Already Dead

13

Chapter 12
"Any questions?" Conner asked, twirling the staff in his hand, pacing along the riverbank.

"Yeah, what was I?" I asked.

"Before the Change?"

"No, before I was born," I replied sarcastically.

"A parasite."

"Fair enough, now answer my real question."

"I thought I was," he joked. I reached down and grabbed a knife from my boot.

"Look, Conner, my best friend was killed and the only reason I'm here is so I can kill her murderer. Very painfully. Don't. Push. Me. Got it?" Yeah, I wasn't exactly what one would call stable.

"Sure. Now every Changed is special, I, for one, can make gold."

"You can make gold?" I asked, a complete skeptic.

"Uh huh," he muttered, looking down.

"Show me." He nodded and knelt down next to a blade of grass. Then he sang a song so beautiful I could have cried. It was a song full of life and treasure, giving the feeling of worth. Slowly the blade of grass turned to gold and he picked it, handing it to me.

"Whoa," I breathed.

He smiled grimly. "Every gift can be used as a weapon. Remember that."

I nodded. "What's my ability?"

"I don't know. The only thing I know it is you are powerful, I can feel your aura from here."

"Aura? Jen was always going on about them..." I bit my lip.

"Hey. It's not your fault."

"It was a thousand times worse than any death I've felt. I've been burnt alive for Christ's sake!"

"I know it hurts, and I wish I could tell you it got better, but it doesn't. You'll always miss her. Sure, sometimes it'll feel like its all better, and sometimes you'll be happy but she'll always be gone."

"Thank you."

"No problem," he whispered, pulling me into a hug. I started crying into his chest. "One thing I do know will help you is hearing her killer beg for mercy, saying Jennifer was an amazing person." I nodded. "You ready to get back to work?"

"Yeah."

"So, do you have any idea what your ability is?" At first, I had no clue. Then, as watched the golden grass blade Conner had given me turned back to grass and grew into a staff. "Is there a name for this?"

"No, that's the beauty of being like us, total uniqueness. You get to pick it out."

"I don't have time."

"Well, then I'll have to take a stab at it. If I had to guess, I'd say you completely control all forms of plant life."

"Cool," I said, reaching down and touching the grass. "Grow," I whispered, backing up and watching them grow two inches.

"Very nice," Conner complimented me. I smiled. "Now, the next thing you need to know is that every DeathPhone can turn into a staff."

"What?"

He pulled out another silver iPhone from his back pocket and pushed a couple buttons and suddenly he was holding a scythe. "I'll teach you later."

***

"This water is cold!"

"Of course! Call the plants to you, make a bridge."

"Can't I just have them hit you?" I cracked open an eyelid.

"Close your eyes!"

"Arg!"

Whack him, I thought, come on plants, I need you to attack him.

"Hey! Ow! Ow! Ow! Stop that!"

I laughed, lying back towards the waterfall, hitting a floating mat of grass. I smiled, opening my eyes and letting my mind guide the plants towards Conner. "It's okay, stop hitting him," I said, laughing, to the tree hitting him with a branch, "He's not that annoying."

"Not that annoying?"

"Care to argue?" I said, flicking my fingers to make the grass grow into a spear shape and grabbing it.

"No thanks!"

I laughed, walking away. For once, I felt totally in control, like I'd finally found a piece of myself that had never quite been there.

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Seems like Avery's just a tiny bit broken. Will she be fixed and stomped on again??? FIND OUT IN THE REST OF THE BOOK!!!!!