My eighteenth rose

Chapter 3

Another year went by.

Winter stared at the white ceiling.

The beeping of the monitor appeared deaf in her ears,

The chatterings of the nurses and doctors seemed to appear like they were far away and she was all alone.

Her breath hitched.
She was weak.
She knew she wouldn't last long.
Her head was losing hair.
She no longer had her silky dark ebony hair.
She no longer felt pretty.
She was frightened to even show Karina her face.
But she knew she would love her.
Nevertheless.

A tear rolled down her cheeks,
Karina's eighteenth birthday.
She thought as she gripped on the fresh red rose she held in between her thin fingers.
Will I be able to give it to her?

"Mom! Dad! Please let me go and see her! Please! I need to see her!" Karina begged her parents, her eyes filled with tears, "Karina behave yourself! It's your most important day of your life, you can go see that peasant later" her mother said avoiding eye contact,

Karina felt rage inside her, "Don't ever call her that! She has the richest heart and she's way better than you heartless gold diggers!" she resorted,

"How dare you talk back!" his dad yelled, "Apologize to your mother immediately" he commanded,
"I won't! I didn't say anything wrong"
Karina snapped.

Slap!

Her eyes widened as she tried to recall what had just occurred to her,
her father slapped her, he slapped her, on her eighteenth birthday, she let out a chuckle, Thank you for your wonderful gift dad. She felt numb as two arms held her tightly avoiding her from making any movements.

Everything appeared blur, Karina looked beautiful in the blue gown she was wearing, however the most beautiful part to complete her look was missing.

A smile.

How could she smile when the only person who could make her smile wider than anyone else was succumbing all alone.
While she was trapped here.
Even though the large hall was crowded with people giving her the warmest wishes and expensive gifts, she still felt empty.

Many young suitors made their way towards her handing her a beautiful red rose, but were left in confusion when she made no move.

One after one person handed her a rose and it wasn't until the seventeenth suitor had handed her the rose, she realized she had to go to Winter.

No matter what it cost her.

So she ran, she ran.
Ignoring the yellings
Pushing people away from her way.
She ran.
The yellings appeared numb on her ears as she ran.

Ran towards the love of her life.

Winter had the brightest smile when Karina entered the hospital room,
She looks so beautiful in that dress

Karina was crying, it was stupid for her of thinking how beautiful she looked even when she was crying.

"Winter..." she called out and she ran towards Winter.

Winter smiled, then handed her the red rose, "We made it" she said, before everything fell into utter darkness.

She was gone.
Gone forever.

Karina's sobs got louder, tears making her vision blurry, her body felt numb as she held the red rose close to her chest, like her life depended on it, maybe it did.

Who's going to dance with me?

•~end~•

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