Pom Pom Angel: Love Rescue pt. 4

Gus rushed through the front door of his building, and up the three flights of stairs towards his apartment.   He didn’t even stop to look behind him to make sure that crazy girl wasn’t following him. 

The last thing he needed was to get mugged by some hyper, homeless cheerleader who thought God had sent her to this world to scare the shit out of people.

“Nando, open the door!”  He started banging his fist onto the black lacquered door.  He was hitting it so hard that his fist went from hurting, to stinging then finally numb. 

After about a minute of raising holy hell, the door opened, and a sleepy Nando, with his two tone hair, and olive skin, cracked the door open. 

“What the hell dude, you have a key.”  His voice was a groggy mumble.  He brushed his blond bangs off of his face, and ran his fingers over the close cut, black hair on the back of his head. 

“No time for keys.”  Gus pushed past his roommate, and slammed the door shut.  “I’m being followed.” 

“By?” Nando stood there, hands on his hips, looking appropriately annoyed. 

“A really perky blonde girl in a cheerleading outfit.”  Gus collapsed on the couch, his lungs finally giving him the finger and demanding oxygen.  “She jumped out of a bush, and called herself my guardian angel.”  

“This is why you never get laid.” Nando shook his head.  “As a straight man, you fail horribly.” 

“Dude, if some burly dude dressed like a football player started charging at you in the park, screaming, “I’m your guardian angel”, would you run?”  Gus leaned forward, his legs aching from the rapid climb up the stairs.  He was really out of shape. 

“You know I’m more of a soccer guy.”  Nando smirked.  He was actually enjoying Gus’s suffering.  “How do you know this girl even followed you home?” 

“I… I’m not entirely sure, actually.” 

“Then you probably lost her when you ran off.  Gus, buddy, you need to calm down.  This is probably nothing.”  Nando sat next to him, patting him on the back. 

Fate decided to prove Nando very wrong.  Very, very wrong. 

The window behind the couch suddenly shattered into a wide spray of glass shards, and a blonde, perky cheerleader with two wings sprouting out of her back, came crashing into their living room.  She flew over them, slamming into the far wall, and tumbling to the ground. 

“Damn wings ruining my entrance.”  She was mumbling to herself as she climbed to her feet. 

Nando and Gus both sat there, stunned.  Had that really just happened?  Did that crazy lady really just come flying into their apartment? 

She hopped to her feet, brushing the broken pieces of glass off of her crisp, blue and white sweater, then she threw out her arms, and with a big smile on her face yelled, “You can run, but you can’t hide from your guardian angel!” 

Both men screamed.  It seemed the natural reaction to having some weird, half bird, and half valley girl cannonball through your living room window.  They screamed, and they ran, both of them rushing into the bathroom, slamming and locking the door behind them. 

“I told you!  I told you she was following me!”  Gus was shuddering, pressing himself against the door, trying to hold back the cheery invader. 

Nando was fishing under the bathroom sink.  “Fine, you were right.  A bouncy bomber is stalking you.  Now shut up, and let me think.”

Gus could hear her yelling on the other side of the door.  “God damn it!  I’m an angel you asshole.  Why do you keep running away from me?” 

“Think quick!  She’s getting pissed.” 

***

Missy wasn’t use to using such foul language, but in that moment, it seemed appropriate.  Being a guardian angel wasn’t supposed to be this hard.  All she wanted to do was introduce herself, but he kept running away. 

“Come on.  I’m not going to hurt you.”  She pouted; hoping the power of her cuteness could reach through the bathroom door.  “You guys are hurting my feelings.” 

Her pouting must have worked, because the bathroom door slowly creaked open. 

“I knew you would see the light!”  She rushed at the door, arms outstretched and ready to embrace her project. 

When she was a few feet away, the door flew open, and Gus’s roommate rushed at her, a spray can held in front of him. 

This was bad. 

He pressed down on the top, and a thick cloud of bug spray blasted her in the face. 

The last thing she thought before passing out was if it was bad form for a guardian angel to beat the shit out of her project, because even if it was, the Council of Angels would probably make an exception for Gus.  

Accidental Demon Slayers: Melody of Light pt. 7

Rita had been counting down the days until she was able to escape the production office.  Liz had been making everyone’s lives hell ever since her talk with Max. 

Well, Liz was always on edge.  She lived on caffeine, and probably cocaine.  Her constant frustration was even reflected in her appearance, with her frizzy, dirty blonde hair and blood shot eyes.  She always had caked on foundation that was one shade too light for her skin, and her crimson red lips hid smoke stained teeth.  Rita could still remember the way Liz had hissed when she was on the phone, her lips pressing against the receiver so hard that her thick, waxy lipstick had smeared onto the plastic.

Rita had heard most of the conversation, and really couldn’t believe how Liz could lie to Max like that.  The network didn’t care about the format switch.  Hell, they had loved it.  It was Liz who was pushing back.  She didn’t want to see her show changed. 

But it wasn’t her show.  It was Max’s.  The network couldn’t stand Liz, but they loved Max, and Liz knew full well that if the fight made it to the head honchos, she would be the one packing her bags, not Max.  

“That bastard thinks he knows this business better then me?  He thinks he knows what people want to see?”  Liz was screaming so loud that Rita could hear her clearly halfway across the office.  “That little shit wouldn’t have a pot to piss in if it wasn’t for me.” 

Rita glanced over the top of her cubicle, at Liz’s office.  She was alone, ranting to herself, the door wide open, and the entire office crew able to hear her. 

“I developed the original idea, and that’s what they are going to stick with it!  They want to change it?  Over my dead body!”  Liz slammed her door shut. 

All of this had started with that one phone call.  Then, a few days later, it was a call from the network.  Max had gone over her head.  Liz shouldn’t have been surprised.  Their relationship had soured over the past year, and the Fantasy Land special was turning out to be the nail in the coffin for their relationship.  Especially when Max got the cuts that Liz demanded put back into the show. 

Rita sat back down, and focused on her work. Just stay out of it. That had been her mantra since she had gotten back from Fantasy Land. 

She hadn’t been shocked when Rico had quit.  After hearing about Brittany’s death, not to mention having his throat cut open and getting attacked by a bunch of demonic troll dolls, he just didn’t have the drive to keep chasing after things that went bump in the night. 

Rita had considered quitting, too.  So much had happened, and she had learned so much about her family.  She had learned about the darkness that she had inherited.  When she had finally gotten home, and had been able to settle into a more normal routine, she looked at herself, at the darkness, and realized something. 

She needed to fight it.  She didn’t just mean fighting it on the inside.  No, she had to go out into the world and fight back against the evil that kept trying to seep into the world. 

She knew Max didn’t believe the stories about Heartsong Island, but she did.  He wasn’t the one doing all the research, and scheduling the interviews.  There was something evil hidden in that island, and she was going to find it. 

“Rita!” Liz’s door popped open, and she popped her frizzy little head out into the office.  “Get in here!” 

Rita took a deep breath, and marched over to Liz. 

“Yes?” She kept a smile on her face, hiding her discomfort. 

“You’re not going on the shoot.  I need your plane ticket.”  Liz was eyeing her, waiting for her to complain. 

“Then you’ll have to talk to Max about that.” Rita’s smile grew. 

“It’s the network’s money, not…” 

“Didn’t you hear?  Max is paying for my flight.” Rita giggled.  “Isn’t it great when you have a host who comes from money?  He’s so sweet.” 

“You are not going on that trip.” Liz was walking towards her slowly, her eyes shooting death rays. 

She had to admit; it was fun getting under Liz’s skin.  The woman had been a mega-bitch to her since the first day she was hired. It was probably because Rita didn’t fall under Liz’s control.  She was Max’s production assistant, and he had sole control over her career.  Liz had no footing with her, no real way to threaten her.  She tried, as was evident in her current attempt to bully Rita out of the new shoot, but in the end she always had to back off. 

“Like I said, ma’am, you’ll have to talk to Max.”  Rita turned, and started back towards her desk.  “You could go to the network about it, I guess.” 

“That bastard is not going to keep me away from this special.” Liz stomped her foot.  “And neither are you.  You give me that ticket, or…” 

Rita turned.  She had been through enough.  After everything she had dealt with in that temple, Liz didn’t even come close to scaring her, and at that moment she was getting really sick of her shit. 

“Or what?” Rita’s voice was flat, cold.  It even surprised her at how cruel she sounded.  “You better watch your tongue Liz, or someone will drag you out of the office by it.” 

She hadn’t meant to say that last part.  She hadn’t even realized she had been the one to say it until she saw the shocked, horrified look on Liz’s face. 

“How… how… HOW DARE YOU TALK TO ME THAT WAY!”  Liz rushed at her. 

Rita didn’t back down.  She just stood there, her eyes never leaving the producer.  Liz raised her hand, ready to smack Rita nice and hard, but she froze. 

“Fine.  I’ll… I’ll get my own ticket.”  Slowly Liz backed away, a few drops of sweat breaking out on her forehead. 

What had Rita done?  She was so sure that she was just about to get the shit smacked out of her, and then…

Was that fear in Liz’s eyes?  Rita hated to admit it, but the feeling that she had scared someone as monstrous as Liz kind of made her feel, well, good. 

“Good for you.”  Rita’s smile returned.  “Now, I’m going to take the rest of the day to pack.  I have to get up bright and early for the flight tomorrow.  Any problems?” 

Liz didn’t speak.  She just went back into the office, slamming the door shut. 

“Didn’t think so.” 

Accidental Demon Slayers: Melody of Light pt. 6

Max sat on the couch in Clare’s apartment, his phone pressed to his ear.  The last thing he wanted to do was deal with his producers, but he had no choice.  They paid the bills, so when they spoke he had to listen. 

“What do you mean you aren’t sure about the format change?” Max shook his head.  He had been over this with them a thousand times.  “You saw how good the Fantasy Land special turned out, and it tested through the roof.  People don’t give a shit about watching me wander around a dark house.  They want the stories, the history.  They want to be freaked out, not bored stiff.” 

“I know, Max, but the network isn’t sure they want to take the risk.”  His producer, a middle aged woman named Liz, could sweet talk a homeless man out of spare change, had that snide, ‘I know what’s best for you’ tone to her voice. 

“Well, I owe them one more special, so I’m going to give them one more special.  No lock in, or me freaking out at the sound of a floorboard creaking.  This is going to be real, investigative journalism.  We are going to get to the bottom of that myth, and it’ll be amazing TV.” 

“Max, darling, you’re a ghost hunter, not Anderson Cooper.” Liz’s voice took on a mocking tone.  “Just do the lock in, get us some creepy night vision footage, and maybe an interview or two with the locals, and call it a day.” 

“Bitch.”  He mumbled the word under his breath, but he was sure Liz heard it. 

“About the Fantasy Land special.  We had to cut part of it.”

“What part?”  Max could feel the muscles in his back tightening. 

“The section on that girl, Brittany.  It makes legal uncomfortable.”  Liz paused.  “It’s a great story, but it’s too much.  It’s too over the top.  I mean, no one will believe that she went missing in the park, let alone, got killed.” 

“But she did.”  Max’s teeth were gritted so tight his jaw hurt.  “It’s on the tapes.” 

“I don’t doubt that, but we don’t want to set off any alarms with the police, so…” He could hear her taking a deep breath on the other end.  “We had to cut it.”

“That section was a tribute to a friend of mine, Liz.”

“I’m sorry Max, but we just can’t take the risk.  You know that it’ll be better for the show.” 

He hated showbiz.  He hated the way his producer would talk to him like he was an insolent child.  Everything was always for his own good.   He wanted to tell Liz to take her show and shove it, but he knew he wouldn’t.  He needed that show.  He needed his fans.  So, his integrity always ended up taking a back seat. 

He wrapped up the call, and tossed his phone down. 

He had planned to surprise Clare with the tribute, but now that wasn’t happening.  The more he thought about it, the more he realized that maybe it was a blessing in disguise.  He had no clue how she would react. 

Still, it hurt to have them axe a segment that had meant so much to him.  Especially after he had pulled the special together so quickly. 

They had never gotten enough usable footage to construct a normal episode, and the network had panicked.  He had been the one who had pulled the interviews from the local reporters and police.  He was the one who constructed the narrative around the missing college students, who had interviewed their friends and family.  He was the one who pieced enough of the footage together to create the perfect story. 

He was the one who had lived through that whole, fucking mess. 

He rubbed his temples. 

The Heartsong Island special was going to be his ticket out of schlock TV.  Sure, it was nothing more than a ghost story, but it was his chance to show that he could create a compelling docu-series. 

He had never admitted it to Clare, but their experiences together had changed his whole view on the supernatural.  When he had started his work, he had been nothing more than a showman.  He saw a niche that people were clamoring for, and he jumped at it.  Now, after being face to face with some pretty horrific and vile supernatural creatures, he saw his chance to show the world a different side of things.  He saw his chance at exposing the dangers that were really out there. 

For once, he felt like he wanted to be taken seriously. 

He had Clare to thank for that.  She had been the one who had made him grow up and open his eyes.  She was his knight in shining armor.  It was odd to say that, but it was true.  She had saved his life, and she had given him strength. 

He hadn’t said it out loud yet, but he had fallen in love with her.

Pom Pom Angel: Love Rescue pt. 3

Missy stood there in the middle of the park picking leaves out of her hair, and wondering why the hell Gus had run.  Who ran from their guardian angel?  Seriously?  Who? 

“Mama, that lady looks weird!”  A small kid stopped in front of Missy, and pointed at her. 

“Huh?”  Missy looked down at her clothes, checked her hair.  Other then some stray foliage, she thought she looked pretty normal.  Well, there were her wings, but…

Wait, the kid could see her?  That’s not how this was supposed to work. 

“Damn it!”  Missy stomped her foot on the ground, frustrated.  How is she supposed to discreetly help her project if everyone could see her, and her fricken wings? 

“Sweetie, it’s not polite to… Oh God!”  The child’s mother an over, scooped up her son, and darted off. 

“Everyone is running away from me today.”  She could feel her cheeks growing red.  “Real great for my self esteem.” 

She couldn’t worry about that right now.  She needed to find Gus, and she needed to get him to stay put, and not run away screaming.  After the reaction she just got, she was starting to realize that maybe her task was a little harder then she had expected.

She glanced around, making sure that no one was watching.  There was only one way she could think of to track him down, and taking off in the middle of a crowd was not the easiest way to stay discreet. 

The coast was clear. 

“Okay, time to try these things out.”  Missy gave them a gentle flap, and suddenly she lifted off the ground like a rocket, shooting straight into the sky. 

So, they didn’t work like normal wings.  She wished someone had told her that before sending her off on a mission, and of course these things didn’t come with instructions. 

She titled her wings forward, in the direction that Gus had run off, and she managed to change direction. 

She soared forward, and the longer she spent in the air, the more comfortable she got with her wings.  She didn’t have to flap them, she knew that much, and changing direction seemed to be pretty easy.  Now, if only she could slow down. 

She bobbed and weaved through trees, doing her best to avoid branches, and the odd bird flying by.  Everything was moving so quickly. 

“Maybe if I…” She shifted her wings downward. 

She dropped like a rock.

As she saw the cement rushing towards her face, she couldn’t help but remember those old cartoons she had watched when she was kid.  The ones where the character would smack into the ground, creating a large, creature shaped crater around them.  She couldn’t help but wonder if she would make a crater, like a cement angel. 

At least she knew she wasn’t going to die.  She had already checked that off her list. 

Her body seemed to bounce off the pavement, as if it was rubber, and she landed square on her feet. 

“Perfect!”  She threw her arms over her head, mimicking a gymnast after a perfect landing.  “Hey, Gus!” 

There he was, right across the street, and he was running into an apartment building. 

Sure, she had a rocky start, but darn it, everything was looking up now!