Karina Reyner walked home from school that day without thinking about much. She walked past Halfmoon Lake, by the train tracks, across the bridge over the creek, down Forest street, lined on each side with large oak trees that perfectly outlined the road. Leaves crunched underneath her worn out converse shoes as she walked. Everything was normal; it was warm outside, with a breeze that made her long, auburn hair flow into the crisp air. It was early fall; Karina's favorite season, when the leaves turned vibrant shades of red, orange, and yellow - when the days became shorter, and the air became cooler. She walked on, to the narrow pathway through the woods that led to her neighborhood. Off in the distance, she could hear a faint sound of what sounded like two women fighting with eachother. She dismissed it and walked on. But soon after, her ears rung with a sharp, painful, shriek that filled the air. She became frightened and ran toward her house. Karina didn't realize however, that she was running closer and closer to a scene she knew she didn't want to experience.
As she came near the clearing in the woods that led her to her house, she saw what looked like an animal lying on the ground. As she got closer, she realized it wasn't an animal, but a guy.
"um... hello??"
She yelled from a distance, afraid to go closer.
"I'm here!!" He replied, in a shaking voice.
She ran closer and there laid a guy, he looked about 15, shaggy blonde hair muffled and covered with blood and dirt. He lay on his side, his eyes were closed. There was a deep gash in his right arm, blood trickling down over his toned muscles, and scratches covered his face and torso. He was covered in dirt and leaves.
"what happened to you?! should I call the police?!"
"No, I'm alright."
He attempted to sit up, but fell back to the earth.
"Who did this to you?"
"Nobody. Leave me alone. I'm fine. I sware."
She couldn't just leave him laying there. She looked around. Next to him, drawn in the dirt was a symbol she'd never seen before, with a white rose on top, it's petals and thorns dripping with blood. She figured the thorns had been used to make the scratches all over his body. But who was crazy enough to use a rose as a weapon?
"I'm not just going to leave you here and continue on with my day, pretending I never saw a boy hurt, lying in the dirt."
"But you have to, please. You don't understand. You can't help me. You'll end up hurt. You've got to trust me, please. Just leave me here. I'll gain the strength to clean myself up and I'll get the help I need to heal. But please, go."
Karina noticed his sparkling blue eyes as he spoke.
"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what's happened to you!"
"Go!" He sounded angry.
"No." She refused.
For a few moments seemed deep in thought. He sighed and pulled out a pocket knife. He flipped it open.
"Leave. Now."
"How could you pull a knife on someone trying to help you!"
She ran away, half fearful of him, half confused and wanting to get home. She came to her neighborhood, and didn't stop running until she got home.
