Paintshark (22 page)

From the centre of what used to be his stadium Big Man heard a huffing and puffing noise, he beckoned Apollo and they climbed over what was left of the ground to look down the gigantic hole in the centre of the arena.

They were about to peer into the gap and they both jumped back, startled by what they saw. Climbing out of the crater was Kimberley, giggling, her hair was still covered in blood, but now had bits of rubble stuck to it, her dress had stopped being white a long time ago and it was shredded and black, her face was dust covered and only her teeth remained a radiant white, she was still giggling as she stood upright and stretched, she widened her eyes as she noticed Big Man and Apollo and stopped laughing, breathing hard, she looked back at the crater she had just climbed out of and then back to the men. Kimberley put her hand to her mouth and made a supping motion to them.

“Anyone fancy a cuppa? I’m gasping.” She collapsed in their arms before they could answer.

Big Man didn't even want to throw a party; it was planned way in advance of that evening's proceedings in the arena, but it was late in the night now and the party was in full flow.

Scantily clad women danced seductively to the popular tunes of the moment as business associates of Big Man leered through smoke-filled haze at the nubile young dancers.

The older, balding men stuffed their faces with copious amounts of free food laid out for all the guests, and threw grapes and other various fruit at the entertainment on show.

The dancers found their perfect poise across the other side of the room and with the much younger and better looking male guests of Big Man much to the annoyance of the more mature ones, who in turn, opened bottles of wine and showered the dancers with them amid squeals of shock and drenched eyes widening through detest.

The mansion was filled, wall to wall with Big Man's dinner guests of who roamed freely around the rooms nosing their way through the magnificent building, drunk on fine wine and cheap gossip.

The glamour models who frequently adorned any available space at the house kept to their job of providing eye entertainment and serving drinks to the assortment of crooks and henchmen at Big Man's disposal.

They danced in the centre of the main hall, the glamour girls swayed and gyrated to the music, and well aware of the attention they were receiving from the other males, the girls danced on.

Aphrodite glided onto the dance floor and was glad she decided to come; she secretly wanted to do something after the Sabrina business but she still expected her phone to ring again tonight.

She had even gone late night shopping to take her mind off it and had bought a new pair of black knee high boots which she wore tonight and as she twisted and pivoted to the music, her heels held firm in the middle of the hall. Aphrodite's heels were high and occasionally there was a flash of awkwardness as some steps were harder to perfect when you're on stilt-like shoes, but still Aphrodite was attracting more attention than the models – she was a beautiful blond-haired centre of attention…and she loved it, Aphrodite beamed a tremendous smile and pushed her long blond hair back over her ears, feeling the left ear lobe which had a sparkling gorgeous earring in it as did the right, her arms were still covered as the hair on them had grown even thicker.

Her phone vibrated from within her bag and she answered it, putting a finger in her other ear to make a half-hearted attempt to block out the noise, making sure that nobody saw her arms, she had to shout. “YEAH, I AM GLAD I CAME, THANKS FOR PERSUADING ME.” She felt her ear again. “AND THANKS FOR GETTING ME THESE GORGEOUS EARRINGS, PARDON? WHAT? YOU'VE BROUGHT HER HERE? OK…WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO? OK, I'LL DO IT…SAME RATES AS BEFORE…HEY I GAVE YOU SABRINA AND SHE WAS MY FRIEND…OK….SPEAK TO YOU SOON…AND–”

Before she could utter any words, champagne was sprayed all over her and the dancing girls; they shrieked as everyone in the room just started pouring wine over each other's heads and wasting expensive bottles of champagne, until the floor was soaking wet and the girls in heels were sliding all over it, but still they continued to dance in this fury of spent alcohol.

Big Man cut a forlorn figure in the corner of the room; usually he was a great host with two models on each arm; he'd bounce around the halls like a man half his age, cracking joke after joke with his sycophants.

But since the destruction of his stadium and the fires that bought an end to his studios, the weight of the world was on his shoulders and he had bought it on himself.

His mansion was nowhere near the area and this party was meant to celebrate the season finale for the game show, but thanks to the girl, Kimberley…there would not be another series, not for a while anyway.

He had cameras everywhere in his mansion too, but very rarely did he film any shows there.

Apollo entered the hall with Dandridge in tow and Big Man watched their every move as they sidestepped the drunken revellers to speak to him.

“Boss, the prison transport to Gommerstall is ready to leave now, we have the scheduled pick-up of the prisoners you know about and we've acquired some new ones just added to the list, what's the score with the stadium?”

“You were there, you saw what happened, the little bitch freak has ruined me, I didn't have any insurance on the arena so I'm screwed.”

A fly buzzed in Apollo's ear and it swished it away. “No insurance, Boss? What were you thinking?”

“I thought it was S.E.P, so that's why I didn't pay it.”

Apollo raised an eyebrow. “S.E.P?”

“Somebody Else's Problem, anyway so I'm skint, can we change the subject please?”

Dandridge stepped in. “Do we have to send this transport, Sir? Can't we just let everybody out and give them a clean slate?”

Big Man made a little sound of irritation. “Listen, I've lost everything thanks to those super-powered kids, no game shows, no studios. Nothing. And do you know why? Because I didn't give them any respect, those kids are the most powerful creatures I've seen in my life, I made them and they've ruined me, but I want them to play again, I want them to be a part of the games again, which they will.

Take them to Gommerstall Prison, throw them in with those useless teachers, send them far away from here and keep an eye on them Apollo, don't let them escape…Not yet anyway, because by the time they do escape, which they will…Olympia will be very different.” Big Man raised his voice in sarcasm, “Do you think you can handle guarding a bunch of no-mark teachers?”

Apollo shrugged his shoulders. “I'm working on it, Boss, just leave it to me, they won't get past me.”

“Oh they will get past you, Apollo, and they will defeat you, that's what I'm counting on, when the time is right and the wheels are in motion they
will
come home so just get it sorted, Apollo, whatever it takes.”

The sudden upsurge in Big Man's voice surprised him.

“Whatever it takes, Boss.”

Big Man wasn't finished. “Lock up every single teacher, I don't want nobody learning nothing.”

Dandridge thought,
that doesn't sound good, literally.

The yellow teeth of Apollo came to the fore once more. “With pleasure, Boss.”

Cassandra woke up, still dazed and very confused, her head hurt and as she shifted herself from the double bed she found herself laying in, her sides ached more than her head. It was a plush and very lavish bedroom, quite big with a huge chandelier hanging above where she had been sleeping. Lavish curtains hung from the many windows, they were drawn so it was still night time. Her clothes were different, better than her last ones.
Somebody had changed her clothes.

Cassandra painfully swung her legs from beneath the covers and stepped from the bed, still holding her head, she looked up to the huge ceiling and screamed. “WILL PEOPLE PLEASE STOP KNOCKING ME OUT!”

She felt woozy again and fell backwards onto the bed which was when she heard the door handle click. She lifted her head wearily and saw a familiar face walk in carrying a tray of tea and biscuits.

“Wakey wakey, sleepy head.”

Cassandra shot up immediately when she saw who was carrying the tray.

“APHRODITE, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?”

Aphrodite carried on walking towards the bed. “SHH-shh, you've got to rest, Cassandra, you've taken a big knock to the head and you must take it easy, I've got some cocoa and some custard creams for you.”

“Piss off,” Cassandra snapped.

Aphrodite set the tray on the bedside table.

“I SAID WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE, APHRODITE?” Cassandra knocked the tray off the side. “ANSWER ME!”

“I take it you're not a custard cream fan? I think we've got some Hobnobs somewhere, you really don't remember do you? You were hit by my daddy's car after school, you were knocked out so we took you back to my house, I know we should have gone to a hospital, but I thought you'd like to see a friendly face when you wake up, remember?”

Cassandra's body relaxed slightly. “Remember what? How'd I get here? I can remember the house by the side of the road.”

Her voice began to trail off as thought about her ordeal. “The house with the cannibal and the cannababies, they tried to kill me, THEY TRIED TO EAT ME, BUT I BLEW HIM UP WITH MY DRAGON FACE AND ESCAPED.”

Aphrodite rolled her eyes and looked away, smiling. “Dragon face? Right…”

“GOD DAMM IT I'M NOT MAKING THIS STUFF UP, OK YOU DON'T BELIEVE ME, FINE I'LL SHOW YOU, BUT…” She paused for breath and carried on. “You may not like what you're going to see.”

Aphrodite was unperturbed as Cassandra closed her eyes and concentrated, her head shuddering and fists clenched tightly, but there was no change, she tried again and broke wind.

“Oh that's nasty” quipped Aphrodite.

“THIS IS NOT HAPPENING TO ME. Look, I went to a rave the other night, either something in the water or something we drunk, it knocked us out and then when we came to, we had powers.”

“Rave, you say? Ok,” Aphrodite said, pulling down her sleeve.

“I was at my job after school in the Chicken Shack.”

Aphrodite butted in. “Do they still have that two for one deal on chicken strips?”

“Yeah, wait…are you listening to me?”

“Defo, babe.”

Cassandra reacted angrily. “WHY AREN'T YOU TAKING ME SERIOUSLY? AND DON'T SAY ‘DEFO', IT'S DEFINATE I HATE PEOPLE WHO SAY ‘DEFO'.”

She calmed down. “Anyway, like I was saying I was at work and then suddenly my face changed into a red lizard thing and then Kimberley turned up and we were arrested, taken by the Network and forced to play in the game show.”

Aphrodite bent down to pick up the biscuits and cocoa mugs from the floor, taking a bite from one of the custard creams. “So has Kimberley got powers too?”

Cassandra perked up, thinking Aphrodite was finally taking her seriously. “Yeah, she can get really hot, she heated up the local swimming baths.”

Aphrodite waved her half-eaten biscuit at her, crumbs falling from her mouth. “Put yourself in my shoes, babe, you accidentally get run over and you're out cold all night, you come to and start talking about turning into lizards and super powers? What do you expect me to believe? You've obviously taken a nasty bump to the head and you've been dreaming about this whole ‘Network' kidnapping you, it's not real, sweetheart, you're imagining the whole thing, there is no game, you're just talking rubbish, listen to me.”

Cassandra cupped her hand to her ear. “If you listen really closely you'll hear the familiar sound of no-one caring.” Aphrodite stood up. “Fine, come with me and I'll show you that you're making the whole thing up.” She reached for Cassandra's hand.

“Come on.” Cassandra didn't move. “I said come on”

Cassandra took her hand and grimaced in pain as she got up from the bed, the two girls left the room and headed down a corridor, Cassandra limped as she took in the beauty of Aphrodite's house.

“So your dad ran me over, eh?”

A clap of thunder made both girls jump before Aphrodite replied. “Yeah, he's really sorry about that, you just ran out into the middle of the road.”

Cassandra fell silent briefly. “I really don't remember, are you sure?”

Aphrodite was growing tired. “Yes, I told you already, just come with me and we'll get you checked out properly, I'll take you to the hospital myself, just stop with this stupid ‘Game show' rubbish, ok?”

Cassandra finally realised that they weren't the only ones in the house, she could hear the sounds of loud music and people chattering at the other side of the house.

“You having some sort of party?” Aphrodite grinned. “Yeah, just having a few friends over, end of term type thing.”

Two scantily clad models burst out from a door in front of the girls, giggling with a bottle of champagne between them, running in front they disappeared down the corridor spilling the champagne as they went.

Cassandra cocked an eyebrow. “Some party.”

“I only throw the best, you would know that if I actually liked you.”

Cassandra smiled and pointed to Aphrodite's head. “Nice earrings you've got there.”

“You think so? Thanks babes.”

“I had some exactly the same though…where did you get them?”

“Listen these are not your earrings, these were a gift from somebody very special and I got them tonight, ok?”

Aphrodite took them out and gave them to her.

“Try them on.”

Cassandra took them and placed them in her own ears.

Aphrodite pulled at Cassandra's hand. “Come on, let's dance.”

Looking particularly tired Cassandra slumped against the corridor wall and tossed her hair behind her shoulder. “No, I just want to go to the hospital if you don't mind?”