Wild Fiction

‘I’m going to go quietly this time,’ Rebecca whispered to Genevieve. ‘I have a bit of a bruise on my upper arm from yesterday’s vice grip.’ Rebecca stood up, leant forward, and gave Genevieve an avuncular kiss on the forehead. ‘See you tomorrow,’ she said stepping nimbly past the nurse.
A
Rebecca woke on Thursday morning with a stiff neck. The book launch, six days ago, had gone well and today was the day of reckoning. She stretched and rolled her neck to remove the stiffness. It was a brisk autumn day. The leaves that had not yet fallen from the trees blazed yellow and orange. The leaves that had fallen lay on the road making it slippery and dangerous. She reached the news-stand before it opened and stood waiting in the fresh breeze stamping her feet against the cold. As soon as the old lady appeared, Rebecca snatched a copy of The Times from her and rushed off without waiting for the change.
Once inside Starbucks she ripped through the paper to the Books section and looked at the best seller list. It stood out in large type. Number One: Wild Fiction. They had made it. They were number one.
She rushed to get to the hospital. She had learnt by now how to get past security and avoid Big Nurse. Genevieve’s bed was empty. A tight ball of fear formed in her stomach. The last time her bed was empty it was very bad news. She dropped the paper on the floor and held her hands over her mouth.
‘Hey you,’ a familiar voice came from behind her.
She spun around to see Genevieve standing in the doorway. She had make-up on and was dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt. They wrapped their arms around each other and hugged silently.
‘We made it,’ Rebecca eventually whispered into Genevieve’s ear. ‘We’ve become immortal. We’re going to live forever.’
‘I know, I saw the papers. Nothing can stop us now.’
‘I think it’s time for V&I.’
‘Shall we find Gunther? Do we need incredible hair again?’
‘We can do anything we want. Let’s do it.’
‘What a fantastic ending to an incredible story.’