GOODBYE

It was the day that the last stage of her request was going to be fulfilled after a long week.

Naturally, the girls should have started their dirty work for Mr Fernando but Adelina got everyone in the whole household off work that week.

The immediate Fernando family and soldiers had all paid their last respects before Adelina walked up to the casket.

Dressed in a long black bodycon gown,

Silver jewelry clinging to her neck, wrists and ears,

Face adorned with gloom,

Like a veil that hid her once happy face,

Lips red, deeper than the color of blood,

A bouquet of crimson roses in her hands,

Diane's favorite.

Her six closest friends right behind her with single flowers in their hand,

Following solemnly.

Adelina was only a few steps away from the casket when she realized she couldn't do it.

Lorelai nudged her forward with an encouraging hand at her lower back.

Adelina took a deep breath as she was about to take her final glance at Diane.

With the encouragement of her friends.

She placed the roses beside Diane's lifeless body.

Falling to her knees.

Unable to accept the fact that she was dead.

Her friends stood still behind her, allowing her to get through this overwhelming pain.

Andre's heart ached as he saw the love of his life in so much pain.

Oh, how he wanted to run up to her, kiss her and tell her it would be alright.

But he just knew she would push him away, or worse,

End his life so he could rot in the grave with Diane.

So he stayed put.

Respecting the already laid boundaries.

It took Adelina a matter of five minutes to recollect herself before she sighed, laying a kiss on the dead woman's forehead.

"Sleep well, Diamonté" She whispered against her head as a tear slid down her face.

Thank goodness the mascara was tear-proof.

Raven and Danielle hoisted her off her knees.

Carefully guiding her down to were the audience were situated.

So others could pay their last respects to the nine girls who had lost their lives.

She was too weak to stand properly.

Finally, the time came for Diane to be lowered into her grave after the eight girls had gone down.

Class A women were weeping and wailing hysterically.

Horror masked her face as her memories of the times they spent together flashed across her brain.

A new found strength descended upon her and she ran.

Catching everyone off guard.

Heading for the casket,

She hugged it's side tightly, refusing to let it go.

"I won't let you take Dia from me" She screamed like a mad woman.

A mad woman in a great deal of pain.

Lorelai and Raven ran to her side.

"She's dead, Adelina, please" Raven begged, trying to coerce her into leaving the girl to rest.

"No, she's not, you're all trying to kill her" She yelled, jabbing an accusatory finger at Raven and Lorelai.

"Behave, Adelina" Raven muttered trying to detach her from the casket.

"Touch me again and I will not hesitate to murder you, Raven" Adelina growled.

"Adelina" Lorelai muttered softly as she got to her knees beside her best friend,

"Lor" Adelina whispered, almost in a trance like state,

Lorelai held her gaze, their faces merely inches apart, She gulped, not really wanting to use her skills on her friend,

But it was for the best.

Their lips grazed each other before they synced, moving in a stable rhythm.

André was devastated.

"Come" Lorelai whispered, holding Adelina's hand before pulling her to her feet.

Adelina gazed at her, like the lost and broken child that she was.

She obeyed, walking away from the ceremony,

Leaving Diamonté to rest in peace.

Few days later, she still hadn't recovered.

She was angry,

At everyone, everything and herself.

She blamed herself.

If she was there,

It would have been different.

"I could have saved her"

Adelina groaned in her slumber,

Back swollen and torn from the kiss of the whips sting,

Death,

Hovered around her soul as tears escaped from her eyes,

Her face beaded with sweat drops,

She clutched onto Diamonté's cold body,

"I'm sorry" Adelina sobbed, looking into Diamonté's dead vibrant sapphire eyes,

Diane blinked,

Like an antique doll,

Before kicking Adelina away like she was the flu,

Pain coursed through her body as she felt herself roll on the dark murky floor,

But Adelina found herself crawling back to Diamonté,

Just like she had done a thousand times already.

Diamonté looked down on her,

Disgust expressed on her lifeless pretty facial features,

"You're weak" She spat at her.

Adelina's body rattled and heaved with every sob and breath she let out.

Clinging to Diamonté's left leg,

Like a child would do to their mother.

"You need to be stronger than this, Melanie" Diane said as her chilly hands grabbed a fistful of Adelina's curly hair.

Forcing her head up.

To look into her red puffy mourning eyes.

"I-I killed you, Diane" Adelina muttered.

"You did not kill me, Adelina" Diane said harshly, scolding her.

"L killed me so stop beating yourself up about it" Diane yelled.

"I would have saved you if I were with you" Adelina yelled.

Her lungs burning hot,

"No you idiot, you would have been killed too, stop crying over what you can't control" Diane yelled, letting her hair go.

"I could have" Adelina yelled, hands attacking her own head of hair like a mad woman, pulling out her strands of curls.

Blood trickling from her scalp to her face.

"And you didn't" Diane yelled.

"But I could have" Adelina cried.

"I. Am. Dead. Adelina, please" Diane whispered, voice cracking, countenance breaking.

"I don't want you dead" Adelina yelled

"But I am, can't you see that,Vasílissa?" Diane yelled.

Voice echoing, bouncing of the void room, reoccurring in seven folds,

Then it dawned on Adelina.

That Diane was surely gone and there was no redemption.

No deal with the devil could get her back.

"You... shouldn't cry over what you can't control, Vasílissa" Diane whispered tenderly, motherly love in her eyes as she looked at Adelina who's brain seemed to be working overtime.

Adelina blinked multiple times, before looking up at her,

"I will get you revenge, Diamonté" Adelina whispered as Diane knelt in front of her,

"I know you will, but you have to get stronger and I am sure you're the only one that can truly crush this cruel system" Diamonté whispered, cupping her cheeks,

"Revenge" Adelina whispered to her,

"Yes, Revenge, Adelina Costa, Revenge" Diane whispered as she placed a cold kiss on her lips,

A kiss of death,

And she crumbled into the dust of the earth and smoke,

"Goodbye"

Particles chased away by the wind,

Adelina held her hand out, trying to grab her and put her delusion back together,

But it failed and she watched Diane leave her, forever,

"Diamonté" She whispered,

Diamonté was gone.