I who speaks flower

Delivery Mayhem

“Nobody gets justice. People only get good luck or bad luck.” 

– Orson Welles

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10 years later...

Hearing the sound of the bells ringing every time the door opens, Lana stood alert, expecting another wave of customers at the counter ordering their pizza. The scent of melting cheese over tomato sauce wafts easily through the air. Cresstop Hills' most famous pizza joint, Uncle Roger's Oven, is the best in town, and it's where she and her sister used to hang out or sometimes do homework, even though there were much more ideal places to go. Like the cafe next door, or the one in Mountain street called Cup o' Tea, or even the local library. It's just strange to see, two rich girls studying at a Pizza place.

Well, it's even stranger that a girl of privilege is working for a well-known place and saving up money, though she's guaranteed a bright future.

Lana was just finishing taking an order from the newly arrived customers when Mr. Chen, the owner of the store blocks her way towards the window where they stick the note with orders.

Mr. Chen was an immigrant who ensnared the beautiful daughter of the restaurant owner known as Ms. Veronica by her preschool students, became his wife, and had two burly twins that are now attending the nearby university.

An exclusive one.

"Lana, can you deliver pizza order to Mrs. Ben's house?" he tapped the three boxes that were ready to go. One of them is for Mrs. Ben "You know Mrs. Ben don't like men?"

"Sure, Mr. Chen. Can you please punch this order for me?" I asked.

"Of course! Oh and after delivery, go home." He said.

"But... what about the rest of my shift?" As she remembers that she still has a half day's shift to finish.

"No, no go home. Kids are coming home, they take over for you" he joked. "Wife says they much freedom in school. They work here for summer now" he laughed, obviously excited to see his sons back after a whole year.

"All right, Mr. Chen, you gave me your word. Don't break it or your wife will be mad" Lana jokingly told him while grabbing the pizza boxes on the countertop.

"Haiya! This kid. Do deliveries!" he exclaimed knowing she meant well on her joke.

Lana was walking towards the motorcycle that they use for pizza deliveries when she heard the whispers she often hears.

'...before the...'

" What?" she looked towards the wildflower tucked between a patch. "Can you please repeat that?" she asked the flowers again however, no more words came out of it.

Flowers that grow between patches just tend to have weaker voices, unlike the ones that grew in wide areas, like gardens, or forests. She thought because of this she couldn't hear the message they were trying to rely on her

'maybe I'll hear what they want me to know clearly when I get to Mrs. Bens.' she thought

Lana could hear things, specifically flowers or plants or trees. She could hear them whisper tell her the past, present, or future. The very reason why she was adopted and now has a sister who she is excited to see again.

She waited for the flowers to speak again but nothing still came. "Well, time for deliveries."

As she started the engine of the motor, she didn't notice the faces of the people inside the pizza restaurant looked like a shadow fell over them.

"Have you heard?" one of the customers who Lana took their order from asked his friends. "Lana's sister Mary came back."

"So? What about it?" one of the girls asked. "You do know she attends that fancy university in the mountains. Of course, she'll come back" she said

"Well yes I know of that the twins also attend the university as well, but you're not getting the point here," he exclaimed

"what do you mean?" another guy asked.

The boy who started the conversation moved forward as if he was telling a secret "I saw her came out of one of their cars and sat on a wheelchair" he said.

"What?" another girl asked, "do you know what happened to her?"

"I don't know," he went sat back, and sipped his drink "But I do know she became blind" he whispered.

"No way..." all three of them exclaimed.

"Hey guys since my kids are coming back home you can choose any drink you want with free refills, sounds good?" Mrs. Chen asked the teenagers who were gossiping about Lana's sister.

"Really Ms. Veronica?" one girl asked, clearly excited about the free refill.

"Yes! Just pick anything from this menu and we'll grab it for you" she put down the menu and left the four teenagers who were distracted from their conversation.

Mrs. Chen came back to her husband who was at the cash register punching orders.

"were they talking about the other Gladwell sister?" he asked keeping his eyes on the items he is recording.

"Got them distracted with free drinks," she sighed and went back to the kitchen.

"Haiya..." Mr. Chen looked at the empty spot in front of the restaurant where the motorbike used for deliveries was before. "Poor Melantha" he sighed and went back to his task.

***

"Thanks, Lana." said the girl who squealed when he saw the pizza.

"Carter will pay for it as usual." the other boy teased. and ran with his sister and the pizza.

"Chris, Diana! Be careful with our lunch!" shouted Carter the eldest of the three siblings.

Lana chuckled at the siblings when she heard the two children replied to their brother.

"Here you go Lana," Carter, one of her classmates back in High School, handed the money.

"Thanks!" she took the money and started the engine on her bike.

Carter who was returning to his house stopped and looked back towards Lana, contemplating whether to tell her about something.

"You need anything else, Carter?" She asked while putting her helmet on.

"No, nothing." he started to walk again "Just..." hesitated to tell her, but she already drove to her next delivery. With a heavy sigh, he continued to walk back home and eat with his little brother and sister.

***

'once more...'

Lana heard pieces of words where the flowers try to send her a message. But she couldn't clearly understand. She couldn't even focus on what Carter was trying to say and just drove fast as the flowers' words were becoming slurry and were already affecting her, like an old television with a broken antenna.

Mrs. Ben was an old lady living alone with several of her cats and dogs. She had a very distinct home where children and adults don't want to go near. Rumor has it, she was a witch who cast a bad spell that cost her husband's life and her sanity. Now she lives in solidarity buying pizza twice a month as part of her and pets' dinner. She was the last delivery on Lana's list.

Every time she passes by or delivers Mrs. Ben's scheduled pizza delivery, the flowers in her garden always clearly talk to her in a sing-song voice.

But not today. All of the plants, flowers, and even trees won't speak to her clearly.

'This never happened before?' she thought

Mrs. Ben's house was surrounded by many wildflowers and has plenty of unkempt garden space, sprouting grasses that don't belong in a flower patch, and other flowers that weren't supposed to be there. It's one of the few places in her town that she could hear them speak loud and clear.

And it was strange, that the conversation she was expecting didn't start. The flowers never waved. The shrubs didn't greet her. It was indeed bothering Lana, who was expecting differently.

However, a surge of energy was felt when she stepped on the grass. They were screaming, trying to warn her on something, it felt like her head was bursting open. Lana tried to shut the voices and continued towards the door.

'She lost her eyes!' they repeatedly shouted

'You can regain it back until earth finishes its cycle'

"What ???" Lana shouted at them, unable to bear their growing volume.

"Melantha is that you?" Mrs. Ben called from inside the house. Lana continued walking the pathway towards the house. Thankfully the flowers stayed quiet, though I still them whisper

Lana knocked on her door, a mixture of short paused taps and long paused ones, a code for her nickname, signaling Mrs. Ben that it was her at the front of the door and nobody else. After she finished the code, Mrs. Ben released all the chains and turned all locks to open the door.

"Lana dear! Were you fighting with someone?" Lana was greeted by a women in her late 60's who which don't look like one, but the only indicator she live long was her salt and pepper hair. She always gives Lana a big hug and released her to get the pizza from Lana's hands.

"No ma'am, I only hit my foot at a rock and accidentally shouted, I'm sorry if it alarmed you" apologizing for her sudden rise of voice.

"It's okay, those pesky rocks like to move around on their own and trip people purposely," she said showing her displeasure towards the inanimate objects. She had this look in their eyes that people tend to get creeped out, but for Lana they are more warm to her than any other. 

"Here is your pepperoni pizza with lots of corn bits as usual." she hands out to her the box pizza. In turn, Lana receives the payment for it and thanked the old lady before turning around. But the old lady grabbed her arm stopping her tracks.

"Lana," Mrs. Ben whispered

"Yes, Mrs. Ben?" she asked.

"Be careful out there. The beast is alive! I've heard" the old lady said looking straight into Lana's eye before releasing her arm and saying her well wishes and closed the door.

'For an old lady, she is strong' 

Lana who was left confused step down the stairs and went back towards her bike with caution. Slowly checking the ground whether those creature are going to scream at her again. 

'Great no more screaming' relieved that she won't have to carry those stones Mrs. Gladwell and Mrs. Chen to bring around when 'they' get out of hand.

But before she could even reach her bike, she heard a loud sharp whistle from afar. She heard this one before. She remembered what it was and it always wasn't a great thing to hear.

And as just what her intuition told her, the creatures' Alpha, my imaginary friend and guardian, appeared. But they looked different from last time as I saw them in full height. There I could clearly what they were trying to say. 

It was not a pleasant one.