Roses and Dreams: A Collection of Short Fantasy Stories

Mol the Malevolent

Content warning: sexual assault, language  

Lissi always knew her guardian angel was 'special'. At five years old, when books spoke of how guardian angels sang songs and played games with children, Mol -- the nickname she'd given to the little sullen cloud of darkness with a baleful glare -- only perched in the corner, silent and watchful. She was afraid if she interacted with him, he'd swallow her in his darkness. And yet the funny guardian angel, just visible out of the corners of her eye, never speaking, comforted her.

She was ten when her girl friends decided she wasn't 'cool' enough. "You make us look bad," was the verdict. They shunned her, stopping their chats when they saw her and turned their backs. Mol just stared at the crying Lissi from his spot above her wardrobe, not speaking. Curled beneath her blanket, Lissi blinked fat, hot tears. She refused to open the door to her parents. She couldn't face anybody after such humiliation. Drawing the sheets over her head, Lissi plunged herself into darkness, breathing in the stuffy, hot air and soaking her pillow with tears. She could die. There was no way back from this. She heard a snicker. Even her angel of darkness laughed at her.

All day, hushed whispers came from the girls who were formerly her friends, who threw judging looks her way. Lissi could barely concentrate through her art lesson. When the bell tolled, Lissi jumped at the chance to help Mrs. Morgan take extra art equipment back to the cupboard and sort out the paints, breathing a sigh of relief when the bell rang again fifteen minutes later and she returned with Mrs. Morgan.

Lissi froze at the door. Cacophony. The four girls who'd shunned her hopped on the spot, flapping their hands in hysteria. Shelly spun in horror, staring down at a gooey brown stain on the seat of her white jeans. The class erupted into giggles.

"Shelly pooped herself!"

"Poop butt! Poop butt!"

Humiliated and red-faced, Shelly caught Lissi's eyes, her features darkening with rage.

"It was Lissi!" She pointed a trembling finger. "She put the poop there!"

"No!"

"It was Lissi!" Ebony agreed. "She's jealous!"

Fear rippled up and down Lissi's back. She would have loved to paint chocolate on their chairs, but she would never dare.

"It couldn't be Lissi." Mrs. Morgan frowned. "She's been with me all break. It's mean to accuse an innocent person, girls."

"It was her!" they insisted, stamping their feet. Mrs. Morgan sent them to the bathroom to clean up and switching Lissi's seat to the other end of the classroom. They trudged back in resignation in crumpled PE trousers, a far cry from the glamorous clothes they loved.

Several weeks after the poop-butt incident, they followed Lissi off the school bus, whispering and nudging each other. Lissi knew they had something planned, but she was alone, outside of the protection of the teachers. She hitched her school bag higher and hurried along.

"Hey, Lousey!" It was their original idea. Lissi didn't have lice, but it didn't stop them yelling it. Lissi increased her pace, marching past tall apartment buildings.

Hands grabbed her shoulders and sharp little nails dug into her flesh. She yelped. They spun her around. Their hair matched again, today, with neat little crimped bits on either sides of their faces and purple eyeshadow.

"You think we won't get you back for that stupid trick in the classroom?" Shelly shoved her face into Lissi's. Lissi fought back the familiar prickle at the corners of her eyes. She wouldn't cry in front of them. Mol hovered in the background, disinterested.