Fiction: The Miracle Maker's Revenge

This month's Words for Wednesday prompts are provided by Alex J. Cavanaugh. This week's prompts are: parachute, reindeer, shark, clay, ruins, and/or telescope, totem pole, black, severed, surf. Charlotte (MotherOwl) has given us Pearl Opal Green as the colour of the month.
    Last month's Words for Wednesday prompts were provided by Sean Jeating. The prompts were: church, hazel, hollow, red, whirlpool and/or cave, Mary, near, rapid, white. I started this story last week so I had used these prompts. I was going to fit in this week's prompts but decided not to but conincidently, I used two of the prompts, black and ruins (although not exactly the same form). Prompts are posted at Elephant's Child's blog here.

Fiction: The Miracle Maker's Revenge

01
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She used to reconstruct people's facial and body tissue to their natural or nearly natural state. Now Ramona Hue did the same thing but with the dead. Some said Ramona was a miracle maker. It was a title given to her by one of her former patients which somehow stuck to her when she became a mortician. Most thought she used her plastic surgeon's talent to make the dead looked like the living but no one knew it was her natural ability to heal and restore the body that made it so.
    When she was a plastic surgeon, there was a whirlpool of rapid emotions damped by the joy of the patients. As a mortician, Ramona worked in a steady calm atmosphere, as if her workroom in the basement of the Eternal Glory Funeral Parlor was a church filled with other people's last memories of what their bodies had been through.
    It wasn't Ramona's intention to be a mortician. Her colleague, Eugenia Ply, framed Ramona for disfiguring a patient's face and ended her career. Ramona had thought it was rather natural to help the dead look their best before they go into their eternal resting place. She had partnered with her college friend, Mary Hazel, and set up Eternal Glory Funeral Parlor.     
    The family curse that caused Ramona to have strange food craving during a full moon was something Ramona had to deal with ever since she turned forty this year which was also the time she truly left her past behind. There was no cure for the curse but Ramona got a new assistant who was a godsend after so many dubs. Liberty or Libby as she liked to be called, was not only strong and able to carry bodies, she had a healthy relationship with the dead in that she respected them and took her job seriously. Ramona was happy to give her a raise. After a lengthly talk with the young lady, Ramona had her promise she would keep helping Ramona and to keep her secret.

02
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The red banner hanging high with the words Welcome Old Friends! in white made Ramona wanted to throw rocks at it. She entered the opened double doors into the large hall and was struck by the many familiar but aged faces. Everyone was talking about things she didn't have knowledge of. Had she been dwelling too long in her self-exiled cave?
    When Ramona became a mortician ten years ago, there had been few contacts with her friends though she remembered their hollow promises to keep in touch. Possibility, they fear Ramona or the idea of someone who touched dead bodies all day would not know how to function with the living. She must admit, she didn't stay in contact for fear of what they might say. Sometimes it seemed to Ramona her life before becoming a mortician was a different lifetime - a time so far away from her it might as well belonged to someone else.
    Even as she tried to block her emotions, Ramona knew she did care what people think of her. She wished she had took Mary's advice not to come to the reunion. There wasn't a single person here who appeared to like her.
    Looking around, Ramona spotted Eugenia Ply laughing with a group of men and immediately Ramona wished she had worn the white gown instead of the black one. Compared to Ply, Ramona might be death itself while Ply in her white gown and blonde hair appeared like a savior.
    "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to our annual high school reunion. Please have a seat." The master of ceremonies, Daisy Dunkin, in a white gown, stood on the stage with a large smile. Dunkin had been the president of the school newspaper and had edited Ramona's pieces to almost a paragraph so that Ply's articles would take up more space. Ramona always hated the girl for that.
    The lights went out and the screen came down and began showing images of smiling youths while Dunkin narrated. Next came speeches from people Ramona didn't remember. She resisted rolling her eyes when Eugenia Ply and her husband, Jerry Bottlehead, were crowned king and queen of the night with gold crowns. Following that, Ply handed out trophies for class clown, most likely to eat dirt, etc.
    The table where Ramona had been placed was full of the quiet kids, the ones people often bullied. She had not known them well but they were never unkind toward her. Tonight, their expressions mirrored hers - they didn't know why they were there either.
    "And now for the last award of the night: the student most likely to put the dead to sleep: Ramona Hue! Ramona, please come and accept your award." Ply was grinning. Ramona's youthful tan face with buckteeth appeared on the screen. The whole four years, they had called Ramona Toothy Hue which Ply had started.
    Spotlight fell on Ramona. She wanted to smack the smiles off Ply and Dunkin's faces but instead she smiled and walked the few paces to the stage and climbed the short stairs.
    Ply held out the clear glass trophy shaped like a coffin with Ramona's nickname on it. It was quite a hefty object and good enough to beat someone with it. Ramona placed it on the podium Dunkin had pulled Ramona behind and handed her the microphone. In front of her, the many faces was staring at her. Even in the semi-darkness, she could make out a couple of smiles that were not quite friendly.
    "Hey Toothy Hue, did you remember to wash your hands before you came here? Wouldn't want any of us to drop dead tonight!" shouted Jerry Bottlehead sitting back at his table right in front of the stage. Some awkward laughters rang out.
    Ramona smiled and spoke into the microphone. "You would know all about death, wouldn't you, Jerry Bottlehead? You did kill Valarie Banks with your fancy car." Bottlehead chuckled and veered his gaze toward the floor. Back in school, Bottlehead had hit Ramona's best friend with his car and killed her instantly but coming from a rich family, Bottlehead only served a few months for drunk driving.   
    Ply grabbed the microphone from Ramona. "Toothy Hue, what are you doing? This is a reunion, not a place to air out your—your bitterness."
    Ramona grabbed the trophy and turned to the woman. "My bitterness? You ruined my career and you can stand there and say those words?"
    Ply took a step back from Ramona.
    Ramona held up the trophy. It would be so easy to just hit Ply with it.
    "What are you doing with that? Get away from me." Ply kept walking backward, microphone in her hand, crown shinning on her head.
    Ramona kept walking toward her. Ply widened her eyes. "Get away from me!"
    Ramona raised the trophy but then stopped and placed it in her dress pocket. "Just joking." She grinned and took a step back.
    Ply scowled. Ramona started turning away. Something hit the side of her head. The pain rocked through her body. She stumbled but steadied her feet. Her view swirled a bit but she squeezed her eyes shut and then opened them. She turned to face Ply. Swiftly, Ramona snatched the microphone from Ply and grabbed Ply's hair and pulled back hard. "Admit you cheated off me and maybe I won't smash this microphone on your nose."
    Ply stared up at Ramona and smiled. "I don't know what you're talking about, Toothy Hue."
    Ramona scoffed. In the last year of school, Ply was caught cheating off Ramona but claimed it was Ramona who cheated off her. Ramona suggested they both take a new test to prove who was cheating on whom. A day before the new test, Ramona found a note left in her locker to meet Graham Sweet, a guy Ramona had a crush on, on the roof. When she got there, someone pushed her off the roof. While Ramona was falling she heard Ply's voice telling her it was time to join Valarie. Falling five stories didn't kill Ramona but she wished it had. She fell on a bicycle and damaged her right leg and since then she had been wearing a prosthetic. Later, Ramona found out the note was not from Graham. It was all Ply's doing.
    "I'll give one last chance. Admit that you pushed me off the roof or I'll not only smash your nose in but I'll break your right leg, like you broke mine." Ramona glared at the woman and pulled Ply's hair back farther.
    Ply pursed her lips. "I was being a good samaritan and helped a suicidal girl from jumping off the roof but sadly I failed." She smiled.
    Ramona smashed the microphone on Ply's nose and released the woman's hair. Ply screamed and crumbled to the floor while cradling her bloody nose. Ramona threw the microphone on the floor. A screech rang out of the speakers and stunned everyone into silence.
    "You crazy bitch!" Bottlehead was on his feet but he didn't move.
    Ramona picked up the podium and threw it at Bottlehead. It struck him on the chest and he crashed onto the table and sent dishes flying. Ramona thought it was a shame the podium was hollow. She took the trophy from her pocket, pulled Ply's right leg and slammed the trophy onto Ply's leg, again and again.
    "Someone stopped her!" said Dunkin.
    Ramona kept striking the trophy all over Ply's leg even as the woman screamed. Two somebody pulled her away. She struck them all, each falling to the floor. "Turn all the lights on!" she shouted. The lights came on. She looked out into the crowd. Everyone was standing around their tables with their eyes on her, murmuring and pointing at her.
    "I only gave back what was owed!" Ramona shouted. But as she looked among the faces, she knew most of them didn't believe her. She meant for Ply to admit her crimes in front of everyone but Ramona knew, words, however true they were, meant little to people who chose to believe Ply over Ramona.
    "You're never going to be invited to another reunion again," said Dunkin.
    Ramona wiped the blood from the side of her head with the back of her hand. "Great. Now I don't have to come up with excuses not to come." She smiled. This was the first reunion she had shown up for. Placing the trophy into her dress pocket, she took out a rubber band from her other dress pocket and pulled her hair into a tight bun. She could feel the sweat in her armpits. It was time to leave. As she turned toward the stairs to get off the stage, Ply spoke. "I'm going to make sure your life is ruined!"
    
03
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Ramona turned around. Ply was sitting on the floor surrounded by Dunkin and two men Ramona didn't remember. As she rushed toward them, Dunkin and the the men stood up and stepped back from Ply.
    Ramona leaned down right into Ply's face. "If you do anything to me, I'm going to leak the video that proves it was you who wrecked Julia Stockwell's face. You know the woman well, you know what she can do. Do you remember what happened to me?" Ramona kept her voice low.
    Ply pursed her lips tight. Her nose was swollen but no longer bleeding. "You have nothing." The woman should be screaming in pain from her leg wounds but Ramona knew Ply could mask her feelings well.
    "Don't believe me? I saw the video. You asked Daisy Dunkin and Josie Monty to help you frame me and in return, you will give them each a million dollars. That pink lipstick didn't look good on you with that dark tan." Ramona shook her head.
    Ply's eyes widened. "That video doesn't prove anything. Any lawyer can dispute its originality."
    Ramona nodded. "True, you can dispute the video but what about the one where your husband was in bed with a certain senator's wife? Or with a a certain lady who looked suspiciously like one of your cousins? Or a whole bunch of them? But maybe you can divorce Jerry and disconnect yourself from him but can you disconnect yourself from the videos and paper trails where you took bribes from people who are in various government positions? I'm sure you can dispute a couple of them but a whole lot of them? But I think the video that will most likely bring you fame is the one where you starred in with a certain governor and three other powerful men. I'll let you review your memory. If you have seen the videos, you wouldn't believe the clarity. You can see the heart pattern on the boxers your husband and the governor and the powerful men wore. Honestly, you shouldn't buy them all the same gift, it's tacky."
    Ply was running for congress and any of these videos or paper trails will certainly damage her chances. Ply glanced behind Ramona at Bottlehead who appeared to be blacked out in a chair. She returned her gaze at Ramona. "You don't scare me."
    Ramona smiled. "No, I guess not. I suppose I'll just leaked all the videos and all the papers in digital and paper forms and all over the world. We want to get all the audience." It took Ramona years and lots of money to get those videos and info and planted them all over the continent. Someone will them release them to the public if something happens to Ramona.
    Ply scowled. "What do you want?"
    "Just to be left alone. Make sure everyone here, including you, don't try to mess with me, it's that simple. Do we have a deal?"
    "How am I to control all these people?" said Ply.
    "Use your skills to ruin lives, you're good at that. Do you we have a deal?"
    Ply nodded.
    "I can't hear you!"
    "Deal!" Ply pursed her lips tightly and glared at Ramona.
    Ramona stepped back from Ply. She pulled the screen down and threw it on the floor. As she walked down the stairs, something struck her back and made her tumbled down the stairs and fell onto the carpet floor. Ignoring the pain in her back, she got up and dusted herself off. The microphone sat near her feet. She turned toward the stage. Dunkin was staring at her with eyes wide and hands covering her mouth. Ramona ran up the stairs and toward Dunkin and punched her in the nose. Dunkin stumbled onto the floor and covered her nose with both hands. Ramona turned away and walked back down the stairs. Her right leg was aching more than the rest of her body.
    As she made her way toward the exit, she spotted Calvin Johnson and veered toward him. At the senior prom, Johnson assaulted her in the girl's bathroom. She used up her bottle of pepper spray on him and took off his fancy suit and locked him in one of the stalls. Like Bottlehead, he came from a rich family which meant nothing happened to him even when Ramona reported it to the police. She had since nicknamed him Butthead.
    "Leaving so soon? I haven't had the pleasure of your company," said Butthead. He had a sneer on his face that Ramona wanted to rip off but especially that mustache. She used to hate being so tall but now standing in her seven inch high heel, she loved towering over Butthead. Ramona smiled. With a swift move, she pulled out her trophy and struck him straight in the face and as he lay on the floor groaning, stomped her heel onto his groin and pressed hard. He screamed and tried to push her foot away but she struck his hands with the trophy.
    "Stop it!" shouted a small woman in a white gown. Butthead's wife, Sonia Lovejoy. Two other women also wearing white gowns stood on either side of Lovejoy.
    Ramona lifted her foot off Butthead and stomped him again and then she stepped back. She flipped the table standing between her and Lovejoy and her minions. Dishes, food and flatware went flying. Other people edged away to give her room.
    Ramona pointed at Lovejoy and the two women. "You three are no better. At the prom, you three locked me in the bathroom alone with that guy. Did you enjoy hearing me screamed for help? I knew you three being outside the bathroom wasn't a coincidence." Shoving the fallen table aside, she walked toward the three women. "It's your turn to scream." She lifted her trophy and ready to strike. Lovejoy didn't look away from Ramona but the other women got on their knees and said, "Forgive us, Ramona. Sonia made us to do it!"
    Ramona dropped her hand with the trophy and let out a short breath. "I could beat you all up but I don't want to get my hands dirty." She turned away from them and stepped around Butthead and headed for the exit.
    "You're not leaving!" Someone wrapped his arms around Ramona from behind. She stomped her heel on his foot. He yelped and she grabbed his left arm and flipped him over her shoulder and stepped side. He lay on his back groaning. Butthead #2 - he was a replica of his younger brother. Throughout the first year of high school, he had been grabbing Ramona's buttocks and though Ramona had reported it to the teachers, counselors, even the principal and anyone with authority, they dismissed them as pranks and told Ramona to let it go. She stomped on his left hand that had often touched her and made her dread being in the same room with the guy. He hollered. Ramona leaned down and pulled the mustache off the guy. He let out a cry and began moaning. She stood up and looked around her. They were whispering among them but she didn't care. She was glad most of the teachers weren't there. She might have to hurt them too. The trophy in her hand was getting heavy and bloody. She looked around and walked toward a table and picked up a napkin.
    "Here, Ramona." She looked up at the face of Graham Sweet - the guy she would have gone to the prom with if she had dared to ask him. From a recent email that was passed on to her, it said he was recently widowed. "Thanks," she said and took the silk handkerchief and wiped the trophy. She was starting to love the glass trinket. Once it's wiped clean, she held the handkerchief out but then realized it was bad manner to return dirty handkerchiefs. "Oh, sorry, I'll—"
    Graham took it and tucked it back into his jacket pocket. He was smiling. She put the trophy into her dress pocket, swept aside the strands of hair hanging off her face, grabbed Graham's jacket lapels and kissed him on the lips. Then she hurried toward the exit. Before she went out the door, she turned to face the crowd. "Good night, everyone. This was fun but let's never do this again." She smiled and rushed out the door and straight to her car. With shaking hands she turned on the engine and drove as fast as the speed limit allowed. Thoughts of tomorrow where she would cover herself with heating patches, she might regret some of her actions but she wouldn't regret kissing Graham Sweet.