STORY STARTER

Submitted by Mel Davies

Write a fantasy story about a character and their animal companion who turns out to be their shapeshifting enemy.

Villain

“Does it really have to end like this?” I pleaded, desperate for something, anything to end the nightmare playing out in front of me.

I could feel myself starting to dissociate from the situation at hand, &, trying not to distract myself, grasped at the truth that I was living a reality.

This wasn’t a dream. Unfortunately. But that meant I couldn’t use my arms as wings, or close in on myself & expect the scene to change. Hell, I couldn’t even let myself get killed at all, or hurt in any way, bc I wouldn’t wake up safe & sound in my bed. I would quite literally die & stay dead. Or be living w/ an extreme injury that would just hinder any chance of survival.

“End like what?” The masked villain in front of me laughed. “Oh, you think _I’m_ the villain, don’t you? Well, isn’t this funny.”

My panicking mind struggled to make sense of what she was saying. “I don’t see anything remotely funny abt this. What do you mean, you’re not the villain?”

Her honey-sweet tone contrasted the cold, condescending eyes peering down at me. “Oh, honey, you really think I’m your enemy? What is it they say abt enemies, the enemy of my enemy is your friend? Darling, I’m your friend.”

I raised an eyebrow at her. “My friend? Last I checked, people don’t try to kill their friends. But maybe I’m mistaken.” My shrug left no room for argument.

Her eyes narrowed. “I’m not your enemy. & friends _don’t_ kill their friends.”

“Is that what you call what you just did? Not killing me?”

She just nodded, eyes still narrowed. “Indeed. Are you not still alive?”

I stammered, completely thrown off. “That’s-that’s-that’s not what I meant! & you know it!” I added defiantly.

She crossed her arms. “It’s what you asked.”

I scoffed. “Oh, so now what, you talk in riddles?”

“I don’t,” she responded. “& lose the attitude,” she added, stepping up to my side. She turned, revealing an arrow, & I startled. “Now do you believe me? I just saved your life.”

I frantically looked around for my hamster, Ginny. “Ginny- Ginny? Ginny! Where are you??”

The masked villain unmasked herself, to reveal… Raven, my sister. “Raven? What are you doing here?”

“Saving your @ss from the villain.”

“But-? You’re not-?”

She gave me a look. “Obviously not. & I’m honestly surprised you would talk to the villain that long like that anyways.”

I threw up my hands. “I don’t know! Can you help me, please? Where’s Ginny?”

She sighed & looked at me w/ saddening eyes & answered w/ a matching tone. “Sis, one, Ginny was a terrible name to give that hamster, it sounds like guinea… guinea pig,” she added at my confused look. “Second, oh, can’t you see?? Ginny was never w/ you! Why do you think she found you so late today? She’s at home w/ Mads, thank god, but the hamster you were w/ wasn’t her!”

“Then who…?” I started, then realized. “Oh… oh! Oh, come on, really?!!” I turned, & there she was, in all her glory: Revwa, the demon goddess. “Wtf! Then, what-? Your tone, your eyes-?!!”

She looked slightly ashamed & regretful. “I had to sell the part. It was the only way. I’m so sorry- I didn’t mean to come off so much like the villain.”

Revwa’s tone was gloating. “It did the job, now, didn’t it?” She laughed, an awful, boisterous sound. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t even recognized my sister’s laugh.

“How did I not realize-? Your laugh!”

Revwa smirked. “All planned. I had her come up w/ a new laugh & practice it until it was natural before I left.” She frowned. “But you weren’t supposed to save her life! You were supposed to let me kill her - it was the deal we made bc you refused to do it yourself!!”

My sister’s cold gaze locked onto the goddess. “Revwa, I refused for a reason. I’m not letting my sister get hurt.”

& before anyone could react, she’d grabbed a bow from out of nowhere, slid the arrow into place, & launched it at Revwa.

Revwa was too stunned to react, & the arrow hit her right in the chest. She fell over, & when Raven ran over, she declared Revwa as dead, “glassy-eyed & all”.

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