Strychnine Ice Cream

Chapter 1
18-year old Maria Tachimi was living on the streets and shelters for two years until now, her mother died when she was 13 and her father when she was 16, she took everything including the tarot cards and family locket and ran away from The Docks and never looked back, She ended up in Alabama. She even had a photograph of her old childhood friend Joseph Wintergreen and a photograph of her black cat, Shadow.

She dropped out of school on her last day, resulting in teachers having to send her diploma.

Maria wore a tattered coat, torn jeans and a tank top.

A man who drove past put his flashlight on of the girl reading JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, then stopped the car.

”Young lady, You look homeless.....” He said.

The man wore gang clothes and looked a bit intimidating to her, being around 5’9 to her 5’4, Maria went into defensive mode, ready to pull out a knife hidden in her pocket.

”What’s it to ya?” Maria responded back to him.

She rejected all authority and law ever since the day they killed her father.

”You know something, I would hit someone who spoke to me like that, but I like your attitude, what’s your name?” He said.

The woman looked up at him, with a rather grim expression on her face.

”Maria, Maria Tachimi.” She introduced herself.

“Japanese?” He asked.

Maria stood up.

”Japanese-American.” She replied back.

”No offense.” He replied, talking about her state of clothes.

Maria‘s look turned into a glare.

”You look like a two-dollar whore in Chinatown whorehouse, no offense, I’ll take you to my gang, they‘ll help you and support you all your life.” He said.

”Well, That’s nice of ya, even though you called me a whore.” She said.

”I said no offense, Maria.” He said.

Maria got up and he helped her to the car, He saw a man in the passenger seat.

”Hey, Cho, This is Maria, she’s new.” Longwei said.

”So, you met Longwei, right?” He said.

”Longwei?” Maria replied back.

”I’m Joseph Cho, My parents were Korean immigrants, both died before I turned 18.” He introduced himself.

”Same here, Parents died as well.” She said.

Longwei’s gang was an Asian-American crime gang that dealt in assassination, fake currency and kidnapping for ransom.

”We’re driving to Florida, Relax, we’re not taking you back to that shithole neighbourhood, You wanna do your first kill, but first, We’re gonna meet with Satomi.” Longwei said.

The group drove until the reached a house.

”Derek’s favorite food was fried chicken and Josephine’s favorite food was coconut ice cream, gonna need help with the latter though.” Maria said.

“You got something with coconuts?” Longwei said,

”I’m allergic, really fuckin’ allergic.” Maria said.

”Right, sorry.” Longwei said,

Satomi opened the door.

” (Who’s this kid, new girl?)” Satomi asked.

Satomi Yoshida was a 22-year old Japanese woman who was wanted for assault and bank robbery.

” (I’m Tachimi Maria, And I‘m burdened with a desire to kill)” She said.

” (That’s great, so, who is it?)” Satomi asked.

“ (Bastards in my old neighborhood, I’ll show you their house)” Maria said.

” (Did some horrible shit to you?)” Satomi asked.

” (Bet your ass, Killed my parents)” Maria said.

”Maria, Can you take a shower upstairs? Satomi will help you with clothes.” Longwei asked.

Maria nodded and went upstairs with Satomi behind her.

” (You speak good Japanese, and do you like JoJo?, My favorite character is Polnareff)” Satomi asked, trying to lighten up the younger girl’s mood.

” (They’re all what I have left of my mom)” Maria said.

” (I’ll wait outside)” She said.

Maria closed the door behind her then turned the shower on.

Around 13-15 minutes later, she was done and walked out, wrapped in towels.

” (I got a friend in the home country, He sends me manga, I’ll tell him to get you manga aswell)” Satomi said.

” (Thank you, my uncle used to do that)” Maria said.

” (I got sushi ready, You want some?)” Satomi asked.

” (Oh, fuck yeah)” Maria replied back.

Maria went downstairs, wearing jeanshorts and a tanktop, Satomi looked at the marking on her arm.

” (What’s with the marking?)” Satomi asked.

” (Tarot cards were used in my family and the number was tattooed or carved on the arm, my 5x great grandfather brought the family’s tarot cards all the way from Ireland, My card is The World, which is the 21st tarot card)” Maria replied back.

Maria sat down on the couch with Longwei.

”Longwei, How old are you?” She asked.

”19, I ran away from home when I was 15, Our boss will come in soon, He’s a little cold though.” Longwei said.

” (Yeah, He’s like our father and a teacher)” Satomi said.

The gang consisted of Southeast and East Asian-Americans.

The boss came in, he was a middle-aged Chinese-American man with grey-black hair, a slight beard and wore traditional Chinese clothes.

“Boss, This is Maria Tachimi, She’s 18-years old.” Maria said.

”Ni hao Maria, I am Zhao Xiaoying, This group is the Xiaoying Gang, so, what are your plans?” Zhao introduced himself.

“Poison the ones who gave me hell.” Maria said.

”I like your attitude, What are there names?” Zhao asked.

”Josephine and Derek Armstrong, I’ll put them in the dirt, where they left my mom.” She said.

Zhao kneeled down to Maria, who was sitting down.

“They killed my mom, fuck the whole lot of them.“ Maria said.

Then she turned to Zhao and Longwei.

”Do you two know anything about poisonings?” Maria asked them.

Zhao nodded.

”I know many kinds, how do you want these two to die?” He asked.

”Strychnine, I read about it people using it to kill in a textbook, It’s considered a women’s weapon, poison, I need enough to poison two people.” She said.

Chapter 2: Poison
The gang made coconut ice cream and ordered fried chicken from KFC.

”Maria, I think you should come with me.” Bopha said.

Bopha was a Cambodian woman who‘s parents were refugees from the Khmer Rouge, Bopha was basically Team Mom, looking out for Maria.

Maria looked at the two strychnine bottles and needle, their plan was to inject the fried chicken with strychnine while throwing the contents of the next bottle in and mix it well with the ice cream.

”Tell me when the fried chicken is here, I’ll be the one injecting it.” She said to Bopha.

Bopha led Maria to her room, it remained unfinished due to the fact Maria didn’t bring everything.

”I’m going back to my old house and get everything else.” Maria said to her.

Zhao went up to the room.

”If you are wondering why I’m not making the ice cream, I’m allergic to coconut.” Maria told him.

Maria read her JoJo manga while sitting with Bopha.

”I understand, Maria.” Zhao said.

Zhao left the room, she turned to Bopha.

”My mother read these with me when I was little, Her favourite character was Dio, She also liked Josuke and Giorno.” Maria said.

”Yeah, I’m sure she did.” Bopha said.

The two girls talked until Longwei opened the door.

”Longwei, did you wash your hands?” Bopha asked him.

”Yes, I cleaned my mouth aswell.” Longwei said.

Longwei closed the door behind him.

”Maria, the ice cream has been made and has now the whole contents of the liquid strychnine in it, Satomi is mixing it as we speak, I told her to put the ice cream in a container and in a safe place so you don’t get an allergic reaction.” Longwei said,

”I had my coconut allergy ever since I was little.” Maria said.

”Boss understands that, he had a sister with a peanut allergy.” Longwei said.

Back downstairs in the kitchen, Satomi had finished with the poisoned ice cream and put it into a plastic container and then put it into a cabinet.

As per Zhao’s orders, she washed her hands and face with soap, aswell was washing surfaces with wipes.

” (Hey, Tell Maria it’s time to inject the fried chicken!)” Satomi yelled from the living room.

”Maria, It’s time.” Bopha said to her.

Maria didn’t say anything and she found the injection needle.

”Now you’re gonna know how it feels to watch someone you love die horribly, You ruined my life!” Maria whispered then yelled.

She grabbed the first piece of fried chicken, she filled the needle with the liquid, around 100 mg, then injected it, then did the same thing aswell, when she was done, wrapped it up and closed the bag.

”Everyone, Do not eat these two things, We will send them to the Armstrongs in 15 minutes, Joseph, Can you send them to their door, knock then run, Do not poison Abby, Michael or Denise, They will not be at the house.” Maria asked.

15 minutes later, Maria, Longwei and Joseph got into the car.

”Satomi’s put enough strychnine to cause death.” Longwei said.

”I’m thankful both Josephine and Derek are greedy bastards, The other three won’t really eat coconut ice cream and fried chicken.” Maria said.

The drive at least for 40 minutes then stopped at the home.

Joseph hurried to the door, then knocked and hurried straight back to the car.

”Joseph, Stop here, Can you help me get everything else?” Maria asked him.

”What do you need?” Joseph asked.

”I need to get something from my old house.” Maria said.

Joseph drive until he was on the other side of the street, Maria knocked on the door.

An elderly man opened the door.

”Maria, You’re alive!” He said.

”Grandpa Mikey, I need to get something.” Maria said.

She gestured to the two boys that they could come inside.

”Boys, I need you to get everything from my room, My grandfathers probably kept it the same way before I ran away.” Maria said.

Ichiro waved at Maria.

”Ojichan, Can I take one of mom’s photos, maybe dad’s?” Maria asked him.

”Hai.” He nodded and then got the wedding photo.

She showed it to Longwei.

”My mom was pregnant with me at the time, on the back it says ‘Satsuki Tachimi and Martin Kimmings, Married September 16th 1981‘.” She said.

The boys helped back when Maria looked out, the fried chicken and ice cream were no longer on the porch.

“Die you fucking bastards, die.” Maria whispered.

Longwei looked at Maria staring at the Armstrong household.

”Maria, come see Ichiro, he’s missed you.” He said.

”Longwei, What ethnicity are you?” Ichiro asked.

”I’m Taiwanese.” Longwei said.

“Um, This may seem like a damn stupid question, but can I keep the tarot cards?” Maria asked.

Mikey went up to her, then put the family locket on her.

”Have it, Maria, Your father would of wanted you to have it, You are The World.” Mikey said.

“Thanks, grandpa.” She said.

Maria put the photo in a bag, Joseph went downstairs.

”I packed everything, I never knew you liked Transformers and Shonen Jump.” He said.

”Bring them along aswell, please.” Maria said.

The boys packed everything in the car, Maria turned to Ichiro.

”Bye Ichiro and Mikey, love you both.” She said before she got into the car.

Unknown to them, Derek was watching, unknowingly eating the poisoned fried chicken, Josephine sat in her room watching a teen romance movie eating the ice cream.

At night, Maria went behind the house with Longwei, she heard agonised cries and sobs.

” (Go to hell!)” Maria yelled in Japanese.

She saw Josephine, foaming at the mouth and Derek vomiting, as Josephine's daughter Josie Jr. was asleep in her crib.

”When you get to hell, tell them Nijūichi sent you.” She said.

Derek's now ex-wife, Denise was outside, she had a black eye and was walking on crutches when she saw Maria, The 22 year old Abby and 26-year old Michael went outside and saw Maria.

Maria looked alot different than the last time they saw her, She had a black tanktop, a winter jacket, Daisy Duke shorts and uwabaki slippers.

”Maria?” Denise said, as she walked beside her new husband Wallace Murphy.

Maria turned to her, the 18-year old looked at Denise.

”Wanna watch them die?” Maria asked, smiling.

Maria sat on the deckchair with her arm around Longwei.

”Who’s this?” Abby asked.

”He’s my boyfriend, Longwei, These are the only good people in that fucking family.” Maria said.

They then saw Josephine ran out, crying and foaming at the mouth, falling to the ground not too far away from Maria.

”Josephine, The reason I decided to poison you instead of use knives and cut you up like Freddy Krueger is because it wouldn’t bring me any satisfaction, so, I’m just gonna sit here until you take your last breath.” Maria said coolly but also with deep disdain.

The agonised cries woke up the nearby Wintergreens and they went to the back.

Joseph was now 18 and was in his final year of high school, he hadn’t seen Maria since she ran away from home.

Joseph saw a Japanese-American woman and a new guy, a Taiwanese-American man who looked at Derek.

”Maria?” Joseph said.

Pauline went and walked toward Maria.

”What did you do?” Pauline asked.

”Strychnine.” Maria replied.

She looked at Derek, then glared at the poisoned man, who desperately reached out to his daughter.

Josephine had already had taken her last breath, she threw up and convulsed, them stood still.

”Josie.......” He groaned.

”Now you know how it feels to watch someone you love die.....” Maria said.

Derek convulsed in response.

”YOU RUINED MY LIFE!” Maria yelled.

The 18-year old then kicked him hard as he lay dying

”死ね！ 死ね！ 死ね！ (Die! Die! DIE!)” Maria shouted.

Denise heard the grief as she shouted in Japanese at her now ex-husband and then scooped the motherless Josie Jr. in her arms.

”あなたは私の人生を台無しにした！ (You ruined my life!)” Maria shouted.

Longwei pulled the avenging orphan into a hug.

”It’s okay, Maria, shhh.....” Longwei said.

Josie Jr. awoke and cried, Maria came upstairs and went into her room, Denise followed her.

She looked at the baby in the cot.

”Please don’t kill her.....” Denise said to her.

Maria sang a song.

”桜, 桜......野山も里も....見渡す限り (Cherry Blossom, Cherry Blossom....In fields, mountains and villages......As far as the eye can see) ” She sang in Japanese

The girl’s voice seemed to soothe the baby girl.

“霞か雲か? 朝日に匂う......桜.......桜.....花ざかり (Is it mist or clouds? Fragrant in the rising sun.....Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms.......Flowers in full bloom)” She continued to sing.

Her mother’s killer sang her a lullaby, Everyone went upstairs to see.

“桜, 桜.....弥生の空は.......見渡す限り (Cherry Blossoms, Cherry Blossoms.....Across the spring sky....as far as the eye can see)” She sang.

The baby seemed to relax and fell asleep in Maria’s arms.

“I know you’ll never know your mother when you are old, but you’ll understand what she did to me.” Maria said to the sleeping baby.

Maria saw that both Derek and Josephine were now dead.

”Denise, bury the bodies outside, If the police ask you, tell them that they accidentally ate out of date peanuts or bad food.” Maria said to her.

Longwei turned to her.

”Maria, that was beautiful, where did you learn it?” He asked.

”My mother and uncle, Now let’s go.” Maria said to him.

The couple left the yard and into the car across the streets.

She waved at Joseph, who waved back.

Chapter 3
The Japanese-American girl hadn’t spoken a word since she got back from fatally poisoning her parent’s killer and her tormenter.

Bopha saw her reading her manga in the bedroom, Bopha came in with cereal.

”Maria, here, I got you cereal.” Bopha said to her.

”Arigatou.” Maria said.

Maria spoke another sentence.

”My mother and I used to read these together, her favorite JoJo protagonist was Giorno and her favorite villain was DIO, I liked Jonathan, Jotaro and Josuke, I liked DIO aswell.....” Maria said, sounding like she was going to cry.

Satomi came in, She saw how much of a state Maria was in, even though her parents were avenged, it didn’t seem to be enough for Maria.

Longwei came in aswell, he had JJBA OVA series in six VHS boxes each behind his back.

”Maria, I.....I wanted you to have this.......” Longwei said to her.

She looked at the tag “For the Jasmine flower”

”The kanji that made up your name, it means Jasmine in my native language.” Longwei said.

”It’s an OVA series, based on the Stardust Crusaders arc, arigatou.” She said.

Longwei didn’t know much about the franchise.

”Tell me about your family.” Maria asked Longwei.

”My father was an alcoholic piece of shit, I grew up in a poverty-stricken part of Chinatown, he drove my mother to an early grave, then at 15, I decided I had enough, I put cyanide in his food and ran off, my mom taught me how to write Chinese characters and help me speak it.” Longwei said.

”My mother died when I was 13, She was beaten by the “concerned citizens“ and beat her so much it caused a brain injury, She died before she could make it to a hospital.” Maria said.