Kel's Hel

Author's Warning: So, so many trigger warnings. Touching on mortality, homophobia, disability, and probably a few more.

---

"Sorry about the dust, dear."

Kelly had to put a hand over her mouth, struggling to breathe as her careful footsteps still kicked up almost an inch of dust into the air. Choking her mildly, and making her even more depressed than usual, when the thought that it might make her sick, crossed her mind.

She gave a small smile, looking around the tiny shopfront, "How much, did you say?"

"Oh, the rent is seven hundred a week." The older lady said, leaning on her walking cane, "Are you sure you only want it for a year? I might be able to knock the price down a little, if I knew you were staying longer."

Kelly shrugged, "Sorry. It's tempting, but I just can't. But... It's perfect."

"I'm sorry it's so small, dear."

She shook her head, and pulled out her purse to get her ID. "Let's finish off that paperwork, Mrs. Peach."

"You can call me Olivia, dear." The woman shuffled over to the only surface in the room, a bench just above waist height, that still had a steel cash register sitting on it.

The paperwork was regular drudgery, and took little time to finish off. A few names, a few initials, and a few signatures. All promising to keep the building intact and do her best to return it in the condition that she received it.

Not that she had any intention of doing that.

Right now, this was a dusty old shop that was hidden behind a single door. The room was about three times as wide as the entrance suggested, but it was still a tiny space that hadn't been touched in years.

She was going to clean it up, fill it with life, and then... Well, that was a year away. She was hoping to leave it better than she found it. But she did, unfortunately, have to acknowledge she might just ruin it, too.

Kelly didn't want to rest on that particular thought.

She finished the last signature and date with a flourish, and smiled at the old lady who was letting out the tiny store, that she'd given up on years ago.

Olivia smiled at her, and took her copy of the contract, "So, dear, what do you plan on doing with this space?"

"Couple days of cleaning, first." Kelly smiled around at the space, "And then... I thought I might start with... Sunflowers."

"Oh! Are you a florist, dear?"

She shrugged, "Botanist, actually. Or I was looking to become one. Dropped out, at the end of my third year. I did want to finish but... Life just didn't work out, that way."

"It has been a long time since we've had fresh flowers in this town." Olivia said dreamily, "Not since before... Well, I was a young girl like you, back then. My Robert always bought blue tulips from them, every Sunday afternoon."

Kelly managed to find the sink beneath one green and black grimey window. Spinning the taps did nothing, but a quick duck under and into the cupboard and soon there was the sound of air knocking through the pipes.

"Tulips. They take about three months from seed, or some of the faster hybrids do." She observed, "It's the wrong time of year for them, but I might be able to work something out with the help of a greenhouse. If I can toss one together."

Olivia shuffled over and found some old and crusty cleaning cloths. "Will these do, dear? And I wouldn't worry about tulips, just for me. After Robert passed..."

"Sure." She said with more understanding than she wished that she had, and then ran the cloth under the not entirely clean water that was starting to come from the tap.

The older woman frowned, "There's barely more than five hundred of us in this old town. So close to the city, everyone moves away. What brought you out to us?"

"Not worth hiding it, but it's not a nice conversation." Kelly sighed and started wiping down surfaces. "Let's just say... My life is falling apart. I decided to take advantage of it, though. Do what I've always wanted to do, live the way that I wouldn't dream of, because it's dreaming too far."

Olivia nodded slowly, "Ah. I wish I still had your youthful vigour. Robert used to be able to convince me to do the wildest things... I can recall a time when we took the mayor's car for a picnic. We did not ask to borrow it. Ah, we got in so much strife."

"I'm... Not all that young." Kelly said hesitantly, not wanting the inevitable conversation that it might lead to.

Except, the old woman didn't go there. "You feel like you have an old soul. You've seen more than your fair share of pain in your time, haven't you, dear?"

"A... Little."

Olivia frowned, "You don't have to talk about it. However, you did say that your life has not gone the way that you had hoped. I hope that you can find the peace that you are looking for, here. Djadja does have a history, but we try to live as a salve for the past, now. A place where peace will wait for you to find it."

She smiled at that, feeling a special kind of warmth. One she had not felt in an extraordinarily long time. Companionship. A friendship without judgement, that was okay with you being an absolute fuckwit, so long as you realised it and wanted to find your way back.

Kelly habitually stuck the end of the cloth over the edge of her pants, hanging down her backside. She put her hands on her hips and looked around the tiny store, "Can you do me a favour, Olivia?"

"That depends, dear." Olivia replied.

She rolled her neck, "Find some time to come see me, again. After a couple days. I want to show you what I've done with the place, and... Well... Maybe, thank you. For letting to me at such short notice."

"Oh, fah!" The woman replied dismissively, shuffling forward on her cane towards the door. "You're paying me, dear. You have no reason to thank me... But I will. I am curious to see what you will do with it. Enjoy settling in."

Kelly failed to find the words before the old woman had left, escaping from any potential sentimentalism on her own behalf.

She still spoke the words quietly into the empty store, "Thank you, all the same."

---

Once the store was reasonably clean, and she was exceptionally filthy, Kelly headed outside, locked the door, and then thought about how to get to the apartment that she had rented.

Thankfully, that wouldn't involve meeting another landlord. She'd had the keys sent to her in the mail, because the landlord actually lived in the nearby city, not in Djadja. The landlord didn't even have an office in the small town, only a postbox that got redirected.

Kelly spun the shop key on her finger before slipping it into her skinny jeans and beginning to walk up the street. Jeans she was already regretting wearing. She really needed something more practical and less show. Her shoes weren't great for walking everywhere either, she was used to using a car because of the bigger city's terrible transport system.

Everything in Djadja seemed to be consolidated into two areas. The historic part of the town, where her new shop was, and then the living area, which was only a decade or two old.

The areas were not close enough to walk comfortably, but they weren't really far enough apart to justify a car. If she were still allowed to drive a car, which she wasn't. She'd arrived on the morning train - the only train. It only stopped in once for the day when it did, and only twice a week.

The main street was a traditional one, a high street. So at the top of it, Kelly decided to park her butt at a tea shop, and give herself a rest. Wasn't like she was in a hurry to do anything, she was just a filthy mess. Her outside, as messed up as her inside felt.

"You okay, sweetie?"

She looked up at the utterly dazzling smile of a woman who looked about her age, and gave a sad smile, "Yeah. As good as I get. Sorry. Bit in the dumps, today. Uh... Mostly wanted a drink because I'm tired. You got any iced tea or something?"

"In a minute." The girl replied, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind one ear and sitting down. She put a hand presumptiously across Kelly's wrist, and looked at her with concern, "What's got you all down, sweetie?"

Kelly tried not to lean back or pull away, "Getting the feeling you're being... Genuine. But uh... Personal space?"

"Sorry." The girl pulled back her hands, still smiling that ridiculously bright look. "If all you want is tea, then I recommend the peach. I drink way too much of it. There's also lemonade that the twins make, but I think they spent too much time in America when they were young. It's practically syrup."

She couldn't help but smile back, "I'm Kelly. I uh... Just moved here. Opening up a flower shop. Everyone around here, as nice as you?"

"I don't know. I'm not concerned with everyone. Just interested in being a little star in the orbit of everyone that I meet. They don't need to shine, because I am." The woman said with enthuisiasm and optimism that was as confusing as it seemed to be naive.

Kelly nodded, "Well, it's hard to stay under a rain cloud, with you around. So uh... Thanks?"

"Wendy." The woman said with a grin, and then frowned, "If you're opening a flower shop, then you must be the one who rented Olivia's old place, right?"

"Oh. Yeah. You heard about that?" She said in surprise.

Wendy shrugged, "Olivia comes by here, about once a month. She has green tea with cinnamon. Personally, I think that tastes like dog turds, but she likes it, so we make it."

"... Just for her? Or just a big selection of tea?" Kelly asked curiously.

"Oh! Flowers!" The woman lit up, "We actually have a huge herbal garden, out the back. We grow anything and everything we can get our hands on, and it's still never enough. We'd probably buy stuff from you, once you get up and running."

Kelly shook her head, "I'm planning on making my first harvest sunflowers. The seeds need some special handling. Not the kind of thing people should be putting in tea, if they don't have a lab to test them first."

"Mmm... Got one of those. But maybe I'll just have to buy a couple flowers from you, first. Earn the trust." Wendy smiled at her.

She nodded slowly, "You're waiting for me to decide whether to spill on why I hate my day, aren't you?"

"I figured you'd already decided. I was wondering if I should just go and get you some peach tea." Wendy retorted.

"Please?" Kelly asked, and then looked around, "But... I suppose... If you've got a minute after... Do you have this effect on everyone? You the town confessor?"

"I've known pain." The woman said quietly, "It's... Something people feel drawn to, when they're hurting. Try and not let it bother you. People who are hurt... Just like talking to each other."

As Kelly wondered what the hell to make of that statement, the waitress drifted inside her small shop.

The door was a sickly light green, and the paint was peeling, revealing the old and gray wood underneath it. Either side of that, were two windows. Those might be what had convinced Kelly to try and sit down at this particular store.

In one window was a wedding cake of some kind. Except instead of the traditional bride and groom centrepieces on top, the man was a werewolf, and the girl had butterfly wings. It was a cute, but small touch.

The other window featured an extensive faery garden. Shelves that showed the various scenes and depictions, reaching from top to bottom. A hundred tiny stories, played out with china figurines. Little cupcake parties, adorable musicians, even faeries playing tag.

Kelly was still lost, staring at the various little scenes, when her bubbly waitress returned.

A pale orange tea that barely had any colour to it, sat inside the glass. The ice cubes that some places filled to the brim, only came halfway up the perspiring glass, and there was a straw that almost looked like a candycane sitting in the centre.

She sipped at it distractedly, not expecting much flavour, and still fascinated by the figurines. The flavour, on the other hand, didn't care how little she expected it. The peaches assaulted her tongue and coated her throat, bringing out a sweetness that was as subtle as a punch to the centre of the face.

Kelly blinked in surprise, glancing down at the drink, and shook her head to refocus.

Her waitress sat down again with a tiny pull at her little black skirt. The woman smiled at her and lifted another peach tea glass, sipping at a similar candycane straw with an embarassed little grin.

Kelly waved a hand, "Is this your work? I love the faeries."

"Mm. I try and rearrange them once a week or so. Just to make sure that nobody gets bored, but I haven't quite got around to it, this week. Bit run off my feet." Wendy gave a heavy sigh, "Today's been quiet, though. Which has been greatly appreciated."

She winced, "If I'm making you feel like you need to stick around -"

"No, I'm happy just to sit." Wendy interrupted quickly, "It's also nice to meet someone who is moving in. Town's so small, everyone ends up knowing everyone else within a few months."

"Smaller than my high school was." Kelly agreed. "So... I guess it's lucky I didn't come here for privacy."

Wendy looked at her curiously, "That sounds like it's a long story."

"There's a short version." Kelly instantly kicked herself. "But... I am not hitting on a stranger. No matter how adorable I think her smile is. Okay? But uhm... I'm kinda bisexual."

The girl gave a small laugh, "Okay. I won't take that as flirting. Ooh. I should probably warn you. The old church? They have about a quarter of the town turn up, every Sunday. And the preacher, Tom Harris, he'll go into a blind spitting rage about LGB or however many letters we're putting into it, now."

Kelly swallowed, "Ah. Yeah, probably something I should have thought about. But didn't. So uhm... Are you one of...?"

"I made the local paper, the year I graduated. My school had two queens at our graduation. I was one of them." Wendy said with her dazzling smile, which was starting to get on Kelly's nerves. Not that it was annoying, but that it was so instantly disarming. She actually did want to hit on the woman, even if she'd promised herself not to get romantically involved with anyone.

The plan was to play matchmaker, not to become a heart breaker.

"You in a crown, sounds cute." Kelly said, before quickly following it up, "Still not flirting. Uh... Moving on! So, my parents found out I had a girlfriend. And talked her parents into having some sort of intervention thing."

"Oh, sweetie, that is... So fucked up." Wendy said in horror.

Kelly buried the tears, giving a weak smile and nod, "Yeah... She... She went willingly to some kind of camp thing. To... Get cured. Left me behind."

"Fuck." Wendy said breathlessly, "I'm not supposed to swear at work, but... Fuck."

She dropped her head into her hands, and found herself right back inside the mess of emotions she thought she had started to get over. Kelly shook her head slowly, "Sorry, sorry... I..."

"It hurts worse, to tell it. Brings back everything and makes it new again. Like being lightly stabbed in the face." Wendy said understandingly, reaching out and taking one of Kelly's hands to squeeze it. This time, she didn't push the stranger away, just squeezed the hand back.

A few minutes passed them by, and eventually Kelly crawled out of her head and looked up.

Wendy was looking at her sympathetically, still squeezing her hand. However, Kelly instantly felt guilty. There were other people dropping by the cafe, and she was stealing what seemed to be one of two people who worked there.

She winced, "Um. I'm okay, if you need to -"

"I'm not going anywhere." Wendy said, with a hint of insult.

Kelly took a deep breath, "Neither am I. If you need to do things, then I'm probably going to try and get another peach tea, tomorrow. Actually tastes like the fruit."

"Because it is. Massive garden is massive. I think you'd like it, if I showed it to you." Wendy said and grinned, "But, still. I'm not going anywhere, right at this minute, either."

Kelly pulled her hand away, and looked down, "There's some things... I'm not ready to say out loud. Let alone to random stranger that has crawled inside my head and made it into her home."

"Pain knows company." Wendy gave a small whisper, and then sighed, "My turn, I guess. That's the way trust goes. Up until last year, I was in a wheelchair. Spent most of my life in one. I was born with osteoporosis."

She stared openly, "The... Bone thing? Weak bones?"

"Mhmm." Wendy gave a little nod, before sipping at her straw, "I've been going through this thing, where they kind of... Fuse the bones. Make the insides as hard as most people's bones are on the outside, to slow down the loss. Makes me weigh more than you'd expect, and sort of makes my bones... Unbreakable."

"You must be crazy strong, to live like that." Kelly said in astonishment, "I mean, not just mentally. Carrying the bones. That'd take some serious muscle, wouldn't it?"

"Hence, wheelchair." Wendy nodded and shrugged, giving her charming smile, "But... I can walk. I can even fucking run! The world is bright and beautiful, and I intend to live every moment as if it's specially handcrafted by God, just for me."

Kelly was completely gobsmacked. This woman had been cursed from birth. She would have faced so many years of pain and agony, frustration after frustration, and she wasn't just a ray of sunshine. She was a damn supernova, swamping over the area around her with happiness.

From her own perspective, it was absolutely, utterly, impossible.

She wanted to smile, and treat life like it was as beautiful as the flowers she was intending on growing. But life was a bitch who didn't care if you were an optimist or a pessimist. She bitch-slapped you, because she damn well felt like it.

It had nothing to do with how good you were, or how evil you were. Life was perfectly fair. She looked at the whole world, and decided that it needed to take a royally hard fucking. Because life was a warmthless cunt.

At least Kelly had been able to experience a taste of life before the bitch came knocking on her door. This other girl had been born into a personalised hell, and was just coming out the other side. Yet, she was happier and brighter than Kelly even knew how to be.

Wendy looked at her shock and gave a shy smile, "And that's um... Why I am always happy. Or at least look it. Because I want the whole world around me to shine as bright as it can. Doesn't mean I don't know what pain's like. Pain's the reason."

"I am... So jealous." Kelly gave a small laugh and wiped at a tear that was threatening to form. "I don't think I could be as happy as you. I've been... Trying. It doesn't work for me."

"Took me a very long time. But you, do you. You'll figure out what works for you, eventually, sweetie."

Eventually.

The word thrust Kelly right back to the edge. Her head dropped and she tried to hide it by sipping at her drink, as the tears rolled down like her cheeks.

Her cheeks like windows in a thunderstorm. Little droplets splashing and dancing over the surface of the tea.

Wendy reached out and gently took her wrist, "Well. I think I just said something wrong, didn't I? Your life is in more pieces than just a missing girlfriend and a family who rejects the premise of your existence, isn't it?"

She gave a silent nod.

The woman sighed heavily, "I'll be here when you need a friend. Today, tomorrow. Whenever you feel like the music is too much, you can come find me."

"You're... Impossible." Kelly croaked weakly, "I... I actually... Want to tell you."

"I have that effect on people." Wendy repeated, proudly.

Kelly looked up slowly, giving a huge sniffle, and whispered quietly, "I haven't... I haven't told anyone else... I... Why do I know that I can trust you? Tell you? I... I... I'm dying. Cancer."

The world seemed to go silent in the aftermath of the admission. The gentle breeze vanishing, no birds calling out to each other. The street suddenly seemed completely empty, and the cafe seemed to have no other customers outside.