As if she were the very lightning that could strike him at any moment as they were out in the middle of the stormy woods, Polly watches Jasper for a moment.
The blue-haired man was desperate, frantically trying to open his car door as she could hear him cursing to himself. He must have locked his eyes inside.
Polly decides that the bit of time she spent waiting was enough and she begins to approach. As she does, the lightning flashes, allowing Jasper to catch a glimpse of her silhouette as he turns around.
“Oh shit!” Jasper screams, backing up and slipping on the ground. As Polly comes closer, he quickly gets himself up and makes a run for it.
She gives chase as he sprints deep into the woods. He was fast but she wasn’t having a hard time catching up and he ended up falling on a twig. She closes in on him as she can hear him muttering to himself.
She blends herself into the darkness as he turns around, but only for a moment. She wanted to see if he would’ve been able to get himself up.
As her footsteps come closer, the lighting flashes once again, showing Jasper her long blonde hair, her black jacket, brown turtleneck underneath, along with blue pants and white shoes.
The feature that had his attention the most however was the gas mask she wore to cover her face.
Jasper shouts, his voice shaking, “It’s you! No fucking way! The Rothmare!”
“Polly,” Polly said as she stopped just a couple of inches away from him. “My name is Polly.”
“P-Polly, huh?!” Jasper’s eyes start to look around, as if he were trying to find some kind of help. “L-Look, I get the feeling I know what you want, but I can’t help you trust me!”
“But I think you can help me, Jasper,” Polly replied.
Jasper continues to shake as Polly kneels on one foot to match the level he was at. The man was afraid. Very afraid. Whenever she was around it was obvious people were afraid of her, at this moment, she couldn’t tell if it was herself or the very woman that Jasper was trying to protect that he was afraid of.
“Your boss,” Polly speaks again. “Laura Cortez. I need you to tell me where she is.”
“I don’t know where she is, okay?!” Jasper responds. “And even if I did, not a chance! You have no idea what she’d do to me!”
Polly stares at him, the cold black eyes of her mask looking into his own. “If you don’t know where she is then why are you running away? Yes, you’re a criminal, but I have a feeling you weren’t running away to avoid justice.”
“Did you forget what you are, lady?l” Jasper glares at her. “The Rothmare! The freakshow of Rothly!”
“Who,” Polly replied. “Who I am. Not what, Jasper. That’s not a nice way to refer to a person.”
“Maybe not a normal person,” Jasper growls, “But you’re not exactly that are you?”
Polly jumps up as Jasper attempts to kick her. Quickly getting on his feet, a panicked Jasper swings his fists at Polly, who avoids both strikes. Jasper finds the next fist he throws to be caught by Polly. His eyes go wide before he tries throwing another one, Polly catching that fist as well. In what seems like a split second, Polly has him facing the ground as she holds his arm, twisting it a bit.
“I really don’t want to do it like this,” Polly said. “But people have gotten hurt. I can’t let that continue happening.”
Jasper yells out. Polly’s grip was good, the twist making the hold even tighter. Despite Jasper’s desperate tries, he can’t get out of it. She looks at him, seeing how much he wants to get out and get away. The fear, not just of her, maybe not even mostly her. Laura. She has a hold on him, which didn’t surprise Polly. It was why the women had evaded discovery of her true nature and capture for so long
“Jasper please,” Polly said softly. “Do you really want Laura to continue the harm she’s been doing? I’ve looked into you. I know you’re not like her.”
“W-What do you know about me?!” Jasper yells out.
“Well, I know you’re only doing this because you want to help your family,” Polly replied. “Laura, she gives you the money you need, right? But there are other ways, Jasper. Other ways that don’t involve people getting hurt.”
***
Not from where Polly talks with Jasper, Tristan walks in the woods with his girlfriend Scar, short for Scarlett. He’s a bit ahead of her as she carries a shovel behind him.
“You hear that, Tris?” Scar asked him.
Tristan turns to her, an eyebrow raised on his face. He looks around briefly before he faces her again. “What?”
“It’s probably nothing but with what’s going on it couldn’t hurt to check things out,” Scar replied.
“Probably Jasper,” Tristan scoffs. “I told that idiot to meet us here. He’s probably hiding from some police that ended up following him.”
Scar mutters, “I’m not too sure about that.” She flashes her light around, looking for signs of anyone or anything around them. At first, she doesn’t see anything, but on the fourth flash, she sees a figure looking at her from the shadows.
Its orange eyes showed a deranged rage.
Tristan notices his girlfriend has stopped walking and turns to see the frightened look on her face. He saw she was completely still in a seemingly frozen state. “Scar? What is it?”
He follows her eyes but when he looks at what they lie on, he sees nothing. “Nothing there. Let’s keep moving.” He hears Scar whisper something. “Huh? You gotta speak up, babe.”
“It moved, Tristan!” Scar yells. “It fucking moves!”
“What move-“ Tristan stops as he gives another scoff. “It’s probably Jas playing a joke on us. Come on out, dude! The game’s over! You’re freaking Scar out.”
“It wasn’t him, Tristan!” Scar said. “It was…some thing!”
“What’s “some thing”, Scar?” Tristan asked.
Scar was about to open her mouth again, but she quickly stops when she spots something out of the corner of her eye. She stands still once again, but this time her legs were shaking. She shakingkly points to what she was looking at.
Tristan looks over and his eyes shot wide. Out of the woods came a dark figure with orange eyes.
***
Polly’s talk with Jasper was interrupted by a loud scream that alerted the man immediately.
“Tris?! Scar?!” Jasper called out in concern. “Guys?!”
Polly looks down at Jasper, surprised by his outburst. “You know them?”
“Friends of mine!” Jasper replied. “What is happening to-“
Polly releases him and quickly runs in the direction of the scream. As she expected, Jasper followed after her. The two of them soon make it to where the scream came from and stop in their tracks at the gruesome sight they find.
Tristan and Scar’s bloody, torn bodies were on the ground. There was blood everywhere, especially on the very creature that caused it.
Staring back at them, letting out a growl full of venom, was a gray human-like creature. Its orange eyes were full of rage. On its head were antlers, along with scars all over its torso, the fangs in its mouth blood red, not just from the victims themselves, but the teeth themselves seemed to be red.
Jasper practically falls again as he starts backing away. “W-What the hell is that thing?!”
Polly doesn’t answer. She just took out one of her guns and pointed at the creature, beginning to slowly approach it, her steps being slow and careful.
“Can you speak to me?” Polly asked the creature. “Do you have a name?”
Jasper looked at the woman bewildered. “The hell are you doing?! That thing just killed my friends! Don’t talk to it! Shoot it!”
Polly ignores him, her focus remaining on the creature. When it didn’t speak, she decided to do so again herself.
“My name is Polly,” Polly told the creature. “Looks like you can’t speak but I can help you. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Help?! You’ve got to be kidding me!” Jasper said. “You really are a freak!”
“It may not be able to talk,” Polly said.
“Obviously!” Jasper replied.
“But trying to understand it may calm it down,” Polly continued. “We don’t want anyone else getting hurt, right?”
“My friends are-“
“I know, Jasper,” Polly replied. “I know. And I’m very sorry. But that’s what I’m-“
She leaps up into the air just in time as the creature is about to strike her with its claws. Spinning, Polly swings her foot for a kick that sends the creature back.
“Stay back, Jasper,” Polly said, landing on her feet. “Looks like I’m going to have to take him or her down.”
“It’s a it, Rothmare!” Jasper said. “Gotta say it the right way!”
Ignoring him again, Polly shoots at the creature’s foot. It moves out of the way just before the bullets hit. Hunger oozing from its body, the creature rushes at even faster. Polly jumps up just in time, quickly connecting her foot to its face.
When she throws her other fist, the creature grabs it and tosses her to a tree. Polly quickly leaps off and takes out her gun, shooting at the creature, the bullet this time hitting it, directly in the head.
The creature stumbles back a bit, beginning to lose its balance as Polly keeps her gun on it. It lands on the ground, dead within seconds.
Jasper looks at her wide-eyed. “You got it!” He looks at what remains of Tristan and Scar. Balling up his fist, he heads for the creature’s body, stomping and kicking it repeatedly. “You son of a bitch! This is for Tristan and Scar!”
Polly pulls him away before walking closer to the creature’s body herself. Kneeling down, she runs her hand on the side of its face.
Jasper has a look of disbelief on his face. “What are you doing?! That thing killed my friends, remember?! I knew you were-“
Polly interrupts him by putting him in a hold. Jasper struggles but it isn’t long before he’s out cold. He had been put to sleep. Polly sets him down and takes out her phone.
***
The door to her favorite store, Ernest’s Call, opens and Polly walks inside. Gasps immediately filled her ears from all sides, alerting her that she had been noticed by the other costumers.
“Polly!” A man, the owner, Ernest himself called out to her, a warm welcoming smile on his face. He waves at her. He was an older man, one of the people who was always kind to Polly. “Good to see my favorite hero! Your cousin told me you’d be stopping by. Come on over! Don’t mind all these folk.”
Polly walks over to the man. The smile remained on Ernest’s face, not at all bothered by Polly’s mask or presence.
“Heard you managed to capture one of those Cortez guys tonight,” Ernest grinned. “Very nice work as always!”
“Hey freak!” Another familiar person called out to Polly. One of the most vocal of his hatred of her, Matteo approached her, a glare on his face.
Ernest gave a glare of his own at the other man. “Don’t you bother her, Matteo. Keep it moving or get on out.”
“What’s the problem, Ern?” Matteo asked him. “I can’t have a word with Rothly’s favorite “hero”? That’s what you called her right? I think it’s more accurate to say she’s your favorite hero.”
“That’s what I was referring to, moron!” Ernest said.
Polly turns to Matteo. “Hello Matteo. Did you need something from me?”
“It’s not what I need,” Matteo glares at her again. “It’s what we all need! We need you to get the hell out of our town! You think any of us want to be talking to you?!”
“Well, you’re talking to me right now,” Polly points out.
Matteo growls. “Because I’m telling you to get the hell out of our hair and stop ruining our town! Rothly has a bad reputation enough as it is without a freak dragging it through the mud even more!”
“That’s enough out of you, Matteo!” Ernest spoke up.
“Why do you keep backing up this freak huh, Ern?!” Matteo demanded. “If she were really the hero you claim her to be, she would have caught Cortez by now instead of one of her lackeys!”
Two people join Matteo’s side. His wife, Daphne, was holding the hand of their daughter, Tegan.
The girl points at Polly. “Mommy! Look at how that lady looks!”
Daphne nods. “Yes, sweetie. The very creepy and freaky masked lady.”
“I do not wish to disturb either of you,” Polly said. “I am only here to get some peanut butter candy bars.”
“Speaking of…” Ernest brings out a bag. “I took it upon myself to get you a whole bag of ‘em, Polly. Go ahead and pay for them. Get out of here so you don’t have to deal with these knuckleheads. They have no idea what they’re talking about.”
As Polly paid for her candy bars, Matteo’s growl grew. The man was fuming, enraged at the sight in front of him.
“Are you kidding me with this shit?!” Matteo snapped. “You’re really just gonna let this freak keep coming here?! What kind of business are you running?! Do you even know what that thing looks like?! You know what?! Let’s find out!”
Before Polly could say anything, Matteo snatched her mask off her head and threw it on the floor.
Polly lets out a soft gasp as the screams and horrified looks from other customers surround her.
The upper half of the right side of her face was burned. A nasty green scar stares back at Matteo after Polly turns. She had the look of a zombie that looked like it could melt to reveal bone at any moment. It was something seen in nightmares.
Tegan shakes in fear as she hides behind Daphne. “Mommy! Mommy! What’s wrong with her face?!”
Daphne covers her daughter’s eyes and hides her from Polly. The blonde hadn’t even noticed, she was busy giving her husband a look that had him practically in the same state as their daughter. Only her just stood there frozen.
Polly picks her mask up off the floor, her eyes not leaving Matteo for a second. After she puts it back on, she walks closer to him, grabbing him by his shirt before he could even attempt to get away.
“Don’t you ever take off my mask again,” Polly said in a serious tone that came off as a warning.
She let him go, practically pushing him away as she did so. She grabs her bag and makes her way out of the store.
***
Arriving at the house that she shared with her cousin Filbert, Polly got off her motorcycle. It was a big dark house in the middle of the woods, where she could take off her mask when she wanted to and not have to worry about scaring anyone. Those thoughts send her back to what happened with Matteo, causing a frustrated but soft sigh to leave her mouth.
“Polly?” A soft voice speaks. “Are you okay?”
Polly’s head shoots up, her mood instantly made better by the sound of the voice. Her eyes went to the front porch, where a woman her age sat. Her best friend Dolly looks at her. She had short brown hair and a pumpkin mask that covered her face. She holds a sketchpad.
“Dolly!” Polly beams, running over and wrapping her arms around the other woman in a hug.
Dolly chuckles and returns the hug. “Thought I’d surprise you. Filbert told me about what happened. I also wanted to see if you were alright.”
“Yeah I’m okay,” Polly replied. “Can’t say the same for Tristan and Scarlet sadly.”
“Who?” Dolly asked.
“The two that were killed by…by…” Polly trails off, not sure what to call the creature she fought earlier.
“Are you sure it’s the same creature you think you saw a couple nights ago?” Dolly asked.
Polly nods. “Yes. I tried seeing if I could talk with it but there wasn’t any luck on that end.”
“I told you that wasn’t a good idea,” A voice said. Filbert, Polly’s cousin, had walked outside a couple seconds ago while the two talked. He smiles at Polly. “But that’s what you do. Even a monster like that, you try to help it. I wish you wouldn’t do it with things like that but I remember that’s what makes you Polly.”
“Shouldn’t we think of a name to call the thing anyway?” Dolly rubs her chin, thinking of what to call the fallen creature. “Your friend Henry and his buddies have it now, right? I’m sure he at least wouldn’t mind knowing exactly what to call it.”
Polly giggles a bit at her friend. “Well if you have any ideas then shoot.”
Dolly laughs. “Not sure how you’ll feel about this, but I’m thinking Antfeer. The thing has antlers and looks like a deer? Easy. Just replace the d with a f and you got a name that makes perfect sense. You know what? I’m calling it that even if that’s not the name you go with. It’s just too good for me.”
“Hey, who said I didn’t think it was a good name?” Polly replied, giving a fake pout after taking off her mask. “I think that works great. Thanks a lot, Dolly. And you’re right. Now Henry has something to call it.”
Dolly chuckles again. “You’re welcome. Now that we got the name taken care of…what’s in the bag?”
Polly smiles, rubbing the back of her head. “I uh, got chocolate peanut butter bars.”
She shows them to Dolly and Filbert, the former giggling at the sight.
“Looks like you’ll be having quite the night,” Dolly said.
Polly’s smile turns into a grin. “I think you mean we.” She hands Dolly a chocolate bar.
Dolly takes off her own mask, revealing she had the same exact kind of scar as Polly, only hers was on the left side of her face. The zombie-like, nightmarish scar was the perfect match for Polly’s. Their disfigurements played a part in the two growing the strong bond they share.
Polly had only met Dolly three months ago, but she felt as if she had been her best friend her whole life.
“Why don’t you two come inside and finish those?” Filbert suggests. “Better than eating them out here in the cold.”
The two women look at each other, both faces saying they agreed. Polly offers her hand to Dolly, with the other woman taking it. They both enter the house after Filbert.
After the two make their way upstairs, they head to Polly’s house, taking a seat on her bed. Polly pours the other chocolate bars between them from the bag.
Dolly looks over and chuckles. “Wow, Filbert made a great call there. Look.”
She points to the window. When Polly’s eyes follow, she sees that it started raining outside. The drops pour hard, as if it wasn’t clear skies just a couple minutes ago.
Polly smiles. No matter how hard, she and Dolly always loved the rain. It was one of the things they first really bonded over.
Dolly takes a bite of her chocolate bar. “So what’s up?”
Polly looks at her. “What do you mean?”
“I know something’s up with you, Polly,” Dolly said. “Really up with you.” The look on her face turns to one of concern. “Please. Tell me what’s bothering you.”
Seeing the look on her best friend’s face, Polly sighs. “When I was at the store, I ran into-“
“Let me guess,” Dolly said, her eyes narrowing. “That Matteo guy?”
Polly nods. Dolly growls a bit.
“What did he say to you?” Dolly asked.
“Not really anything he hadn’t said before but-“
“Yes?” Dolly urged on.
“This time…he pulled off my mask,” Polly told her.
“He did what?!” Filbert’s angry voice caught the attention of the two. He had been walking past and heard what Polly said. He balls up his fists in anger as he gives a deadly growl.
“That son of a bitch!” Filbert snapped. “I’ll kill him the next time I see him!”
“Filbert, please don’t,” Polly begged. “It means a lot that you care so much, you know I love you for that, but I’m asking you to not do anything rash the next time you see him.”
Filbert was dumbfounded. “Polly, he took off your mask without permission! And I know damn well he did it to humiliate you! That bastard despises you so much yet can’t stay away! Can’t mind his own damn business! Sorry, but I’m making no promises. What happens happens.”
Dolly gets up and puts a hand on Filbert’s shoulder. “Why don’t you go take a little breather? I got her.”
Filbert looks at Dolly. His eyes go to his cousin again, who gives him a warm assuring smile, letting him know that she’s alright. He sighs and nods, walking out of the room to allow himself to cool off. He wasn’t sure he could, but he would try for Polly.
Dolly locks the door behind him. “Can’t have the guy barging in like that again.”
“Thanks Dolly,” Polly smiles at her. “He’ll cool down soon. There’s no need to-“
She stops after Dolly turns, seeing the look on her friend’s face. After a couple moments, Dolly walks over to the window and looks out into the rain. Polly could tell that her friend was upset. Seeing this, she gets up and walks over, putting her hands on Dolly’s shoulders gently.
“I’m alright, Dolly,” Polly assures her. “Really.”
“And I’m glad you are…but that doesn’t excuse what he did,” Dolly said sharply, looking at her friend again. “The harassment he and the rest of them give us every time we so much as walk in the park! It ought to be something they’re all arrested for. But there aren’t any cops Rothly! At least not like the ones that other towns have.”
Polly gently squeezed her friend’s shoulders. “I know. Ever since the attack by those monsters at the police station a couple months ago and half the cops disappearing things haven’t been the same. We’ve had more of a monster hunting task force than a police force. The town is in fear, never knowing when one of the remaining monsters out there will appear. Just like tonight.”
Dolly remains silent as she looks down.
Polly bites her lip a bit before she continues. “We don’t know how many there still are. But we’ll get through this, Dolly. The work we’ve been doing hasn’t been for nothing.” She reaches to grab under Dolly’s chin, getting the other woman to look up to face her. The blonde smiles softly at her friend. “We couldn’t have gotten as far as we have without you.”
Dolly smiles back. “It’s really nothing, Polly. At least nothing compared to what you’ve done for me.” She looks down again for a moment, gently grabbing Polly’s hand before facing her again. “Meeting you…it finally gave me someone who understands the pain I’ve been through all these years.”
“I know what you mean, Dolly,” Polly replied. “I really do.”
Dolly chuckles a bit. She walks to the side of Polly’s bed, picking something up that she had left there earlier, looking at it.
Polly tilts her head, curious about what she’s holding. “Dolly?”
“Crazy when you think about it, right?” Dolly continues looking at what she has. “Both of us. Scarred at eight years old. Different incidents…but the same horrible night.”
Polly stays quiet, letting her friend continue
“Having to suffer years of hate and loneliness,” Dolly continued. “Outcasted by society. But here we are. We only met three months ago but…” She turns to Polly, a soft look on her face. “…it feels like I’ve known you forever, Polly.”
Dolly soon feels Polly’s hand touch her shoulder once again. The blonde gives a warm smile
“I couldn’t agree more, Dolly,” Polly said. “It feels like…”
“Fate,” Dolly said, looking at her best friend again. “That’s what brought us together, Polly. I know it.”
“That’s the perfect word for it,” Polly said. “I know it too, Dolly. No doubt about it. So what did you bring me?”
Dolly wastes no time showing Polly what she had for her. A painting, one Dolly made herself, of the two of them sitting on a bench watching the stars in the night sky smiling as they held each other close.
The picture in front of her nearly brought Polly to tears, the blonde pulling Dolly close for another hug. “Dolly… thank you so much! I love it!”
“I was kind of worried if it’d not be good enough,” Dolly said. “But I should’ve known you’d like it.”
Polly looks at Dolly as if the woman with her had said the most insane thing she had ever heard. “Are you serious? Have you seen what you made? You do know you’re the best artist in the world, right?”
Dolly smirks a bit. “Well…I wouldn’t say I’m the best artist…”
“To me you are,” Polly smiled. “You don’t know how much this gift means to me.”
“Well, I had a feeling you wanted a painting from me,” Dolly replied. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed you looking like you wanted to ask multiple times. Why didn’t you?”
“I didn’t want to come off as selfish,” Polly said sheepishly.
Now it was Dolly who looked at Polly as if she had said something crazy. “Polly…the concept of you being selfish doesn’t exist. You literally spend your whole life helping people who treat you so badly.”
“Well…the way they treat us isn’t the way they should go about it,” Polly said. “But I won’t turn away someone who needs help. That’s who I am.”
“And that’s what makes you so amazing,” Dolly smiled. The two women hug each other. “I’m glad to be on this journey with you, Polly. We’re going to keep fighting to make Rothly a better place. It’s not the best canvas right now, but like any piece, it can be reworked into something beautiful.”
“That something is a better future,” Polly said. “We’re changing Rothly for the better.”
“I can’t wait to see what it looks like in the end,” Dolly said.
“Not the end,” Polly said. “A new beginning.”
The two continue to hold each other. They end up looking into each other’s eyes and they lean closer, only to come to a halt when they hear a sudden knock at the door.
“Okay, okay, I’m cool now,” Filbert said from the other side. “Still really pissed but I’m not going to punch Matteo’s teeth in if Polly doesn’t want me to. I’m keeping the offer on the table though.”
Polly and Dolly hear his footsteps as he walks away. They look at each other and smile, shaking their heads, their hands holding each other tightly as Dolly leans her head on Polly’s shoulder.