Black Rose

7

   I spent the next couple of days trying to figure out what the initials F.J meant but nothing came to mind, in the end I gave up. Maybe he just left the Rose as a compliment and nothing deeper, my need for answers was making me start to over think things. As I sat alone in my room starring at the ceiling, I thought of Adam. I hadn't seen him come by since the first day we met. Then I remembered the numbers he left on the tray, I had put it away in my room to prevent it from being washed. Now all I needed was a phone.

   I quietly walked down the stairs to use the telephone by the counter. I expected Tedd to be asleep but instead he was by the counter counting the money in the register. " Fourty, fourty-five, Fifty.....", he slammed his hand on the counter and finally noticed my presence. " Is something wrong? ", I asked. He seemed more tense than usual.

   " I'm afraid the bakery isn't making enough money these days. I might need to close up shop if things keep moving in this direction ". Close the bakery? I'd have no where to go if that happens. Before I could respond, Tedd storms back upstairs and I proceed with my original mission which is to give Adam Ross a call.

   After punching all the numbers on the tray to the telephone, I wait to hear his voice but nothing happens. ' I think I'm doing something wrong ', I had never used a phone before. I dialed the number again, this time I also pressed other random buttons on the telephone till I heard a ringing sound coming from the top end of the gadget. I paced back and forth wondering if he'd answer.

   " Hello....", his voice sounded groggy and tired but it was definitely him. " Hi!! ", I sounded way more high pitched than I intended to. I clear my throat and try it again, " Hey Adam, it's Rose. From the bakery ", I pause for a few seconds hoping he remembers me. " Finally, was starting to think you washed out my number or something ", he sounded more awake now.

   I didn't know what to say next so I kept silent hoping he would say something again. " Hello, are you still there? ", was starting to wish I had played out the conversation before dialing his number. " Yes I'm here, just a little nervous. I've never done this before ", I hear him chuckle " Are you free tomorrow evening, say 6:30pm? ". I grinned from ear to ear before finally answering, " Yes I am ".

   " Good, will pick you up after work. Have a good night ". I hang up the phone without saying anything and do a happy dance by the counter. I had always read the childish little romance story books my mother would bring me as a child and always fantasized about meeting a guy one day who would sweep me off my feet and maybe, just maybe we would live happily ever after.

   As I was heading upstairs, I felt a prick on my index finger on the same spot the rose thorn injured me about five days ago. I lifted it to my face and noticed a small red dot of blood on it. Then I felt another prick and the dot of blood grew a little bigger. At first the pricks were spaced out but in just a matter of seconds the prick got closer and closer till the blood started dripping from my finger to the floor. I quickly got a napkin to stop the now heavy blood flow. My eyes got blury as tears threatened to come out. ' What is happening to me '.

   When the mysterious pricks stopped, I wiped my finger with a napkin but there was no wound at all. Not even a single mark. I ran upstairs into my room and covered my entire body from head to toe with a blanket. I then hugged my knees and finally let my tears have their way. I thought of Mr. Parker's words, ' you're a freak and you deserve to be locked up, alone '. I was starting to think he was absolutely right.

   The next morning, I woke up with a bad headache and swollen red eyes from all the crying I did last night. I was sure I needed answers but were would I start? I had to know if there were others like me. I quickly got dressed and decided to skip my date with Adam, what if something weird happens with me again? How would I explain it?

   Emily was already downstairs cleaning tables and preparing to open up shop. Tedd was acting some what strange and avoided eye contact with me. " Well you look like you woke up on the wrong side of bed this morning, were you out drinking last night? ", she grinned at me. " Drinking what? ", Emily always said the weirdest of things. " Okay ", she laughs " keep pretending like you have no idea what I'm talking about ".

   Tedd was right, business was slow. I kept on trying to come up with ideas that could help kick things up a notch. But at the same time, I couldn't help but wonder if other people also had strange black outs and finger incidents. So at lunch time I decided to talk to Emily about it.

   " Hey Emily ", I said to her as we sat down to have our lunch. " Do weird things happen to you sometimes, like black outs where you can't remember anything? ". I firmly held on to my brownie denying myself the pleasure of having the chocolatey goodness in my mouth till she had answered my questions. " Of course, all the time. Especially after having way more drinks than I should ", she laughs as she appears to be remembering something, " good times ".

   " But I don't even have to take these ' drinks ' you speak of, it just happens naturally ", I lean in closer. " And then it's like something takes over, like this dark entity. It makes me do very bad things ". Emily pauses on her brownie for a bit and stares at me horrified for a few seconds and then bursts into laughter, " Oh man Rose, you almost had me. Wow! You really sound so believable ".

   After realising she probably won't believe me, I laugh along with her. It's almost closing time and I spot Adam entering the shop. Holy cow I forgot to cancel on him. " I'm sorry I'm a little early, just couldn't wait ", what do I do now? It's too late to come up with any excuses, he's here now. " Just give me a few minutes to change ". I search through the clothes Tedd gave me and find a pretty mustard yellow lacey dress that has a tight V neck at the top and gently flows at the bottom slightly touching my knees with the black sandles Emily was kind enough to give me after realising I only owned one pair of shoes.

   I let down my long black curls, fluffying my hair just a little with my hands. " Not movie star worthy but it'll do ", I said to my reflection in the mirror and left the room. I found Tedd outside, it looked like he was about to knock on my door. " You look beautiful Kassie ", he blurted out absent mindedly but soon corrected himself, " Rose....". There was an awkward silence, then Tedd cleared his throat and spoke " I just wanted to tell you to be careful and remember to lock up when you get back ". I was sure that there was something else he wanted to say but I didn't want to be inquisitive. Tedd never asked me any questions which I very much appreciated so I chose to do the same and just nodded in agreement.

   When I came downstairs, Emily was grilling my date with questions. " What are your intentions tonight young man? ", before he could answer I grab him away from Emily. " She's just messing with you ", I give her a disapproving look. As we are about to head out of the shop, a tall bald and muscular African- American man walks in. " Sorry we're closed now but you can come back tomorrow ", Emily tells him. " My name is detective Nate Orlando ", he reveals his badge " I'm here to speak with a miss Rose ".

   I step forward, my mind racing as my feet start to feel like jell-o. " A witness spotted you on the night of Mr. Parker's death just outside his yard, so we had a sketch artist draw out the descriptions the witness gave out and put them all over the news. This morning we got an anonymous call from a man saying he knows someone who looks almost exactly as the drawing. Tedd, that's what he wanted to say. And that's why he had been acting weird all day.

   " You're gonna have to come with me to the New Orleans north precinct for questioning ". In the corner of my eye I see Tedd standing on one of the stairs looking like the guilty coward he is, I let go of Adam's hand and follow detective Orlando into the police car where I find two policemen fully armed at the back seat.

A/N  Wow Rose never catches a break huh? Talk about bad timing detective  Orlando😑😑