The Dangers of Pomegranate Salad

Chapter 42

Chapter 42. There’s No Place like Home.

 I close my door and change out of my dress. Instead of putting on night clothes I put on cargo pants and a black T-shirt. I also find a brown Jacket similar to Jackie’s. I put it on and get Lily to come with me. We wait a few minutes before we sneak out of the room, and down the stairs. I walk out to the wall and use my renewed powers to grow a ladder up the wall. I climb over it and start walking. I hop e Haden and Fanta don’t hate me for leaving. But I need to get home to my parents. It’s been what? A month? Two months? Has school started? I don’t even know. Running like this has been sort of timeless. But I do know I need to get home to my family. I wonder if Dad even knows. Have I been declared dead? I hope not. When I get home I’m going to get the note and throw it away. How am I going to explain to Mom about going to school in Chicago? Special scholarship? I don’t know. I wish I could call her, but I lost my phone weeks ago.  I wonder who I will explain Lily? Maybe I’ll just hide her. Or use her as proof. I don’t know. My life has been so messed up. As I walk, behind me, I hear something behind me.  Lily flies of my shoulder into a defensive position. I turn, bending the plants to my will. Someone grunts at the plants wrapping around them. I see two figures one female, and one male being held off of the ground by a tree. I recognize them. “Haden? Fanta?” I say confused. I release them, and the fall to the ground “how did you know I was gone?” I ask. “I saw you leave your room and I followed you to where you made the ladder, then I went to go get Haden. I figured I couldn’t convince you to stay alone” says Fanta. “Why are you following me?” I ask. “Because you can’t just leave! You aren’t fully trained yet.” Exclaims Fanta her arms up in the air. “Besides you’re my only friend who is a girl.” She says a little quieter. “Terre, you need to come back with us” Haden says. “Why? Your mom doesn’t need me to kill Ralph, I can go home. I can see my mom. I want to go home” I say to him.  He looks sad. “But, I want you to stay” he says. “I just want to see my mom. Maybe I can tell her about all this” I say, knowing I can’t really tell her.  She wouldn’t believe me.  “We could come with you” says Fanta, desperate to keep her only female friend. I shake my head “No you can’t, you have your mom, and Haden just found his parents. You can’t come with me.” I say. “Please, just let me go find my mom” Haden sighs. “you could live with us. You could stay with us. You could continue your training, and we could be together.” He says. “I love you” he looks desperate for me to stay with him. I sigh. “I love you too. But I can’t do this to my mom. She doesn’t deserve any of what I’ve had to put her through.” I tell him. I look at Fanta, who is walking away, trying to give us a little privacy. Even if she does lie about everything, she’s a good friend. Lily flies after her so that we can be alone. I look Haden in the eye. “I’m afraid to lose you again” he says to me. “Haden what happened in the cave wasn’t your fault. I chose to stay. I did it to save you” I tell him. “But I feel like I should have done something, to keep you safe. I was useless to you; I couldn’t do anything to help you. And I hate myself for that” he says sadly. “Haden, please don’t hate yourself” I say to him. he looks at me, and leans closer, I lean up to him, and our mouths are almost touching, maybe we’ll finally…. “Aiiiiieeeeeee!” Fanta gives a blood curdling scream. We break away from our almost kiss, “Fanta!” I scream. We run to where we heard her. “Help!” she screams. We burst through the trees. I see Fanta, a look of fear on her face. She is being held up by her through, her hands clinging desperately to the person holding her. She makes scared choking sounds. I look at the person holding her; they have a knife in their hands. I look at their face. It’s Mrs. Underlan. Lily is flying around her desperately trying to stop her. Mrs. Underlan seems annoyed, she smacks lily with the back of her hand. Lily slams into a tree, and falls to the ground. Mrs. Underlan looks at Fanta. She looks crazed. “This is for my husband.” She says. She throws Fanta to the ground hard, knocking the wind out of her.  She raises the knife, and drives it into Fanta’s stomach.