Reality Bender

Chaotic Art Brawlers

Opening the door, the others entered, and they shoved her on the couch. Mr. Hive pulled up a chair and adjusted his tie and suit. "Do you know why we're here?"

Pinksta said, "Look, lets just chillax for a sec." She grabbed the controller. "You game?"

Mr. Hive slapped the controller into the floor. "This is what you've been doing?" He looked at the TV. "You show great progress. Too bad that's not your real life, right?"

Frowning, Pinksta stood up. Mr. Hive's marked eyes turned yellow, and his henchmen's eyes changed the same color. The men grabbed her shoulders and pushed her down on the couch.

"Their patience is running thin. You haven't been making payments."

"Look, been looking, but they require much experience."

"That's not my problem."

"C'mon, I'll get you their money."

"You'd better. Because if you don't. Bad things will happen" One of the henchmen disconnected the game, and the screen went black. They stood and walked from her home. "Good night, miss Arial."

###

Pinksta stood at the balcony watching the bats flying and eating moths. "Look at that. Can go anywhere without a worry in the world." She wiped her tears with her fist and opened her bright phone until a moth landed on the screen. She moved her fingers closer to the wing. "Your mine!"

A bat swooped and stole the moth. Pinksta shrieked and dropped her mobile device on the concrete. The screen cracked and showed the website of the museum.

###

Inside the gallery, the canvas of a cartoon female portrait fell into Pinksta's bag as she smiled holding her bat. "Nice, last four? This should pay them off." She crept through the hallways, but the guards were no longer at their post. "Bunch of slackers, I see."

She walked near the sea turtle's room, finding drones lying on the checkered floor. Entering the room, the metal print of the cute sea turtles hung on the wall.

Pinksta threw up her arms and let her hands drop to her hips. "So, this is the so-called multiverse art. It's quadruple of these canvas paintings." She moved closer and gazed at the artwork. "Wonder where them theories came from? That mysterious artist fella is probably made up." She opened her bag.

Pinksta said, "Wait, this is risky business. I've got enough to pay off my debt, but..." She looked around. Pinksta held her head with her hands and closed her eyes. "No, gotta go for the small wins, but it's here." She stared. "Unguarded." She scratched her head. "But with all that money, oh man. I could travel. Get nice stuff. Maybe start a family if I wanted to. I could do anything, right."

She chuckled. "Well, it's calling my name. I'm not missing this opportun-"

A black paw slammed into her cheek, and she collapsed onto the floor. "What the?"

Bombay grabbed the metal print on the wall and moved it toward his bag.

Pinksta pushed the feline, slamming him into the wall. "Wait, your that cat I saw in the alley. What're you doing here?"

Bombay said, "The same reason your here. Heard what you guys were talking about."

Pinksta said, "I need this more! You've got a job."

Bombay front flipped off the floor. "Screw you, girl! Do you think I want to keep going to that degrading job every Monday through Friday? No!" He stretched and his claws sprung. The feline's bag with the art rested in between them. He walked toward Pinksta while a few guard's bodies dropped from the poles in the ceiling where he hid them.

Bombay said, "I'm sick of dealing with people and pretending to be nice, but no more." He grinned. "This is my ticket out of there. I can just feel the shackles beginning to fall from me."

Pinskta glared and said, "Funny, I can taste that too." She swung her bat, but the kitty flipped over her noggin and gripped her pink hair. He yanked and slammed the back of her head into the hard floor.

Bombay laughed, stole Pinksta's bag, and put her canvases into his sack which contained the sea turtle print. "Way too easy. Looks like you were just living in a fantasy."

Pinksta squeezed her hands and jolted up from the floor with the bat.

The hairs on the kitty's back stood up. He leaped.

The bat crashed into the metal print, damaging it, and she missed Bombay.

Bombay's mouth dropped. "What've you done!"

Pinksta took deep breaths. "Me? Should've just stayed there."

"Its worth's been cut! You'll pay."

Pinksta grabbed the bag and sprinted through the hallway which contained cartoon animal sculptures and digital paintings. The black furry cat chased her.

Bombay said, "You're not getting away."

Dashing into a room, Pinksta hit a dead end. She lowered her bag on the floor, and the metal print slid from it.

Bombay said, "Gonna make your face look unrecognizable!" His claws shot out.

Pinksta gripped the bat.

The cat said, "Ha! You won't hit me. Still can't accept reality can you?"

Sweating, Pinksta looked at the cute sea turtle print.

"Die, girl!" Bombay charged.

Pinksta squeezed her teeth. Her heart raced. She yanked the metal print, threw it up, and struck it with the bat.

The cat's eyes bulged. "What! You stupi-" The print crashed into the cat. He stumbled.

Pinksta smacked the feline with her weapon. The cat bashed into the ceiling. He dropped, collided into the floor, and passed out.

The police sirens echoed. The red and blue lights shined through the window. She grabbed her bag and left the damaged sea turtle print with the unconscious kitty.

###

The next day, Pinksta stood outside of her apartment door with her phone. "It's paid off in full. You satisfied?"

Mr. Hive said, "Wasn't expecting you to pay it all. Surprising."

"So, we good?"

"Yes. You're lucky. Most aren't." He chuckled. "Goodbye, Arial."

Pinskta smiled. "It's like a weight has been lifted. It feels so-" She grabbed the knob, but the door's unlocked.

The television remained on. The new anchor spoke and showed a mug shot of Bombay. Pinksta held her bat and searched the apartment. The anchor spoke of a missing sea turtle print from the mysterious artist.

"Missing," said Pinksta. "I left it there. Where's that remo-"

The remote rested on the damaged sea turtle print. The television glitched and switched to her video game, revealing her customizable character. Someone said, "You took a shortcut. But it looks like you still owe someone something."

A cold chill went up Pinksta's spine. "What? Who, who's there?"

Suddenly, a glitchy figure appeared from behind her game character. Pinksta froze and her skin turned pale.

The figure said, "Enough gaming. Let's make you a new reality."

Metal Print Shop: https://displate.com/palaco?art=5ba2bae4ed24e