Part 2:
Rick did as the oranges asked.
He went to the kitchen.
Silverware drawer.
A long knife with a thin, sharp blade.
Sal rolled forward first.
My brother made four slices in him, from top to bottom, spacing them out to divide his peel in equal sections.
Rick pried the first strip with his thumbnail, pulling as delicately as possible.
Sal shook only briefly as he was torn apart.
He went to the kitchen.
Silverware drawer.
A long knife with a thin, sharp blade.
Sal rolled forward first.
My brother made four slices in him, from top to bottom, spacing them out to divide his peel in equal sections.
Rick pried the first strip with his thumbnail, pulling as delicately as possible.
Sal shook only briefly as he was torn apart.
Once he was fully peeled, it became time for the second part of the process.
A pair of tweezers would finish the job.
Juice squirted as Rick punctured his soft, sectioned flesh. Metal tips exited with a seed.
“Ahhh,” he said. “It wasn’t … wasn’t that bad.”
The same procedure was performed on Axxey and then Cray.
Both suffered their fate as stoically as their companion.
A pair of tweezers would finish the job.
Juice squirted as Rick punctured his soft, sectioned flesh. Metal tips exited with a seed.
“Ahhh,” he said. “It wasn’t … wasn’t that bad.”
The same procedure was performed on Axxey and then Cray.
Both suffered their fate as stoically as their companion.
The oranges looked naked and fragile atop the kitchen counter.
“We’ll need it on the highest setting, please,” Axxey said.
Rick got out the blender, snapped the carafe into the base, and plugged it into the wall.
“Give us a moment, will ya?” Cray asked.
The trio spun to the end of the counter to say their goodbyes.
Do I know what was said? Yes, I do. But those words won’t be shared here. That moment belongs to them.
Their heartfelt, heartbreaking farewells will remain private for all time.
The peeled oranges rolled back toward us.
They never wavered as they approached the blender.
“I shall take the opening leap,” Sal said. “Goodbye, Rick, Dale, Josephine. Thank you for your staunch defense. Please remember my zest for life.”
“Goodbye, Sal. I’ll miss our talks.”
“I’ll never forget you,” Dale said.
“I love you.”
Rick pushed LIQUEFY and the sound of whirling blades filled the room.
“Deciduous time, accept my fertile spirit.”
He launched himself up and into the blender.
“We’ll need it on the highest setting, please,” Axxey said.
Rick got out the blender, snapped the carafe into the base, and plugged it into the wall.
“Give us a moment, will ya?” Cray asked.
The trio spun to the end of the counter to say their goodbyes.
Do I know what was said? Yes, I do. But those words won’t be shared here. That moment belongs to them.
Their heartfelt, heartbreaking farewells will remain private for all time.
The peeled oranges rolled back toward us.
They never wavered as they approached the blender.
“I shall take the opening leap,” Sal said. “Goodbye, Rick, Dale, Josephine. Thank you for your staunch defense. Please remember my zest for life.”
“Goodbye, Sal. I’ll miss our talks.”
“I’ll never forget you,” Dale said.
“I love you.”
Rick pushed LIQUEFY and the sound of whirling blades filled the room.
“Deciduous time, accept my fertile spirit.”
He launched himself up and into the blender.
A vicious buzzing jolted us as grinding gears balked.
The machine slowed briefly, its motor whining, before powering to full speed and slicing its contents.
Rick slapped the cover on as drops of Sal shot out.
The blades whirled without mercy; soon all that remained was a lumpy puddle of juice.
“Now comes my season of autumn,” Axxey began, before we’d even had a chance to absorb what had happened.
“Axxey … ”
“Do not weep for me,” she said boldly, and then, in a softer voice, “I enjoyed my days in the sun. You have my love forever.”
“We love you, too.”
“We love you.”
“Forever.”
Without another word, she jumped into the blender.
I looked away as the blades went to work.
Axxey slowly dissolved into Sal’s remains.
The concoction spun around as Cray came forth to take his turn.
“Never woulda thought we’d meet up with anyone like you. You guys are all right.”
None of them had faces, of course, but at that moment, it felt for all the world like he was grinning at us.
The machine slowed briefly, its motor whining, before powering to full speed and slicing its contents.
Rick slapped the cover on as drops of Sal shot out.
The blades whirled without mercy; soon all that remained was a lumpy puddle of juice.
“Now comes my season of autumn,” Axxey began, before we’d even had a chance to absorb what had happened.
“Axxey … ”
“Do not weep for me,” she said boldly, and then, in a softer voice, “I enjoyed my days in the sun. You have my love forever.”
“We love you, too.”
“We love you.”
“Forever.”
Without another word, she jumped into the blender.
I looked away as the blades went to work.
Axxey slowly dissolved into Sal’s remains.
The concoction spun around as Cray came forth to take his turn.
“Never woulda thought we’d meet up with anyone like you. You guys are all right.”
None of them had faces, of course, but at that moment, it felt for all the world like he was grinning at us.
“Don’t be sad. Just … every once in a while, when you’re out walking on a warm day, think of your ol’ pal Cray.”
“Will do,” Rick said.
“Me too,” Dale whispered.
“Goodbye.”
He sat still, as if steadying himself, then shouted “Here I come, guys!” and made the leap into the machine.
The blender shuddered but completed its lethal job.
Rick left it running even after Cray was scattered, waiting a long time before finally clicking it off.
“It’s our turn.”
Rick took the carafe and poured it into two glasses, dumping the rest in a bowl with a straw for Dale.
“Cheers.”
The drink’s consistency was more paste than juice. Bits of warm pulp oozed in my mouth as fibers flowed over my tongue.
“They’re … inside us now,” Dale said.
“They’re dead. Just their remains are inside us.”
Rick put the peelings in a plastic bag and placed the three seeds in another. The blender got a thorough wash.
“Dale, blink Josephine to my parents’ house. Trash the peels immediately and stash the seeds in a safe place.”
“You should come with us.”
“You know I can’t. They’ll just keep looking and it’ll never end. Better to settle this now.”
We knew he was right.
“See you in a while, I guess. Good luck.”
“See you soon."
“Will do,” Rick said.
“Me too,” Dale whispered.
“Goodbye.”
He sat still, as if steadying himself, then shouted “Here I come, guys!” and made the leap into the machine.
The blender shuddered but completed its lethal job.
Rick left it running even after Cray was scattered, waiting a long time before finally clicking it off.
“It’s our turn.”
Rick took the carafe and poured it into two glasses, dumping the rest in a bowl with a straw for Dale.
“Cheers.”
The drink’s consistency was more paste than juice. Bits of warm pulp oozed in my mouth as fibers flowed over my tongue.
“They’re … inside us now,” Dale said.
“They’re dead. Just their remains are inside us.”
Rick put the peelings in a plastic bag and placed the three seeds in another. The blender got a thorough wash.
“Dale, blink Josephine to my parents’ house. Trash the peels immediately and stash the seeds in a safe place.”
“You should come with us.”
“You know I can’t. They’ll just keep looking and it’ll never end. Better to settle this now.”
We knew he was right.
“See you in a while, I guess. Good luck.”
“See you soon."
