The Dangers of Pomegranate Salad

Chapter 43

Chapter 43, Fanta’s Goodbye.

Fanta’s mouth is open in surprise; like she can’t believe this has happened. She makes a choking sound, gasping for breath. She curls up in pain. Mrs. Underlan pulls the dagger out of Fanta’s writhing body. She screams again, a painful, primal scream. Mrs. Underlan Laughs at Fanta’s scream. Her crazy eyes stare at Haden. “Your turn.” She says. She starts towards us, the dagger dripping with Fanta’s blood. Haden and I take off in different directions.  Haden runs past the trees, while I head for Fanta. Mrs. Underlan runs after Haden. I get down on my knees, and turn her over. Her eyes are partially open, and she has blood on the corner of her mouth. Her short blond hair is matted with sweat and dirt, her skin is clammy. I listen for her heart, it’s pounding weakly “you know, getting stabbed isn’t very fun” she says quietly. She draws in a short ragged breath. I take off my jacket and press it to her wound, trying to help her.  “You’re going to be ok” I say, knowing I don’t know how to help her. I know nothing of healing magic, and I’m not good at first aid either. “Don’t lie to me” she whispers. She grunts with pain as she takes in another short breath “I want to tell you something, I need you to do something for me.” She says “what?” I ask. “I need someone to tell my mom I love her. And that I forgive her” she grunts again, She looks me in the eye. A tear runs down her cheek. “I’m scared” she says weakly. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry you got caught up in all this crap” I say to her. “I’m just glad I don’t have to die alone” she whispers. She lets out one last ragged breath, and is still. I bow my head. I always told myself that if someone I knew died, I would do something from a book. Raise my three fingers for them, or something along those lines. But standing here, with Fanta’s body in front of me, I can’t. I can’t do that. So instead I closer her eyes and whispered in her ear. “Good bye, Fantasia Rain.” I say to her. I stand up, leaving her body. I’m angry. She was killed, and she had nothing to do with any of it. She was fourteen. And now she’s dead. I run to where I last saw Haden and Mrs. Underlan. As I run I realize I’m crying. I really do cry a lot. I hear them fighting, and I arrive to see them struggling over the knife. Haden is using a stick to block the knife, but it’s not working very well. I run at Mrs. Underlan, making the plants grab her arms and legs. The plants slam her into a tree. She cries out, dropping the knife. Haden scrambles to grab it. I stand in front of her, looking her in the eye. “You killed her” I say. Mrs. Underlan struggles against the plants. “You killed her. Do you even know her name?!” I scream. The plants curl tighter around her. A new plant runs around her throat. “Gkk” she chokes. I want her to pay for killing Fanta. My anger is taking control. I start tightening the vine around her throat. Her face starts turning red, then purple. “Terre” Haden says urgently. I look at him, then release her. She starts coughing violently. Haden puts his arms around me. I think partially to comfort me, and partially to restrain me. “What should we do with her?” I ask him. “I don’t know.” He says. I know we can’t leave her here. “Do you have a phone?” I ask Haden. He lets go of me and searches through his pockets. He pulls out a cell phone. “Who are we going to call?” he asks “Ghost busters?” I say. He rolls his eyes. “Very funny. I think I might have the number for the Circulum.” He says. He dials and walks away, leaving me with Mrs. Underlan.  She looks at me. “You killed my husband.” She says. “I didn’t kill him. I’ve never killed anyone!” I say. “You are the reason he’s dead though!” she says. “No, I’m not!” “You will pay!” she screams. “He will die by my hands, I swear” she says. “An eye for an eye” she says. “An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind” I reply. She screams, ripping from my vines and lunges for me. I back up, tripping over a poorly placed log. I fall backwards, Mrs. Underlan landing on top of me. I hear yelling to the side. Mrs. Underlan has her hands around my throat. She squeezes, choking me. How many times am I going to almost die from asphyxiation? I wonder, I mean it’s like falling off of things. “I want to kill you, but not yet. You have to watch him die.” She whispers in my ear.  Anne and a couple other adults burst through the trees, with Haden behind them. “Get off of her!” screams Haden. He tries to run to me, but one of the adults blocks him. Mrs. Underlan stands abruptly and starts to run, and she’s gone in a flash. Literally, a flash of red light and, poof, she’s gone. I am choking and gagging as my pharynx tries to get over being nearly crushed. “Are you ok?” he asks me. I nod and give him a thumbs up as I cough. “Here, I found her while I was calling Anne” he opens his hand and in it is Lilly’s unconscious frame. “Thanks” I say. I tuck lily in the front pocket of my blouse.  Anne comes over to us. “Where is Fanta’s body?” she asks quietly. I stand up “it’s over here” I lead her to where Fanta fell. We get to the clearing where Fanta is.  She looks so still and peaceful, like she might just be asleep. I wish she was just asleep. “Truth. She’s over here.” calls Anne, solemnly. A dirty blond woman comes into the clearing where Fanta’s body lies. Her eyes are red. She gasps raggedly at the sight of her daughter’s body. “No” she says. She runs over to the small corpse. She kneels down, holding it close to her. Truth is crying now, and I feel like I should give her Fanta’s last words to her. “She, she said to tell you she loves you. And that she forgives you” I barley choke it out. “Thank you. For being with her” Truth says to me. She lets go of Fanta. I know it’s not really Fanta. She’s somewhere else. But it looks a lot like Fanta. “You’re welcome” I say.