the harrowing of rose

her name

her  name  was  rose  ,  and  just  like  one  she  was  stunning  .  a  single hair-tye held back her dark , lengthy locks , luckily so , hiding back her full radiance as if no one was quite worthy enough to see it .

she would wear a bright smile on her porcelain face . a warm , hazel gaze while giving her full attention to each and every customer . steady , gentle hands would lift and scan items with precision . the brunette kept a moderate pace , generously separating fragile groceries in separate bags , and away from heavier loads .

" here you go , and here's your change !"

a soft , but firm voice reached out from the depths of her larynx . nude , light pink lips would be spread apart as her words made their way to another happy customer . hands moving in sync as one offered a bag ( patiently waiting for it to be grasped ) before the other handed over the extra coins .

just like that , the youthful woman would move on to the next . joyously offering her time and service without a second thought . not even a single glance to her wrist watch — rose gold without a spec of dirt or dust , half of which was loosely wrapped over by the arms of her snow—white cardigan .  a snug fit even  .  as  a  gleaming  ,  gold  necklace  rested upon it , and  with  the  added  touch  of  a simple golden  heart hanging  from the middle .

clear tips grazed the side of rose's face , clinging onto strands of hair as she pulled them back , over and behind her ears , each one pierced once at the lobe with small , silver hoop . meanwhile  ,  the cash register dinged as another purchase was made and bagged .

subsequently  ,  a door would  be  pulled open ,  allowing a gust of howling  wind to enter the average—sized  store , sending chills through not just rose but also another  customer  who  approached  her , and  so  , she remained focused on her task , taking in every word the woman before her spoke  upon  setting  her  items  down  on  the  marble  counter  and  then  instantly  digging  through  her  pockets  to  check  her  phone  ,  likely  in  search  of  the  time  ,  given  the  sky  was  getting  dark  and  the  store  didn't  have  a  clock  .

" can't  believe  the  weather  forecast  is  still  adamant  the  rest  of  the  week  will  be  '  sunny  with  no  chance  of  rain  ' ,  honestly  .  "

the  customer  uttered with a glance to the window , taking in the grey , cloudy sky as a look of disappointment washed over her slightly  wrinkled  face  ,  hearing  the  sound  of  her  items  getting  scanned  one  by  one  ,  at  the  same  time   ,  before soon  turning her  dark  ,  grey—haired  head  back to rose as her bagged items were offered . immediately  setting  her  phone  back  within  her  pocket  and  holding  out  a  pale  hand  .

" i know right ?  best to just hope for the best these days , i guess .  "

rose  responded  .  adding  emphasis  to the first three words , and  shrugging  off  the  end  of  her  sentence .

" be safe out there !"

rose  then added as the older woman left the store at  a  slow  pace  ,  her  short  heels  clacking  against  the  hard  white  floor  whilst  carrying  her  bag  of  groceries  ,  before  the  sound  of  the  door  creaking  and  closing  once  more  filled  the  atmosphere  .

now  leaving  rose  with  an  empty  line  ,  giving  her  ample  time  for  a  short  breather  .  it  seemed  standing  at  the  register  all  day  left  her  legs  feeling  a  slight  ache  .

" ah ."

a breath left her as she rested her legs , sitting herself  on the stool behind her with arms resting on her  favourite  pair  of  jeans  .  a  fabric she frequently wore to work . hues then  traced to the side as a barely audible yawn left her , covered by a fair—toned hand with the slight scrunch of her facial features .

soon turning her attention ahead once more as loud steps filled her eardrums , and  a  tall  male  was  towering  over  her  shortly  after  .  however  ,  hidden  behind  the  counter  ,  he  appeared  to  be  holding  a  large  object  in  his  hands  .