As if in a dream, Ronnie slowly became aware that the conversation between Steve and Stella was now focused on her. “Ronnie? Are you ok?”
“Oh, sorry Stella. Yeah I’m fine. I must have zoned off. What were you saying?”
“Well, I was telling Steve about the wild reaper roses that grow all around here.”
“Really? What’s a reaper rose?” Ronnie was trying her hardest to feign interest while still trying to catch any bits of Sara’s conversation.
“We learned about them the first week of class. They are more closely related to mushrooms than roses but look identical to wilted white roses.” Steve reminded her.
“Oh! We call them weeping roses! Yeah, they‘re a translucent white and super poisonous right?”
“Right, but what Stella was telling me is that if mixed with curse tail it creates a potion that shuts down all bodily functions, like breathing and your heartbeat, but allows the body to continue to function.”
“Like a zombie?” Ronnie laughed.
“Yeah, that’s where the idea of the walking dead originally came from,” Stella added with a smile.
“Wow, but why would anyone want to be the walking dead?” Ronnie asked.
Although Stella often seemed to be in her own world, she was incredibly passionate about this strangely morbid subject. “Well the benefit of being dead, for lack of a better term, is that you can’t really die.” She smiled at their blank stares. “Let’s just say I am in a fight and someone stabs me in the stomach and I start bleeding. Nasty stuff seeps out of my wound, other nasty stuff get into my nice warm flesh and starts to grow, and even if I don’t bleed to death on my way to get help, I will probably get some terrible infection and die later. But if I’m already dead, I won’t bleed, those nasties that get in won’t get pumped around my body, and I will hopefully have plenty of time to get back to someone who can clean me out and sew me up before they bring me back to life!”
So many questions were flying through Ronnie’s head. “What do you mean hopefully you will have enough time?”
“Well, the potion only lasts for about four hours so if they don’t bring you out within that time you will actually die.” Stella answered.
“Wow! I don’t know if I would want to chance it.” Ronnie said.
“They used it during wars for soldiers on the front line where they were pretty much guaranteed to die. This at least gave them a fighting chance to survive and often to fight again.” Horrified by the thought, Steve and Ronnie just stared at her.
“Seriously?” Ronnie finally mustered.
“Well, if you were going to be shot, would you rather just die, or have a decent chance to live?” Stella said a little defensively.
“Well then, if that’s the case sign me up!” Steve said a little too cynically.
“Well, when the day comes that you’d rather not die come see me!” Stella snapped back.
“S-Sorry Stella, I-I didn’t mean to… uh, shoot” In traditional Steve manner he knocked over his chair and spilled Jello on the floor as he struggled to apologize.
Oblivious to Steve’s crisis, Ronnie glanced over her shoulder and saw Sara and Jason still in deep conversation. “Hey Steve, remind me to ask Doug about mer-people in the pond.”
“Oh, sorry Stella. Yeah I’m fine. I must have zoned off. What were you saying?”
“Well, I was telling Steve about the wild reaper roses that grow all around here.”
“Really? What’s a reaper rose?” Ronnie was trying her hardest to feign interest while still trying to catch any bits of Sara’s conversation.
“We learned about them the first week of class. They are more closely related to mushrooms than roses but look identical to wilted white roses.” Steve reminded her.
“Oh! We call them weeping roses! Yeah, they‘re a translucent white and super poisonous right?”
“Right, but what Stella was telling me is that if mixed with curse tail it creates a potion that shuts down all bodily functions, like breathing and your heartbeat, but allows the body to continue to function.”
“Like a zombie?” Ronnie laughed.
“Yeah, that’s where the idea of the walking dead originally came from,” Stella added with a smile.
“Wow, but why would anyone want to be the walking dead?” Ronnie asked.
Although Stella often seemed to be in her own world, she was incredibly passionate about this strangely morbid subject. “Well the benefit of being dead, for lack of a better term, is that you can’t really die.” She smiled at their blank stares. “Let’s just say I am in a fight and someone stabs me in the stomach and I start bleeding. Nasty stuff seeps out of my wound, other nasty stuff get into my nice warm flesh and starts to grow, and even if I don’t bleed to death on my way to get help, I will probably get some terrible infection and die later. But if I’m already dead, I won’t bleed, those nasties that get in won’t get pumped around my body, and I will hopefully have plenty of time to get back to someone who can clean me out and sew me up before they bring me back to life!”
So many questions were flying through Ronnie’s head. “What do you mean hopefully you will have enough time?”
“Well, the potion only lasts for about four hours so if they don’t bring you out within that time you will actually die.” Stella answered.
“Wow! I don’t know if I would want to chance it.” Ronnie said.
“They used it during wars for soldiers on the front line where they were pretty much guaranteed to die. This at least gave them a fighting chance to survive and often to fight again.” Horrified by the thought, Steve and Ronnie just stared at her.
“Seriously?” Ronnie finally mustered.
“Well, if you were going to be shot, would you rather just die, or have a decent chance to live?” Stella said a little defensively.
“Well then, if that’s the case sign me up!” Steve said a little too cynically.
“Well, when the day comes that you’d rather not die come see me!” Stella snapped back.
“S-Sorry Stella, I-I didn’t mean to… uh, shoot” In traditional Steve manner he knocked over his chair and spilled Jello on the floor as he struggled to apologize.
Oblivious to Steve’s crisis, Ronnie glanced over her shoulder and saw Sara and Jason still in deep conversation. “Hey Steve, remind me to ask Doug about mer-people in the pond.”
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