TO LIGHT MY FIRE

CONTINUED FIFTEEN

‘One day, the crops began to die from the water and care one of the brothers was giving them. Sales went down, and the other two siblings knew it had something to do with their mother. All three resented her for not being there for them and instead in jail. They guessed it was her haunting them.’

Mr Collins slammed the chalk on the side of the board which made all of us jump.

‘Then one day, the two brothers figures out what the problem was. The third brother would touch a weed and it would sprout faster than a blink of an eye. The two brothers decided to get rid of him.’

Mr Collins ran his hand through his hair and accidentally broke the chalk in his hand.

‘What did they do?’ Bridget was now on the edge of her seat along with the rest of us.

Mr. C looked at the cactus on his desk and angrily furrowed his brows.

‘They burned him at the stake.’

‘Which brother and how old was he?’

Lucy was trying to figure something out as he leaned forward anxious for the answer.

He frowned her way and took his glasses off to wipe them on his khaki pants.

‘James. The youngest. He was 24.’

Lucy began tapping her foot non-stop and leaned back into her chair. I was about to question her but the bell rang.

‘Lunch time!’ She stood up and I walked with her.

‘Wait, you have the same lunch time as me?’

We have the same schedules. I have to keep my eye on you.’

She pointed in between my eyes and glanced around her.

‘Now show me this cafeteria. I’m so hungry I could eat your hand.’

‘What was that back there?’

‘What?’

‘Asking Mr Collins the age of the brother. What’s so important about Grace Sherwood?’

Lucy hushed me as we walked in the lunch line of hungry females.

‘It’s a sin how much y’all said her name in there. Try not to say it out loud. It’s like trying to summon Beetlejuice.’ She said and turned to me.

‘When I was younger I heard the name Sherwood came with really bad spirits.

And by really bad I mean spirits that could go into human bodies and control them.’ She glanced over the food with scrutiny.

‘Don’t like slap chips?’ I asked going to grab a tray of some.

‘I don’t know how you people eat all this grease.’ She shook her head and continued to look until we came to the end of the line. I saw that she had nothing on her tray but she was eyeing the chocolate brownies.

‘You would rather eat sugar than fried food?’ I asked as she picked up four tightly wrapped chocolate treats.

‘I’ve never had any of this stuff before. I usually just eat savoury treats. Sometimes some delicious bones.... She whispered the last part under her hand as she paid for her dessert.

My eyes widened as the new information sunk in. I bought my food after her and we walked toward the courtyard tables outside.

‘What do they call you? A zombie?’

She giggled softly and opened the door so we could walk out.

‘Not exactly. A Wendy - Go may be what you’re going for.’

‘What in the hell?’ Cassi stood up from the base of the tree we usually sit at.

‘Why do I even ask questions anymore!’

She huffed and sat back down.

‘Cassi, since you clearly know Lucy I don’t really have to introduce you two.’ I sat next to her and munched on my Chips.

‘Clearly.’ Cassi side - eyed Lucy as she sat down in front of her.

‘Is that all you’re going to eat?’ Cassi looked down at Lucy’s array of brownies in bewilderment.

Lucy whipped out a cigarette and lit it.

When she blew the smoke it reminded me of the blissful and free feeling of being high.

‘That’s up to you. What you offering, Doll face?’