My alarm clock slices through the cold morning air. I’ve been hitting the snooze button for the past half hour; and I’d hit if for another half hour; but it’s already seven, and I’m going to be late if I sleep any longer.
Eight years have passed since I met the man with the blood-red carnation. To this day I still have no idea who he is or why he showed up in the first place. To this day, Karen and I are the only ones who know about our dirty little secret.
After a half hour of getting ready, I step out of my room and make my way down the hallway. Karen’s door is wide open; she’s already downstairs. As I pass her room, I can see very clearly the perfect blood red carnation that sits atop her windowsill. This flower never goes away. Just when it starts to wilt, another perfect one appears. I always loved Carnations; but these ones scare me beyond rational belief. I know where they come from, who they come from. I shake my head to be rid of the dark thoughts, and continue through the hallway and down the stairs. In perfect teenager etiquette, I raid the cabinets for any food, and repeatedly open the fridge, hoping something will appear magically. After minutes of disappointment, I sit down beside Karen and settle for a bowl of cereal.
My sister is quiet as usual. She’s stressed out about an essay that’s due today. Karen was never one to like school; but as of eight years ago, she has despised it; her grades are proof of that. The only hope for Karen is that she graduates this year. If she can just pull off passing grades for half a year longer, she’ll be free of the burden. I can’t say as much for myself. I’m barely a sophomore. I like school, though, so this fact doesn’t bother me in the slightest.
The time comes when Karen and I need to leave for school. We grab our backpacks and coats from the front room and make our way into the frosty air. For being January, the weather is pretty mild. Hardly any snow is left on the ground, and we haven’t gone below zero in weeks. I hope spring comes early this year.
Karen’s car awaits us in the driveway. The small blue thing is old and beat up; it barely wants to run in these cold months. The car does its job though; it keeps us safe and warm, and from having to walk in the snow. The motor starts after a few seconds of persuasion, and we’re off. The drive to school takes less then ten minutes on a good day; it’s barely enough time to listen to one good song before we’ve reached the parking lot. Karen and I leave the car simultaneously, and then go our separate ways. For being sisters, we live completely different lives. Karen is a hermit; I’m a social butterfly. Only one thing keeps us so close to each other aside from our family ties. One very dark secret bonds us forever.
I was never meant to see Karen’s dirty little secret; but I did, and now it can’t be undone. I suppose it worked out for the best, though. Karen wouldn’t have made it this far without someone by her side; without a shoulder to cry on; without an ear to whisper to. Secrets have been passed between us; some that worry me to now end. This man that wears the blood red carnation is so far from normal; so far from safe. He’s cloaked in so much mystery; I don’t think it would ever be possible to figure him out. I’ve only ever heard him speak a handful of times, and have seen his face even fewer. The smirk that he always seems to wear makes my skin crawl. His voice is so feral; it makes the hair on my neck stand straight. I don’t know what Karen sees in this man; but her secret is mine to keep until she wills me otherwise, whether I like it or not.
Hours go by. I see my friends, I study hard in class, and at the end of the day I wait patiently in Karen’s car. My sister is normally late, as she’s usually held after school by her teachers for bad grades, or other such things. Minutes go by before I finally see Karen walk out the front doors. Her face is serious, and possibly irritated; it’s hard to tell with her. I’m walking on egg shells by the time she reaches the car. Karen can be really moody sometimes, especially when school is related. The car is started and we drive off in silence. We’re half way home, and a smile peaks on my sister’s face.
