Blooming Rose (Book 1): Memories

Prologue

A thirteen year old girl with dark blond hair, brown eyes, and fair skin woke to the sound of yelling. It was her father who was yelling. "Why don't you get up?! If you weren't so weak, maybe we wouldn't be poor!" The girl thought, Poor Mark. He could do better. He's just ill. She got out of bed and tried to stretch her arms, but couldn't in the small, confined space she was forced to sleep in. At least we have a place to stay, she thought. She thought that her family was actually lucky. When her family became poor and her father became bitter, cruel, and abbusive, they had no where to go. They then found an old house that no one wanted. So they stayed there for free. But the girl wouldn't exactly call it a house, more like a shack with two small rooms.

As she was getting up, she heard her father yell,"Rose! Come here!" She went to him. Her father, Tom Jacobs, was the only parent she had. Rose never knew her mother. Tom was a cruel man, but he wasn't always like that. Something in him changed when Rose was eight. He became more ambitious and greedy, but Rose still loved him. Tom said,"Rose, go out and try to somehow make some money or get some food. If you come back without anything, that's when trouble happens." Rose nodded, went back to her room, changed into some old, tattered clothes, and left the house.

She knew her father meant the threat of beating her if she came back with nothing, but she was still happy. Today she was meeting up with her best friend, Henry. She met him about a year ago. She was looking for food and he came to her offering a loaf of bread. Over time, they started seeing each other more and Rose was starting to think of him as more than a friend. She was pretty sure Henry was too. Rose was walking around the streets when Henry saw her."Rose!" he called."I'm coming," she replied.

They met under a large oak tree. Right now it was Autumn and the leaves were changing color. Autumn was her favorite season. She thought it was beautiful and it was when she met Henry."Happy Late Birthday!" he said."What are you talking about?" Rose asked. Henry looked at her, "It was your birthday yesterday,right?" Rose realized he was right. She nodded and replied,"Yeah, I just forgot," Henry handed her a loaf of bread,"Here, so you have something to take back to him and you don't get beat on your birthday." Henry knew about what Rose's father did, but her father never knew about Henry. Whenever she brought a loaf of bread home, she lied to her father and said that she fake cried and eventually convinced someone to give her food."Just like when we first met," she said. Henry laughed, it was nice."Yeah."

They spent that whole day together. Rose wasn't worried, because she had the bread to give to her father when she got home. When it got dark, Rose was about to leave when Henry suddenly said,"Rose, I'll miss you." Rose asked,"What are you talking about? I'll see you again." Henry said,"I know, but whenever you aren't with me, I remember you. I've always loved you Rose, just thought you should know that." He blushed. Rose smiled and just said,"Love you too. Oh and maybe you should come by tonight, Mark will want to thank you. But make sure my dad doesn't see you." He nodded and Rose left.

By the time she got back home, it was almost dark. Her father was screaming his head off. Rose walked in with the loaf of bread and asked,"Father, what is going on?" He only said,"It's your brother, he was too weak. Couldn't fight the illness, so he's dead." He said it without emotion. His voice didn't crack and he didn't look upset. He seemed to not even care. Rose wasn't sure she heard him right,"What?" Her father said,"He's dead, get it through your thick skull." Rose collapsed onto the floor crying and shaking violently.

He's dead? No, he can't be dead. He said he would protect me, she thought. Her father though looked unfazed and took the loaf of bread and kicked her."Get up!" he yelled,"Your brother's already dead. That means one less person to make us money." Rose was consumed by anger. She stood up and screamed,"NO HE CAN'T MAKE YOU MONEY! YOU NEVER CARED FOR HIM! TO YOU, HE WAS ONLY A WORTHLESS BEGGER, NOT YOUR SON! I HATE YOU! YOU NEVER CARED FOR US OR LOVED US! AND YOU ALWAYS ABUSED US! I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU!" Rose broke down again," I thought I could still love you, but I was wrong. I HATE YOU AND NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!" Her father was turning red. He grabbed the closest thing to him, which was his beating stick, and screamed,"HOW DARE YOU?!" He swung the large stick and it hit Rose's arm. The arm started bleeding heavily. Rose started screaming and running outside.

"HENRY!" she screamed. She saw Henry, leaning on the side of her house. He turned toward her and smiled, but his smile faded when he saw her condition. She was beaten, bruised, bloody, and crying. Henry ran towards her."Rose! What happened?" he asked. Rose cried,"Henry, please take me away from here! I hate my father! I never want to see him again!" She broke down into tears. Henry grabbed her not bloody arm and ran.

They ran for five minutes. They finally stopped at the oak. Henry asked,"Rose, what happened and what about Mark?" At the mention of Mark, Rose collapsed on the ground and cried some more. When she finally stopped crying, she stood up and was shuddering violently. Henry grabbed some littered cloth and wrapped it around Rose's arm. It was a large cut and was deep. She would probably be scarred. Rose looked up into his eyes and Henry saw something in them that he had never seen before. Hopelessness, sadness, heartbreak, and depression. Rose finally spoke,"M-Mark he-he-he's d-dead! And m-my father didn't even care. I yelled at him an-and h-he beat me!" she said holding up her arm. The cloth was dripping now. Rose said,"Henry, I can't take this anymore! Please take me with you! I have no one!" Rose looked up at Henry hopefully and Henry shook his head. Rose was heartbroken."What?! Why?! Henry, I thought we were friends, I thought you loved me!" Henry said sadly,"I'm sorry Rose, I can't. I can't just let you live in my house. Call some fairies or something to help you. They are always willing to help. They can work their magic and make your life better."

Rose turned angry."NO! I'm not calling the fairies or the cops or anyone! You're supposed to be my best friend! You betrayed me! Just because you don't feel like taking me in!" Henry tried to reach out to her but she pulled away."Don't touch me! I never want to see you again, Henry Stevens! You said you were my friend! You said that you loved me! Was that all a lie? Was I just someone you were forced to hang out with? I cared about you! And now you leave me for dead?! No! I won't live with anyone! I will live alone! I will live alone and never love again and I will allow no one to love me so I never face the same heartbreak and betrayal I have endured today! Goodbye forever." And with that she left Henry heartbroken but Henry still felt an urge that said, She can't come with you. And with that thought Henry watched her leave, and it was possible they would never see each other again.