xiah
The Grinch steps out before the staircase just as the duo reaches the last step, causing them to flail and nearly tumble right on top of the reeking figure. Utterly flummoxed, Xiah barely has a mind to utilize her weapon before the Grinch flicks his wrist and sends her rolling pin flying. Well, so much for self defense.
Jude snorts and crosses her arms at the Grinch’s suggestion, Xiah knows she’d rather die than be in his collection. Clearing her throat pointedly, the latter scours her brain for a peaceful way to decline. At the moment however, there’s not much room to speak; the Grinch soaks up every second available to advertise his cheesy antlers, antlers her children wore every day around this time of year. Her lips part to disappoint His Greenness, but then his smooth voice plays tricks on her ears and she just can’t quite squeeze a word in edgewise.
When Jude moves to obey his final command, however, Xiah is roused from the hypnosis. Jude would never back down so easily, become so subdued. Snatching the woman’s arm, Xiah frowns up at her; Jude’s eyes beg to stay, yet her body is no longer her own. Whimpering wordlessly, Xiah stumbles up the steps after her, and without thinking, softly kisses her goodbye. No murder this time. No vampires. Just them.
It ends all too quickly when the Grinch shoves the reindeer antlers ever further towards her, and whisks Jude involuntarily into bed. Eyes staring after the onyx woman, Xiah’s breathing becomes rapid. Snapping her silver eyes to the Grinch, words spit from her mouth like tongues of fire.
“I’m no friend of yours, not when you break Jude’s spirit like that.” Turning to flee without a formal goodbye, Xiah prays that her supposed children are truly asleep; she knows them not, but in this world, their lives must be important. As the Grinch begins his evil cackle just behind her, Xiah breaks a sweat, feet pumping harder, eyes scanning the house for any way of escape.
Coming to the end of a corridor, the woman stifles a noise of terror when her only option is the window. Fists curling instinctually, Xiah double steps forward and throws her weight against the single pane glass, shattering it on her first attempt. Knuckles throbbing (and bleeding too, though she does not notice), Xiah gingerly removes herself from the house. Just as she lowers herself by her fingertips off of the windowsill, the Grinch rounds the hallway corner, and Xiah releases herself quite messily.
Falling about five feet (she vaguely remembers not being able to afford a large house, though the memory is utterly foreign) Xiah lands on her feet before tumbling inelegantly into a small drift of snow. There’s not much of the white stuff here, but it’s enough to send one hand into a frozen hell, and to sooth her window-punching hand.
Collecting herself rapidly, Xiah brushes the snow off of her hands via her cheesy red PJ pants. As she stumbles blindly away from the chaos inside of her house, the woman slowly realises that the chaos is everywhere.
Little elves in jingly hats oppose the ridiculous demons on every sidewalk, and it seems that she is not the only one to have woken due to the commotion. Hands flying to her ears at the bang of a gun, Xiah shakes her head incessantly, momentarily succumbing to the terror of the scene.
C’mon Xi, you’ve been through worse. The Mistress was worse than this. You can do this. This is just a dream, you came back last time remember? Just keep going and it will all be okay.
Inhaling shakily, Xiah raises her newly tear-striped face. A small sort of bravery begins glowing in her stormy eyes, and with a drag of the back of her hand across her ebony face, the woman starts to run.
Mrs. Walters stands on the deck of the first house she passes, screaming profanities at both elves and demons alike. When the old lady spots her young neighbour, she raises a hand and whips a lamp head towards Xiah with an unbelievable strength, screaming: “THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT, YOU ACCURSED LESBIAN! THIS IS GOD’S PUNISHMENT FOR THE WHORE-WIFE OF YOURS!”
Screaming herself, Xiah lunges to the ground, arms protecting her head. When nothing hits her, the woman peeks out from beneath her arms to see an elf, hand extended, holding the lamp-head stationary in the air.
So magic does exist here. Great.
“Come now little friend, help us! The Grinch is ruining Christmas, and we could use the reinforcements.” The elf’s squeaky little voice brings a smirk to Xiah’s face, but at the mention of the Grinch, she snarls.
“All right, I’ll help you win against that bastard.” Xiah bounces to her feet, fire in her eyes. “Thanks for that, by the way. Mrs. Walters was never my biggest fan.” The elf nods silently, allowing the lamp-head to fall. Gesturing towards the next house on the street, the elf goes at a sprint towards it, followed by Xiah.
Reaching the front entrance, Xiah tugs at the doorknob, but to no avail.
“Oh c’mon, I can hear the little assholes in there!”
“Step aside, human.”
Doing as the elf asks, she watches in fascination as the green-clothed dwarf extends a hand towards the knob, and click, unlocks it. She thinks she sees him smirking at her amazement, but Xiah pretends it’s just her imagination.
Tumbling into the reindeer-ruined house, Xiah gives her best impression of a battle cry, small hands raised in a kind of adorable boxing position. Just as the duo reach the living room, however, the final demon zips up the chimney, gifts clutched in its paws, a grin plastered on its stupid face.
“Fuck! We’re too late.” Slamming the flat of her hand against a wall, Xiah ignores the elf’s urgent warnings and plunges back into the cool winter night. Fire rolling through her veins, she races to the third house, only to encounter a horde of reindeer demons waiting for her.
Stopping so quickly she nearly falls on her face, Xiah dares not move, or even breathe; the little bastards look at her with an identical grin on their faces, one that she now decides is the creepiest expression she has ever seen. Extending her arms tentatively as though a cop had told her to put her hands in the air, Xiah’s left foot inches backward, and then stops.
Just at that moment, one demon’s head tilts to the side with a disgusting snap before they all begin advancing towards her.
So much for saving Christmas.
You won't have any friends, and I'll live in a room
With flowers on the walls, and golden doorknobs