Dark Rose [#Wattys2016]

Fourteen**Autumn

"IF I HAD A WORLD OF MY OWN, EVERYTHING WOULD BE NONSENSE. NOTHING WOULD BE WHAT IT IS BECAUSE EVERYTHING WOULD BE WHAT IT ISN'T. AND CONTRARY-WISE; WHAT IT IS IT WOULDN'T BE, AND WHAT IT WOULDN'T BE, IT WOULD. YOU SEE?"

Alice in Wonderland (1951); Walt Disney production film; IMDb quotes

"The nob on the right is for hot water and the left is cold, but just make sure to turn them right so you don't burn yourself or shower in frigid waters." Meghan said, running her words so quickly, I wondered how Chloe could keep up.

"Thank you." I smiled politely, trying to not look lost.

"Alright, then." She nodded shortly, before turning on her heel with her spine as straight as a rod. Somehow, she reminded me of Dusty.

I reminisced leaving last night, all the sadness and fear of me alone outside of normal guard protection. This time I would have no one but Chloe to walk with me out here. After my Rose was poisoned I no longer felt safe, and no one was here to protect me.

I turned the hot water nob first and added the cold in just a little, the warm water instantly making the room steamy. It was almost like my own cloud, where I could think and be alone.

Was I really alone?

After all, Chloe did accept to keeping me here. The more she proved it, the more I believed she was the friend I had been looking for. I know, it's sounds completely desperate, but I am grateful. I never thought that a friend would endanger herself for me. But at the same time, I felt incredibly selfish.

How could I let her do that? Not only was it her family she was endangering but her other friends, anyone else who cared about her. I willingly allowed her to take me here. Only, I knew that I had nowhere else to go and I didn't know if I could trust anyone. So, I'd just thrusted my life into Chloe's hands, and yet she still is willing to help me. A situation would've sent someone running in the other direction.

The water dripped down my face, like hot tears.

It was like a movie--we own a movie theater, as I repeatedly requested--based on an inspiring true story, and I wonder if this really happened. How could those people suffer so much only to pull through and create an entirely new successful story that actually did end happily?

I shook my head at the idiocy of it all. The answer was no because I was so different. No one was cursed.

But didn't they feel that way sometimes?

I wasn't sure how long I spent my time in the shower, but when I lifted my hands they were pruned and it was well time to wash and get out. There was shampoo that had the scent of lemons and vanilla and one with the scent of vanilla and cinnamon sugar. Both were white, creamy and thick.

I washed my hair and rinse myself off before getting out to towel off. I breathed in the steam, letting it clear my senses. Suddenly, a migraine came out of nowhere.

I realized that these signs of my body were actually signs of the Rose's health as well, connecting us more than before. I just wondered how worse the signs would get when it's near the end. I was shocked by how calmly I could think about that. Maybe I wasn't afraid of how real this was or maybe I was finally willing to be free of that flower.

I grabbed a hair tie from under the bathroom cabinet and wrapped my hair in a wet ponytail. I wiped away the vapor on the mirror, studying my new reflection. I looked as ordinary as the people my father commands and I didn't know what to think about it.

I stepped out of the bathroom and into Chloe's only to find out she had changed too. This time, she wore a white sweater, plain like the one she wore yesterday, and a black pair of skinny jeans complete with stone grey ankle boots, with the design of snakeskin.