Page 23 of Half Blind

Chapter 8- Inclination

Helen spent most ofthe day in the greenhouse. Thus far, she’d attempted to sketch the images in her notebook, sadly realizing freehand art was not in her wheelhouse of crafting talents. She used her phone and smart travel printer to snap photos and print on demand. She knew the peppermint plant, since she often dried it at home to use in her tea. She'd never seen echinacea in person and marveled at the medicinal purposes of the plant. However, she discovered the Holy Grail when identifying the elecampane.

She used her phone to look up the uses to discover it could aid in skin issues like eczema and itching. She immediately thought of the boy Jeffrey, living at Bad Apple's place.

“Maybe I can learn to make something like Lemon used on Micah's tattoo to help him with that dry skin,” she mumbled to herself.

Continuing to read, she learned the root of the plant could be used as an expectorant in a tea to help treat colds and loss of appetites and intestinal worms. “Dear God, I need a fucking greenhouse to get these plants for myself. Making a note.”

A wicked thought came to mind. “Which of these plants can be used to make a love potion?”

“Start with chamomile and lavender,” Lemon answered. “You will also need some of this. It is Shatavari.”

“It's what?”

“Shatavari is kind of asparagus and would be the equivalent of a woman's version of ashwagandha. You can also use Damiana, which is this one here, as an aphrodisiac, but there is no scientific proof,” Lemon said. “Are you planning to use this on your man?”

“Why does everyone keep thinking I have a man?”

“You aren't giving any vibes you're into women, and that dreamy look I see you having is the same thing Micah picked up on when he was observing you,” Lemon said. “Question, why is the first thing people think of when they see a greenhouse and plants is to use the contents to make shit to have sex?”

“Because at the end of the night, you want to squirt one, roll over, and call it a night,” Helen said, and chuckled.

“Squirt one?”

“Only if he's hitting it right,” she said with a wink.

“Oh, Dear Lord,” Lemon said, laughing. She stopped and pressed her lips together. “It's been a while since I laughed.”

“By the look of the tightness around your mouth and me catching you watching Jared's ass, it's been a while on a couple of other things, too.”

Lemon picked up a spray bottle to spritz a few leaves. She spritzed Helen with it as well. “Helen, this is a lonely life. The Archangel sent the girls to save me from myself as well as to prevent me from being alone, but there are times you want the company of a person who understands what we do.”

Helen, continuing to work on the plants, asked, “Can I ask the last time you had like-minded company?”

“It's been about a year,” Lemon said, shocked at her honesty with Helen. “Wrong Way, she's a Direction and the cleaner for the Southeast Directions. She would stop through when she needed a re-up on supplies. Between me and Mr. Merge, her supplier of work chemicals, the frequent stops made her a person I looked forward to seeing. She recognized the loneliness in me and gave me the affection I needed. She was, or rather is, a friend.”

“I didn't see that...you and a woman,” Helen said.

“Are you judging?”

“Not caring whether if it’s One Way or a Wrong Way.”

“One Way is a scary dude; don't talk that ninja star throwing fool up,” she said. “I caught him off guard once and ended up with a ninja star in my shoulder. Thank God it didn't have any venom on it. He uses Tai Pe venom on his stars. Nasty cuts which rot away the tissue.”

“Good to know,” Helen said. “What happened between you and Wrong Way?”

“She got temporarily blinded by The Glitter Man, who stole her van of chemicals that Mr. Exit had to blow up,” she said. “She's back to work and going home at night to her husband and son, neither of which anyone knew she had. Speaking of secrets, what's your deal?”

Helen turned to look at Lemon full on. She was an attractive woman with deep brown eyes that scanned everything around her for tidbits of data. Each time she looked at Helen, it felt as if the woman was dissecting her on a cellular level. “Pardon me?”

“Technicians aren't plucked off the street and told ‘Hey, come learn how to kill people and make poisons.’ So, I ask again, what's your deal?”

“No deal. The Collector kidnapped me for a week and cut up my feet and my breast. Cherry came to find me, and when my feet healed, I went and found him,” she said, lowering the top of her blouse to show off the cheloid flesh. “In the interim, while The Cherry on Top was on the bottom, there was work to be done. To repay the favor, I took her truck and weapons to finish the assignment. Saw a creep standing next to the target and shot him too, not knowing The Company had been looking for the wily bastard. I shot the turd for the sake of him being a predator and got offered a training slot.”

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