Wake the Wicked Excerpt

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Poison Ivy

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STORY 1 

by Christian Baloga
Published December 21, 2012 | 2,797 words
© 2012 Christian Baloga

 

Violet and Ivy had been one person until two months ago, when surgeons hacked them apart, right down the middle as if removing a parasitic insect. Despite the risks of surgery, detachment was the last hope to try to save them both.

Ivy had been the first to catch the bug. Eligio, the surgical masked caretaker, had kept them strapped to a king-sized bed in a little one bedroom house for a week until Ivy started spraying the walls with blood. After that, he knew slapping on a mask for protection wasn’t going to cut it.

A week ago today, a nurse encouraged Eligio to pick out caskets, “You know, so you’re one step ahead.” The same day however, they released Violet from the hospital. In a short time, she’d gotten stronger than Eligio could have imagined. She’d begun walking again. Her legs stumbled at first, like a child taking its first steps. She’d gained her appetite as well, eaten every hospital grade meal down to the last grain of rice.

“Violet!” Eligio yelled over to the gangly hag for the third time. She tilted her head in response. “Hand over the remote.”