Rosebud

It felt like it was falling in slow motion. As the crystal glass hit the floor, the nurse came running. Her legs pumping like the engine of a train. The old man lay frigid on the large bed. He murmured "Rosebud," as his eyes rolled back and his head fell to the side. The best magician in the world was no more. Removing the necklace from his neck, she folded his arms neatly and pulled the white sheet over his head. Taking off her nurses hat, she sighed with relief, "Finally", She had it.

Little did he know that, she was no nurse. But a deceitful magician too. She had a mission. Two months had gone by and every day she waited. Waited for his death. For her plan was, to find the secret to his most famous trick, The Rosebud. His magic room remained locked the whole time she was there. The key was around his neck. Behind the door the truth to the Rosebud was waiting for her, and that was all she wanted.

It was one in the morning and the large uninviting castle like house stood in the middle of nowhere. As she crept through the hallway the floor creaked. The house was pitch black, the only light to be seen for a mile was her flashlight. The layer of dust that sat on the furniture smelled like it had been around for decades. The sofa waved at her as she snuck by. She grasped the key in her warm sweaty hands, "Ahh," she sighed, her destiny lay behind the closed door. She placed the key into the tumbler and twisted it to the left, the sound of the door unlocking was heavenly. Her heart thumped as she stepped into the room. A dresser rested across from her and above it sat a box. The lock on the box glimmered even in the darkness. Making her way towards it, she held the key ready in her hand. Moments later, the lock lay looking up at her from the ground. Her heart thumped again as she reached into the small trunk. "A piece of paper? Thats it?" she thought. Her hopes faded into the charcoal black sky. Opening it carefully, the paper read "Roses are red, secrets are true. Centered in the Garden, the trick awaits you".

Shooting through the long hallway and out the arched wooden door. She bolted to the Garden. A small square shaped patch of land surrounded by a metal gate. Opening the gate, the metal bars eerily squeaked. She made her way towards the plethora of roses and into the center. The thorns prickled her smooth pale skin, making it course like sand paper. they cut deep into her arms, but she kept going. Reaching the center, she took a deep breath. She smelled the aroma of fresh flowers. She reached towards the soil ground, her heart pounding. Her hands trembled as she picked up the piece of paper. Taking a deep breath she read, "True magic lies within. With patience, you'll find your trick".