ACT TWO, SCENE EIGHT: Life Isn't Fair
"That's not fair."
BILLY RAN A HAND DOWN his face as he turned away from Mallory. She could practically assume the answer just from his stance.
"You told me he would be safe," She spat, "That we all would."
"That was when I was the only one. And before you started digging into this," Billy pointed out.
Mallory approached him, "How many of you are there?"
"There's only one me," Billy dryly chuckled, apart of hisself peeking through.
"Billy," Mallory sighed, but smiled nonetheless.
He shook his head, "I don't know. A lot."
"What happened to you?" She asked with a gentle voice.
Billy turned away, nearly flinching at the question. It was clearly not a happy memory. Mallory wasn't sure she even wanted to know.
"Please, Billy. Let me help you," She reached for his hand. Billy let her take it, as he just stared at the ground.
Finally, he spoke, "Mal, no matter what happens to me—"
"Shut up. Don't finish that sentence," Mallory started to pull away. In an attempt to stop her, Billy went to grab her arm. His palm squeezed the monster's scar as he held her.
Mallory didn't even bother to look at him as she tried to tug her arm away. It was rather easy, seeing as how Billy had suddenly disappeared. In fact, the entire world had faded to black.
"God, not this again," Mallory stomped, looking around for an exit. A figure flickered in the distance.
Mallory's eyes jumped to where the figure was. Then, her eyes jumped to another shuddering specter. Then another, and another. Nearly 30 bodies blinked in and out of the Black Room.
"Hello?" Mallory shouted out to them. It was the first time she saw anyone else in the space, but no one responded.
"Hel-lo?" She sang, "Can anyone hear me?"
Still, the figures remained motionless like toy soldiers. Mallory approached the cluster of faded forms. She weaved in and out of the first ten, trying to find one of them that might be conscious.
When none gave any signs of life, she decided to move on to the next test. They didn't seem very solid, but maybe she could touch one of them. Maybe that would wake them.
She cautiously stretched out her hand to the ghost woman in front of her. Her fingers were about to make contact with the apparition when clashing thunder shook her ribs.
Mallory jumped, eyes darting to the red sky fading with the sound of the thunder. Another crash of thunder made the sky light up, this time silhouetting an enormously horrid spider-like creature. Mallory's heart sank at the sight.
Right then, she decided she didn't need to do the experiment anymore. What was more important was that she got out of here safely.
Mallory whipped around, only to find the woman's eyes now boring into hers. The suddenness of it made her scream and jump back, hitting a firm body as she did.
"What was that?" Billy demanded as Mallory rejoined the world.
"I-I don't know. This-This thing has been happening since the car crash, I don't know what it is!" Mallory had tears in her eyes.
"Fuck!" Billy shouted, "Fuck. They all know you can do this."
"Do what? Hallucinate?"
"No, Mal, no! This brain, it's-it's connected amongst us, and now you—" Billy cut himself off, "All this means, is that they want you dead now. But, Mal, look at me—look at me!"
He grabbed her face in his hands, "I won't let them get you. I will protect you until I die. I swear."
There was a pause. Mallory couldn't believe him. Not now, not after learning part of what had become of him. With tears in her eyes, she said, "Just like you swore nothing would happen to Jimmy?"
"Mallory," Billy nearly whined, "That's not fair."
"No, what's not fair is the people I love being possessed by a monster. That's not fair," Mallory tore his hands from his face, "Billy, I will save you. If it's the last thing I do."
With that, she walked away. Slowly at first, then to a jog, then a rush, and finally a sprint. She wasn't sure where she was going to go, Mallory just needed to get away.
Debbie was kind of right. If Mallory had stayed longer, she would've stayed forever. She wanted nothing more that to lay with Billy as they let the world burn around them. It didn't matter, as long as they were together.
A dangerous mindset for the end of the world.
Mallory made her way back to the Holloway house, hoping Debbie and the rest of the group were still there. Unfortunately, once she arrived, the house was once again freezing and empty.
"God dammit, where are they?" She muttered, searching her brain for any place they could be. She didn't need to think for long, because Will left her a note.
Mallory,
We went to the hospital to see Mrs. Driscoll (crazy fertilizer lady). Meet us there ASAP.
Will
With the where solved, now Mallory just needed to find the how. The hospital would be quite a walk from the Holloway house. A set of car keys caught her eye.
Mallory raced to the door to the garage. She opened it to reveal a red Ford Escort practically gift wrapped for her. Before she slid into the passenger seat, Mallory made sure to hit the garage door opener.
Then, she just sat there. So far, Mallory hadn't don't anything outright illegal (except for the underaged drinking) in her life. Now, she would be committing grand theft auto.
"Well," She sighed, placing the keys into the ignition, "There's a first for everything."
The Ford moved swiftly to the hospital as Mallory sped down the rural roads. She had to admit, Tom Holloway knew how to pick a car. Once she arrived, she clambered into the waiting room where the kids were waiting.
"Mallory!" Will greeted her first.
"Hey, Will. Thanks for the note," She acknowledged before face the group again, breathless, "I'm sorry I left, I had to, uh, figure something out. Which, I did! There's, like, 30 or so flayed."
"We figured there was more, but not that many," Lucas admitted.
"Debbie," Mallory looked at her sister carefully, "Jimmy's one of them."
Instantly, the girl's face dropped, "What?"
"Yesterday, when I went inside to grab the Bronco keys, the entire kitchen was a mess. There were chemicals and cleaning supplies everywhere, and a note saying that he 'had to go back'. That's why I left, I had to get Billy to confirm it."
"You went back to Billy?" Max asked, "Are you crazy?"
Mallory ignored the question, "He said something. Something about El, something about her being 'who they really want'. I don't know what that means."
Then, she turned her attention back to her sister. In a moment, her arms were cradling the youngest Manor. Mallory sighed deeply, "I am so sorry, Debbie. You don't deserve this."
Debbie shrugged Mallory off and took a deep breath, "W-We don't have time to worry about it. We kill the Mind Flayer, we save him. We save them all."
"Debbie, I don't..." Mike started, but trailed off after Max gave him a stern look.
"Guys!" Will shouted. Mallory's scar started getting those disgusting goosebumps again. The lights began to flicker.
The group shared a look, knowing what they needed to do. They immediately walked past the protesting receptionist. There was something more important than capacity rules.
words: 1269
date published: 08/01/22
a/n: let me know what you think!!