Overcome

Prologue

    Nicole was excited for the next reading assignment. Usually she didn't like them because of having to read some boring book by force. But this time the kids got to choose they're own book. She just got a new book from the bookstore that looked very interesting. Unfortunately, Nicole left it at home. This day was going to be very long...

    Nicole got out of the car and rushed to the front door. She yelled at her mom for not being quick enough. Now Nicole was grounded from everything. Well, crap! Nicole thought. Now I won't be able to read my book. She sulked through the front door and just picked at her dinner. She took a very long bath. How could I have done this? I'm so stupid! Nicole kept putting herself down until she finally thought of something.
    Reading doesn't have any sound except pages turning. So just wait until my parents have gone to bed, turn on a dim light. And read your new book.

    Finally! 11:37 and her parents' bedroom light finally went out. Nicole turned on her bedside lamp and opened the green book. As the girl read into the book, the book shimmered. Then vines sprang out of the book. She screamed and threw the book at the wall. To her horrow, it clung to the wall, the vines spreading on the walls and even through them. Moments later her little brother started crying.
    "Mommy! Daddy!" Nicole heard a rushing of footsteps. She then heard her dad's voice yell out when he entered her little brother's room. The dad saw the vines stab the body of the kid and leave him lifeless. Then her dad's voice stopped abruptly.
    Her mom opened Nicole's door. Then Nicole's scream pierced into the night as she witnessed her mom's brutal death by the vines. Getting out of her bed, Nicole yanked the book off the wall and chunked it through her window. It landed in a bed of flowers and grass growing from her house. The last thing she saw was the purple flowers blooming before the vines stabbed through her back.

    At 4:23 that morning one of the neighbors woke to a crash that shook the ground. He looked out his window to see debris of a house with crushed flowers amongst it. Strange...Flowers? He woke his wife up and showed the scene to her. She gasped and called 911.   

Present Day

    "It's just that I've been slacking off on my reading and I need a good book to get me back into it," Jenny explained as she walked with her friend Elliot.
    Jenny liked the name Elliot. It was clever and original. Just like the boy who was walking with her. The name Jenny was just blah.
    Elliot nodded and then stopped suddenly. "Jenny!" He was whispering. "There's someone following us!" Jenny started to turn her head but Elliot jerked her arm and started walking. "As we walk, gradually get faster, okay?" All Jenny could do was nod.
    Jenny had her mind on staying alive. She cleverly spit over her shoulder to catch a glimpse of the stalker. He was now running toward them.
    She now was ahead of Elliot and dragging him. "Keep up!" She was scared and her heart beat tripled. Jenny took a sharp turn into an ally. She knew if they went into her house and the stalker broke in, they would be sitting ducks. Jenny remembered that there was a small ditch behind the third dumpster. Just enough space.
    After pushing Elliot in, Jenny jumped in. She landed wrong and twisted her ankle. Knowing if she cried out the stalker would hear, Jenny bit her lip. Tears appeared as Elliot crouched down next to her. "Well, I've got good news," Elliot said in a normal voice. His soft tone entered Jenny's ears, calming her body down. "The man that was following us was just a jogger." Hearing this, Jenny started weeping now that she could let out her pain.
    "Well bad news is I can't walk because of that jogger," Jenny gloomily replied. At this instance, she looked to the right of her and found something that made her forget about the jolting pain.
    A book lied in the dirt. But the strange thing was that there were dead vines all around it. Picking it up and bringing it into full sunshine, Jenny thought the book seemed to momentarily glimmer, as if she activated something within it. Then she chuckled. What is there to activate on a book? Such a ludacris idea.
    "Strange..." Jenny said, mostly to herself than to Elliot.
    "C'mon! Get on my back. We've got to get you home!" Elliot turned around and prepared his arms to support Jenn's weight. Putting the book under her arm, Jenny slowly and painfully got on Elliot's back. "ready?" Elliot asked. Jenny nodded.
    "Elliot start up a conversation so I can keep my mind off this ankle,"Jenny pleaded.
    "Well, okay. Let's see..." Elliot pondered for a minute or so. "Got it! Did you hear about the family that lived a a few houses away from here? All four of them were found repeatedly stabbed. Noone knew they were dead until the house caved in. None of the investigators found any clue to have a suspect. Nor could they find the cause of the collapse. A witness reported that amongst the rubble of the house were wilting flowers..." Jenny sneezed.
  "Whoops. Sorry Elliot." Jenny felt bad for interrupting his story.
  "Ah, No problem. I was finished anyways." Elliot was always so forgiving. It was quiet the rest of the way home.

    "Thanks, Elliot!" Jenny yelled. It was nice of Elliot to help her home. She was lying on her vull-sized bed. Jenny stroked the cover of the book that was in the ditch. It was made of bonded green leather. Such soft leather. Jenny opened to the first page, noticing they were all yellow, worn with age. She read the first paragraph out loud:
"Flowers so beautiful
Vines so long
Grass so plentiful
With death so strong."
    What a strange poem! This must be a sad story. Jenny thought it reminded her of something from earlier that day, but she couldn't put her finer on it for sleep was winning the battle between it and conciousness.

    Jenny woke up to sirens and people talking. Wait, where am I? Jenny wondered. She looked around. Two fire engines, and ambulance, and..."What happened!" Tears appeared. Her house was covered in vines. Wait...Vines! Jenny took in a breath through her nose. A sweet aroma filled her body. Flowers were blooming in an abundance of grass. The poem! Jenny recited it to herself then yelled, "Get everyone out of the house! Hurry! Everyone get away from the house!"
    She tried to get someone's attention, but during her attempt, she heard a crash. Tears already flooded her eyes as Jenny turned to see her fallen house.
    "And death so strong...."
    Jenny cried for the rest of the night.