Outsmarted

The curse

Maple Lockwood was dying.

She had known it for days now.

She had always known it.

She now knew the only thing left to do was to live, live the last few minutes of her life, hours if she was lucky

She had to hide it.

Opal may be dead but her curse lived on, lived on inside Maple.

The curse was devouring her from the inside.

The only thing to do was to pretend there was no curse devouring her from the inside.

The ex-hostages sat round Maple as she explained the whole sad, sorry tale.

"When she told me her plan I knew I should have never helped her," said the dying girl.

"I have minutes left here." she thought.

"Why did you do it?" asked Angeline.

"I was alone and I was frightened of what would happen next."

"Maple!" shrieked Artemis.

"Yes?"

"Your hair!"

"Yes, it's silver, I know."

"No, it's turning black!"

"The curse." she said.

"What curse?"

"Opal cast a curse when I ejected her out of her host body."

"What does it include?"

"Death."

"But Holly can heal you?"

"No." said Holly.

"I am already dead." she said.

"I want you to know, I'm sorry," said Maple, wheezing, "Hello mother, hello father."

The girl was dead before her eyes could close.

Maple Lockwood, Mariella Corsetti, was dead.