Jeanette's Point of View
"Simon!" I called for perhaps the fifth time. I was all alone with the steaming engine, doing my best not to touch the scalding metal. The only light that gave me any sense of sight came from a small opening above my head. The hood was being held open by something; it wasn't a big opening, maybe a fly could fit through, but with the sky getting ever darker, my vision was dim and blurry. It was nearly impossible to see anything, even the engine that that couldn't be any more than half a foot in front of me. I tried to push my glasses higher up on my face to get a better view, but instead I felt a sharp pain in my eye.
"Ow!" I yelped and realized for the first time that my glasses were missing, "Uh oh." I thought and looked hopelessly around the small ledge I stood on. I swayed my head upwards, dreading what I already knew to be true; my glasses, with their stable lenses and tough rims held up the hood. Of course it just had to be my glasses! Not a rock, not a clump of dirt; my stupid glasses held the hood in place. "Why does there always have to be a choice?" I complained to myself. Without my glasses, I was next to useless, but I couldn't move them and take away my source of light, then I really would be useless, I'd have no hope of disabling the engine and stopping the bulldozer. "Guess I'm alone on this." I wasn't sure what happened to Simon, but it must have been serious; he wouldn't have left me here to fend for myself, would he? After everything said and done, would Simon leave me alone in a Bulldozer? No. He wasn't like that; if he wasn't here, than something must have happened, Simon was no coward…
My mind was made up, I would have to disable the engine either without my glasses, or not at all, and I was taking the chance, even if it was dangerously reckless. I carefully climbed down the ledge and slowly slid my way to the side of the engine, however I slipped like the clumsy idiot I was and placed my hands on the engine. The metal machinery burned with a stronger intensity than the fuel and I pulled back that instant and blew on my hands, though this would be no help.
"Okay, Jeanette, think." I thought sternly, "How do you disable an engine?" I looked around for anything on the metal that might be breakable or anything that could be of use. "Simon would know what to do…" He was brilliant! Smarter than anyone I knew and he applied his knowledge as best he could. I wished he was here, but knowing him, he was probably off convincing the head worker to stop what he was doing.
"Jeanette!" His voice startled me, echoing several times before my name faded. I couldn't tell where his voice was coming from; the small gap in the hood was bare, free of the chipmunk I hoped would come to my rescue.
"S-Simon?" I called. No answer, "Simon?"
"Jeanette, you can do this." His voice was calm and bounced off each metal wall; or was it all inside my head? "You are smart and brave and strong, you can do this."
"Where are you?" He never answered; wherever he was before, he was gone now. That's how I knew his voice was only in my head, he wasn't really around. He wouldn't have left. I blindly continued my search for anything that could used against the bulldozer. I was used to the burning in my hands, but didn't complain when the rough, hot metal vacated my touch and was replaced by a softer material, a more flexible material, a safer material: rubber. A wire! A wire that had some connection to the engine. What did a wire do for an engine, though? I was no mechanic, but I was positive that if I could break the wire, I could stop the bulldozer.
"Ugh!" I grunted as I tried to rip apart the wire. No good, I was too weak, too tired; I needed something stronger. Again I thought of Simon. He was skinny, but he was strong. I needed to improvise… Pliers? No possible way for me to get a pair. I needed something off-hand… "Teeth!" I snapped. Would that be dangerous, biting a wire? Wasn't that something parents prevent their children from doing? "Dave isn't here," I thought, "And I've already come this far." Without thinking another thought, I pulled the wire tight with my hands and chomped down as hard as I could using my naturally powerful teeth. Not half a second after biting down, a slight shock wave was sent through my body that temporarily made me feel numb and forced me back into the metal wall as the bulldozer jerked and squealed. I heard screaming, but I couldn't tell if that was the driver's or my own. Without feeling, I could have been sneezing for all I knew. The noise died down and the only thing that entered my eardrums was the pitter-patter of raindrops hitting the large vehicle.
I regained feeling in my body and wished I could bite the wire again; the pain that was being sent through my hands, legs, feet and lungs was unbearable. Broken bones? I wouldn't know until I'd get the chance to see a veterinarian…I'd get the chance! The bulldozer was stopped completely and me and Simon would get to see each other happily.
"Simon!" I screamed in my head and jumped up and pushed through the hood opening, being sure to grab my glasses along the way. "Simon!" I panted happily through the cold rain that felt so perfect against my hot fur. My happiness was short lived when I got a good look at the landscape. Barren, The Gardens were stripped almost entirely naked of any flowers that should have once inherited the land. The only vegetation that remained was a tiny patch of grass. I took a second look around, no violet… No flowers of any kind stood tall. Was this supposed to be a victory? The flower that Simon gave me was gone, our special place entirely was dead! An enormous pile of dirt and debris rested against the mould blade of the dozer. If this was a victory, this was a hollow victory. A simple lawnmower and shovel could deal with the rest of the job! The small crowd across the fifteen acre barren landscape I knew had Dave and my sisters. My beautiful sisters that worked so hard for this place…
"Simon?" I was getting scared, fear that Simon wasn't around or even within the crowd sprung up in my mind. A piercing cough interrupted my worry. "Simon?!" I hopped off the hood and onto the large pile of dirt that was slowly turning into mud from the rain. The mud slowly shuffled but didn't rise much. I dug through the filth as best I could and soon dug up Simon's head. Fearing the worst, I used the last of my strength to pull him out of the heavy pile. He coughed viciously and the stench of the fuel that soaked his fur stung my nose and gave me a headache, the filth matted in with his fur gave him a dead appearance, but I could see his chest and stomach rise and fall with each slow breath; he was alive. His eyes were open, but the darted around in a panicked state.
"J-Jeanette…?" He coughed and reached up to touch my face as if I was an illusion. He tried to sit up, but fell back down after each attempt, which was followed by a series of dry heaves. He looked so broken, it was breaking my own heart.
"Shh…" I whispered as tears formed in my eyes and rolled down my cheeks, "Everything's going to be okay." The rain poured down hard and I couldn't tell if he heard me or not. He was freaking out and I needed to calm him down, he needed rest, he needed to stop worrying and think of himself for a change.
"I remember tears streaming down your face
When I said I'll never let you go
When all those shadows almost killed your light
I remember you said,
Don't leave me here alone
But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight"As I sang, his wild eyes began to calm and his breathing became more steady.
"Just close your eyes
the sun is going down
You'll be alright
No one can hurt you now
Come morning light
You and I'll be safe and sound"
I kissed Simon's cheek softly and ignored the faint taste of gas and mud. I let him lay with his eyes closed and I could feel his hands try to pull me close. I obliged and gently lay my head down on his steady chest and let him hold me. His arms warmed me in the midst of the freezing rain and his heartbeat was more relaxing than the tapping of the falling water.
His breathing was steady for a few minutes, but as time went by it slowed and continued to to slow until I could no longer hear it or feel it. I shot my head up and stared at his face, lost as to what I should do. His cracked glasses remained still on his nose and around his soaked head, his ears lay to the sides. His earlier dead position seemed all too real to me as the seconds slowly went by.
"N-No…" I whispered, "No!" I moved closer and whispered to him. "Simon, don't leave me." I kissed him softly on the lips, desperate for a response. No response. He didn't return the kiss, he didn't move. I began to sob into his soft, matted neck, secretly praying for a pulse, when something wrapped around me. A pair of arms. I didn't know who they belonged to and I didn't care. All I knew is that they didn't belong to Simon. I shoved the arms away and threw myself back onto Simon. "Simon, you can't leave me. Not after everything." I desperately cried into his ear, "I'm the flower, aren't I?" I pulled out the note that I carried around with me everywhere, the note he gave me on my birthday. "You did all of this for a flower, but not the violet." I started to blubber, unable to understand my own words.
With the rain dripping down my glasses and the tears drenching my eyes, there was no way of telling who was trying to tear me and Simon apart, but I refused. I wouldn't leave him, not unless I passed out and had no way of pushing the others away.
"Simon, I won't leave you." I thought and clung to him. Whoever tried to separate us had given up and allowed me to stay with him. His body was still, but every nerve of my own body told me it wasn't lifeless. I laid my head back down on his chest, knowing it wouldn't rise, nor would it fall.
"Let me be your flower…" I whispered before feeling something hit my head and blacking out.
Hello, Readers and Writers, just wanted to say that I do not own the song featured in this chapter; more to come soon! (Told you ;) )