Goo(d) intentions and bad decisions

Blocked. Bella has blocked your number. And also Cecilia, and Megan, and everyone else.

-What the hell is going on?- You demand, speaking to the empty air.

-Duh, you should tell us.- A voice answers. You inhale sharply and whirl around, acknowledging the sudden tingle down your spine not just as agitation, but as the unmistakable presence of others of your kind. Two of them, specifically.

-Christine.- You name the first.

-It's Krissy. Why don't people ever get it?- She whines, adjusting her clothes. Her companion scans the room with unconcealed boredom, an air of manufactured innocence that seems far too practiced to be real.

-Maylene. I should have known.- You murmur, recalling the suspicious interest she showed in you and Cassidy this morning. You regret having lowered your guard, though you still can't grasp what's the meaning of her being here.

Except that she stalked you, obviously.

-Mmm. Well, I’m quite disappointed by all this... nothingness. After all this dramatic build-up, and that message, Krissy.- Maylene turns to you, haughty and dismissive: -But I'm also curious what exactly you expected to find here.-.

-Hey, you can't blame me for this, May-May! I only did what you...-.

-Well, maybe I didn't expect anything.- You cut them off sharply: -Maybe I simply realized you two were following me, and I wanted to waste your time.-.

-Oh, Liz, come on. I know you're smarter than this.-.

-Yes, Elizabeth, I'm also curious what you have to say.-.

The three of you gasp as Kim herself emerges from the hall, glaring sternly, arms crossed.

-Wha... how the hell did you know we were here?- Krissy squeaks, while Maylene sulks and pointedly looks away.

-I have my sources too, Krissy. Now, Liz, care to finally tell me what you and your group have planned all this time, and why you're here?-.

You clench your jaw into a scornful grimace, but then you realize the anger you're feeling isn't actually directed at them for being here, but at who's not here and should be.

-Fine.- You sigh, letting the tension deflate: -After all, it was a bad idea from the beginning.-.

---

-I can't believe it! I can't believe you've been this stupid…!- You complain, speeding the car through traffic. Your three passengers lean aggressively with every curve. The target of your frustrated outburst, riding shotgun, remains stubbornly silent.

Maylene leans in from the backseat, unceremoniously hitting Krissy with her hip. Krissy nearly drops her phone and protests with a squawk.

-So, Bella isn't answering, and we don't know where she is.-.

-You don't say. OH, COME ON!- You lean on the horn, blasting the idiot who just decided to make a U-turn directly in front of you.

-And,- Maylene adds, straightening up: -if they're using one of Regina's warehouses, there are like twenty in the city.-.

-Twenty-one, yes.-.

-So we're not asking for help from the others because...-.

You stiffen, swallowing a hiss. She knows exactly why, but she wants to hear it from you. To hear the panic and the inadequacy in your voice.

-Because it's already a problem that a relatively small group of us decided to send our goo all around the globe.- You snap, burning a red light and turning left: -The last thing we need is someone deciding to help them, or for Charity to know.-.

-Unless you tell her.- Liz mumbles from the back. You glare at her, Don't you even bring up the topic.

-Woah, you're right.- Maylene breathes almost directly in your ear: -I mean, if someone starts questioning your leadership and sees how it's easy to do things behind your back, that would be a real problem.-.

The car slams to a halt as you punch the brakes. Maylene is thrown forward, slamming her nose into the air conditioning vent with a moan of pain.

-We're here.-.

You all dismount and walk quickly toward the front door of Bella's house. You step aside and theatrically gesture to Liz, who grimaces and produces the key.

-Mh.- Maylene mutters once inside. She finally sets her nose with a CRACK, then surveys the room. Wine bottles and stains mark the floor, and dust bunnies scuttle around as you walk: -This is the second shittiest place I've been in since this morning.-.

You are drawn by the noise of moans and rapid thuds coming from a TV upstairs. In the living room, a porn movie illuminates the maxiscreen. Lying prone on the couch, covered by a sheet and with her face pressed against the pillows, is Hermione Sutherland, your only chance to find Bella in time. She is also clearly drunk.

You clear your throat. One of her eyes (the only part of her face visible through her scattered blonde hair) pipes up toward you.

-Uh, w-what, oh hi!- She squirms awkwardly and sits up, the sheet sliding to reveal she is, guess what, naked.

-We're looking fo-hey, careful!- You watch her fail to stand and fall back onto the couch. Her face flushes even more deeply.

-Sorry, ehm, can I offer you something, a drink or...?-.

-Assuming there's any left.- Krissy's skeptical murmur drifts in from behind you.

-Mrs. Sutherland, we need to talk with Bella. Where is she?-.

She stares at you in confusion, as if you spoke gibberish.

-She's out with her friends, with Cecilia, and Elizabeth...-.

-Mrs. Sutherland, I'm here!- Liz steps forward. Though she wasn't actually hidden, the older woman notices her only now.

-Oh, Liz, hello! Aren't you with Bella? That's weird, you know, you two have spent a lot of time together recently...-.

-Hermione.- You draw back her attention: -This is important. We need to talk to her, now. Where is she? Do you know that?-.

She stares at you and begins to gasp, utter disorientation clouding her eyes.

-Could you just call her phone?- Maylene interjects. Hermione slurs something and nods, but once again her knees betray her. This time she ends up on the floor.

-Uh, no, it's in my, my bedroom, I think.- She chokes out as you help her sit up, the smell of her breath invading your nostrils. You shake your head, knowing it would be pointless: Bella would never answer if she suspected you were trying to stop her.

-Please, try to focus.- You urge her: -Bella is in danger right now. If she told you where she was going, we have to know!-.

She gives you a look that is almost pathetic in its dismay.

-In danger? No, no, my Bella is a good girl... she's, she's out with her friends, with Cecilia... in my phone, I think, my bedroom...-.

You let out a silent sigh and help her sit down. The moans of the porn film are the only things filling the room now.

-Alright, we'll think of something else. Let's go.- You turn around. Krissy, annoyed, and Maylene, distracted, follow you, but Liz doesn't. Instead, she walks toward Mrs. Sutherland, kneels at her height, and then gives her a hard slap across the face. Maylene responds with a pout of mild admiration, while you're caught quite by surprise.

-Liz?-.

-You're right, Mrs. Sutherland, Bella is not in danger.- Liz's face is a stern grimace as her hands clasp the shocked woman's: -But she's doing something extremely reckless and dangerous. Something that could make us lose everything, that could make her lose everything. And she's doing this only because of you. Because of what happened to you, and because she thinks... no, she hopes, that this will bring back the mother she knew. Before the ****, before... us.-.

-Bella...-.

-And it won't work, and she knows it already! But she's doing it anyway because she loves you! And I know that you love her too; that under all this misery and... and the porn, there is still her mother! So, you have to tell us now. You're always here; you heard her conversations, the phone calls, she talked to you. Where did she say she was going tonight?-.

Hermione's lips tremble and her eyes flicker.

-Mpf! Come on, Liz, she's too drunk to have understood a tenth of what you said.- Krissy remarks with disgust; but Liz doesn't move, holding the older woman's gaze.

-She...- Mrs. Sutherland's voice is a raspy croak, her jaw tightening with every spelled syllable: -She said... front of... stadium...-.

You jolt and turn to Maylene, who is already tapping on her phone. She shows you the map of the city next to the stadium. One of the buildings sports a familiar mark.

"Bingo.".

-Maylene, Liz, with me. Krissy, stay here with Mrs. Sutherland, just in case.-.

-What? Why me-hey!- Krissy protests as Liz walks past her, and then you close the door.

-Our goo must be pretty powerful to fix such a messed-up brain.- Maylene comments as she sits next to you, Liz riding in the back this time.

-Maybe. Or maybe a mother only needs a tenth.- But this is not the time for consideration, and you drive away at full speed.

This is the climax of the conflict, and Hermione's arrival adds fantastic emotional weight! Here is the polished version:

By the time the three of you arrive, your head is pounding. The sheer number of presences you’re feeling leaves no doubt: this is the place. As you march toward the entrance, Lauren, who had clearly been posted on guard but was nearly dozing off, startles and rushes inside.

You follow her in, but slow down immediately. Packaging is being transported everywhere, stacked and moved toward several waiting trucks. There must be hundreds of boxes, perhaps half a thousand.

-Eugh. Remind me to never touch their products again.- Maylene comments, making a disgusted face. She opens a box and extracts a jar labeled 'face cream'; inside, however, is a familiar red jelly.

-Did you know about this?- You ask Liz, the girl you once called a friend and believed you could trust. And that was before she was possessed by, well, by you.

Her silence hangs heavy in the air.

-What are you doing here?- A familiar, angry voice cuts through the warehouse noise. Bella stands truculent down the hall. Megan and Cecilia, who are with her, look distinctly unenthusiastic to see you. With Lauren, Rhiannon, and a few more girls, you are definitely outnumbered.

-I'm here to shut this down. So, I’m asking you the same question.- You shoot back: -What exactly got into your head, Bella?-.

-Me? That's rich coming from you. I, no, we, are taking the matter into our own hands, since you, clearly, prefer to play family with one of our enemies instead of focusing on how to stop them!-.

-And it's not like you're travelling in better company right now.- Megan digs sarcastically, crossing her arms and glancing pointedly at Maylene. The blonde girl makes a dismayed face, looking left and right before quizzically pointing at herself.

-Bella, why did you give me the wrong address?- Liz interjects, her voice filled with accusation. Bella answers with a haughty scoff.

-Because of this exactly. I knew I couldn't trust you, and I wasn't wrong. Though I wonder who told you where to find us.-.

You take a brief, deliberate pause before replying, slowly: -Do you really want to know?-.

-No, it doesn't matter.- Bella dismisses you sharply: -You can't stop us in any case. By tomorrow morning, tons of new sisters will join the cause from all over the world, and we will use them to rescue Tom and all the others. No thanks to you.-.

-And what if they refuse?- You point-blank ask.

Bella blinks once, while Megan demands to know what the hell you're talking about. You sigh in exasperation and rub your forehead.

-Do you really think I hadn't considered this solution? Create an army and use it to submerge Charity's forces... an army made of thousands of women with different backgrounds and opinions, who however should peacefully decide to be completely loyal to me. Do you see why it would never work?-.

-They would still be us.-.

-Yeah, because it's working so fucking well right now!- You spread your arms, emphasizing the current chaotic situation: -We can't agree on how to act, and we all come from the same city! We possess these bodies, but their essences, it's like they possess us too, so what do you think it's going to happen when-

-That wouldn't be our case.- Megan interjects coldly: -We will maintain direct control over them. It would be just our minds...-.

-...processing thousands of different brainwaves all at once, hah!- Maylene taunts back: -And to think I once felt offended that you hadn't invited me into your little group.-.

-Think just about the languages.- Liz intervenes, her voice calm, yet sad, like she's saying something that shames her: -You wouldn't... comprehend your own thoughts. Kim had a headache with Sally only because she thinks in Scottish.-.

-And when you've lost control,- You resume: -what will all of them do? It won't be an army; it will simply be a monster wave slamming everything.-.

You lette the image settle, then continue: -But let's say it works somehow: we defeat Charity, we save our sisters, and find our family. What happens next?-.

Bella squints her eyes: -We'll have won.- she says.

-Yes, but then what? What happens with a world filled with us? What happens to the families whose mothers we took away? The countries where an exodus of women leaves to come all here? And between each other, how do we regulate? We all want Tom, so do we all go live here, or do we send him around the world for the rest of his life? Bella, can you tell me even a vague idea of how our life will be when you've won?-.

Bella clenches her teeth, though she tries to conceal it. But the girls behind her are starting to look nervously at each other, muttering, wondering, imagining, and failing to imagine.

-At least we're doing something.- She finally growls.

-Something stupid!-.

-Something! And you, you prefer to listen to one of them, instead of siding with your sisters.- She presses her index finger onto your chest, disgust coloring her expression: -Tell me the truth, Kim, before coming here, you told that bitch what was going on, haven't you? That viper you keep in your house. She fed you the words you told me, am I right?-.

Both Liz and Maylene frown as you answer candidly.

-Yes, I told her. And she said...-.

-Oh, that's rich!- Megan chuckles.

-She said,- You hiss at Megan, then turn back to Bella: -what I knew already. That the moment Charity finds out about your plan, our family is fucking dead. Forget about your stupid army, it will be too late already!-.

-The moment Charity finds out? The moment Dawn tells her, you mean! You, you're the one who's ruining everything! You're the one who told Charity!!!- She sticks closer to you, glaring down at your face, her breath hot on your skin.

-Okay.- You barely flinch: -Yes, maybe you're right. I'm an idiot, Dawn is just a spy, and she told Charity. So, now that you know she knows, how do you act? Do you keep going no matter what?-.

Bella winces and steps back, finally realizing that you’re no longer persuading her. You are confronting her with a fait accompli. Cecilia looks at her nervously.

-Bella, maybe we should reconsider...-.

-No! Fuck no, we're not reconsidering anything! I'm not letting this bitch win! This is going to work, one way or another!-.

-This is not about me, I won't be the one winning tonight if you do this! And neither will you!-.

-Shut up!- Bella's scream is followed by several corks exploding, startling everyone around, and then the red jelly inside the jars crawls into the air like threatening tentacles. You recoil a step, your hand secreting your own goo, ready to defend yourself. But then, you hear a familiar voice behind you.

-Honey...-.

You, Liz, and Maylene turn around. Bella and her henchgirls gasp in similar surprise. Hermione Sutherland trudges toward you, wearing an expensive trench coat and, you suspect, nothing else. Her eyes are still reddened by ****, her heavy breathing revealing her struggle to remain lucid. You move your eyes to Krissy, standing next to her, arms crossed and grimacing in annoyance.

-What?- She asks you back: -She insisted on coming!-.

-Mom!- Bella's incredulity is almost tangible. The tendrils tremble and then collapse back into their pots: -You're, you're out!-.

-Is this...- Hermione almost stumbles, but Lauren, appearing quickly from behind a pile of boxes, holds her up: -T-Thank you, dear. Is this what you've been doing all this time? You and your friends?-.

-Mrs. Sutherland, let me bring you home.- Lauren proposes, but Hermione instinctively pulls away, repeating 'no' like her life depends on it.

-Bella... my, my sweet girl... what a burden... I have put on your shoulders...-.

-Mom, what are you saying?- Bella asks apprehensively, effortlessly walking past you and taking her hands.

-It's all my fault, I've always been a horrible mother...-.

-That's not true! It's not your fault, you're a victim!-.

-No, no, all I am is a victim, of myself, myself... I should have taken care of you... when your father was arrested, and since when you were a kid... I've always loved wine more than I've loved you...- Tears streak her smooth cheeks, shame and regret twisting her aristocratic features.

-Mom, please, stop it. You're confused, it's the alcoho-you're just tired! You shouldn't be here!-.

Hermione shakes her head vigorously, so much so that you're afraid she may lose her balance.

-No, I have to be here. Your sister is right, y-you have to stop this, to stop, this.-.

-Mom...- Bella takes a long pause, and when she speaks, the pain in her tone is clear: -You don't know what you're talking about. You're drunk.-.

Hermione sighs, quivers, but doesn't fall.

-Bella... my daughter... all these weeks you were with me... I heard... I listened... I knew... but I chose not to know... because I... I wanted you to protect me...-.

-I am! This is all to keep you safe-

-NO!- Bella's mother interrupts her, squeezing her shoulder, her jaw trembling with every word: -I should protect you! I should! I never had, but now... listen to me... listen to me... this is wrong... it's all wrong...-.

-I can make this work, I know I can, if you just-

-STOP PROTECTING ME!-.

You are all taken aback by Hermione's outburst, and her daughter even more. But then, she hugs her tightly, and when Bella's back starts shaking too, you hear another crying.

"Mom..." The thought of the still-missing Jessica Harris clutches at your chest, and you make the grave mistake of believing it was all over and done with.

---

-Screw all of you!-.

You watch as Kim is violently shoved into the blonde duo, all three of them tumbling hard onto the floor. You whip around toward the source of the shout just in time to see Megan's goo-covered hand smash Maylene's face, knocking her out cold.

-What the hell?!- Krissy yells.

-I've gone too far to quit now!- Megan yells: -And you, all of you! Get back to loading those boxes onto the trucks!-.

-M-Megan...- Cecilia attempts to calm her down, but Megan has completely lost it. Several nearby jars explode, the red goo boiling like water on a stove.

-I said, load! We're getting our army, whether they like it or not!- She stomps toward a box, jars shattering under her feet, until you position yourself directly in her path.

-Megan, it's over.- You tell her simply.

-Get out of my way, Liz! Bella was right, you don't have the guts. None of you do!-.

-You're not helping Sonja by acting like this...- Kim groans, slowly getting back on her feet.

-Don't you dare say her name! It’s your fault she’s in a coma! And you, Bella, I thought you would understand!- She levels her accusation at her former leader, who's helping her mother and shamefully averts her gaze.

As more and more jars break and the goo coagulates into massive forms, you turn to Cecilia and the others: -Do something, stop it!-.

-W-We can't! She controls them!-.

"All of them???" The thought slams into you. The number of presences is far greater than Bella's or anyone else's reserves. Megan must have planned for this contingency from the start.

-There's no point in doing this, you know.- You provoke her, making her glare fiercely at you: -No one is going to help you, and you can't mail them all by yourself.-.

A grimace of anger twists her features, but it morphs into a maniacal sneer: -Then I'll simply cut my connection with them! Right now, they're still all part of me, just like we planned; but if you don't help me, you're all going to have a mountain of trouble on your hands! Hundreds of new sisters, starving for a real body to take over. Maybe they'll rip you out of yours! How does that sound, Kim?-.

You know she isn't bluffing. She is absolutely ready to drag every one of you down with her. If all those copies gain their own consciousness, of her consciousness, there's no way you'll leave this place intact.

"In one piece... no, the only solution is..." You close your eyes and clench your jaw, suppressing your other senses to focus entirely on feeling Megan's goo. The soul resonance is all around you, now sounding like hundreds of speakerphones blasting static at full volume. If you can just seize control of them...

-Hey, what...?- Megan sounds confused, and you dive in. It feels like those childhood attempts to move objects with your mind after watching Star Wars, except the objects are now hundreds of hot, stinging boulders that you are trying to push uphill.

-You! You, filthy traitor!- Her hands clamp down on your sweater, forcing your eyes open to meet her furious face before she slams you onto the ground. The rocks start crushing you, but you fight, reasserting control. You can almost hear your teeth grinding.

-You think you can steal them from me? I-I spent the last month training day and night for this! While you were all wrapped up in your stupid dramas, I had no one to go home to! No one to waste my time with! When I wasn't at school or with you, I was doing this! YOU CAN'T BEAT ME!-.

Your temples are throbbing, but suddenly, the mental pressure feels lighter. No, wait; you look around and see that Cecilia, Lauren, Rhiannon, and everyone else are making the same strained effort. There are simply more presences pushing with you now. But Megan has eyes only for you.

You manage to sit up, but she immediately drops to her knees and tugs a fistful of your hair, her face once again centimeters from yours.

-And you, you don't even have a reason. Bella wanted to help her mother, Lauren was assaulted, and Cecilia wanted to get banged by Bella, but you? You only came to us out of pure inertia.- She spits, her jaw trembling from the mental toll she's simultaneously enduring: -You can't compete... with my... determination...-.

The pain is becoming unbearable, and perhaps that's a good thing, because otherwise, you might find yourself falling for her argument.

-Day and night, huh...- You manage to gasp out: -And when did you... visit Sonja in the hospital...?-.

Her hand instinctively releases your hair as she lets out a silent gasp. In that brief moment, you see genuine dismay in her eyes.

Then, you both hear Sonja's voice from behind her.

-Megan!-.

Megan instinctively whirls around, but there is only Kim standing there. She frowns in confusion, then in furious realization.

-You ugly co-

A metal pipe crashes against the side of her head, and suddenly, the pressure vanishes entirely. You find yourself in multitudes of places all at once. You are still sitting on the floor, but you are also inside several cardboard boxes, with 360-degree vision, feeling all slimy and sticky.

-What the hell did my nose do to you tonight?- The version of you still in a human body hears Maylene say, blood leaking from her nostrils. And, judging by the humid, coppery sensation on your human mouth, you suppose the same goes for you. As for Megan, she's lying **** beneath you.