...
Something weird was mixing with the scents of flowers in the flower shop. No one seemed to notice it. But, the suspicious actions of the vendor say it all.
"Is it true, your mother is a witch?" the woman holding a bouquet of buttercups asked.
Serafini shook her head and watch the woman disappear as she left the shop-a bit disappointed for not getting an answer to the rumors escalating these days.
She went back to the counter and sat on her chair anxiously, glancing at the back of the door from time to time. She almost jumped when the wind chimes jingled and a customer came in.
"I want a bouquet of red roses."
"My apologies, Mister. We don't sell those types of flowers," said Serafini politely.
The man's eyes narrowed into slits as he looked around the shop. He left after giving her a suspicious glance.
Serafini sighed and went back to the counter again.
She can still remember how a customer díed this morning and she's hiding the body behind the back door. The perfume of flowers was too strong and it's covering the smell of a déad body.
The man was in a hurry and he was looking for tulips but Serafini Alyssum's flower shop don't sell the type of flower he was looking for. He got angry and tried to hurt her but she pushed him. He slid on the floor and his head hit the sharp edge of a flower pot, almost breaking his skull, and-he díed.
The panic-stricken Serafini didn't know what to do, so she hid the body behind the back door leading to the garden.
When it was time to close the shop, she quickly glanced outside to check if someone is watching before dragging the body towards the garden. The blóod has dried and flies are hovering around the wound on the back of his head.
It was about time for the alyssums to be transplanted today. Serafini left to get a shovel and she digs a hole in the garden until the depth was enough to bury the body. After putting back the soil, she transplanted the alyssums on the grave carefully.
She successfully removed all the evidence before her mother came home bringing food for dinner.
Serafini decided to keep it a secret. She was too afraid to talk about it.
"What's wrong, Alyssum?" She put down the spoon and fork to look at her.
"Nothing. Let's eat, Mom!" Serafini flashed a smile that didn't reach her eyes. She forced herself to eat despite the loss of appetite.
Serafini Alyssum. She likes to call her by her second name which was derived from her mother's favorite flower-Alyssum. It means 'worth beyond beauty' or 'sweetness of soul' but some believed it means 'bitterness' and 'anger.'
This made her feel uncomfortable. She went to bed with a heavy heart. Her guilt and conscience were attacking her that falling asleep was as difficult as trying to breathe and swallow food at the same time.
Serafini wasn't aware of what time it was when she fell into darkness.
---
She woke up panting and sweating bullets. Her mind is drowned in confusion whether it was only a nightmare or a reality. Did she kílled someone?
It sounds impossible. Her heart feels heavy just by thinking about it.
Her question was answered the moment she went down for breakfast and when she saw the freshly transplanted alyssums in the garden. Serafini would've tripped if not because of the chair beside her.
"W-What happened?" her mother asked, concern lacing her wrinkled face.
"I'm just hungry, Mom."
Serafini spent the following days dwelling in darkness and guilt. She was telling herself it was not entirely her fault but her conscience is driving her insane.
Until she couldn't take it anymore.
"Mom, there's something I need to tell you," she said, fidgeting in her seat, refusing to look at her.
"Hmm?" She left the flowers on the table and give her full attention to her.
"I-never mind."
Nightmares visit her more often than in the past week. Eating, sleeping, or-simply breathing felt so wrong, after knowing how she deprived it of someone.
One day, Serafini woke up with one thing in her mind; To dig the body and surrender to the police.
As she was halfway through, the door leading towards the garden opened, revealing her mother.
"W-What-"
"M-Mom." Her voice trembled as tears formed on the sides of her eyes.
Serafini's tears stopped when she spins and went back inside. She sighed out of relief and continue digging the soil. But, the body was not found. She started doubting her memory as she dug deeper into the soil-a bit desperate.
"I-Impossible."
Something hard hit her head and she fell right into the hole. Serafini shrieked and tried to climb up but the hole was too deep.
"You forgot what I told you," her mother said while holding a shovel.
"Mom, help me!"
"The worst nightmare is not those with monsters, but a nightmare that would make you mistake it as reality," she said coldly and started putting back the soil.
"No!"
Serafini was avoiding the soil. She tried hard to climb up out of desperation but she was left motionless when half of her body was buried.
"P-Please. Mom, don't do this!"
"I already told you."
Her screams soon díed down when the soil completely covered her entire body.
Serafini tried to breathe but instead of oxygen entering her lungs, there was soil.
The weight of the earth is crushing her body. There's no way to escape it.
---
Serafini woke up with alyssum flowers on her bed. It was all just a nightmare in a nightmare.
Her eyes started to water. She took a deep breath as memories flooded her mind. Her mother díed a long time ago and this was her way of reminding her of the things she seem to forget.
Her mother is a witch and even though she's not with her anymore, she's still protecting her daughter.
"I miss you, Mom."
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Dedicated to: Serafini Purezza (Rp'er).
YOU ARE READING
Why Fiction? (Short Stories Compilation)
Random'Cause magic don't exist in real life.
