The Space Speculation: Book 3 ~Wicked War~

Chapter 9: The Shocking Death

 Bill contacted Mom a couple days before they would normally talk. He told her he needed our help right away.

 "He needs our help?" I exclaimed, unsure why everyone was just standing around awkwardly and not going to help him.

 Mom looked at Dad and sighed. 

"I think something is wrong. We," she motioned to Dad, "think it would be best if only I go for now." 

 I screamed quietly and ran into my room; I knew I looked like I was a tiny three-year-old whose cookie was stolen, but I was really upset!

 Why wouldn't Mom let me go? Bill was my brother! I had to be there for him!

 Without thinking, I snuck out the window and shimmied down the gutter, dropping into the backyard and running around to the front door, where I quietly reached my hand inside the door and grabbed the spaceship keys off of the key ring. 

I then crept into the ship and started it up slowly, trying not to be loud. I took off toward Pluto in a hurry. 

It was halfway through the flight that I remembered what I was doing. It was too late to go back, obviously, so I continued on my way. 

 I landed with a thud and raced out. A horrifying scene filled my eyes. 

Eliana lay on a stretcher, her breathing shallow and raspy. Drowse was digging through a medical box anxiously while Bill stood off to the side, shouting angrily at some alien on the other end of his electronic communication cellphone about forgetting "the stupid space shuttle accident and coming to Pluto right NOW" because his "WIFE is DYING!" 

I gasped. Eliana was dying? 

 I sprinted towards the white-faced Queen and leaned over her as Bill jogged toward us, anger mixed with fear clearly written on his face.

 "Paisley! Where's Mom? Why didn't you come right away? She's dying! My wife! She's dying! Paisley, do something! Call someone! Please!" 

I tried to get a word in, but he kept going on and on, beginning to sob as he reached towards Eliana's face but immediately pulled back in fear. 

 I then focused my attention on the pale Plutonian lying on the make-shift bed. Her lips were blue, her eyes were glassy, and she was hardly breathing. 

Her face was pure white; just like her dress, which had a large blue stain on the front. Quietly, I questioned Drowse about it. 

He just sighed heavily, clearly annoyed and scared.

"I-I don't know. Well, yeah: it's poison. Poison from some sort of foreign fruit sent as a gift."

"From whom?"

"Paisley, I have no idea! I have to focus!"

Bill's whole body started to shake as he sobbed loudly.

 Drowse slammed his fist on the medical box, sending it sliding across the metal table.

 He turned to us, fear and frustration in his eyes as he watched his queen shallowly take a breath. 

"Bill..." 

 Bill looked up, a small light of hope in his eyes. 

"Yes? What is it, El darling?" he said softly, gently lifting her off of the stretcher and kneeling on the ground with her still in his arms, making dust fly around them. 

I was painfully reminded of Clementina. 

 Eliana put a small, white hand to Bill's cheek and he grasped it, tears freely flowing.

 Her blue lips slowly moved in one last attempt to speak to her husband.

 "I...love...y..." she trailed off and her eyes closed. 

Bill shook his head, sending tears flying onto Eliana's still body. 

"No!" he cried in denial. 

Drowse lowered his head to hide the large droplets forming in his eyes. Eliana had been a dear friend to him.

 I put a hand to my mouth and breathed shakily through my fingers, willing myself to wake up and realize how wrong this was; how it couldn't be true. But no; it was very real. Painfully real. 

 Bill layed Eliana's body very gently on the stretcher, spreading a white sheet over her. He couldn't bear to look at her, I knew. 

 "He poisoned her. I know it was him." 

"Who di-" 

Before I could say more, a ship came crashing down yards away from us. 

Mom, Dad and even Jack came running out of the "borrowed" ship, shocked looks on all their faces.

 "Bill! What happened?" Mom exclaimed, running towards him. 

Bill stepped forward to greet them grimly. 

 "I'll tell you the whole story down there." He motioned toward the entrance to Pluto and we all followed him down the hole. 

This section was written by Melina