Honey

Mattie heard the door knock and lethargically went toward the door. After all this date was not favorable to her, nor advised by her roommate. She had not told her mother about any of this due past history. Mattie believed in forgiveness and prosperous futures with blissful reunions, so she was obligated by her personal beliefs.

“Hello Mattie”. The woman was wide hipped, tanned non-intentionally, and a mole on the side of her face. Mattie thought the woman would be very pretty if only she underwent a makeover.

“My name is Agnes and I am so glad that you agreed to meet me.” Agnes delivered while smiling and looking toward the door.

“Of course, come on in.” Mattie looked down at her phone, then the glass door opened revealing a marvelous style of interior design that was original to her personality. Nubian style vases and statues glistened in all black with copper brown walls that gave her place an intimate vibe. Mattie’s house was too big to live alone, but she was too independent to hire a live-in maid. Thus, she decided on asking Laquisha to live with her, and she thought that was the entire plan already. Her bags were already packed when Mattie went by to formally ask her.

Laquisha was late, as usual, and Mattie would have to start this inevitable encounter on her own. Mattie headed toward a table and sat down as Agnes followed close behind scanning the home. Her looks were not of envy or amazement, but mere informational glances. Mattie sat down on one side of the square table in a tall chair, while Agnes skipped the chair closet to Mattie in favor of the one directly in front of hair.

Agnes laid down her tote bag and pulled out a white box. Centering the box on the table Agnes reached again in her sizeable black bag. Mattie went to retrieve silverware and plates, but she was waved off as her guest pulled out plastic utensils. Agnes plated each section of the table with her long arms and gazed at Mattie.

“Our mothers did not like one another, but I am glad that we can put that behind us.” Agnes looked directly in her eyes. “Please accept a slice of this chocolate cake as token of my gratitude”.

“mm I “. Mattie tried to think of a friendly way to decline the offer, which sent tingles throughout her body. Agnes laughed and cut up two slices placing one in front of Mattie and herself.

“Fine.” Agnes grabbed her fork and pierced all layers of the well-crafted dark cake. “I will go first”. Agnes inserted the morsel into her mouth and wooed at the taste as chewed. Mattie now feeling embarrassed, decided to take a bite as well.

Her olfactory nerves sensed nothing, but instantly her gustatory warriors detected something amiss. It was not spicy, kind of bitter, it was definitely a delicious chocolate cake with a hint of another ingredient. As soon as Mattie’s fork returned to the table, she instantly felt her systems begin to decline. She had been poisoned.

Agnes no longer looked like she was trying to be cajole, instead she sported a tenebrous stare that filled Mattie with fear. Agnes stood up and walked around the table as Mattie struggle to keep her head up. Mattie looked at a knife in the kitchen intensly, but Agnes blocked the view.

“No no”. Agnes teased the dizzy woman. “You really thought that I would forgive you after what your mother did to my family?”

Agnes sat back down and continued. “My mother went insane after the ordeal she was put through. All she would talk about it, is your mother. Laquisha’s mother. Your Mothers mother. And at first I thought was making it up, but then I decided it doesn’t matter if she made it up. It hurt her. It hurt me.”

Mattie looked at the chocolate cake that sat in front of Agnes. She repeatedly wondered how did Agnes do it. Did she not swallow it? Was the piece that she gave Mattie the only poisoned one. Mattie was puzzled and muffled out some incoherent words.

Laughter filled the antagonistic woman and she picked up her spoon. Agnes grabbed the cake sitting in front of Mattie, then took a hefty bite. More laughter came and Mattie no longer had any idea of how this was happening.

“The problem is all of our peer group just care about Math, science, computers.” Agnes started to rise again. “But you all neglect history. There once was king in the middle east who sought to be invincible from betrayal. You see back then your worst enemy were your friends, so often times a person would be poisoned during friendly visits.”

The victim’s phone rang, but Agnes continued her lesson. “So the king decided eat small amounts of the poison each day until he built up a immunity. “Mattie wanted to speak but she could not.

Laquisha entered the door and stopped as the saw Mattie slumped over. “What the hell” Laquisha roared as she came closer to the table. Agnes looked at the dark-skinned woman dressed in a tan wide dress and red bandana with no designs covering her head.

“Have a seat if you want your friend to live.” Agnes suggested coldly. The friend immediately obliged.

“What do you want. I knew this would happen.” Laquisha looked at Mattie and rubbed her friends head.

“I want you to eat the whole cake.”

“What? You can’t be serious. I’ll die”.

“Ask Mattie if I am serious or if I care that you will die.”

“How do I know she will live if I eat the cake”

Agnes revealed the remainder of necklace tucked into her bosom. “This is the antidote, once you successfully eat the rest of the cake, I shall administer this life saving agent to our dear friend Mattie”.

Laquisha started to eat the cake, despite grunts from the folded over Mattie who could hear everything. Laquisha ate piece after piece. Becoming more and more disoriented, but eating more and more as quickly as she could as she knew her life was soon to be no more.

Everything grew quiet, not even crickets or locusts could be heard. Agnes stood up and began to leave. She could not believe how stupid Mattie was. The large woman walked over to Mattie and raised her head. “Look at your friend Mattie. Dying. Because you were too stupid and too weak to stop me.”

Agnes slammed Matties head on the table and proceeded to leave. Gathering her things as to leave no evidence she then walked out placing her hand on the door knob. Immediately Agnes jerked hand back from the sizzling hot object. All of the decorations were spinning as if an invisible tornado had infiltrated the room.

Piece by piece they hit the villain, drawing blood, and bringing intense pain. The ambulant yanked from neck, Agnes attempted to grab it, but a chair crashing at her rendering her immovable. The ambulant flew around Laquisha in circles, the top popped off, Laquisha’s head elevated upwards, and the antidote poured into her mouth.

The ambulant hopped toward Mattie. Slower and slower it hopped. The tornado had died down. The silence was returning. The antidote came to a halt before reaching Mattie.

A woman rushed into the home. Immediately she analyzed the scene realizing the horror that had unfolded. She didn’t have long to act, so she grabbed the bottle and forced the liquid into Mattie’s mouth.

The woman started to cry as she hugged Mattie.

“Honey, please come back”.

“well, I will if you stop cutting off my circulation.”

“Honey!”

Before the two could rejoice, red and blue lights filled the house. Officers started to yell outside that they were coming in. Mattie’s mother stood up and looked at the area.

Immediately, the broken objects began to piece themselves back together. Glass, furniture, even the necklace wrapped back around Agnes’s neck. The officers stormed inside with guns drawn. Instantly they felt shame as nothing looked like a ‘enormous racquet’ had taken place as described by neighbors.

“Matilda?” The officer declared cocking his head to the side. Matilda instantly read the officer’s badge: Bogtrotter.

“Bruce. You look amazing”. Matilda declared as Bruce holstered his weapon to hug his old friend.

“What’s wrong with her?” Bruce quizzed the women as he stared at Laquisha. “I’m fine” Laquisha drowsily yelled with her head still down while holding up a thumb. Bruce waved off his comrades and they showed no hesitation in leaving the scene.

The officer started to speak, until yelps started to occur in the kitchen. The trio ran into the kitchen. “Get this filthy beast off of me!” yelled a hysterical Agnes all entangled in random house items with a orange tabby rubbing against her.

“Down Agatha, Down.” Mattie ordered as if the domestic creature was a dog. Agatha obliged and disappeared into the massive home.

“You named your cat after my mother!” Agnes cried aloud

“So what really happened here?” Bruce asked. Mattie started to describe the entire nightmare from start to finish.

After the story was finished, the officer who had medical training in his past before becoming a officer determined they were all fine.

“So you just decided to show up because of our history with Agnes’s mother.” The officer inquired more as a friend than a member of law enforcement.

“I had already decided to stay close by for a while after learning of my daughters possible plan through Lavender, who is Laquisha’s mom, whom tells her mom everything. If only my smart daughter was like that.” Matilda teased her daughter. “Mattie always answers her phone, to not be rude, and her gifts make it simple for her to retrieve her phone so I knew something was wrong when she didn’t answer. “

“And you are sure you don’t want to press any charges? It would be very smooth with our friend Amanda being the district attorney now.” Bruce asked mattie for the third time.

“Why would you not? Do I not deserve it?” Agnes was surprised and now fighting tears.

“That story you told me, you didn’t get to finish the story.” Mattie started to speak, as Agnes thought about it. “I do know history which is why my home is filled with ancient artifacts from my dad’s side of family who is from Ethiopia. That king who you referred had a sad ending, Agnes. When a civil war started his entire family was set to be killed. Instead of letting his rivals kill his wife and kids, the old man decided to poison them himself in order to spare them a agonizing death at the hands of his enemies. After poisoning them he decided use a huge amount of poison for himself. Unfortunately, he couldn’t die from the poison no matter how much he consumed. He was caged for the rest of life forever haunted by the agony of his family’s demise.”

“I don’t want that ending for you Agnes.” Mattis spoke softly as Bruce interjected.

“But how did you use your powers if you were knocked unconscious?”

“I can answer that.” Matilda stepped in as Mattie had no idea either. “I temporarily lost my powers during times when I used my brain a lot such as during rigorous classes in school. Well, the opposite took effect here. When Agnes accidently knocked her unconscious, it released Mattie’s brain full potential.”

“When we got the call, the last name for your daughter didn’t match yours during school.” Bruce asked his old friend

“When Jennifer died, I decided to change my last name to hers.”

“Matilda Honey.”