Blood Rose (Completed)

Chapter 7

The house they entered carried the scent of moist and mould. Not healthy for a human to live in these kinds of conditions. Even Robert knew that as soon as they entered Katherine's house, which was dark before she switched on a light. It was only the lightbulb, no chandelier or no decoration. 

The living room was filled with packed boxes with names written on the sides of what was in it. Robert looked around, didn't think any of it and held still when Katherine turned to face him. 

"Sorry about the mess," she apologized, "the sofa is clean though. Take a seat, I'm right back."

Before she fully disappeared, Katherine turned to face him again. 

"Thank you," she mumbled quickly, "for my hand and walking me here."

He shrugged it off with a wave of his hand and saw her disappear upstairs. The healing process had made him suffer. He never used any kind of healing powers before. He didn't exist to heal. He was here on Earth to destroy, to devour, ... Yet, the angry wound and the pain it inflicted on her...Robert couldn't stand it, so he conjured up powers beyond his knowledge. 

But most of all, he offered to walk her to her home to find those pills. If he got rid of them, Katherine might show something of what she feared. A grin settled around his lips when he made his way to the small bathroom on his left. He knew all the houses in Derry. Even the new ones. An older house like Katherine stayed in, practically held no secrets for him. He can even remember the house that stood before this one, and the one before. 

When he pulled the cord to make the light go on, Robert his grin only widened when noticing the cabinet above the sink. He listened first; Katherine's footsteps were heard above his head and he waited to make sure she wasn't coming down again before he pulled it open. His eyes flickered over the different bottles and tubes. Hand cream, facial wipes and some random paracetamol. 

He was closing the cabinet again, until he caught sight of a small, brown glass bottle tucked away on the far left. Half hidden behind a pot of Vicks and his eyes sparkled when he quickly grabbed it. The pills were small and pinkish of colour. Robert didn't doubt when he threw them down the drain until the bottle was empty. The sugar-coated pills made a clinging sound which echoed through the small bathroom. 

With a flick of his hand, the bottle was filled again. Not with her anxiety pills, just sugar coloured pills that looked like them. He couldn't help the deep laugh that escaped his throat; it came from somewhere deep inside him and sounded more animal – like. A hyena. 

When Robert closed the cabinet, he slowly looked up and saw his blue eyes turn a honey amberlike colour. Slowly, yet surely, two faint red scars showed up. The lines ran from his eyes to the corners of his lips. 

'Can you feeeeel it?' 

He didn't move his mouth; the voice came from inside him and Robert nodded absently. He did feel it in the air. He could fucking smell it. It reminded him of the small of a heavy storm raging above Derry during summer. It was the scent of violence waiting to happen. His fingers rested on the white sink and he pinched the porcelain so hard, his nails broke, and blood started to flow in small streams towards the sinkhole. 

"Robert?" 

That sweet voice made him pull his hands from the sink and Robert stretched his neck from left to right. The colour of his eyes back to a normal blue and his nails were back. There wasn't any blood in the sink, and he turned on his heels. 

"Sorry, I needed to use the bathroom," he smiled, when she almost bumped up to him when he appeared. 

He couldn't help to look closely at her. Katherine had changed into a simple, white dress. It was knee-length and had a lace border where the skirt ended. It was centred, which made Robert notice her curves for the first time since they met. The little V-neck was low, but not too low to be indecent. It had long sleeves, but Katherine had her black leather jacket in her right hand. 

When he caught her gaze, she was blushing and looking down to her feet. The burn inside his stomach was back, but this time it wasn't painful. And for a moment, Robert Gray felt regret that he threw away her pill. 

"You look beautiful," he said, and nodded happily when noticing the sneakers. "Good choice! Heels would get you nowhere! We'll do a lot of walking, dancing and eating!"

Katherine nodded and Robert laid his hand on his chest when he felt his heart rattle. 

"Let's go," she nodded to the door while he laid his hand on the small of her back again. 

They walked together, side by side. The first few minutes in a comfortable silence and Robert felt her elbow sometimes brush his arm. They saw the lights of the fair first; lighting up de now dark sky above Derry. After that, the music reached their ears and Robert smelled the air. 

"Popcorn!"

He glanced at Katherine who had shouted the word loudly. Arching a brow, Robert looked at her confused. 

"I love popcorn," he started, but she turned to him with big, green eyes. 

"No, no," she shook her head and then nodded. Confusing him even more. "I mean yes," she continued, "Popcorn is my favourite, but I mean, your house! It smelled like popcorn. I couldn't come up with it until now!"

She looked sincerely happy and Robert couldn't hold back the laugh. "Popcorn is my favourite too," he whispered, pulling her a bit closer to him and whispered in her ear; "I sometimes make it at home. That's why you smelled it." 

It was a lie. Like the white roses appearing on his table, Gray had no idea why the hell his house smelled like popcorn to her. It was something else Katherine Miller seemed to love, just like those damned, ugly roses. Beautiful roses. 

"Let's see how the line at the spooky house is," he finally said, let go of her and motioned to follow him. "But first," he grinned when he saw a clown a little bit further. Let's get you a floating balloon. A red one would suit you well."