Author's Note: This is the last story in the collection. It deals with Audrey's death scene, as did "Gently", but is more direct. It was sort of a spurn of the moment story, but something good all the same. I used song quotes from "Without You" (a song from the musical Rent), "Somewhere That's Green", "Stand By Me", and "You'll be in my Heart" (from the movie Tarzan). I do not own any of those songs, no matter how much I wish I did.

And with this story, I must bid you adieu. Thanks for reading these stories!

*S. Snowflake

Audrey's Death Song Fic

* * *

The boy with big black glasses flurried to pull the blonde girl out of the monstrous plant's mouth as it chewed on her torso a few horrid times. The girl came loose after awhile, but the boy swore that he had just seen a spot of blood on her side. He prayed that his glasses had betrayed him. With a last beat at the plant's thick pod, he got the girl out. He had just saved her life, but he knew deep down something was wrong.

"Everything's gonna be okay. Everything's gonna be okay…" he kept muttering to the girl. "Audrey, are you all right?" he asked at last when they were a safe distance from the monster.

"Yes!" she replied with a big smile, then grimaced and covered up the spot of blood on her side. "N-no…" Then she lied down on the floor, crumpled over. The boy came to her side and tried to hold her for her comfort, and she whispered, "Seymour…"

"You're gonna be fine. Y-you can't die," he said to her. "I need you."

But as Audrey lay there, huddled in his arms, Seymour knew that she was fading away. It was like watching a flower slowly wilt in the heat of the burning sun. To Seymour, Audrey was much more than just a flower. Without her his life meant nothing.

Life goes on, but I'm gone

'Cause I'd die without you…

She asked him questions about the monster plant Audrey II that she had just learned apparently spoke and ate humans. It pained him to answer, but at the same time, he knew that it was right.

Then she said something that shocked poor Seymour.

"When I die, which should be very shortly, give me to the plant! That way it'll grow bigger and stronga', and you'll get all the wonda' ful things you deserve."

"Please, don't. You don't know what you're saying," Seymour replied, and held back the tears starting to fog up his glasses. There just had to be hope that she would be okay, and they would still have tomorrow. Even as she made her last wishes to him he prayed, Stay with me. Please stay with me...

Oh don't you see, finally I'll be

Somewhere that's Green…

But alas, Audrey did die. So gracefully did Seymour's flower wilt that he barely felt death's presence when it took her away. It was soft and passive, as if she were nothing but a drifting cloud floating away. The whole thing was so sudden and absurd that Seymour almost believed it was not real at all. He held her body close, and thought of everything they had been together. From the first day he watched her come into the shop he loved her. She had been his sweet and wonderful best friend for the past year that she had been working at Mushnik's, and when he finally told her how he felt, it was the most beautiful time of his life. They were like kids, frolicking around in their love. Now all of those sweet kisses, embraces, dances, and dreams were gone forever.

Whenever you're in trouble won't you stand by me?

Oh won't you stand by me?

Oh darling, stand by me…

As he watched her slowly descend into Audrey II's great plant abyss, Seymour reached for her hand one last time. Everything that they had been was gone now, and all he had left were memories of it. The most beautiful and rare of flowers in his world was dead, but he would always remember the color and wonder that she had given his life.

You'll be in my heart

No matter what they say

You'll be here in my heart

Always.

The End