Skipping through one of the Grave Center's many corridors, Joselin and her group of spiderlings reach the entrance to the giant room that John calls the center of his headquarters.
Within the room, Joselin sees Dixie standing on the head of a zombie giving out commands in a suave but sadistic manner. After hearing the moderately loud grind and squeal of the only door leading in and out of the massive steampunk like room, Dixie turns her head and locks eyes with Joselin before saying, "Well, hey there little princess what the hell are you doing here?"
Cocking her head to the left, Joselin says, "My old mom said hell was a bad word."
Amused at hearing Joselin's innocent response Dixie then says, "True little dead baby chick but in a world which has so much in common with the aspect of hell, it's alright to say since no one is going to spare the time to care, ok. Now, what is it you want? I'm quite busy directing some skeletons to gather some supplies for our newest guest."
Joselin looks around at the skeletons and the supplies that are snuggly packed in the crates on large-sized carts and asks, "We have a guest who is it?"
"Really none of your business at the moment. Once again, young lady, what is it that you want." Dixie asked again, but this time with an agitated eye roll.
"Papa wanted me to ask if you can teach me how I could make spider webs using magic. So can you pretty please? Joselin said while stretching out her last word as cutely as possible.
After looking at Joselin for a moment and thinking she said under her breath with a smile, " Mr.Sneaky thinks he can catch me off guard, uh? I'll go along with it for now."
Although Joselin couldn't hear or understand what Dixie had said, the person watching through her eyes could. At this moment Dixie, under the disillusionment that John had a secret plan for her, had her mind deep in the gutter of hardcore bondage which was enough for her to give in to the request by saying, "Ok sure but you have to listen and pay attention to every tiny detail like you did with all of our other lessons."
With her eyes lit with excitement again, Joselin said in a hyper tone, "Ok!"
After spending an hour and several minutes learning the basics of the skill
"Now, little zombie chick go and have fun and cause as much pandemonium as you want while I go and talk with John for a while," Dixie said while being unaware of the fact that John had no intention of giving her the "punishment" she wanted.
Before she left Joselin's side, she took another look at Joselin and said, "Wait! We can't have you leaving our home looking like a dust mite, so wait a second while I clean you up just a bit."
Just as Dixie had said that she had raised her left hand and cast a magic skill that sent balls of water toward Joselin rolling all over her body collecting dirt and other particulates they could find. Joselin's ragged clothes looked better by leaps and bounds, although they were still faded and tattered in many areas. After several seconds they floated off her and began to evaporate, becoming smaller and smaller until there was nothing seeable but vapor and steam. Afterward, Dixie tied her hair into twin ponytail and let her wild bangs hang as they were before.
Joselin had looked around at her clothes and was at awe momentarily while Dixie looked over her body, making sure she was smudge and dirt free before saying, "Ok, your all good to go. Can't have you representing during the last moments of a survivors' last moments on earth looking like a dirty rag on the side of the street now, can we?"
Joselin looking back at Dixie before she makes her way to the surface, says, "Thank you, Ms.Dixie."
After achieving the task that John had given her, Joselin made her way to the surface while continuing to practice with her
For a while, Joselin stared at the lovely sight beyond the towering burning building and skyscrapers while almost naturally blocking out the many screams and explosions. It was so beautiful that a tear had fallen her cheek without her even noticing. She had only had the chance to come above ground during the night with her mother during the night when only the moon was the only thing watching her when she prayed for some of the simplest things that children her age should've had, but it never answered.
Finally noticing the slight tickle her tears gave in return for her freeing them, she wiped them away with a smile and began her small adventure down a street. While she made her way down streets and alleys, her spiderlings either pounced on or tied surprised victims in their
Eventually, Joselin came upon a costume store with a frilled black victorian era maid costume in her size in the mirror. As she looked at it, she saw the reflection of her face and neck above the dress's neckline behind the glass. Although she wanted it, she felt conflicted as she was always told stealing was terrible, yet at the same time, she remembered that Dixie had told her she had been chosen to be a princess although she didn't look the part. She contemplated it for a while before remembering one of Dixie's comments about the world she lived in being similar to hell, and right now, nobody was going to care.
She thought about it for a moment before commanding one of her ten spiderlings to break the glass and grab it for her by saying, "Tommy, can you get this for me?
After a few seconds of not moving, she cocked her head in confusion and repeated her request before saying, "Get it for me, Tommy."
After her command, the spiderling still hadn't even budged a little bit. Feeling something was wrong with it she looked at another spiderling and was about to repeat her last command before she was interrupted by a voice in her head that had said, "If you genuinely desire to take what you want you must learn to take it yourself with your own strength, my daughter."
Instantly she recognized the voice as John's and looked around, trying to make sure she was not hearing imaginary voices. She looked back at the glass at her reflection to see that her pupils had changed from a glowing blue to a bright glowing red haze. She touched her cheek and slightly pressed up against her bottom right eyelid in amazement. With a low voice, she said, "Papa?"
With no response, she thought back to his words and understood his message to a certain degree. She backed up and extended her right hand forward, stretching her hand and fingers, fully revealing her paled palm. Then, as if she was clawing at the air in front of her hand, she used
Shocked at what she could do, she looked around until her eyes finally laid upon the black dress she wanted. She stared at it, wondering if she had damaged it in any way with her freighting strength and skill. Before she could stare any longer or become anymore afraid of her power, John interrupted and whispered into her thoughts, "Well done, child. Continue to make me proud."
Feeling something that she hadn't felt before in her heart, she smiles before taking the dress and disappearing into the store to change into her new clothes.
...
At the Grave Center, John leaves Joselin's mind as Dixie enters with a cocky smile as if expecting something she wholly misunderstood.