Read Online Floral Depravity by Beverly Allen - Free Book Online

glory?” Amber Lee teased.
    â€œNo, just don’t want any of us getting a nasty rash—or worse—from touching the leaves or flowers. Every part of this plant is bad news.”
    We split up into two groups. I took Melanie and Opie and used the light from the mini-generator. Carol went with Amber Lee, using a contraband flashlight that one of the girls dug out of her sleeping bag. That way we could cover more ground.
    â€œYou should have changed out of your mundanes,” Melanie told Opie, who was still dressed warmly in her sweats.
    Opie shook her head. “And freeze? No one’s going to see me in the dark anyway.”
    â€œMundanes?” I asked as I shined the flashlight over the plants just outside the clearing. It was probably a snipe hunt in the dark, but I doubted sleep would come tonight, and I would enjoy dropping the murder weapon at Bixby’s feet.
    â€œYeah, the modern clothes,” Melanie said. “Only the hardliners here look down their noses at you when they say it.
Mundanes
.” Melanie pursed her lips like she’d just bit off half of a lemon and pretended to shiver. Or maybe she really shivered. The air seemed to grow colder as we spoke. “They really didn’t want any of us wearing street clothes.”
    â€œSo I’ve been told,” I said, shivering either at the cold of the night or the memory of the serving wench outfit.
    â€œWhat can they do to me?” Opie asked.
    â€œSend you home, that’s what,” Melanie said as she swatted at a mosquito on her arm. “And then you’d still have to write that paper.”
    â€œAt least I’ll still have blood left,” Opie said.
    â€œAh, is that what this is about?” I asked. “Either attend the re-creation or write a paper?” I had wondered why the event was so popular among the college students.
    â€œYou bet,” Melanie said. “Thirty pages on some aspect of the Middle Ages.”
    â€œHere’s one,” I said, shining the light on the blue flowers of a tall monkshood plant, then redirecting the beam to the ground around it. The flashlight beam was alive with moths and other insects attracted to the light.
    â€œAny sign of digging?” Opie asked.
    The ground showed no signs of disturbance. “No, but now you know what we’re looking for.” I shined the light on the plant so the girls could get a closer look.
    â€œThose flowers are really pretty,” Melanie said. “I can see the little hood shapes. I can’t believe the plant is deadly.”
    â€œVery,” I said. “They called it monkshood for the shape, but it had other names, too. Wolfsbane. I’ve also heard it called devil’s helmet.”
    â€œDoes it have meanings, too? In your language of flowers?” Opie asked.
    â€œI suppose so, but I’d have to look it up. It’s not one I’m all that familiar with. We obviously wouldn’t use it in a bouquet. Just touching it could make you very sick.”
    â€œI saw a movie once,” Melanie said, “where they used wolfsbane to protect a baby from vampires. Put it all around her neck. Scary to think of what might happen if someone tried that in real life.” She slapped at a mosquito on her neck. “But I might try it if I thought it would work against these little bloodsuckers.”
    â€œI think I’d rather take my chances with the vampires,” Opie said. “Here’s another one.”
    â€œA vampire?” Melanie asked.
    â€œNo, a monkshood, you . . .” Opie pointed to another tall plant, but the ground around it showed no disturbance, either.
    â€œHey, over here!” Amber Lee called. “Quick!”
    We followed her into the woods. When she stopped, she shined her flashlight on Carol. The beam reflected the tear tracks on the young woman’s cheeks.
    â€œI’m sorry,” she said. “I’m sorry. I got so excited I