Page 18

Amias

Am I scared to mess up stitching bloody human flesh?

Yes.

Do I really think I can stitch up someone properly?

Nope.

Was I as confident as I made myself seem about stitching her?

Nope.

Will I still stitch her up because it would be horrible to leave her with open wounds?

Yes, and that's the thought that motivates me.

I get some chicken breasts delivered before searching up videos on stitching. I practice on the breasts before sending photos to my doctor for approval under the guise of curiosity about the process. He says my work is perfect.

Time to do it for real this time.

I find a new needle from a little shop they have downstairs, go back to the room and sterilize it with alcohol. A freshly showered Clara, who's been waiting on me for about an hour, is in bed smirking at me. Her wounds are on display under her bra and ripped pants. “Are you done practicing?”

I hold the needle up as I walk over to her. “Yep. We're doing this. I’m going to need you to sit up, Clara.”

She snorts and sits up, brushing her soaked hair to the front of her shoulder. “How about you start off with the ones on my back?”

I sit behind her and face her back. “No problem.” I press both sides of a wound so they touch.

Clara’s groan startles me. I swing my head to her. Maybe I've already messed up. “Are you okay?" I ask softly.

"Yes. Are you okay? Wouldn't you want to get nauseous."

“I can handle it.” I will prove her wrong. I sigh as I hold the needle up to the wound, my stomach squirming at the thought of piercing the skin.

What if I'm still not fit to do this?

What if I really can't handle this?

I look up nervously at Clara. "You ready?"

She sniggers. “What? You want me to sleep on it?”

I scowl. “Mind you, I'm still holding the needle.” I gulp as much air as I can. I got this. "One…Two..."

"If you're gonna do it, just do it. It’s only worse if you count."

Immediately following her words, I quickly stick the needle in so it's going through both sides of the wound. Clara yelps. My body shudders.

Shit! I just put a needle in someone's skin!

I pull the needle out, the thread following it through. Clara sucks air through her teeth. My heart thuds like it's war drums, I squeeze my eyes shut and draw in a few deep breaths. “I just stuck a needle through someone's flesh… I did that…”

“See? I knew you couldn't stomach it.”

I catch my breath suddenly, opening my eyes to her smirk. I snort a laugh. “Well, you seem happy enough for me to keep going.” I will get this done.

“If you'll even last.” She rolls her eyes and looks forward again.

I continue stitching, my grip getting steadier with each one. I keep whispering reassurances to distract myself from the fact I've weaving a thread through someone's skin. “I'm doing this right… that looks good… I got this…”

I eventually finish the stitch and tie a small knot at the end. Pulling up a photo of my practice stitch, I glance between the two to compare.

It looks right, I think…

“Does it feel alright?” I ask Clara.

She remains quiet. She glances over her shoulder and my heart skips at the chance I might have done it horribly wrong.

“It feels like it should,” she mumbles in defeat.

I smile at her. “You see? It's okay to let someone help you.”

“You haven't done all the wounds yet. You have no room to talk.”

I shrug as I move onto the next wound, then the next, then the next, gaining confidence with each one. Clara sucks air through her teeth and winces but otherwise remains silent.

My affirmations to relax myself become attempts to calm Clara down. “We got this… You're good… I got you…”

She nods quickly as she lies down. I’m working on the biggest wound slashed across her stomach. The last one. I'm almost done.

Another stitch and she bares her teeth again. "Fuck," she curses under her breath.

“You're okay…” I soothe. “We’re almost done… I finally get to the last stitch and tie the knot. Drawing my head back a little, I do one last look to make sure it looks okay. "Does it feel alright?"

She sits up and examines the stitch herself. After a moment of silence, she nods. “It's perfect…”

I sigh in relief and then smirk her way “You see? I said I'd get them all done!”

“Yes, you did…” She lowers her head. “You won that one.”

“Now I can leave knowing that your wounds aren't gonna end up infected tomorrow.” I offer a gentle smile. “I just wanted to make sure that you'd end up okay. It has nothing to do with the bet or deal we made.”

She snickers a little before finally meeting my eyes. “I was being an asshole when you just wanted to help.” She twists her smirk. “I'm sorry.”

“All is forgiven.” I reach a hand on her shoulder. “Just as long as you're okay.” I chuckle a little.

She keeps eye contact with me, her shoulders relaxing with a sigh. “There has to be something I can do for repayment.”

“I already told you. That was repayment.”

“No, it's not. It's just another thing I owe you for. There must be something I can do.”

“How about you just stay happy and make a good life for yourself? Deal?” I reach out my hand to shake on it.

She shoos it away. “Has to be in benefit to you.”

“It does benefit me. Seeing you happy would make me happy.”

“No. That still doesn't count. There has to be something I can do that doesn't require money.”

“Just as long as I can help you, I don't care about repayment.”

“No. There has to be something. Even if it's something small.” She tilts her head to one side. “What's something you really want?”

A soulmate .

The promise that there's someone out there for me and that we will fall in love.

It's the one thing I've wanted since I’ve understood its beauty.

There will always be an ache, reminding me that the flower will never glow for me.

I'll never forget that I'm missing out on one of life’s most beautiful gifts.

That's the one thing no one could get me… and one thing I very much wish I had…

“You have something in mind…” I snap my head to Clara as she smirks again. “What is it?”

Warmth spreads across my cheeks. “Well, it's not anything I'm supposed to achieve-"

"So you do want something?"

"Well, I-"

"What do you want? To commit arson?"

"I-" I pause at her answer.

What did she just say?

I cackle along with her. “What makes you think I want to commit arson?"

" You said it wasn't something you were supposed to achieve." Her eyes twinkle with mischief, her sneaky grin only growing. "I thought maybe you had something dangerous on your mind."

I snort. “I’m not insane, you know?"

“Maybe I am.” She shrugs. “I'd burn a building for repayment.”

“And for what? Just to see it burn?”

She bites on her lip. “Sure. Why not?”

I shake my head. “Nope. It isn't arson.”

“Then what is it?”

I stare down my tapping foot. It's too late to hide that there's something in mind but it's a wish I shouldn’t share.

It's not like she could get me that anyways.

I shouldn't even be thinking about it. “I wish…” I think about my answer.

“I wish to protect the kingdom from these attacks and help as many people as I can.” The image of being able to save the kingdom from dreamscreechers lifts my heart from the depths of disappointment.

It relieves my muscles of tension. If I can do that, much of my life will be fulfilling, even with the empty space of having no soulmate.

She frowns. “That’s a selfless want.”

“It is, but that's all I want.” I grin at her. “It's what I'm here for. Truly. If you could find a way for me to prevent another mall attack situation, or other ways for me to help people, I’d appreciate it.”

She scrunches her nose and glances away. “That's a tough task.”

“Again, I don't need repayment. You don't have to worry about it.” My phone vibrates in my pocket. I take it out and see my chauffeur texted me.

It's time to go home.

I look up at the time. It's nine thirty. Mother wanted me back home at ten.

I exchange goodbyes with Clara, confirming that everything is okay with her tonight and that we'll go out tomorrow to get things she needs. Then I head out the door, ready to go home for the night.

◆◆◆

I twist the handle on the glass door, passing guards in white jackets and badges, and open up to a miniature foyer.

The grand staircase and the golden rails lay before me, twisting to the hallway that leads to the bedrooms. I catch the aroma of Amara flowers set in a brown vase as I approach the stairs.

Guards stand tall by the door it leads up to, standing rigid with their hair slicked back, almost like a colored statue.

I skim over swirls carved in the railing and the paintings of Grandmother on the walls, when I catch a glimpse of a flowy pink dress awaiting me on the top of the stairs.

My eyes snap up to meet teary gray ones. “Grandmother?”

Grandmother sniffles and runs down to me. Shesqueezes me like her life depended on it, almost sucking the life out of me.

I jerk back, but I'm still trapped in her embrace. My nose scrunches. "Grandmother?"

She pulls away with her hands on my shoulders. "You could've died today! I almost lost you!"

I perk my brows. The attack at the mall. It already felt like the event was a while ago. I guess Clara distracted me from what happened. "Oh… well… I'm fine really. Just got a few stitches."

"I know," She pinches my cheek. "It was still terrible that you had to endure that. My sweet Valley Lily should never have to encounter those monsters."

Images of the people that I saw, the dead silence, the lifeless in the atmosphere, fill my mind. Loathing feeds off each thought, making my body rigid. "Yeah… those creatures."

Grandmother looks away towards the walls. "There were… many deaths today. The death toll is up to seventeen now."

"I saw them.” Disgusting creatures. “They slaughtered them like they were nobody.”

"Yes. All innocent people. A six year old girl was killed. There was an innocent thirteen year old that was also killed." She squeezes my shoulders. "A father of three as well as he protected his kids. An elderly woman who was celebrating turning seventy."

Lava seeps through my veins. "That's awful."

"Yes. All mangled without a second thought." Her eyes become glossy. “Those creatures don't care about who they kill. They just kill." She sighs. "With that warning from Cosmo I got this morning…I'm more certain than ever he’s warning me about them."

I nod, forcing my foot down as I realize it's tapping. Instead, my fists ball up, nails digging into my palm. It could've been me. It could've been me that never came home. It could've been me whose last moments were spent watching a dreamscreecher tear me alive.

If it weren't for that one dreamscreecher, I would've died. That dreamscreecher, though unintentionally, saved me just in time.

But this attack confirms everything we've known about those dreamscreechers. They are freaks of nature that don't deserve to live.

“I'm going to get rid of them with my Cosmo's wish.” I murmur. “I can't let the kingdom suffer any more.”

Grandmother's brows scrunch. “Now, it's not your issue. You've been through too much today already.”

“No. After what I've seen today, I can't let it slide.” My lips twist as I think over my wish. “Every dreamscreecher…” My eyes catch a painting up ahead with Grandmother and Mother standing in the middle of our flower garden,black star flowers in the background.

Tenebris flowers, the flower that burns your flesh with a single drop. A brutal death fit for a heartless beast.

I look back at Grandmother. “Every dreamscreecher should be poisoned by Tenebris flowers.” Make them suffer, like they have done to everyone else. “Let every prey they catch and every piece of food their lips touch soak in the flower’s poison.”

Grandmother gasps “That's a rather cruel death. You know the consequences of the Tenebris flowers right?”

“Seeing the way they left their victims, I think it's a more fitting punishment.” They will feel the pain that they've caused.

“Oh, sweet Valley Lily, is this what you really want dear?” She reaches out and strokes my hair. “Maybe you can be like your mother and Erasmus and go for something less gruesome.”

“Well, it hasn't helped anyone has it?” I snap. “You said so yourself! I want to do something that will actually make a difference! If I need to kill those creatures, I will!”

Grandmother gapes, as if wondering how I could do such a thing, but I’ve had enough. I was really done with them after hearing about their devastating attacks, but after seeing their damage in person…

… It would be cruel to let them live.

“They can't be alive,” I say firmly. “They can't be alive after what I saw today. They've proven they have no ounce of mercy or humanity within them.”

Grandmother's expression doesn't change until she gives a final sigh. “If you believe that's best, Valley Lily.” She draws my head close with her hands on my chin and plants a kiss on my forehead. She then pulls me into another squeeze, bringing my head to her shoulder.

I allow her to do so and embrace her back, closing my eyes. I have to do this. Not only for her, but for the rest of the kingdom. The point of Cosmo’s wish is to serve the people what they need, and this is it. Not one of us should suffer from them any longer.

If there's anything honorable I can do in my life, it would be to kill who has killed so many.