Wilted

Blooming

"-And then my friends started calling me Aquafresh, but I think it's a pretty decent combination!" Linnea laughed heartily, swishing her hair from side to side. Orchid was amazed at the amount of energy she had, even after walking for a good hour or so.

"Oh, that's so mean." She giggled quietly, "I think your hair looks great! I wish I could..." Orchid muttered the last bit of her response, using her free hand to fiddle some more petals from the end of her braid.

Linnea took a bite from her popsicle, a bold choice, matching her vibrant hair. "Oh! You got something in your braid, let me-" she reached for Orchid's braid, only to be stopped a thin hand grasping her wrist. Orchid paused, swallowing hard as she unwrapped her fingers from her new friend's arm.

"Sorry!" She blurted, "It's not-It's, ugh." She sighed, stuffing her mouth with the cheap lemon ice pop she was casually nibbling at. "I, uh, My hair, ya know?" She said meekly. Linnea met her gaze with concerned, slightly shaken eyes.

"Uh, Yeah, no problem, I understand." She smiled, quickly pulling her hand back. "I'm the one who should be sorry, I didn't even ask your brand of shampoo." The light-hearted joke made Orchid smile, thinking to herself as she stared at the ice pop.

'Linnea...She's a bit like an ice pop in winter. If only I could explain that."

-

"You're certain your friend is here, then?" A gruff voice spoke as he turned to his friend in the car. Jørn had never really understood why he had to drive the corpse around, but at least it got him out of a stuffy, cat filled attic.

"If only the cats were still breathing."

"Oi, look alive!" He barked, lightly slapping the blonde man beside him in the back of the head to get his attention.

Per glared at his friend, genuinely offended at the mere suggestion he'd be 'alive'. "Mhm." He muttered, his eyes fixed on the window, glazed and unblinking, looking right through the occasional passerby.

Jørn sighed, trying to shake off a feeling of unease. Could he really handle two Deads? Could anyone? "Yeah..." he muttered, lighting up a cigarette, "Why don't you go find them? I'm not going anywhere. In fact, why don't you-" Jørn was cut off by the familiar sound of a car door slamming and the thin, zombie-like figure of Per, wordlessly shambling off to scare the locals, as usual.

-

"No, No, not all of the colorful ones are poisonous, you just need to-" Orchid spoke calmly, before a pair of skinny, cold hands wrapped themselves around her tiny midsection. She let out a powerful scream, her legs giving out under her, falling limp in the assailant's grasp.

"Hey! What the hell is your problem?!" Linnea gasped, instinctively chucking her popsicle at the man's face, who paused, and stared at her, the unnerving gaze slowly forming into a sly grin. He ran one free hand over the cherry flavored stain, smearing red across his face. Linnea's face contorted in a mix of fear and confusion. "Uh, right, okay? Orchid, do you know this guy?"

Orchid grasped her chest, trying to regulate her breathing. Taking a moment to wriggle out of his grasp, she turned to get a better look at him.

He wasn't immediately familiar, lanky and awkward, maybe, nestled in an oversized denim jacket, hiding behind long, blonde hair. "I don't know...Do I know you?" She asked meekly, her voice hoarse from screaming so loud.

"Orchid, right? You're Orchid?" He finally spoke, "You have the flowers..." he gestured to his own hair, seeming very slightly frustrated she didn't immediately get it. "Pelle. You didn't forget me already, right?"

Orchid's eyes lit up as soon as he mentioned his nickname. Linnea raised her eyebrows as her new friend giggled happily, leaping into the man's arms and squeezing him tightly. "Uh, Orchid, who is this guy? Your boyfriend? Brother?"

Orchid chuckled to herself as she turned back to Linnea, "Oh, Sorry, uh, but no! Pelle's my penpal, He's in a band nearby!" She explained gleefully, as Per stood motionless beside her, his expression falling as soon as she started talking about him. "He's a genius, Linn! He writes all his own stuff!"

Linnea seemed impressed, nodding along, "Ah, I see. What kind of music do you play?" She asked.

Per shifted uncomfortably, staring through her, "The kind of music they play in hell." He muttered, sending a shiver up her spine.

"...Right." Linnea blinked, unsure of how to respond. "Orchid are you ready to go or...?"

"Oh, I'm, actually, I sort of made plans for when we met up." Orchid explained, wringing her hands together.

"That's okay!" Linnea threw her hand up casually, "I have a bit of reading to catch up on, you guys have fun okay?"

"Well, she's grown, I guess..."

-