In a Forest, Under a Tree Where Many Plans Were Made

Chapter Fourteen

🌲Sharell Always Wins🌲

Summer, still clutching the note, stumbled out of the room. She quickly re-attached her necklace and hid the note in her bra. She felt weird with it sitting there, when Sharells hands had most likely written those words. Well, it explained her good mood at least.

She ran quickly back to Roux's house.

"You were ages!" exclaimed Sharell. Summer supposed this didn't exactly help her, while she was trying to convince Jack she wasn't seeing anyone else.

Summer launched into a story about how she couldn't find the necklace, and she searched the whole house before finding it under the bed. Sharell nodded slowly, as if disbelieving and shot Jack a simpering and knowing glance. Summer wondered whether or not to confront Sharell with the evidence hidden in her bra.

"Anyway, while you were gone Summer, I found some cake in the cupboard! Help yourself, please." said Roux kindly. Roux was kind, just naive. She'd believe anything if it got her popularity.

"Oh, thank you." Summer smiled and took a cake from the plate Roux had laid out, each slice beautifully presented.

"So Summer, Jacks not much of a talker," Summer grinned widely and Jack pretended to look indignant "So all I know is that you're from Kryston, and you ran away because you weren't allowed to marry each other. Tell me more." Roux leaned forward interestedly.

"Oh well... Umm, we left for another reason too. Jack worked in the mines there, and they were planning to dig under the whole city, to the very centre, because they thought they'd find something there. But Jack says they were digging too close to the surface, so when they used the explosives..." Summer choked. Jack wrapped his arm around her and continued the story, stone faced while Roux looked terrified and wide eyed, and Sharell remained impassive.

"Me and Summer went away before it happened, but there were explosives laid in key points all around the town: there was no way you could've survived without being on the very outskirts, or out hunting."

Roux wiped away a tear, and Sharell looked somber. But her eyes seemed vaguely... Bored.

"So... Your whole town, and everyone you knew... Just died. That's awful!" Roux stood up and hugged the two.

"But I don't understand the whole marriage thing: you say that you need a fathers permission, otherwise it's simply not allowed, non-negotiable?"

"Well, yes, of course! Isn't it like that everywhere?" Summer asked incredulously.

"Not here. I mean, it's nice to know that people approve of you getting married, but if they don't approve, then it's just too bad for them. I mean, if you love someone, you should be able to marry them if you want, your parents have nothing to do with it."

Summer nodded slowly. She thought that Radnok was just a smaller version of Kryston, but it obviously wasn't. Summer couldn't help but like the freedom a lot better. She'd live there permanently, if it weren't for Sharell.

"So tell me what it's like living in the woods."

Summer and Jack told stories about their adventures and misadventures, like the time Summer refused to hunt. Roux nodded, and was obviously listening, and was fascinated. Sharell still seemed a bit bored, and only really listened when Jack was talking, and then she giggled and flirted.

---------------------------------------------SHARELL'S P.O.V

(Wow, we're doing points of view for the first time!! I'll say 'Back to Narrator' when we go back to third person.)

---------------------------------------------

I stared and stared at Jack. He was perfect in every way, and hearing him talk while had Summer was out getting her necklace, and having him all to myself, was fantastic.

I knew he loved me, really. He HAD to. I was Sharell, I was perfect, just like him. And I had to eliminate all competition. That meant Summer.

It's a shame really, me and Summer could've been friends. Or, I would've pretended to be her friend. But she had something I didn't, and that made me mad. I needed everything. Summer was back now, and Jack was hugging her while she talked about her stupid old town, where you weren't allowed to get married if daddy didn't want you to. I had been researching Jack, and it turns out he was actually born in Radnok. Makes sense: he has the Radnok look about him. Ivy didn't have it, and I had heard she was born in a whole different town, that doesnt exist anymore. I also heard that she had moved right before the town was hit by some sort of plague, which caused the population to die out. Apparently, she was only two.

I still smile to myself when I think about Ivy. I remember having a good feeling very early in the morning when I woke up (the early bird catches the worm as they say,), and I was right.

I had walked to her house, it was 1 am and nobody else was up yet. I picked the lock and opened the door.

She was in her room. I just knew it.

I knew her house well: I'd snuck in many times and stole things or something, just to give her some grief. I found her on her bed, a knife in her heart, her mouth smiling, eyes shut. Her left had grasped the knife, and the right one grasped a note.

"Looks like I've won sweetheart."

And she had. For the first time, I had LOST.

It made me mad.

How dare she kill herself, when I should've had the honour of doing it myself? She got to herself first, and even though she was dead all the same, the thought that she'd done it quickly and painlessly and with that happy, smug look on her face made me scream.

But no matter. No way was she going out with dignity.

I had brought with me, in a cute little bag that I carry anything I can use to kill people, a long piece of poison ivy. Lots and lots of pieces. I had intended to choke her with it, then stab her lots. I shrugged. Oh well. It'll be fun anyway.

I started by wiping that smug look off her face. I grabbed the knife and ripped out her eyes. I cut around her mouth, forcing the smile away. I stabbed her in the chest, heart, everywhere. I grinned and pulled out her oesophagus: pretty little voice would never sing again.

I cut her legs open, and pulled out the bones. That took a lot of strength, but I work out. Have to stay fit.

I laughed and laughed as I wrapped the ivy around her. This was the most fun I'd had since I killed Charlie.

Eventually, my work of art was complete. No longer did she look at peace with herself: now she was torn and bloody and disgusting.

And no one would ever suspect me.

---------------------------------------------

BACK TO NARRATOR

---------------------------------------------

Summer looked closely at Sharell: it looked like she was struggling not to laugh.

Something was definitely wrong here.