Mercy the Immortal

There was a crash in the back of the bus.

“Hey! Don’t you dare make me come back there!” snapped Mercy.

  The three pale goblins looked up at her.

“He started it!”

  Mercy’s red eyes flashed.

“I don’t care who started it! I will finish it!” she snapped.

  The smallest goblin, Twitch, a female goblin with lemon eyes and a sour personality glared at her.

“Who died and made you queen?” she snapped.

  Mercy whipped around. Bright red hair flying.

“I could really use some silence right now! Moth! Help me out here!” Mercy snapped.

  The giant moth wearing a gray suit was staring at the bus lights as if hypnotized.

“Watch?”

  A tall dark figure was curled up in one of the seats, asleep. His snoring reminded Mercy of a train. She groaned. How did it all come to this?! How was she stuck in a modern day organization with a bunch of creatures that hardly listen to her?

  It started a long time ago. The 1890s. She was a normal human being. Her brother was always fascinated with monsters. She laughed them off. After all, why would someone study something that never existed? Or, at least, she thought never existed. She could remember it like it was yesterday… How old was she? Twenty. She still looks like she’s twenty, but there was a time that she actually looked her age. Looking out from the Ferris wheel…

“You missed a turn!” Twitch shouted, interrupting her thoughts.

   “Dang it!” She shouted, startling everyone on the bus.

  Mercy drove until the bus reached a shady-looking gas station.

“I needed to gas up anyway. Moth, you got your disguise?” she asked.

  Moth was putting on a fake mustache and a fedora.

“Why do you even have to ask that question?” he asked smugly as he slid on sunglasses.

  Mercy rolled her eyes. They got out of the bus. She looked at the fluorescent lights. The world is moving too fast for her liking…

  They walked in. This was… by far the worst gas station. The smell was unidentifiable. The floor was dirty. Overall this place looked like it hadn’t been properly clean for at least three years. Mercy pursed her lips. She went to the counter. A man with wide eyes and a pearl-like medicine sat there.

“Thirty on pump two.” she told him.

  He nodded.

“Oh yes! Of course.” he said quickly.

  She slid the cash to him. He snatched it like a cobra. Moth’s eyes widened.

“Er… What is that?” he asked, pointing at the pearl-like necklace.

  The man smiled. Gold tooth glistening.

“Human tooth necklace. It’s kind of hard to find teeth. Speaking of teeth, you two have such lovely teeth…” he replied.

  Moth grabbed Mercy.

“We need to get going!” he yelped.

  Soon, they were on the road again. Mercy thought about her past. She grew up on a large estate. She remembered waking to the sound of birds and the smell of strawberry pancakes. She would put on a bright red dress, even though her mother disapproved of it. She was always strict.

 She turned to a dirt road. The sound of the highway grew fainter. Highways. She had to ride a carriage to the fair. She parked in the clearing in the forest.

“So… What’s… the… plan?” asked Watcher.

  Mercy pursed her lips.

“This being is powerful, but easily scared. Watcher, you and the goblins stand guard. Moth, you're with me.” Mercy ordered.

  Moth flinched.

“What? Why me?” he asked.

“You see well in the dark.” she replied.

  They walked out of the bus. The crisp night air filled Mercy’s lungs. She pulled out her scanner.

“I’m getting something. Come on.” she ordered.

  This forest… Why did it look so familiar… Moth gasped.

“M-m-m-Mercy? Look…” he whispered.

Mercy winced. Bones. And she knew exactly who’s bones those are.

“Moth! We need to abort mission!” she hissed.

“Wait! I hear someone… oh! It’s a child crying…” he gasped.

  He ran towards the noise. Mercy ran after him. When she saw where the crying was from, she froze. Her heart started pounding as her chest started getting tighter. She felt dizzy.

“You never let me do what I want! You’re always ordering me around!” Mercy snapped.

   “I order you around, because I know what’s best for you! I don’t want you turning into a hussie!” her mother snapped.

“At least I’m not an old hag like you!”

  With that, Mercy ran off. Her eyes burned with tears as she looked at the ferris wheel.

“Are you okay?”asked an old lady.

  The old lady had such kind eyes, that Mercy poured out everything.

“Well, dearie, if it makes you feel any better, I had just bought a ticket for a new circus in town. I was going to go, but it’s too far in the forest. You may take the ticket if you’d like.” she told her gently.

  Mercy took the ticket. She loved circuses. Her parents took her when she was a little girl. She walked until the sky turned to night. She eventually found a bright red tent. Alive with music and lights. She walked inside.

  The circus was the most incredible thing she had ever seen. Creatures of unimaginable horror and power. People with unusual powers. Monsters. When the show was done, she crept towards the wagons. She saw a man in rags and a deer skull. That was the last thing she remembered before waking up on a dirty bed, the ringmaster looking at her with glee.

“Stab her again!” he ordered.

  She screamed as a knife went through her leg. Her leg miraculously healed on its own. She stared at it in horror.

“It worked! My dear girl, you are going to be a star!” he laughed.

   Mercy started crying. This was the same forest. The tent was right in front of her, torn and filthy from time. Moth ran to her with a child in his arms.

She had spent months in the circus, getting literally torn apart to rebuild herself again. MERCY THE IMMORTAL that was her name. Of course the ringmaster would've taken it himself, but he was too old. So now he gets rich off of Mercy… until one fateful day…

“Mercy! Are you okay? I found this child… She has very dark eyes…” Moth began.

  The little girl with the black eyes was sobbing hysterically.

“It’s s-t-t-till out there!” she blubbered.

“We’re not alone?” Moth asked.

“Ladies and gentlemen! The wendigo!”

  A cage was brought out. The man with the deer skull and rags paced around in it. The crowd gasped in shock.

“Now this creature is possibly the most dangerous of my collection…”

  Mercy looked at the ringmaster with pure hate. Collectibles. That was all she was to him. Then to her horror, the cage burst open. Screams filled the night.

  Mercy couldn’t speak. She looked at Moth. One of the only beings she was comfortable with… She grabbed him and ran.

“Mercy! What are you doing?!” Moth asked.

  A shriek filled the night. Mercy broke down crying. She recognized that shriek.

“Fly! I’ll be okay!” she screamed.

  Moth’s eyes were filled with sheer terror. He flew into the trees with the little girl. Mercy was alone. She took a deep breath and wiped her eyes. Ready to face the thing again. Then there it was. The terror from Mercy’s nightmares.

“You want to try to kill me again? Do it.” she hissed.

  The monster with a deer's skull looked at her. Mercy swallowed. She felt like swallowing a rock. Then the monster looked at Moth, who was flying towards the bus. He ran after him. Mercy’s heart stopped. The monster knew that he couldn't kill her. She ran after him. The crisp night air rushed in her lungs, her feet flew across the forest dirt… it’s been years since she ran this fast. With a roar she tackled the monster. The monster yelped and fell down.

“I’m not letting you hurt anyone else!” she snapped.

  The monster shrieked at her and took a swipe. Mercy grabbed its arm with great strength. She opened her mouth and let out a horrific scream. The deer’s skull shattered to pieces, leaving a headless body. Mercy let the body fall to the ground, staring. She spaced out for a long time.

  It was five months later. Mercy was baking a cake. The little girl, who they named Martha, after Mercy’s mother, was playing with the goblins. They were all at a cabin in the mountains.

“Keep your eye on the ball!” Twitch told her.

  Martha swung at the ball as Watch tossed it. She missed. Mercy put a poorly made fondant rose on the cake.

“And… done! I hope that Martha will like it.” she told Moth.

  Moth looked at Mercy and smiled.

“You know, I like how motherly you are to her. It’s a good side to you.” Moth told her.

  Mercy rolled her eyes. 

“Say that again and I’ll shatter your skull.” she warned.

  Martha ran up to Mercy.

“Hey Martha. Your birthday cake is ready. Sorry if it’s not perfect…” She apologized.

  Martha looked at the messy cake. A grin spread across her face.

“I love it!” she squealed.

  Mercy smiled. 

“Come one. Let’s go inside and light your candles.” she replied.