Black Rose

Part 1

I was busy playing with my doll when I heard it. There it was—the noise. Then came my mother's voice, shouting in pain, raw and broken. "Oh my God, Emily! Emily, Emily!!!" The sound pierced through me like a knife.

I looked around in panic. There she was, my mother, on the floor. My heart was pounding so loud in my ears, it felt like the world was closing in. My body froze, adrenaline rushing like the instinct to flee from danger. The only thing I remember after that was hearing my mother calling me, but her voice felt distant, muffled, like it was coming from another world.

"Aryn, Aryn, Aryn!" Her voice grew louder, like turning up the volume on a TV.

I snapped out of it, trembling. "Mom? What is it?" My voice cracked as I spoke.

She sighed, pulling me close. "I've been calling you for so long. You didn't answer. I thought... I thought you were leaving me too. Your heart... it wasn't beating for a while."

Her words shattered me. Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. I couldn't understand why she wasn't crying. But everyone else was. When my father arrived, I saw him in tears too. That's when I heard him say the words that would change everything.

"Take the children to my brother. They'll stay there."

At my uncle's house, the memories came rushing back. That day... the day Emily died. We had just come back from the doctor. My mother, Emily, and I. We were almost home when a woman—someone who knew our family—approached us. She greeted my mother, her eyes immediately falling on Emily, my baby sister. She insisted on holding the baby. My mother hesitated, but after much persuasion, she relented. The woman kissed Emily on the forehead.

And then... everything changed.

**After the Loss**

Losing Emily was like losing a part of myself. The pain was too much to bear. Darkness became my closest companion, wrapping me in its cold embrace. I wanted every place I went to match the darkness that now filled my heart. A week passed, and I heard a knock on my door. It was my mother's soft voice, coaxing me out of bed.

"You need to get ready for school."

School? How could they expect me to just *move on*? She was my only sister. I failed her. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her face—sad, searching, as if she was asking why I didn't protect her. Since the day she died, the world became bleak and meaningless.

The second knock was from my father. "Honey," he said gently, "I know it feels like yesterday that she was here with us, but it's time to move on. I promise it'll get better."

I got up mechanically, like a robot, and went through the motions—school, chores, conversations—all programmed into me. But inside, I was still shattered. When people asked how I was doing, I would smile and say I was fine. No one could see through the mask, not even my parents. I was waiting for someone—anyone—who could understand me without words, who could see the storm brewing inside.

But no one ever did.

The isolation grew. I no longer spoke much. I stopped eating. I didn't care anymore. I'd lie awake at night, asking why—why didn't God take *me* instead? Why take Emily, who had barely begun to live?

**A Few Years Later**

My parents eventually forced me to go outside and socialize, which was the hardest thing I'd done in years. I stood on the field, holding a makeshift ball of socks, tears streaming down my face. I couldn't do it anymore. I was missing so much.

And then I felt a hand on my shoulder. When I opened my eyes, there he was—Eric. He wasn't at all what you'd expect a savior to look like. He was overweight, with braces and an awkward smile. But something about the way he looked at me, the way he spoke to me, made me feel like he'd known me for a long time. His words, whispered in my ear, gave me the strength to try again.

I managed to finish the game, but after that, I quit. His words stayed with me, though, haunting and comforting at the same time.

When I got home, I found out that my family had invited my mom's best friend over for dinner.

"Aryn, can you help me set the table? Elan is coming over," my mom called from the kitchen.

I frowned. "Mom, isn't she supposed to arrive tomorrow?"

"Yeah, but she changed her plans," Mom replied.

As I finished fixing the table, we heard a knock. My mom went to open the door, and I continued setting the plates.

"Hi, crybaby," came a voice from the doorway. It sounded familiar, but I couldn't place it. I looked up and froze. There he was—Eric. Standing next to Aunt Elan.

"Hi, look how much you've grown!" Aunt Elan said, pulling me into a hug. "I can't believe you're the same girl I used to change diapers for. So nice to see you again, Aryn."

I forced a smile, but my heart wasn't in it.

"Hey, meet my son, Eric." She gestured toward him. Eric smirked, clearly enjoying the moment.

"Oh, I know her," Eric said with a laugh. "She's the girl I told you about. The one who couldn't stop crying over something stupid."

My blood ran cold. "What do you mean, Eric?" my mom asked, confused.

"She didn't tell you, Auntie? She cried her eyes out in front of everyone."

My mother shot him a sharp look. "Eric, that's enough," she said sternly.

But his words cut deep. Regret and anger churned in my chest. I regretted letting him help me that day, opening myself up to him. How could I have been so foolish?

I excused myself and locked myself in my room, emotions swirling, eating me alive.

Eric wasn't who I thought he was. And I was once again alone in my darkness.