Short Stories and Writing Prompts

Writing Prompt #6 - Roses

Ring around a rosie.

We all know this rhyme.

"Innocent?" he asked smoothly, the ring on his finger glinting in the light. If only he came closer to me. "I think out of all of us here, we know you are the farthest from innocent."

His bright, clever eyes stared at me evenly. It took all of my strength not to fidget from his gaze alone, not even mentioning everyone else around him also staring at me.

A pocket full of posies.

No, I thought, but that definitely didn't come out of my mouth. Nothing even came out of my mouth. I was speechless about this whole situation. I touched my pocket, making sure it was still there.

He stalked toward me, his shoes making a tap against the wooden floor. He took my chin into his hand, tilting my face up, but I refused to make eye contact.

"So?" he murmured, his breath hot against my face, "you have anything to say for yourself?"

Ashes, ashes.

A breeze raced through the room from the open window, carrying with it ashes. They landed on my hand, my hair. It comforted me.

"Innocent," I whispered.

His eyes flickered. He was so focused on me, nothing else, just me. Focused enough to not even pay attention to himself. He grabbed my wrists in a vise-like grip.

We all knew I wasn't, but how else could I distract him enough to pull off the ring? The ring that I needed all along, but couldn't see in the beginning.

We all fall down.

And, they all did. I touched my pocket and smirked.

"Innocent." He grinned, "Or guilty."

The jury stood, I tapped my pocket twice, the stone shook so softly only I felt it.

"Innocent," the first juror sounded dazed.

"Innocent," as did the next, I hid my smile as he whirled around to look at the jury box.

"Innocent!?" He roared, "In what realm, are they innocent?!"

He turned back to me, I slowly met his eyes. Time slowed down, he was looking at me with so much malice in his eyes, I was still desperately trying not to fidget under his cold, calculating, glare.

"You did something to them...I know it," he muttered, "Spit it out!! What did you do!?" He shouted, grabbing my collar. He raised me up, and I smirked, bad move on his part.

I took my chance, I swung up, dug my elbow into his pressure point, grabbed the ring off of his limp hand, and amidst the chaos of the room, I thrust my hand into my pocket.

I threw my hand into the air, the stone was clenched tightly in my fist. Channeling my energy into it, I felt a familiar rush go up my arm and into the stone. An explosion of light erupted in the courtroom, my hand at the center. I didn't have to suppress my smile anymore. They had all fallen for my plan.

As the light died down, I looked around. Putting the stone back into my pocket, I grinned at the crater where the courthouse used to be. Some of my best results yet. A groan came from behind me, I whipped my head around.

He had started to stir on the floor, my smile grew. I walked over and knelt by his head, and lifted it by his hair. He made a noise of pain, music to my ears.

"I warned you...don't mess with the roses."