 15 minute walk from where they were. Do the math. "Marilyn, I'm leaving now," she said.
"Guh! (when are you getting back?)"
"I don't know," she confessed.
"Guh… (okay, but you know Beldam could be plotting something)"
"Not after the beating I gave her."
"Guh. (well, if you think so)"
Vivian left, walking down the street. She caught out of the corner of her eye the purple, shadowy form of her sister, Beldam. When she turned to look, the figure was gone. This was going to be another one of these nights.
She met Damian at the restaurant, and they got a table. Before they sat down, she leaned over and asked the waiter, "If you see an old woman wearing a blue and white striped hat, who looks a bit like me, could you tell me?"
"Certainly," said the waiter, who's name tag said Shawn.
"So," said Damian, "what's the deal with the old woman thing?"
"My sister, I'll tell you about it later," she said, wanting more than anything to get out of this conversation as fast as possible.
"Come on, do we really want to start off the night with secrecy?" he asked.
"No, you'd think I was weird and creepy," she said.
"Well, the fact that you're not telling me leaves it up to my imagination, and I can imagine some pretty weird stuff," he said.
"Okay, fine, my sister is evil. My other sister and I used to live with her, doing evil stuff. If we defied her, she'd do unspeakable things to us. Well, me, my sister got off easily, but still she stayed only because she knew if she left, I'd be killed. But after our biggest screw-up to date, and my latest beating, I just snapped. I absolutely destroyed her and left. My now I live with the other sister, who's name is Marilyn, for the record."
"Wow," said Damian, "I stand corrected, that was about as crazy as anything I can imagine. But it's all behind you, right?"
"Well, sort of, I have a hunch that she's planning something. I could swear I saw her on the way here," Vivian said. Just saying it out loud made her realize just how real the threat was.
"Well, she's not here now, so let's just enjoy the evening," suggested Damian.
"Amen to that," agreed Vivian.
"Ready to order?" asked the waiter, approaching their table.
"Are you ready?" Damian asked Vivian.
"Yeah, are you?" she asked back.
"Yeah."
"Well then," continued the waiter, "what'll it be?"
"I'll try the waldorf salad," Vivian said.
"I'll have the steak, medium rare," said Damian. Meat is murder! "Where's that voice coming from?" Trying out that technique where the author speaks in the story using italics, usually for comedic effect. "Oh."
"And anything to drink?" inquired the waiter.
"Umm… can we see the wine list?" asked Damian.
"I don't usually drink," said Vivian.
"Oh, never mind," said Damian.
"Well, then, I'll ask again, anything to drink?" asked the waiter.
"Well, I'm going to have a screwdriver," said Damian.
"I'll have a shirley temple," said Vivian.
"Okay then," said the waiter, departing the table.
"So, how about that Mario, eh?" said Damian.
"I actually owe my happiness to him. He and his crew beat my sisters and I, leading to when Beldam, my evil sister, tried to beat me worse than ever before, and I decided to finally not take it any more," Vivian said.
"Really? I'm just glad he finally killed Hooktail," said Damian.
"What? Hooktail's dead? I used to work with her. She wasn't nearly as bad as people said. She and I used to work for this big evil demon, me because my sister made me, her because the demon herself made her. Well, it's probably better this way, she volunteered to protect one of the crystal stars, one of seven keys to releasing the demon again," said Vivian.
"Wow, I had no idea," said Damian in shock.
"So what's your life like?" asked Vivian.
"Well, not quite as interesting as yours, but not boring. I grew up in Beanbean Castle Town, my family were the only humans. My parents were cops, always hunting down Cackletta. Once they caught her, but she got out on bail. Then we moved to Rogueport, and I got my first job as a fry cook at Zess T. burger. On a hot stock tip, I invested in Fawful's headgear. By the time he went out of business for full time evil, I'd already diversified my portfolio and was doing great. I haven't had to work in years. I've been able to live off my dividends, in neither poverty nor luxury. And that's my life," concluded Damian.
"Wow, you're lucky, that or skilled," said Vivian.
Just then, the waiter walked up and spoke, "Ma'am, that woman you asked about, she's here." A jolt ran up and down Vivian's spine. Beldam walked in.
"Ahh, there you are, my ugly. And you've found another ugly too," she spoke.
"I'm done with you Beldam. You treated me like crap for all these years, and I finally left. Accept it. You can't treat people like that," Vivian said, anger creeping in her voice.
"Well look who's finally grown up, but face it, I own you," Beldam jeered.
"I think my total destruction of you will speak for itself," Vivian said, anger mingling with confidence. She was remembering that Beldam's physical advantage over her was all a myth. She was stronger than Beldam by a long shot.
"Let's see about that," Beldam said, slapping her sister in the face.
"Don't you realize we're in a crowded restaurant?" asked Vivian.
"More people to see me destroy you and shut your insolent little mouth forever," Beldam said, with another slap.
"After all these years, do you think I even feel that?" taunted Vivian.
"That's just the light stuff, now I will really dig into you for the first time. I'll finally be able to get all my loathing for you out of me, you pathetic little thing!" said Beldam, getting louder all the time.
"I'm in the middle of a date!" yelled Vivian.
"I don't care! Haven't you got that yet? You're just a tool for my personal use!" screamed Beldam.
"You know what? I don't care either! I'm going to rip your miserable, decrepit limbs off your body and throw you into the gutter where you belong!" yelled Vivian.
Just then, Beldam grabbed her by the hair and started punching her repeatedly. Vivian finally broke her sister's grip and started punching back. They spilled out the door and onto the street. Vivian gained the upper hand and started pummelling Beldam harder than she'd ever done to anyone ever. Faster than even Beldam had ever hit anyone. Beldam grabbed a lid from a nearby trash can and hit Vivian with it, trying as hard as she could to defend herself. But Vivian was unstoppable. Her fists rained down harder than a monsoon. Finally Beldam found the right tool for her task, a baseball bat someone had left lying out in the rain. It hit Vivian's skull with a sickening thud. Vivian recoiled. Beldam repeated, and again, and again, with each hit her expression turned more and more sadistic. But Vivian wasn't about to admit defeat. She brought her hands up, blocking the bat. She wrenched it from her sister's hands, and began using it herself. She stopped eventually, content that she had just about evened out the unfair advantage that had been given to Beldam through use of the bat. Now that it was fair, Beldam was nearly dead. Vivian had just one thing left in mind, she lifted her sister up, carrying her limp body like sack of potatoes, and dumped it in a dumpster. Then she simply walked back into the restaurant. Her food was ready.
"Sorry, now you probably think I'm insane," said Vivian.
"Well, yes, but that's okay," said Damian, taking a bite of his murder— er… animal flesh— Steak! There we go.
"Wow, I don't really know what to say," said Vivian.
"What? I just think you're great," Damian said.
"Well, I think you're great too," replied Vivian.
END OF CHAPTER
Author's notes: Wow, I'm more creative at less than an hour until midnight.