Persistence

(a comedic story that takes place after the events of Aspects - featuring Johanna and Misery (who is still trapped in the body of an insect) )

Johanna was drying her hair after getting out of the shower. She plugged in her hair dryer and turns it on. She was dressed in a floral robe and a pair of slippers. As she plugged in her hairdryer the lights went out. "What the hell? I don't have that much on...."

She sighed as she stepped up from her bed and went downstairs in the basement. "Oh great where's the fusebox?"she muttered to herself, using a flashlight to look around.

Meanwhile down in the basement a strange red "bug" crawled through a space in the wall and observed her new surroundings from glowing yellow eyes - <> she thought to herself.

Johanna then thought, 'Huh, I have the sudden feeling that I'm being watched by an incredibly evil and nigh-omnipotent entitiy that wants to torment me...probably nothing."

The "bug" stretched her limbs a little then scuttled across the basement floor, moving rather fast despite her relatively small size <<..even in this prison I am eternal and if Creation thinks this will tame Misery she is greatly mistaken.. I shall return to my former power soon enough and when I do I shall make them pay for this..>>.

Johanna then accidently dropped her flashlight. "Oh damn it." she muttered. She kneeled down and found that the batteries flew out when she dropped it, "Oh for god's sake!"

Misery makes her way over to Johanna and thinks a little <<..well.. I may as well begin.. let us see how well this prison can hold a being such as myself..>> - with that she sits patiently as she observes Johanna, as if waiting for something. Johanna found the battery, sighing, "There you are."

She turned around and saw a large red beetle. "Ew, giant bug," she muttered to herself, picking up a book from a near-by stack and attempt to drop it on the bug.

Misery scuttles away quickly and hid in a corner, frowning slightly as the book landed on the ground where she once was <<..curse this form.. patience Misery.. you must have patience..>>.

Johanna replaced the fuse, and smiled as the lights turned on. As she went upstairs, the phone rang. She answered, "Hello? Oh! Hey Todd. You're calling from where? Look, we might get covered for long distances but I doubt interdimetional calls count...," Johanna was completely distracted by the phone call.

Misery scuttles forward once more and heads towards Johanna, stopping a few feet away as she thinks <<..alright.. no more games..>> - with that the phone suddenly begins to distort, crackling and hissing sounds making it difficult to keep conversation: eventually the distortion ends and a dark voice speaks from the other end of the phone to Johanna.

"..do you believe in monsters? ..of course you do, being with the World Walker and all.. if I were you I would watch your step.. there are things between Heaven and Earth you could never even dream of in your darkest nightmares..".

Johanna leaped a mile in her skin. "Who is this?" she demanded.

Misery moved forward a little, seeming to enjoy this - normally this kind of petty behavior was for her "brother" Phobia but she didn't let it bother her as she continued to manipulate the phone:

"..oh, nobody.. just remember what I said.." - with that the phone cut off completely.

Johanna picked up the phone and whispered, "Hello?" She sighed when Todd replied. "Must be some interdimensional interference." She turned and saw Misery in bug form. "Wait one moment, got s roach or beetle or something to kill." Johanna put the phone on hold grabbed the bug swatter and swiftly sent it downwards towards Misery.

Misery scuttled across the room at this, <<..ack.. accursed girl..>> she thinks to herself as she once again narrowly avoided being struck.. then turned back around and charged straight at Johanna.

Johanna groaned out of irritation and swatted again muttering, "I don't have time for this, I need to get dressed."

Misery is knocked over by the swat and spins over to a corner of the room, shaking herself as she growls a little and looks to Johanna as she rubs her head a little in a somewhat cartoonish manner <<..ugh.. this is ridiculous..>>.

"Damn bug," Johanna groaned, going upstairs to changed.

Misery isn't deterred however and concentrates, as she does so the stairs begin to stretch impossibly as Misery slows Johanna down with an illusion - scuttling right back towards her as she speaks directly to her: "Enough of this! I will not be made a fool of by a simple-minded mortal girl! turn and face me!".

Of course to Johanna this appears as a voice speaking from pretty much nowhere, unless she is particularly observent.

Johanna looked around and didn't find the source of the voice. 'Must be a demon,' she thought, panicking slightly.

She kneeled down and took two poles out from under the railing and hold them together like a cross.

Misery stays in place as she continues: "..your silly toys won't protect you - this is not a game and I grow tired of waiting.. you will learn now the terror of a thousand - hey.. wait a minute.. stop! I demand you to stop!".

Misery suddenly begins scuttling around, to avoid Johanna as she begins moving around.

"Where are you?" Johanna snapped, really wishing Todd was there...or at least have a vial of holy water, despite what the voice said.

"I am right here you stupid little -! ugh! just stay still! stay still!" Misery snaps, unusually flustered as she runs around in circles, trying to avoid Johanna and beginning to wish she had at least been imprisoned in the body capable of flight rather than a crawling vermin.

Johanna looked down and finally noticed the Devil's coach horse beetle that talks. "Holy crap!...you talk?"

"Amazing! she has a brain! of course I talk, you miserable little wretch - do you have any idea who I am? I am the terror of a thousand worlds, the destroyer or hope.." Misery replies, though this all sounds rather amusing coming from something that while fierce-looking is still pretty small.

Johanna laughed, ""Destroyer of hope?" That's funny. That's funny. I mean, you're ugly, granted, but you're still just a bug."

"I am not a bug! I am -" Misery began, then stopped herself, there was no way she was going to reveal her true self to the mortal world like this - it was embarassing enough that the Absolutes knew.. " - an alien overlord of the tenth dimension.. yeah.. uh.." - Misery silently cursed herself for such a stupid title, yet she was still rather flustered thus not exactly thinking straight.

Johanna replied, "That's not ppossible...Todd overthrew him a month ago after he became a "god"."

"He lied to you.. that's what men do.. they lie.." Misery notes, taking advantage of the situation "..even if he didn't you do know that every alien monstrosity must have at least one older sibling, offspring or other relation who is ready to avenge their defeat? ..I mean really..".

Johanna rolled her eyes and replied, "Alright granted, both those things are true, but Todd wouldn't. He's been my friend since...er, for a while."

"Really? care to bet on that?" Misery begins.

Johanna raised an eyebrow, "A deal...with a bug?"

"I don't think a deal is necessary.. I'm simply willing to bet your "friend" is not what you think.." Misery begins, the phone ringing before she can finish.

Johanna grabbed the phone. It was Todd again. "Uh...s-sure, I-I'd love to!" Todd just asked Johanna to go to a movie when he returned home.

Suddenly Todd is cut off as a voice not unlike his own suddenly says "too bad - I'm busy" - the phone then cuts off abruptly. "What the hell?" asked Johanna. "Hello?" The line was dead.

Misery took the time to scurry next to Johanna and asked from behind, "well? what do you think of your friend now?"

Johanna looked at the bug and snapped, "Sort of suspisious don't you think...invites me to movie, only to snap saying he's too busy? After you said he might not be my friend?"

'''"Oh? so now you develop a spine? what exactly are you going to do? you are all alone - no one to help you.. oh! I know.. you'll phone your little friend.. "help! help! there's an alien bug in my basement! save me!".."''' Misery replies, doing a little "dance" in a circle as if mimicking a panicked response. Johanna tried to crush the bug with the pole from the stairwell out of frustration.

Misery jumped out of the way of the pole and continued "..oh dear, oh my.. what am I to do? the nasty bug's being mean to me! save me Todd! save me!" - with that the "bug" turns and starts scurrying across the room.

Johanna huffed, "I don't have time for this you mutant freak." She kneeled and exhaled, trying to blow the bug off the step.

Misery tumbles off the step and dusts herself off before disappearing in a puff of smoke, reappearing on a step just above Johanna.

Johanna rolled her eyes and groaned, "Just go eat sugar water or something, I have to get dressed."

Misery responds by leaping straight at Johanna with surprising speed for something so small.

Johanna instinctively tried to backhand the bug away, muttering in an irritated voice.

Misery lands on her back due to the backhand and wriggles around, unable to right her "..stupid girl! ..you are nothing! nothing!".

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. If you need me, I'll be getting dressed. Don't need me." Johanna said, atempting to go up the endless stairs again.