“You lost.” Cliff pointed out bluntly as we fled the warehouse in my car.

“I know.” I replied coldly, staring blankly out the window.

“She beat you.”

“I know.”

“You were beaten, by a little girl.”

”I know!! Just… Argh… Shut up and drive.”

It was an uncomfortable silence the rest of the way to the hospital, I could tell he wanted to reprimand me some more, but he restrained himself due to the fact that I was bleeding from multiple parts of my body. Particularly the small stomach wound, that bitch gave me.

But even though he wasn’t saying anything it didn’t stop all the things she said, running through my head. ‘Oh I love this part, when I seemingly comes back from the dead. It never gets tired. You see this battle gear, that only I could ever pull off, is threaded with mythril fibres. So nothing can ever cut me. You have a lot of places to stab and cut. Mother looking at me; tell me what do you see? Yes I’ve lost my mind…’Damn it now that songs in my head.

As I was wheeled into surgery I pondered the events that led me to this situation.

I was always a smart child, a prodigy some might say. I excelled in anything I tried; there was nothing I could not do. Growing up, I was the envy of every girl and the desire of every boy, but it was never enough for me. I couldn’t figure out what it was, but something was missing. There had to be something more. Listen to me I sound like a Disney movie, however in this story there was no sweet prince to sweep me off my feet, for me to gush over and dedicate my life to. At one point I thought that it was this that was missing, that perhaps I needed someone to complete me, but try as I might nothing seemed to fill the void.

It was a simple act, go to the supermarket to get some food, I don’t know what I was thinking, sixteen years old, walking the deserted streets in the middle of night, the light from the full moon my only guide. Fortunately there was no danger to be found lurking in the shadows as I walked to my destination, unfortunately there was danger to be found inside the supermarket. This was the night my life changed.

 I approached the counter, carrying whatever food products my arms could hold attempting to find my wallet, whilst smiling pathetically at Karen the cashier when I heard it. An aggressive masculine voice booming from behind:

“Everyone down on the ground!”

Panicking I dropped everything I was holding, stupidly causing several objects to smash, leaving me cowering in broken glass and pickle juice.

Peeking out from my position I could see the heavy, dirty boots of our attacker approach the checkout. My checkout.

“Please,” pleaded Karen “Take what you want, just don’t hurt anyone”

Shaking, I chanced a look and witnessed him sneer at Karen in a way that suggested he was going to hurt everyone regardless. Suddenly there was a crash, clearly startled he turned to locate the source, his smirk instantly evaporated.

Following his gaze I slowly turned myself around, cutting my hand on some glass, in the process. There standing in front of the newly smashed window was a dorky guy dressed in some hideous pink spandex.

“Stop fiend” his face straining as he attempted to put on a ridiculous deep voice.

“Oh yeah, what are gonna do about it?” taunted the attacker, instantly regaining his composure.

“This.” Quick as a blur, or what to me then seemed like a blur, the kid struck the thief sending him flying into a display of Easter eggs.

“You punk!” he screamed, picking himself up out of the pile of bent cardboard and chocolate. But before he could fully regain his composure the kid dealt him another couple of blows, knocking him hard against the shelves, pasta snacks tumbled out everywhere.

“I don’t think I want to be seeing you in my town any-” the kid was cut off; the thief had stabbed him in the throat with the knife he had been holding this entire time. Blood began spurting out as the kid stumbled around clutching at his throat, gasping for breath. Forgetting about my safety, I rushed to his side as he collapsed on the floor, I tried to apply pressure to slow the bleeding In my panic I had completely forgotten the procedure, and I oddly remember wondering if the kid had AIDs.

“Call an ambulance!” I screamed at Karen, who had been screaming the entire time.

The thief decided that now was a good time to leave, and jumped through the same window that the kid had smashed through and disappeared into the night.

Karen had made it to the phones, and had managed through the shock and the fear to tell them the situation, but by the time the ambulances had arrived it was too late, realising it was hopeless I watched him die in my arms.

The stitching went successfully, I was fast on my way to healing, the doctors said I’d only be contained for another day. I lay on my semi-comfortable hospital bed musing over the holes in the ceiling and the bizarre non-pattern patterns they made. My mind was reeling, still going over that last battle with Prissy, I couldn’t understand how she beat me. I didn’t have nearly as much trouble last time.

I tried to turn on my side, the pain in my stomach kept me from doing so, pathetically I rolled my head towards the door, standing at its entrance was Cliff, wearing blue scrubs..

“What, no flowers?” I hated him seeing me like this.

He entered with the air of someone with a lot to say, I turned back to my ceiling holes.

Sitting down on the chair beside the bed, he said what I feared he would say: “We need to talk.”

It had almost been a month since that incident at the supermarket, my desire to be the best had waned. Teachers, coaches and parents began to notice and insisted I go to counseling to help me “deal”.

But I didn’t need counseling, I had already dealt with it. Death, I had concluded, happens. There’s nothing we can do about it, so why stress.

For some reason though, I found myself sitting on the beach staring at the ocean for hours, it seemed to calm me, when I wasn’t at the beach I discovered I was irritable, as if I had something I needed to do, something important but I just couldn’t remember what. It troubled me, but when I stared out into the ocean all thoughts just washed away like seaweed on the shoreline.

On the day before the full moon, I had the strongest urge to go swimming. It was winter and the water was freezing, but on that day as I entered it was like walking into thick air, I felt like I could stay in there for hours. And I did, I swam against the wave, with the waves, through the waves just as one would on the hottest day of summer. Before I knew it, it was night, the moon rose in its fullness (well near enough) lighting the night sky and ocean with its pale yellow glow.

Staring at the moon I realised something was wrong, I suddenly felt incredibly hot, and knowing this to be a symptom of hypothermia I made my way back to shore.

I felt different somehow, as I emerged from the water, almost… powerful. I tried to convince myself I was just imagining things due to swimming in the ocean at night in the middle of winter, but I just couldn’t shake the feeling.

I was hungry. It came on so sudden, but I was starving, I had to eat something. Draping clothes over my wet glistening body I headed into town to find something to eat.

The first thing I came across was a petrol station, “This’ll do.” I muttered.

Well the clerk was not to happy to see me practically naked dripping over the merchandise. Don’t know why that was so upsetting now that I think about it, a girl wearing nothing but a bikini and a white unbuttoned blouse dripping with ocean water emerges from the cold night, there’s no one around and he’s the only guy in the store, and he’s worried about some chip packets getting wet? Gay.

Anyway, he struts on over spouting some garbage about water and dress codes whilst I’m looking at a pack of chips and grabs my arm. Not wasting a second, I grab his arm, twist it behind his back and shove him against the chip display. 

Without even flinching, I lean in close and whisper in his ear, “Look, I’m hungry and because you were so rude, I think I’m just gonna take what I want and go.” And with that I pull him back and send him sprawling across the grimy floor. “Please,” he sputtered. I looked down at him in contempt, took what I wanted and left.

As soon as I hit the night air it all came back to me. Oh my God, what did I just do? And when did I get so strong? Deciding to test out my new found strength I walked over to the nearest car and attempted to lift it. I was probably crazy but then I managed to get the back wheels a fair way off the ground! Punching the car in delight left a fist sized dent. I looked down at me hands in awe and realised the scars from the night at the supermarket were gone.

I noticed the food I had stolen on the ground beside me, I looked back at my hands again, a smile crept across my face. I could get used to this…

“Look,” I said angrily. “Can this wait?”

“Not really” Cliff said in his usual calm tone “I think we should talk about what happened.”

“But here? Now? We’re in a public hospital for Christ’s sake! What if someone hears us”

“Well actu-”

“And how was I even admitted without being arrested, surely the police would have been alerted”

“Yeah, see about that…you know when I said we should talk? Well what I meant was, we should run.”

“Your kidding?”

“Uh…nope, you see when they took you in it was an emergency, but now…” he trailed off.

“Well what the HELL are you waiting for?! Let’s get out of here!”

In what can only be described as a miraculous escape, Cliff managed to wheel me out in a wheelchair completely inconspicuous. By the time the police burst into my room we were gliding down the wheelchair access. As our car got through the main gate, I could see the cops examining the wheelchair we had left behind, one of them kicked it in frustration. A smile crept across my face, I will never grow tired of this.

Five years had past since that night, in that time I had discovered that I was only endowed with strength and speed during the full moon and the two nights directly before and after. Mine was now a life of crime, during those nights I used my full potential to take what I want when I wanted, a  petty theft here, a mugging there, there was nothing that could stop me on those nights.  The rest of the time, I maintained the front of a normal life, I ‘graduated’ with Dux, and later studied Design at the local university. It was there that I designed my ‘battle outfit’ as Prissy would call it. It was simple design, a leather bikini, but if you look closely you can see intricate patterns carefully carved into the material, and then you’d see nothing and wake up with your clothes and cash gone.

I was ashamed to admit that my body was my greatest weapon, even on non super nights I could still get the better of my ‘opponent’, mostly cause they were drooling perverts who would cream their pants if I licked them softly, disgusting really.

Life was great, or was it? I don’t know what, but it didn’t seem to be working, there was still something missing, a purpose. I just couldn’t shake this feeling, it bothered me. Only the ocean seemed to distract me from it, but not for too long.

That’s when I met him. I had just finished taking out another sap when I was approached by a figure emerging from the shadows, he looked just like one of those guys out of a film-noir, trench coat, hat and all.

“I’ve bee watching you for sometime now Shelly,” he said. “I think we should talk, come with me.”

‘You a cop?”

‘No, no nothing like that, I‘ve got a proposition for you”

“I’m listening.”

“No, not here. Come.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you till you tell me your name.”

“Cliff.” and with that he turned and walked away.

“Hey wait up.” I yelled running to catch up.

It was several days after our grand escape from the hospital, we had relocated to a house we were renting on the outskirts of town. My body had recovered and I was naturally able to walk around again. It was now that Cliff decided to resume our conversation, the one that in actual fact never started, but I stand by my choice of phrase.

“You lost.” He said bluntly, staring at me from his chair.

“Don’t you think I know that?!” I said approaching him.

“You weren’t supposed to lose, that wasn’t part of our plan.”

“Well, duh. I’m still alive, there’s always another chance.”

“The question is,” he said ignoring me. “Why did you lose?”

“Bitch caught me of guard, that’s all. I have the skills and more than enough power to wipe out a novice, such as Prissy McPrisspriss, and am I the only one that thinks that’s a ridiculous name?  I mean, repetitive..”

“Yes, I think we are all aware that it’s a stupid name,” Cliff said dismissively

“Plus, you know she has that invincible making mythril choir dress thing, if we were to obtain it somehow…”

“You would be able to kill her?”

“That too”

“Shelly, share your evil plans..”

But by that stage I was already out the door, a plan was forming in my head, but first I needed to get that dress, and I knew just where to start.

He had lead me into an abandoned café, I think it was shut down due to health code violations, there were discarded coffee mugs all over the place, some of them still with what used to be coffee inside. Obviously the owners didn’t care for reopening, the place was a dump.

“Alright” I said making a show of observing my surroundings “You’ve lured me into an abandoned café, where there’s no one around and only one way out, which you have just locked, you’re gonna try to rape me aren’t you? I’ll kick your ass, except you already know that, you don’t get off from having your ass kicked do you?”

“Wow, you talk too much. No, I’m not here to ‘rape’ you. How about you just listen.”

“Fine” I sighed, taking a seat in the least grungy booth I could find. “Get on with it.”

He sat down opposite me, and began to tell his story “As you’re well aware of, you have recently acquired some ‘super’ abilities”

“Yeah, five years ago.”

“And do you know how you acquired these powers?”

“Something to do with oceans?”

“Oceans huh? That’s the weirdest response I’ve ever had. No, not oceans, though we’ll get to that. Do you remember being near a death beforehand?

“Yes.” I said impatiently “Can you hurry it up already, I‘m losing precious moonlight.“

Cliff sighed, “Alright, no interruptions or I won’t continue, understand?”

I nodded. He reached under the table and pull out a briefcase and laid it on the table.

“OK let’s start at the beginning.”

He explained the whole convoluted history to me, unfortunately I can’t repeat it as I wasn’t actually paying attention. It was mostly superstitious crap that was made up of pieced together theories. I think there were wolves involved.. Regardless, it wasn’t important, I sat through the whole thing feigning interest but my mind was more preoccupied with what was in that briefcase. Occasionally he would stroke it, as if cherishing its sacred contents, I wondered if-

“Are you listening to me?” Cliff snapped suddenly, jolting me from my thoughts. I nodded for him to continue.

“As I was saying, it seems that you “moon-warriors” are not only powered by the full moon, but also draw additional strength through a certain aspect of an element, yours being water.”

“Wait, so your saying water makes me more powerful.”

“No, not water” he said with a voice one would use to explain to an idiot child. “With you it seems you draw strength from the ocean and only the ocean mind you, not salt water or a bucket of water from the ocean.”

“So… your saying I’m strongest …when I’m near the ocean..”

“Ding ding, I think she’s got it.”

I shifted in my seat agitated. “So, is this all you wanted to tell me? To swim in the ocean? Cause I already do that.”

“You really weren’t listening were you? Did you learn nothing from the power transference segment?”

Off my blank look he sighed, “Fine, long story short, when a moon warrior dies their powers are passed on to the nearest living body.”

“When they die, there powers are absorbed by the nearest person?”

Cliff nodded.

“So lets say hypothetically I were to kill another “moon-warrior” I would then absorb their power?”

“Hypothetically, yes”

“And this would, hypothetically, increase my strength and speed?”

“You’ve got it.”

“So what the hell do I need you for?”

“I know the locations of all twenty moon-warriors”

“Works for me. When do we get started?”

“Excellent.” he said finally opening his briefcase. He took out a blue folder and handed it to me, it smelled strangely like cat. Inside was a picture of a man and some details about where he lived and what he did for a living and ‘otherwise‘. “This is your first target”

The high school of course, I knew that idiot boy must go to this place, he needs all the education he can get. Finally after what seemed like ages, I managed to spy him walking out with an oddly familiar red haired by his side. As they drew closer I realised that it was that crazy nosey girl who accused us of being evil the day we arrived in this town.

“Come on!” I heard her say, snapping me out of my thoughts. “Not much time left until it closes”

“You know, maybe if you told me where exactly we need to be, I would know how fast I have to go”

“You’ll find out when we get there”

“Why the big secret?’ that guy turned around suddenly almost spotting me. “Are we being stalked?”

“Don’t be stupid, its just, what kinda life would it be without a little bit of mystery?”

“Prissy, I think we are beyond having to need mystery in our life, what with Cliff and Shelly lurking about.”

“Where’s the mystery in that, they’re evil. Everyone knows that..”

“Yeah, but..”

Ok, I’m going to have to stop it there, before I go insane, it was like this the whole way there, seriously. A girl can only take so much pointless banter, oh the things those two came up with to support their meaningless sides in their meaningless debate. Finally we reached the Laundromat, it was a dinky little place on the outskirts of the city. There was no way I could follow them inside, so fortunately I didn’t have to listen to anymore idiotalk.

They were only inside a few seconds before the girl named Prissy, pulled out Prissy’s very battle dress! But what was she doing with… unless…  no way.  Well this was easier than I expected, here I was thinking I’d have to tail that guy till the next full moon. What luck.

The two twerps were suddenly joined by a third, whom it appeared the others weren’t exactly happy to see.

After some time, the new girl lead the two of them into the next room, I could no longer wait outside as the other room had a better view of where I was standing. I had no choice, I had to sneak into the laundry room they were previously in.

“Ok see ya!” the employee called out after one excruciatingly boring conversation later. “It was nice meeting you both”

“Quit pulling so hard!” could be heard in the distance.

Finally they were gone, now was my chance. I made my way towards the door causing the working girl to jump. Cute.

“Hello there.”

I couldn’t believe it. I had in my possession the very thing that gave Prissy McPrisspriss her edge. And as an added bonus I had uncovered her secret identity. Very clever of her to hide in the most obvious place. Or very stupid. As I left the Laundromat I decided to try the dress on, just to see how well I could pull it off. I only had it on for two minutes when I was suddenly confronted by a random passer-by.

“Excuse me?” he said taking my hand and shaking it vigorously. “You’re Prissy McPrisspriss, aren't you?”

“Ah, sure.. Whatever you say.. Who are you?

“I’m Mr. Lowe, the principal of the nearby high school. Do you think you’d be able to be an special guest speaker at the prize giving tonight? All the students look up to you, I’m sure they’d get a kick out of it.”

Hey weren’t Prissy and that guy going to go to a prize giving tonight? What a perfect opportunity to deliver a message. “Sure, no problem. You know me, I’m always there to help, cause I’m a…um helper..” I smiled lamely at him.

“Well, excellent. Excellent indeed. Oh this will be the most exciting prize giving yet.” he said shaking my hand again. “We’ll need you at about eight thirty. Just to give you time to get ready.’ With that he was gone, walking down the street with a slight skip in his step. Dork.

Oh, it’ll be an exciting prize giving that for sure. Hmm, I thought after catching a glimpse of me in a windows reflection, I’m gonna need to dye my hair, if I want to pull this off better.

“…Today as our final guest speaker, is the city’s resident super hero, Prissy McPrisspriss!”

The assembly hall burst out into wild applause as I walked out onto stage. Who knew being a superhero would gather such a huge following from snot nosed teenagers, oh I am so regretting choosing a life of crime. Hmm no, I think I prefer the notion of ultimate power.

I gazed out into the audience to see if I could spy my target audience. Ah there they are, the only ones sitting. Oh I wish I had a camera to capture the looks on their faces. So much hatred, I’m flattered. Really.

Ok that noise is getting irritating, better start the speech.

“People, please. You shouldn’t be applauding me, you should be applauding yourselves. After all you are the ones who have made it through high school. Your whole lives ahead of you... For now” The whole crowd went silent after that last comment. Good, I have their attention.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure most of you will go on to lead happy healthy lives. But it is foolish to think that you all will be alive in five years times. Because as we all know, death happens.” I turned to face Mr. Lowe. “Isn’t that right Mr. Lowe?” I shot him then, in the head. His lifeless body crumpled to the floor of the stage. "See?" That’s when the screaming started. Let’s see prissy have a following now.