Part Seven
Maggie sat in her room reading. She was happy when she read. She knew it was nearly three in the morning and she'd not been to sleep . . . but she wanted to finish this book.
She was never happy when she wasn't reading. She loved imagining the things in these books were true, that maybe she could escape and have a happy life, maybe somehow she could have a happy ending just like these characters in the books.
"Subject is responding well to negative reinforcement?" A woman's voice asked, breaking into Maggie's concentration . . . that was odd. Usually once Maggie began to read she could sound out the whole universe, somehow this voice cut into her and snatched her attention.
"Yes ma'am." Maggie's mother answered. "It's hard sometimes, she really seems like such a sweet creature."
"She? You're not getting attached to it are you?"
"No ma'am, it was a slip of the tongue, sometimes it's hard to remember what it is ma'am. After all she-it seems so . . . human." Maggie's mother said.
"Has it begun to manifest its powers yet?"
"There are subtle signs ma'am."
"Have you seen it manifest its actual power, has it animated anything?"
"No ma'am." Maggie's mother answered.
Who was she talking to? What was she talking about? Maggie could hear her voice through the door but she sounded strangely sober, she even sounded a little nervous.
"Where is it now?" The strange woman asked. There was silence for a moment, and then the woman said "Ah . . . very good."
"It can be dificult to do at times ma'am, but I have kept as close an eye on it as I've been ordered to do. I . . . I'd dare to say I've been more observant than you asked, I've done very well." Maggie's mother said.
"You're certain it's restrained?"
"I . . . I don't understand."
"You're certain it couldn't come out and kill us both right now?" The woman demanded.
"Like I've said ma'am, it has not manifested any ability yet, and it really is a sweet creature, I don't think it would attack us. Anyway it should aslee--"
"Shut up." The woman snapped. Maggie waited for her mother to explode and put that woman in her place, nobody ever said those words to her in this home . . . right? So why was her mother so quiet?
"The project is failing, I've liquidated six failures this past month alone. Project oh tripple sev will be deemed a failure if it does not manifest by the end of the week. It'll have to be liquidated too. Do whatever you must to get it to manifest . . . you have my permission to become physically abusive, anything you feel is necessary, perhaps if it tries to defend itself against you it will finally show us some results."
"But . . . but I--"
"Your pay will increase substantially if you manage to force manifestation, and if you are injured you will be adequately compensated."
"Yes ma'am. Are . . . you leaving?"
"In a hurry to see me gone?" The woman laughed, "Yes I should be going. I've two more projects to check on, and three more liquidations to complete before I can finally close my eyes for the day."
"Don't you want to visit with it before you go? I mean if I were in your position I'd want to at least look at it before I left-" there was a sharp intake of breath from Maggie's mother and the sound of someone being slapped hard.
Maggie almost opened the door to see what was happening.
"If you fail . . . I'll see it then. I'll look into its eyes as I liquidate it. I'll force you to watch too, since you seem to be rather fond of it." The woman said coldly. "Good day."
"Y-yes ma'am. G-good day." Maggie's mother said shakily.
Maggie held her legs to her chest, what the heck was going on out there? Did she dare open the door and peek?
She heard the door to their home open and then slam shut so whomever the company was had probably left. She heard her mother muttering to herself, "Liquidate this, liquidate that, why don't you just say "kill" instead of trying to sound so scientific?" Suddenly and without warning the door opened, hitting Maggie in the head.
She fell back and heard her mother shout in fury, "Still awake? After I told you to get to sleep hours ago?"
"I-I'm sorry." Maggie said, "I-I heard voices and it woke me up . . . who was here just now?" She asked. It was a lie, she hadn't been to sleep yet but at least if she claimed to have been woken up she might not get yelled at quite so viciously as she would if she admited she'd disobeyed.
She was wrong.
Her mother's eyes became wild with rage and the older woman sprang forward, "There were no voices you stupid little trash! You idiot, you idiot, you damned idiot! Get in bed now, go to sleep!"
Maggie would have loved to . . . if her mother weren't strangling her.
"Can't you just do what you're supposed to do? Can't you just do what I need you to do just once?" The older woman screamed, "You stupid little idiot! You'll kills us both if you keep this up!"
And then came the blows, for the first time she could remember Maggie was being violently beaten by her mother and she had no idea why. Surely staying up late wasn't all that bad . . .
But her mother kept hitting her and screaming at her, Maggie wasn't sure when it would ever stop, or even if this woman who seemed to be taking sick pleasure in hitting her would finally stop, it occured to Maggie that the only way to make it stop might be to fight back.
She tried to hold her mother back, tried to keep the woman away from her but she didn't have the strength, she tried to get away and was shoved into a pile of books.
As she fell her books came apart, the paper flew up and surrounded her as if it were forming a wall or a shield.
If only . . . if only . . .
She curled up in a ball, holding her legs to her chest and she cried, fantasies weren't real, the paper wasn't protecting her, she was just frightened and scared, her mind was playing tricks on her. She was wishing that it something would save her and she knew no person in the world would care enough to do so, so of course her sickly imagination had dared to hope that the books she loved might.
But that wasn't possible. Not to mention a pathetic hope at that.
Sure enough she felt the pages of her ruined books begin to float down as gravity dictated they must.
She wept and held out her hand as if it could possibly hold her mother away, "Stop it!" She pleaded, "Stop it! I'm sorry, I won't ever disobey you again!"
She heard her mother laugh cruelly, "Heh-heh, I guess we've both had enough for tonight . . . but you make good on your word girl, you obey or you'll get much worse than you got just now, I'm not playing games anymore. I've had it up to here with your insolence, you're a worthless little failure!" Her mother said and headed for the door. She turned back just before closing it and said coldly, "Prove me wrong Maggie . . . or before long you'll get so much worse than this you'll wish I'd killed you tonight."
Maggie nodded and cried, it was weird but . . . even though she'd been scared to death that her mother would kill her . . . a tiny part of her thought 'do it already . . . put me out of my misery'
Maggie's eyes shot open and she sat up . . . she was lying in on the ground, propped up by some pillows.
She looked around, she didn't know where she was.
"What is it?" She whispered, gasping for breath.
Saying those words hadn't been a conscious decision, they simply tumbled out of her mouth when she woke up.
"It?" A familiar voice scoffed, "Shit baby I don't know what you're talking about. You okay though?"
Maggie looked at Tokai, he was standing next to a window and looking out, "No sign of anybody . . . I thought for sure Fen and the others would have gotten back by now and I'm starting to get worried about Slade."
"S-Slade?" Maggie whispered, "What happened to Slade?"
Tokai scoffed, "Wish I knew sweet heart. Anyway fucking kid can take care of himself, he is a secret agent y'know." Tokai said with only a slight joking tone to his voice.
Maggie lied down on the stack of pillows and sighed, her whole body hurt but her shoulder hurt the most. "Where are we?" She asked.
"Fell Hound central, this is our base . . . it's an old church, y'know? Dont fucking ask me what religion 'cause I don't know. But there's some cool statues and stuff. Nobody comes here anymore though . . . anyway the others should be back soon and we'll figure out our next move."
"What about Dokusensha?"
"I don't know baby." Tokai said, and he grinned at her, "But I won't let anyone lay a finger on you . . . I'll be your guardian angel."
Well gee . . . that was nice . . . it made her feel like maybe she was worth something . . .
"You wanna fool around while we wait?" The boy blurted, and Maggie's eyes narrowed.
"Do what?" She asked, backing away from him slowly.
He frowned and sad quickly, "I was just kidding, hey, hey calm down I wouldn't do anything, I'm no fucking pervert no matter what Slade says!"
Maggie nodded, but she kept her distance.
"Sensei . . . should I kill them now sensei?" A woman's voice rang out from the rafters.
"Now, now," A man replied, "If I wanted them dead I'd have done it myself by now."
Tokai hissed and his hands began to smoke, he looked around, "Who's there?"
Maggie gasped as a girl fell down from the ceiling and landed flat on her back next to her.
"Ouch! Master Jun I fell!" The girl pouted.
She was younger than Maggie by a year or two, she wore all black and had several gold and silver anklets, though her silvery hair was tied into two buns at the back of her head there was still enough of it to come down her back and over her shoulders, her eyes flashed yellow for a moment and then turned gray.
"Damn it Han, don't you know Spirit Cats are supposed to land on their feet?" A man sighed. He wore a white nehru jacket, the sleeves adorned with golden rings similar to the girl's anklets, he had a gun in his hand and Maggie froze in her place when she saw it.
He looked much older than Maggie, maybe he was in his thirties, he pointed the gun at Tokai and then holstered it, "Easy . . . we come in peace . . . more or less."
"The hell are you?" Tokai demanded.
"The hell? The hell? That's one hell of a stupid question, can't you start it with "who" or "what" so we know how to answer? Master Jun what do you need these two for? I wanted to have dinner we've waited in this stupid place all day, I missed lunch, I'm hungry and I-"
The man smiled and spoke over his female companion at first, though once she heard he was speaking she silenced herself, "Who the hell are we? I'm Jun, this is my lovely if somewhat talkative apprentice Han. We're here as friends . . . we'd hoped to stay hidden until your leader, Fenrir returned but as Han says we've missed lunch and if she doesn't eat soon she'll get hungry for blood and . . . well let's just say we'd have to mop you two off the floor and Fenrir might not believe us when we say we're friendly."
"What? I don't drink blood master-oh you're trying to be intimidating . . . sorry." Han said as Jun glared at her.
Maggie looked at these two in surprise, what the heck was wrong with the world she was living in, "Do you two work for Dokusensha?"
"Dokusensha! They're a bunch of book worms and losers, and I for one find it offensive that you'd dare to compare us to-"
"No my dear," Jun said, cutting his apprentice off again, "We're not Dokusensha. We're Nekekami," He said with a bow, "Japanese organization of the ninja, Spirit Cats, a guild far weaker than Dokusnehsa and your British Library . . . but don't assume that that means Han and I are persons to be trifled with. Give this message to Fenrir and you'll have no problems with us." Jun said, handing her an envelope.
"Fine, he'll get it." Tokai scoffed, "Now unless the lady needs some loving, get the fuck out of our hide out."
"Quite a mouth on that one! Master Jun let me take his tongue out, please?" Han asked and she moved like a flash, her hand shot into the black trench coat she wore, then whipped out again.
A throwing knife sunk into the wall near Tokai's head, Lo-Chun's eyes narrowed, "Damn it," she said, then quickly corrected herself, "Uh I mean I missed on purpose, that was a warning, do not speak profanely in my presence . . . uh let's go eat something master, I'm hungry!"
"Will you be able to aim the food towards your mouth properly?" Jun scoffed.
"I said it was a warning shot!" Lo-Chun protested. "Anyway you haven't seen the last of us, we'll be back!" Lo-Chun assured them as the two walked out of the room, Maggie heard her saying "I've always wanted to say that master, it seemed a properly villainous thing to say, was it good?"
"You'll never make a good assassin until you learn two valuble lessons, Han. The first one is shut, the second one is up, only when you master the art of putting them together could you become a master assassin like me."
Tokai stared at the door after they left then looked at Maggie . . . "Uh . . . okay I don't know about you but my world just got a little weirder."
Maggie shrugged, and it hurt to do so.
To Be Continued . . .