The Voodoo Bell

Part 9: Chapters 22-23

22

A Walk Among the Roses

It was finally Christmas Eve. The hunting party was due back the following night, but for now, I was still alone. It was just getting full dark, when I decided to venture out of my room and into the main parts of the manor. I still hadn't gotten over what had happened the night before. I would have thought it all a dream, if not for the cold metal of the tiny silver rose that hung over my chest. I just didn't think that I could stand being trapped in my room again, so I wandered down the stairs, looking for something to do.

I had decided that I would dress up tonight. It was a holiday, after all. I had taken my time getting ready. I had selected a beautiful red fit and flare dress from the closet of goodies. It had tiny silver stitching that formed small flowers around the edges. The bottom of the dress belled out from my waist until it hit my mid-calf. Like most items in my closet, this dress fit me like a glove and the color made my dark hair and eyes stand out. I had given myself a bit of a cat-eye with some smoky grey shadow and finished the look with some red color gloss. Since it was very chilly in the manor without the family there requiring fires to be lit in every room, I had pulled out the long black cloak to wear over my dress for extra warmth. It was very thick and had some sort of fuzzy lining. It and my boots were perfect for what I had planned.

When I made it to the ground floor, I walked down the hall until I found the doors that would take me out back to the garden. I had taken the time to find myself a small lantern that I could carry with little difficulty and stalled just long enough to lite it and put the cover back on properly. Once I was sure that the little flame would be safe from extinguishing out in the elements, I pulled my cloak tight around me, pushed the doors open and crunched out into the snow.

It was bitterly cold out and I was glad that the wind had decided to stop for the moment. At the edge of the patio, I stopped and breathed in a lung full of the crisp, clean air. I stood, motionless, as I listened to the complete silence that greeted me. The world had been covered in a beautiful, solid white blanket. The cold bit at my hands and I was sure that my nose was turning into something akin to Rudolph's, but it was nice, just being out. I looked up at the moon, full and glowing. Grey clouds surrounded it, threatening to take away it's light, but the moon was too bright tonight. Its beams shown down onto the snow and made it twinkle like thousands of tiny Christmas lights just below the surface.

Finally, after what seemed like an embarrassingly long time, I came to my senses. If anyone was watching me from one of the many windows, they probably thought that I was nuts. So, I started my way over to the little garden, my lantern showing me the way. It was almost a shame to break up the night's silence with my footsteps. I had expected them to be muffled by the snow, but instead each step was greeted with a crunching sound as I made my path forward.

It took longer than I would have liked to make it to the garden, but I was glad that I had. Each cursed rose was there, blooming up at the moon. The petals were covered with tiny droplets of ice, the edges crusted with tiny crystals. The frosty blanket had dulled the red, but every now and then, you could see the tips of bright red peeking out. They were absolutely beautiful and I found myself mesmerized.

Without thinking, I reached out and pulled one of the roses closer to smell it. I don't know if it was the snow hiding the thorns or the fact that my hands were becoming blocks of ice, but I never felt the sting as I caught one on my finger. As I released the flower and it popped back to its rightful height, I noticed a warm sensation running down my right ring finger. Looking down, I saw that I was bleeding, a small gash having appeared in the skin. I shook my hand instinctively. Tiny droplets of red blood fell onto the snow, staining the innocence of my adventure. I put the finger to my mouth to stop the bleeding and turned to go.