Chapter 22
Running from Luna
The early morning sun gave little hope to the poor rocker as she blitzed her way off from her home, eyes barely registering Royal Woods in a shadowy haze. She didn't bother thinking as her hands instinctively took Lincoln's bike. Her heart trembled; stealing her own brother's bike like this... what was she doing?
Then again, that was the last thing she should be concerned with. When her own demonic guest looked at her confused, she knew she screwed up. "So... uh... mine telling me the plan?" She asked, holding a mixture of confusion and snark in her smile. "You just riding off towards the sun? You know they'll give chase, or dang, get the police involved!"
Luna's feet were tired already peddling hard. She had little energy to spare as it was; the heck was she thinking trying to move so fast? Still, she refused to stop. The demon was correct in her thinking. Soon, her family will come charging in their van, ready to pull her back into the house and feed her those pills, dooming her and them all at once.
She can't have that happen. She just couldn't. Breathing heavily, she wiped the sweat from her brow, peddling faster and faster down the road. Neighborhoods flew by like distant memories, with her arms joining those legs in begging her to stop. No sleep, lack of food, stress, and god knows what else were weighing her down like painful boulders dragging her deep into the ocean. A normal, sane individual would accept the help.
But was she ever sane? Her demon smirked. "You really want me answering that? But seriously, this plan of yours? Where are you even heading? Got a place in mind?"
Those piercing eyes; quite the far cry from Luna's rocking, yet peaceful look. She looked like a rapid animal struggling against a corner, knowing full well it was doomed to die. If she had slobber running down her chin, it would've been the perfect visual.
But really, she didn't need that, for her disgusting words were more than enough. Luna spat on the ground, never losing sight of the demon. "Shut your ass up," she shot at her. The demon looked offended, but the rocker made sure she had no way to respond. "Shut up, shut up, shut up! Just shut up!"
"Okay, well, I will actually do that if you tell me what's on your mind? Waiting for a truck to hit you or something? I mean woah, I didn't know bikes can even move this fast!"
Another turn, another neighborhood. Did Vanzilla start moving yet? It was probably hot on her tail. Her family had two different options in her head: one was filled with concern and worry, dragging themselves in the mud over someone so useless. Or, and the one she honestly hoped was true, they were pissed off, and ready to beat her senselessly. Beat her into a bloody pulp, until nothing was left. Until she was a hollowed out corpse rotting on the side of the street, like a piece of discarded trash that will one day just get forgotten.
Her eyes grew wider, before she slammed them both. "Why are you doing this? Why?" She yelled at herself, feeling the tears fly off as her speed continued to accelerate. "Why can't I stop? Why?" She held her teeth firm, nearly biting off the tip of her tongue. She lashed and lashed, but still kept peddling. "You gave it all up, you dumb... you... you dumb..."
Another smirk. "Female dog, right? Hey, don't you think it's too late to say that type of stuff? You gave it up all on your own. I had no influence over this, just so you know!"
Luna spat again, feeling her mouth grow dry and coarse. She wished she had a weapon. Anything to shut that monster up. "Screw you! You caused this all! You ugly little-"
"But was I always here, Lunes? Huh?"
"Yeah, you showed up and ruined my life!"
Another sharp turn. The demon was struggling to keep up, but you couldn't tell that by looking at her smug face. "Weird. I wasn't there when you blamed yourself for the money woes."
"Nor was I there when you first determined you shouldn't eat."
"And uh, I know it was only, like, a chapter ago, but all I did was open the door for you. You were the one ranting that you should tear up those tickets. Or burn them. Or my personal favorite, flush them down the toilet. Sure, I smiled, but that was all you, babe. Not me."
Luna's angered expression lessened, becoming more akin to fear. "You... you monster..."
A huge laugh, as if thunder struck at the worst possible moment. "Oh my, back to name calling? Look toots, how about you shut up and face the facts? You're a complete screw up, with or without me! Even if I didn't show up to make your life perfect, you'd still be doing this. I'm pretty damn sure on that."
Did tears always feel this heavy? "Y-You're wrong! I'd be rocking with Sam and my band, and Lincoln and I... we'd be having fun!"
"Oh, stop lying! You know that relationship with that blonde floozy was doomed to fail! Didn't Lisa say most relationships in high school end terribly? Come on, she deserved better, and you know that!"
"We loved each other! You don't know us!"
"The key here is that past tense, babe. Sure you did, but look at her now. You're worrying her to death, and now she's probably crying on the couch thinking on what she did wrong. Is that what a good girlfriend does? Leave an angel crying in hell? Is it, Luna?"
The bike ran out of road. Both of them were shocked as a small forest entered the bike's trajectory. The tires screamed as rocks constantly pelted them, but Luna couldn't stop. She steered constantly through the heavy trees, all wondering when she'd inevitably crash. Funny thing was, Luna didn't think about hitting any of them; that demon was all she cared about, and she wasn't stopping until it went away.
"She... I never deserved her, but I don't need you telling me that!"
"Hah, really? Come on, girl, you're more stubborn than a mule! You would be on the couch drunk off your mind from all this dumb rock stuff, and she'd be lamenting why she married ya, and you'd still think it was a beautiful relationship! You should've abandoned her in the park. Dumbass, Luna. Complete dumbass."
Tree after tree, shadow after shadow. She held her head low. "Shut... up..."
"And that cute brother of yours. Daw, ain't he a button? Remember his smile when those tickets were in his hands? Gosh, imagine how bigger that grin would've been if you immediately gave yours to Clyde. He'd rather hang out with a friend that's always by his side. What about you? Didn't you throw him outside so many times, or make fun of him for his interests, or my personal favorite, believe he was bad luck?"
Blood ran down her mouth. Luna was biting hard on that tongue of hers. "I never meant it! I... I was just acting dumb! He knows that!"
"And do you really think he forgave ya? You put that boy through so much trauma. The others did too, I'll give you that one, but dang, have you seen how he looks up to you? That beaming smile, seeing how he had such a cool older sister that's into rock. Hah! That's the dream, isn't it? A role model right in front of ya..."
She nearly crashed into a bush. "I... I wasn't the best..."
"Nope! I call it Stockholm's syndrome the way he still looked up to ya. Sure, he's sad now, but he'll get over it. He'll realize just how bad you were, and when he does actually find ya, I bet he'll call you bad luck! Man, how the tables turn. Told ya wearing a skull on your shirt was a dumb move!"
In her head, she saw him. Lincoln holding her tickets, ready to break down. Her skin grew pale. Even if the demon was a liar, what did it matter? She threw all her hard work away, and thrusted her own failures onto his shoulders. Her body began to shake. The best brother in the world; how much did she torture him?
And how much did she hurt him now?
"And then Luan, the folks, and the rest of that Loud lot," the demon continued, moving like a monkey through the trees, "all of them are way better off without a crazed coot like you! You always knew that. Keeping them up with your loud music, stressing them with getting stardom stuck in your corneas, and oh, I guess being dumb and rude was your downfall too, huh? Being ugly, smelly, and just plain worthless would kinda cause resentment, don't ya think?"
That was it. That was the final comment. Luna's face returned to anger as her peddling was finally coming to an end. A small clearing in the forest broke through, and she managed to stop the bike beside a giant tree. Her lack of energy made her stumble off, collapsing on all fours as her lungs gagged for any support in the cool airy morning. All the while her demonic partner stepped back onto the grass, placing her claws into her pockets. She had to admit, it was shocking the rocker was still alive.
"Oh? You really think they won't check in here? I mean, I can still smell those pills that'll destroy that body of yours. Your family's close, babe."
The demon so far usually knew what Luna was doing. Even when caught off guard, she was quick to pick up the plan. This time, however, things didn't go exactly as she thought. Luna stumbled her way back to her feet, but it wasn't exactly out of fatigue. Something was in her hands, and that unnerved the being to no end.
"Yo... what you holding there?" She asked.
Luna's eyes opened wide with rage, and before the demon could react, a giant branch swung at her head. It phased through her body, but it couldn't withstand trying to dodge. The rocker screamed over and over, spit flying every direction as the makeshift weapon went crazy. "Screw you!" She screamed. "You ruined my life! I hate you! I hate you!"
The demon was shocked, but she still didn't care. That smirk returned. "Lunes, you speaking to me, or yourself? Go on, be honest!"
"I hate you!" Luna kept going, swinging and swinging. No matter what, she had to kill this beast before it's too late. Her family was gone, as was her girlfriend and even the future, but that didn't mean she was going to die with this thing holding her down. She felt her body giving up, and if that's the case, she was going down fighting. "I'm gonna kill you! You're dead!"
It laughed and laughed. "This is too funny! Come on, tell me who you really hate!"
"I...," her blood boiled, "... I..."
"Go on! Say it for the entirety of Royal Woods!"
Luna's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "I hate Luna Loud!"
As she shouted, her foot hit some string. A lone trap set up long ago by the Glitter Queen at last activated. A bucket of glitter poured itself violently on to Luna's face. Her anger subsided back into fear as she dropped the branch, stumbling through the trees and brush. All she could see is the color pink, failing to register the street she was returning to.
In Vanzilla, the Louds drove as fast as they could. Luan and Sam sat in their chair, with the blonde comforting the struggling comedian. Lincoln looked at them both, doing his best to truly be strong for them all. He quickly leaned forward to the front, looking out the window for any sign of his sister. He didn't even care she stole his bike; who cared about that, when someone he cared about was about to lose her life?
Their mom was holding her throat in place, hoping not to cry as well. "Honey, where are you... step on it, Lynn!"
"She's already pushing it! Oh, Lunes couldn't have gone too far..."
As they moved, Lincoln's eyes noted something coming. Something underneath the early morning sun stumbling about like a zombie. At first, he couldn't tell if his eyes were actually registering anything as there, or if his mind was just that tired.
But a part of him knew it was something, and knowing how fast they were going, it wouldn't be there for long. His heart sank. His father, upon noticing it too late, joined along with him. In the back, Luan and Sam didn't even see, but the air was different. They knew something bad was about to happen.
For Lincoln, he screamed. "Luna, no!"
And for his sister, who at last brushed the glitter out of her face, she saw the Van coming. What worried her most: the sight of impending doom... or the fact that she didn't care?
Before everything went dark, there was a surreal moment for the white-haired boy. He swore, perhaps in his grief, that he saw a strange figure beside his sister. One that looked just like her, but demented and frightening.
None of that mattered when his sister vanished before the van's might.
