CHAPTER 14: BUSTED
Isabella’s friends and relatives have received their invitations to go attend her and George’s wedding. Families from both parties of the couple came to help out with the arrangements and things. Arlene also helped out a little by shopping for the right wedding outfit and getting her own bridesmaid dress. She even got Kitty a nice set of tux as he requested to be the ring bearer, giggling as she helped the little Super Toy dress up.
During rehearsals on how to walk the aisle and stuff, everyone had a great laugh, especially when it was Kitty’s turn to walk as the ring bearer. Arlene couldn’t help giggling at the way Kitty hobbled down the aisle with the pretend rings in the cushion on his paws. Annoyed as he was, the little determined Super Toy continued to go along as rehearsed, perfecting himself as he went. It wasn’t always that an animated object plays a role in big occasions like these, and George and Isabella thought that having Kitty as a ring bearer would be an interesting thing to have in their wedding. A change of pace for the traditional course, as they call it.
Arlene was also extremely helpful when she and Isabella together with the women of both couple’s families did the decorations for the cars, walls and for the church and stuff. She helped cut ribbons into reasonable strips and tied them onto those frilly doilies and onto balloons George and the other men helped blow using the tire pumps, because those age-old balloons were just so darn hard to be blown by mouth so George came up with this wacky idea. She joined in the laughter when some of the balloons that they attempt to blow blew up instead in their faces and she seemed like she enjoyed herself when she and Kitty stuck the decors onto the walls and cars and everywhere she and the Super Toy and the other kids were asked to stick. It seemed as if she had so much fun doing this that Isabella was really glad that she had made the decision to accept George’s proposal (although she did it while her mind was swimming with sex).
Later that night, after much of the work has completed, Isabella tucked her little girl into bed. As she pulled the blanket across her, she asked, “Arlene, are you sure you’re OK with this?”
“Yes, of course I’m sure,” Arlene replied innocently. “Why shouldn’t I be?”
“It’s just that…well, you weren’t too keen that day…”
“I was a little confused, that’s all,” Arlene replied with a genuine smile on her face. “I am still your little girl, am I not?”
“Yes, yes, of course you are.”
“Then why should I worry about you getting married with George? You said so yourself, that you wanted to move on, right?”
Isabella smiled weakly, “You’re right. I’m just too worked up on things. I knew you’ll pull through,” she kissed Arlene’s forehead, “G’night, sweetie.”
“G’night, Mama,” Arlene replied, and as her Mama left, her eyes glowed darkly. “Sleep tight, for I’ll be your little girl forever more.”
The ‘Big Day’ has finally come. Isabella was all set with her lovely white wedding dress and Arlene and Kitty in their own outfits. The proud groom, George, the rest of the men and the guests were all in the church waiting for Isabella’s arrival. When she got there, she and her girlfriends (including Arlene and Kitty) rushed from the backdoor into the church and in the waiting room. They were determined not to let George see her until the right moment when she walks down the aisle with her dad. While Isabella and her girlfriends giggled to themselves naughtily, Arlene slipped away to check out George, bringing a bottle of wine with her. She found George’s waiting room and knocked on the door.
“Come in,” she heard George called and walked inside. She could see that her future Papa was pretty nervous as he was checking and rechecking to see if any part of his outfit looked out of place. When he saw Arlene coming in, he heaved a sigh of relief.
“Ah, there you are, my little Cookie,” he said as he picked her up, sending her into giggles. “You look awfully pretty today. Is your Mama here?”
Arlene shook her head naughtily.
“Oh, don’t play games with me, Cookie. I know she’s here!” George said mischievously as he tickled Arlene’s ribs, making her let out peals of laughter. “Tell me, tell me that she’s here! She’s here, isn’t she?”
“Yes, yes! Let go of me, it tickles!” Arlene finally admitted, and only stopped laughing when George stopped tickling her. “They told me not to let you see her.”
“They still believe those old wives’ tales about bad luck to see the bride before their wedding?” George asked, making a small cute pout. Arlene giggled and shook her head.
“They want you to see her first-hand in her most beautiful form.”
“Then I guess I’ll have to be patient then,” George grinned before noticing the bottle of wine in her hands. “What’s that?”
“Wine,” Arlene said as she held the bottle high up for him to see. “Red wine. They asked me to give it to you as a booster or some sort.”
“Those guys do know how to calm a friend’s heart,” George said and opened the wine without hesitation. He poured himself a glass and offered Arlene. Arlene made a pout; he knew that she was a mecha and yet he was trying to tease her. George let out a hearty laugh and said “Just kidding” before he drained the glass of its rich red wine.
Minutes later, George felt as if his throat and his stomach were burning. The burn started to rush up to the rest of the body and he could even feel his head scorching with the heat. He fell onto the floor, writhing and gagging, white foam and stomach acids came frothing out of his mouth. His whole body became red and his temperature began to soar. There was one thing on his mind: poison.
As he struggled to fight death and to hold himself, his vision became blurry and he could see Arlene walking calmly towards and crouched down, staring at him as if he was an interesting show. When he tried to call for help, Arlene hushed him and laid her hand on his burning throat, whispering, “It’ll be all over now, George. Mama will soon be mine and no one will dirty her ever again.”
Screams and shouts from his friends and Arlene’s smile was the last thing he heard and saw…
The wedding turned out to be a disaster. George’s friends and family found him crumpled on the ground frothing in the mouth and going as red as a boiled lobster. Arlene, of course, denied of any idea having known the wine was poisoned. He was rushed to the hospital immediately and the doctors said that if he were to be sent in later, he wouldn’t have made it. He had his stomach pumped and thoroughly cleaned before he was placed in the ICU for further observation. The poison that was in the wine was some sort of advanced pesticide for domestic flowers and plants. Arlene’s face looked blank throughout the whole procedure and everyone coaxed and calmed her saying that it was going to be alright.
But everything wasn’t going to be alright, Arlene’s glittering aquamarine eyes seemed to say.
George is still alive.
The beeping of the heartbeat machine was moving steadily and his breathing was pretty much regular. George was sleeping peacefully with his breathing mask on. He was the only one in the ward and the whole place seemed silent, except for the constant sound of breathing and beeping of the heartbeat machine.
Soon a small figure came into the room. It was carrying something in one arm which seemed like a doll. It moved closer and closer and silently towards the bed where George lay. It stood there for a while and stared at the sleeping George for a full 5 minutes or so. It then stretched out its hand toward the controls of the heartbeat machine and the breathing support machine, tugging hard at its cord until it came off from its socket. The machines immediately went dead and the whole ward became entirely stock silent. A few minutes later, a small giggle was heard.
It was no other than the so-called innocent giggle of Arlene.
“The controls are just so interesting, don’t you think, Kitty?” Arlene’s tiny voice rang out, enjoying all this. “I think I kinda like this hospital.”
Suddenly the lights were turned on. Arlene was caught by surprise. She spun round. There, behind here, stood Isabella and some of her relatives Arlene recognized during their first meeting at Paulo’s cousin’s wedding. In front of her sat George on a wheelchair—a little weak and pale but eyes full of life. Behind the crowd stood a few men wearing dark suits. Arlene recognized them as the people she had met in Cybertronics when she had that cake spell. All of them were looking at her with accusing glares.
“Mama, I just came to see Papa…” Arlene let out her most innocent smile yet. “What is he doing out of bed?”
“I can’t believe it…” Isabella said with tears brimming out of her eyes. “Why? Why did you do it?”
“Do what, Mama?” Arlene asked, staring back at her with her sparkling aquamarine eyes.
“Don’t try to play games with me, little girl!” Isabella burst out, her face going red with anger. “You know what you have done! You know that! You just tried to kill George by turning off the breathing support machine! We were hiding back here and we saw everything! How could you?!”
“I only tripped over. It wasn’t my fault, honest,” Arlene was still in a state of denial. She couldn’t let her see her dark side. She was her little girl, and she wanted to stay that way.
“Stop it, just stop lying to me!” Isabella yelled. “Paulo was right! You are a she-devil! Ever since we brought you into our family, nothing good has ever happened!! My Angela died, my Roberto died, my husband died, and now George was about to die!! If George hadn’t recovered just in time to tell me that it was you who poisoned him, he would’ve died too, just like the rest of the people that you have killed!”
“He dirtied you, Mama,” Arlene finally vented out whatever was bottled up in her heart ever since she lost her Mama to Angela. “He was trying to take you away from me! Everyone is trying to take you away from me! I am your little girl! I’m supposed to be your little girl always and forever!”
Isabella looked away. She couldn’t bear to see the little murderess that has been living under her roof for so long and yet not know it. She stepped aside for the Cybertronics staff to take her away. As they grabbed both her wrists, she dropped Kitty she was holding in her arms since just now. Kitty immediately got up to his feet and ran over towards George, who picked him up and sat him on his lap. Arlene screamed and struggled and protested, trying to wriggle her way out of the strong men’s arms.
“Let go of me! Let go! Mama, save me! Mama, keep me safe!”
Isabella didn’t move. She didn’t even look at her. Arlene could see that her eyes were full of anger and hate. Those loving eyes reserved for her were gone completely. Totally abolished from her tender eyes. Her worst fear has come. Arlene shouted at the top of her lungs, tears flowing out of her eyes.
“Mama! Mama, don’t leave me alone! I’m your little girl! You promised me that I’ll be your little girl always and forever! I’m your little girl!!! You promised me!!! I’M YOUR LITTLE GIRL~!!!”
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