literature

Umbrella Man: Lolly

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Literature Text

The carnival grounds had been deserted for some time. The broken ferris wheel stood as the centrepoint of the carnival, its rusted spokes almost devoid of their original colour.

It seemed fitting that the condemned park would be the site for what was about to come. Over-the-top theatrics and inscrutability seemed to come naturally to both parties, and both of them were enjoying the atmosphere.

Though the sky overhead was without a cloud, not a star was visible above theme park.

With a clank, the heavy padlock holding the gates shut fell to the ground, allowing the masked figure to ghost into the parade grounds.

His boots made a pleasing crunching sound on the gravel, and his bright umbrella stood out like a beacon in the oppressive darkness.

A cursory glance about the twisted carnival told him the darkness wasn't entirely natural. Only her presence could be causing such an event.

However, he was in no rush.

Admiring the remains of the ticket booth, Umbrella Man stroked a gloved hand over the dusty counter, seeing the particles rise into the air like a cloud.

"Got your entry fee, sugar?"

The sweet voice crackled from the disconnected microphone on the other side of the glass booth.

"Of course."

The written invitation slipped beneath the gap in the barrier, and Umbrella Man watched as a wire-thin tendril of ink slipped up and snatched the parchment away into the darkness.

"Come on in..."

The stream of air filtering through the gas mask provided an eerie tone to the already spine-chilling silence.

"I'd strongly recommend the House of Horror... or maybe the Comet Coaster. It's all fun and games here, cutie."

"I know you didn't ask to see me for fun and games, ma'am."

"Aww, now why'd you have to go and call me ma'am? I'm not that old... not physically anyway." The loudspeakers somehow maintained their distinct distortion, even without power fuelling them.

"Alright Lolly. Have it your way. The top of the ferris wheel was it?"

"Straight down to business? I was hoping we could tour the carnival together first... but I guess if you're keen to get this over with."

"You've toured this carnival before as I recall... quite a body count you racked up before someone realized the deaths weren't all accidents."

"You're too kind."

An icy laugh filled the air as Umbrella Man reached the base of the massive wheel.

"I'm assuming you want me to climb this?"

"Now what kind of host would I be if I did that?"

Lolly's voice was no longer being projected from the loud speakers, but instead seemed to be emanating from the shadows at the peak of the wheel.

A moment later, an inky figure rose from the ground at Umbrella Man's feet. The figure appeared to be in the shape of a carnival attendant, a hawk-like mask hanging lopsided from their pitch-black face.

"All aboard big boy..." The gurgling voice rolled from the liquid throat, beckoning Umbrella Man to step up onto the roof of the passenger compartment.

"Thank you."

The rust had already eaten through much of the roofs surface, but it was just sturdy enough to hold the masked man's weight.

With a pained grinding noise the wheel surged into life, rotating slowly upwards with sparks spitting from every crevice.

The sound was dreadful, and Umbrella Man was glad that he could dampen the noise.

As the apex of the rotation neared, Umbrella Man folded his umbrella and let it hang limply by his side, drinking in the view of the city far below the carnival grounds...

The location was constructed high atop a hill at the edge of the city, and the top of the ferris wheel commanded a view second to none.

"I admire your taste in scenery." He commented casually, looking around for Lolly.

"I admire your taste in attire... no need for it myself, but you're certainly more interesting to look at than most of the insects I squash each day."

"Well aren't you a smooth talking psychopath Lolly." Umbrella Man responded dryly.

"Well, why don't you look at me when you compliment me hun?"

"I would if I knew where you were."

A loud giggling noise filled the air around him, and after a moment, he felt a hand tapping his shoulder.

He spun around - and saw nothing.

"Clever trick."

"Oh you aint seen nothing yet darlin'. Look up."

Craning his head back, Umbrella Man gazed upwards into the blank, starless sky...

And saw it was moving.

With a spinning motion like a whirlpool, the inky sky descended before Umbrella Man, forming a connection on the roof of the compartment mere feet away from him. Inside the inky blackness, flesh began to appear. A slender leg, a curved chest, a smooth cheek, a shock of blonde hair...

"Very clever trick."

"Thanks sugar." Lolly smirked as the ink finally held in a circular motion around her, covering only her physical extremities.

Silence filled the air as they stared at eachother. Lolly's red eyes glowed like embers buried in her face, and Umbrella Man's eye-sockets seemed limitless, like staring into a chasm. Any lesser mortal would be unnerved by the sight - but neither combatant was going to back down.

"I'm only going to say this once." Umbrella Man said quietly. "You won't beat me. I know that won't stop you trying, but I thought I'd remind you."

"Remind me again after I've stuffed your umbrella down your windpipe, 'k hun?"

"I admire your confidence. But can you make good on your word?"

"Let's see."

Like a whip, a tendril of ink snapped out at Umbrella Man, going straight for his neck. The umbrella had flicked upwards in an instant, slapping the tendril aside easily - but before he had time to bring it back to defensive position, a second tentacle had struck the back of his legs, sending him lurching forwards Lolly to regain his balance.

"Uh-uh! No touchy!"

With a blow like a sledge hammer, Lolly's thrust forward, punting Umbrella Man off the top of the ferris wheel, sending him plummeting towards the ground far below.

In mid air, the umbrella burst open, and Umbrella Man's descent slowed rapidly till he landed on his feet upon the ground, dusting off the front of his suit.

"Hmm. Pack quite a punch don't you?"

"Well one doesn't like to blow their own trumpet darlin'..."

Lolly vaulted down into the courtyard, the Ink twisting around her as she landed before Umbrella Man, her hands digging into the ground as she kicked out at him.

Ducking low below the kick, Umbrella Man jabbed forwards, the tip of his umbrella pressing into the small of Lolly's back.

As she toppled backward, the Ink formed up like a cushion and she was flipped back onto her feet smoothly, the tendrils lashing out at Umbrella Man, their tips morphing into razor-sharp blades.

Quick as a flash, the umbrella was raised again, the black tentacles bouncing off its surface.

Reacting quickly, Umbrella Man bull-rushed forwards, his umbrella still open as he ploughed into Lolly.

The young blonde woman was hurled backwards from the force of the attack, though she showed no sign that she had even felt the attack.

"Not bad... I see it's going to take more than a few little strikes to hurt you." Lolly bared her teeth as she finished the sentence, her ink beginning to billow around her.

"I think we'd better give the city council a little hand with this carnival, don't you?"

As Umbrella Man stood watching closely, the Ink began to surge back behind Lolly, forming into great hands that gripped the edges of the ferris wheel, wrenching it free of the ground in a fountain of sparks and rusted metal.

"I can see why you were so confident." Umbrella Man admitted, reaching inside his coat.

With a grunt, Lolly hurled the ferris wheel down at Umbrella Man, the iron behemoth filling the courtyard with an agonized cry of warping metal.

...

As the dust cleared, Lolly couldn't see Umbrella Man. The ferris wheel was taking up the whole space where he had been, but still...

"Nice work with the Ink there."

"Your reputation was right - you just don't die do you?"

"Not often, no."

Lolly turned and faced Umbrella Man as he stood behind her.

"I'll just have to change that..."

The eruption of blows from Lolly would have made a hurricane seem like a calm breeze. With every strike, her attacks became more and more vicious, her eyes glowing brighter at every go - and yet Umbrella Man didn't seem to be taking any real damage. His umbrella moved like greased lightning, parrying blows from every angle - and even managing to get in a few strikes against the lady herself.

"Alright - that's it, I've had Enough!"

With a growl of anger, Lolly's ink began to form before Umbrella Man - taking his own shape, down to the hat and the curves of the mask.

"Let's see how-"

But Lolly was interrupted by a chuckle from Umbrella Man.

"What's so funny?" She whispered icily.

"Nice impression. But it's missing something."

"Oh really? What's that?"

"A proper mask."

Without another word, Umbrella Man's hand darted inside his coat again - and flung a white object at the Ink.

To Lolly, it felt like a part of her had been torn clean off - no physical pain was felt, but her mind was burning... she let out a shriek as she saw the ink stumbling backwards, its black hands clutching the object on its face.

"There, now he looks more like me..."

With a gurgling roar, the inky Umbrella Man turned and faced Lolly, its fists curled as the bone white mask clung to its face.

Lolly tried to will the ink into removing the mask - but she couldn't feel it, it was like the ink had been severed from her.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" Her scream was warped beyond reason, and as more ink formed around her, she lashed out, trying to knock the mask off.

The ink fought back furiously, matching her blow for blow, strike for strike - every attack she made, it bested and struck back, mauling her with her own furious assault.

Umbrella Man stood motionless as he watched Lolly. If she kept going, she would beat herself senseless... and yet... there was something in her face - her eyes - that made him reconsider.

With a snap of his fingers, the mask disconnected from Lolly's ink and fell to the ground.

All at once, the feeling surged back into Lolly's mind. She dived forwards and embraced the ink, wrapping it around herself like a coccoon and cuddling it, sinking to her knees and gasping with relief.

"You... never... you never do that again..." Lolly breathed, her embers gazing up towards-

She looked around.

"What? Where'd you go?"

She stood, looking around furiously, her teeth bared as she searched for her foe.

"Poor child... her anger is going to cost her one day. I hope she can learn her limits - before they're thrust upon her..."

Umbrella Man floated in the breeze hundreds of feet above the raging young woman, his umbrella holding him steady.

And with a sound like rushing wind... he was gone.
F.Y.I, I was listening to This song while I was writing this short story, which probably went some way towards the tone of the piece...

[link]

Anyway, Lolly belongs to :iconmat-lee:
Umbrella Man of course belongs to me :iconrythmear:

And I was inspired to write this because of the AFL league being held by :iconangelcrusher:

Fact is, I could never really enter it because I have the drawing skills of a lobster with a pen stuck in its eye, so this is the only way I'd ever be able to have any kind of battle.

I know it's not great - but I really wanted to write it.
© 2009 - 2024 Rythmear
Comments29
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Oorah007's avatar
Very nice fight seen. So descriptive