Save a Flower (TBA)

Chapter 5: Finally Free

I opened the door slightly. A blue cat face was looking back at me.

"Hi Ro- What happened to your face?!" Happy exclaimed. I quickly shoved my arm through the door over his mouth. I put a finger to my mouth to tell them to be quiet. In the back Natsu looked slightly angry.

"I'll explain after we leave this horrible place," I whispered through the door, "Follow me."

We crept through my house, up the stairs and to the attic. I was grateful Erza's armor didn't make a large noise. I had Lucy, Natsu and Erza stay by the door while I lead Gray and Happy to my bed around the corner, using magic to hold the floorboards so they wouldn't creak while Gray walked over that portion of the floor. Happy could fly across, which confused me, but Father taught me that I was not to question why with anything.

"Who sleeps there?" Gray asked with a lowered voice, when he saw my bed with it's single, dirty sheet covered in holes over a lumpy mattress with a frame that was barely held together.

"This is what Mother and Father call my room," I responded, "Would you please make the false duplicate of my while I ready the rope?"

He put one fist to an open palm as I turned away to retrieve the rope I had underneath my bed. I tied it as the diagrams brother sent me looked. Soon, it looked like the knot people would use to kill people.

"You can tie a noose?" Gray asked.

"Yes. Brother sent me diagrams showing how you do it."

"So you've been planning this for a while?"

"Yes. I needed a reason for Mother and Father to not look for me. Mrs. Jeeves suggested I have them believe me dead."

"How long have you been planning this escape?"

"Thirteen years."

"How old are you?" Happy decided to join the conversation.

"Eighteen years."

"Wow. You must not like it here."

"I utterly despise the people who raised me. They are not humans, but demons."

"Hey Happy, maybe we should let her explain after we finish here."

"Aye."

I strung the rope to the ceiling using magic to tie it to an exposed beam.

"Is the double done?"

"Yep."

I held my hands out flat, but the glow didn't happen when I wanted it to. Whenever I did that motion the magic circle would appear. It must've been the fact that it was created with magic.

"I had a feeling this would happen. Happy, would you please lift the double to the rope? I'll hold it wider."

He wrapped his tail around the waist of the double as I widened the rope. He slid the neck through the rope and I tightened the rope around the statue's neck. It was limp and cold. I hear that's what a dead body is actually like.

We left and I held the floorboards still for all of us to go across.

"All done?" Lucy asked.

"Yes. We must leave now. It's close to midnight. We'll go to Mrs. Jeeves' house and wait until sunrise to leave for the train station. She kindly offered to pay for my ticket."

"Excellent," Erza said.

"We're not done 'til we leave this house." Gray said.

We went down the stairs and left the house. We silently walked down the entire street under the disguise of darkness. When we arrived at Mrs. Jeeves house she had lit a candle near the front. I went to blow it out when Natsu ate the flame. I heard Lucy laughing slightly. I really wanted to ask, but Father always told me that nobody likes a girl who asks why.

We entered the house and found a single serving of chicken katsu-don on her table with a note.

I'm sorry I'm asleep right now. I probably won't get to say goodbye to you in the morning. I'm just not as energetic as I used to be and my old bones are sore. Rose, I figured your parents wouldn't give you any food tonight, so I made your favorite after the wizards left. Please eat it. The money for your train ticket is under the bowl. Please write to me as soon as you end up where ever you do end up. Farewell my child. Please use the piano one last time. The way my husband taught you. The Song of The Flower, if you remember it.

The note made me start crying at the end. I felt myself nodding to the last part. I felt the others looking over my shoulder. I crumpled the note, not wanting them to read it.

"Aw." I heard Natsu sigh out. I ignored it and went to eat my food, slipping the money into my shirt.

"Aw damn. We forgot to grab your stuff. I assume you aren't going back to that place." Gray was concerned but I wasn't.

"I have all of my belongings on my person currently. Nobody forgot anything," I said after I finished eating.

"Can we ask questions NOW?" Happy asked.

"Yes."

"What happened to your face? When you came here this afternoon, you only had one cut but now you have two."

"Father hit me and his nails went down my cheek."

"He... hit you?" Lucy looked pale and her voice was shaking.

"Yes. I didn't understand what a figure of speech was and he hit me."

"You say that so casually. Like it's normal." Gray said.

"Is it not?"

"I don't think so. Is it?" Lucy asked.

"I'd say not for someone living with parents," Erza said.

"Any other questions?"

"What caused the cut on your other cheek?" Natsu asked.

"Father hit me yesterday and his ring slipped across my face."

"So it's normal for you," Erza asked.

"Very much so. Any questions not on this topic?"

"Are you going to pay us?" Lucy asked.

"All I have that isn't going to be spent on a train ticket is 100 jewel. I apologize for not being able to pay the reward in full. I will not make promises I cannot fulfill again. What shall I do to allow you to forgive me?"

"It's fine. You didn't even promise that much anyways. You can sit up," Natsu said.

"Why don't we get some sleep? We're leaving early," Lucy said trying to get me to relax.

"I can't. Mrs. Jeeves asked me to do something he one last time."

"Well," yawned Natsu, "I'm going to bed. Night." He walked to one of the spare rooms.

I stood up to walk to her piano in the main room. I put my finger tips on the familiar keys, remembering how to hit each one for a certain sound. The Song of The Flower was a song Mr. Jeeves had written and taught me before he died. It started off sad with a small hint of bright hidden in the melody but it was slowly becoming smaller and smaller until it took over the song. Mr. Jeeves told me I could add lyrics to it because he wanted it to be my song of hope, the light bringer for his little flower.

I stood up so I could get some sleep before sunrise and remembered Lucy, Happy, Gray and Erza were still nearby. Lucy was crying.

"Who wrote that song?" Ezra asked.

"The closest thing I had to an actual father who cared for his child before he died." Lucy gasped at the last word. Every word was true.

"If you'll please excuse me, I'd appreciate it if I could go to bed," I said and walked off to one of Mrs. Jeeves' spare rooms.