_THE FIVE STAGES OF GRIEF_

_1.	Denial/Isolation_

_2.	Anger_

_3.	Bargaining_

Poppy slammed the book close, leaning back in the chair and sighing quietly through her nose. What was the point of reading nonfiction when you already know everything? The blonde dug into her bag and extracted a silver butter knife and a package of strawberries. Opening the plastic, the sixteen year old began to cut the tops off and popped them in her mouth. 

“Maybe I should read the Lord of the Rings again?” Poppy muttered under her breath, stuffing another strawberry in her mouth and chomping it with no remorse. Sweet sourness exploded in her mouth as juice ran over her tongue, down her throat, and Poppy made a choking sound. She almost choked on juice. The American glanced around her to make sure no one had saw and only relaxed when she realized nobody was in the library…or near her, at least. 

Poppy pushed out of the desk and grabbed the book with lazy fingers, standing up and travelling over to the book aisles. Placing it randomly on a shelf, she took the closest book and shivered as knowledge rushed through her body. Her spine trembled and a coldness seeped from the crown of her head down to her toes, as if a bucket of ice-cold water had been savagely poured over her. 

_“…subdue the enemy without fighting.”_

_“…know the enemy…know yourself…”_

War tactics rumbled in my head and I pulled the book from the shelf further: Sun Tzu’s _Art of War_. Well, that was unneeded information. Poppy sighed and moved back to the table to close her eyes and rest for awhile.