Bloodrose

by Cassidy Raindance

  I picked up the petals and trimmed back what remained of the flower. I threw the bits into the garbage bin and tried to make sure I didn't miss anything. I was only 27 and much too young to die.

  I’m too young to have a blood sucking vampire feed from and torture me for the rest of whatever life they decided would be mine to live. I wiped my brow and went back into the main part of the greenhouse.

  "Everything alright?" came a sweet voice.

  "Yes, of course," I said, bowing, "Your majesty,"

  Chapter 1

  I jump out of bed and rush through the apartment to get ready for work. My makeup minimal and my outfit the same one I had worn yesterday. Maybe no one would notice. I didn't bother with toast, though I did make coffee to go as I rushed. Gulping down a hot mouthful, I grabbed my keys next to the door as I left. I had to go back a few precious steps to lock the door.

  By the time I got to my car I was only 20 minutes late but I still had to drive the few blocks to the grocery store. Normally you would think a few blocks would be easy but this was downtown traffic. I could have jogged to work and made it in better time. But truthfully, I wanted the extra time to wake up in the car.

  When I strolled through the grocery store doors I could see Sarah wasn't in yet. And there stood the manager standing in as a cashier. I winced. Not the best way to start the morning or end the week.

  "You're an hour late, Prussia," he said.

  "Tom, I'm sorry," I said, "It won’t happen again,"

  "That's what you said last week, Prussia," said Tom.

  Tom’s tapping his foot. I know this even if I couldn’t hear the tapping. It’s what Tom always does when he’s trying to look down on me and make me feel bad.

  "Sarah in yet?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

  "Changing the subject does not help the situation," said Tom, "You're good at your job Prussia but every week you end up being late at least once,"

  "I said I'm sorry," I said, "What else do you want me to do?"

  "Be on time," said Tom.

  I bit my lip and clocked into work. Stepping into my cashier role, Tom went into the back manager’s office and I didn't expect I would see him again until about lunch. Sarah came in a few moments after Tom went into his office and smiled as she walked right into his back office without knocking and closed the door. I expected 15 minutes at least, no more than 30 minutes until she would begin working her shift instead of our manager.

  ***

  Closing time came and the steadiest customer the grocery ever had came in and spent her fifteen minutes getting the exact same things she always got each night. She took her time placing them on the check out counter and I scanned each item as she recounted her day. It was borderline ritualistic. She always chose my register and if there was only one person in the entire store and they picked my register, she would wait. She wouldn't go to Sarah. I think that's why I liked her so much. It annoyed Sarah for some reason which made my day.

  "How are you today, Ma'am?" I asked.

  "Victoria, please," she said. She smiled at me and patted my hand as she did every night.

  "My night is grand. How about yours? Any plans?" Victoria asked, her eyebrows rising and a big smile on her face.

  "You know me," I said, "I'm going straight home after work to get ready for my date with Robert,"

  "When will you two be getting married, anyway?" asked Victoria, "It has to be soon, you've been dating a while I thought,” Victoria handed me the money for her purchase.

  "No date yet," I said, trying to keep my smile.

  "So he's finally popped the question?" asked Victoria, her eyes lighting up in excitement.

  "No, not exactly," I said, "We're waiting for the right time,"

  Victoria's face fell a moment, "You should give him a few hints." Her face lit up again with the idea.

  "Oh I don't know about that," I said, "We're taking things very slow,"

  "Much slower and you might wind up like me," said Victoria. She winked at me and gave a little grin, "You give that Robert a nudge and if he doesn't budge then he doesn't deserve you. You know I would just love to set you up with my great grandson, He's a peach, you'd love him,"

  "I'm sure," I said, trying my best to give her my biggest smile, "You have a good night, Victoria,"

  "Could you please walk me out, dear?" asked Victoria.

  And as always, I ended my shift with the slow walk out to Victoria's car, helping her with her groceries. Every night it was the same song and dance. And every night I had to race home. A few blocks, but a long few blocks when you're late, on date night no less.

  As soon as I got into our apartment building and up the elevator I knew that Robert had not waited. I could hear the giggling and the music from Lydia's apartment near the elevator. And since I also knew that Robert and Lydia had been spending a lot of his free time together, I figured they were both in her apartment having a great time.

  My suspicions were confirmed when I got in our apartment and found another note from Robert. Waited, having tea at the neighbors, the same old note. I crumbled up the note and threw it across the living room. I would have to pick it up later. I was the resident maid. I poured some cereal and plopped down on the sofa with a blanket. This had become far too common on date night.

  ***

  After a few hours of listening to the nonsense down the hall, I finally got tired of it and decided to take a walk. The park wasn't far and the weather was warm. I grabbed a light jacket and shoes and headed out the door.

  I shoved my keys hard into my jacket pocket as I stomped past Lydia's apartment and onto the elevator. Punching buttons didn't do much but it made me feel better even if by only a very small amount. I jabbed at the elevator buttons and they lit up, carrying me down to the ground floor.

  If I could just breathe, if I could just think, I could figure out how to get Robert back from the brink of Lydia. Her influence had crept in over Robert the past few months.

  It didn't help that he worked at the clubs on the weekend. I had been able to keep the other club girls at bay but having Lydia right down the hall had just been too close to beat back. I couldn't sit on Robert and watch him all of the time. She had snaked her way into our lives, destroying our chance to be happy and for Robert and I to take our relationship to the next level and start a family.

  My steps were brisk down the side walk toward my work and to the park. At one in the morning nothing was open and the streets were calm and empty. The noisy clicking of the traffic lights turned from green to yellow to red and back to green without a single car. I realize as I wait for the walk signal that I’m panting.

  Perhaps it was the slight chill in the air or my anger, whatever the reason my breathing quickened. My body felt pumped up which didn’t match how completely relaxed my mind felt. I tried to slow my breathing and the walk signal clicked to tell me I could continue on my walk. And I did. I walked through the cross walk and across the sidewalk straight onto the walking path for the park.

  What had begun as a sure pace became much faster. I began walking so fast that it turned into a jog and that’s when it hit me. I finally felt it all at once. I felt angry. Each footstep fell and I felt it through my entire body. Each footstep became heavier until landing as an angry stomp onto the walking path.

  My anger disappeared into the asphalt path only to be followed with another angry footstep. I lost control of my breathing and it quickened beyond my quick stomping steps. My panting changed into something else. I had begun hyperventilating. I stopped and leaned over, placing my hands on my knees and panting the humid air. I felt it coursing through me for the first time I could remember, I felt so much anger bubbling up inside of me and I could hardly contain it.

  The night was still and there was no one around to observe my complete madness in the deserted park. My hyperventilating continued and I had to choose between passing out or getting myself under control. In the middle of a full blown panic attack, I stood up straight so fast tha
t I nearly fell to the ground.

  I wobbled on the walking path and I began laughing for no reason. My laugh was a chaotic and uncontrolled laughter that would have brought stares if the park wasn't empty. It made my laughter that much heavier in the silence. I walked a few steps and I stopped trying to contain it. I laughed and laughed and then when I couldn't find the breath to laugh any more, I began running down the path.

  Chapter 2

  I instantly felt better. I felt my mind clear, my breathing began to slow to the steady heavy breathing of jogging and I just smiled in my insane midnight jog through the park. I came up on a curve and rounded it with great stride, coming upon the small pond and just looked out across the water as I ran. I had no worry about another jogger. I had no concern about catching a Frisbee to the temple. The park in the middle of the night felt relaxing and comforting.

  My stride lengthened even more and I smiled as I ran. For an instant, I could see my problems and my solution clearly. Robert had become distracted by Lydia and I needed to stop playing nice and to fight for what I wanted. I needed to remind Robert of what we have. I needed to make him see how desirable I was and in the process, get rid of Lydia for good. The better of the two of us would win.

  I ran the entire perimeter of the pond and was out of breath by the time I rounded the far end for the return trip back towards my apartment.

  As I turned the corner and jogged around a boulder that sat near the path, I was blindsided. Out from a bush leapt what I thought was an animal. I lay on the ground with my head throbbing. Surprise set in when I looked up from my place cowering on the ground to see a face.

  Neither twisted in anger nor calm with a pristine type of crazy, the face of the man that attacked me was simply blank. And that look gave me more terror than anything. I reached into my pocket for my cell phone and remembered I had only brought my keys. I hadn't grabbed anything else. In that instant I realized how stupid I was to be in the park at this hour, alone, without anything to protect myself, jogging in the moonlight.

  He lunged towards me and grabbed at my arms. I kicked at him and watched as his knee bent backwards with the force of my kick. It caused him a moment of pause. I struck out again, seeing that he had hesitated. He dodged my kick this time and leapt on top of me, grabbing me by the hair.

  My first instinct was to scratch and hit at any part of him I could. It didn't deter him in the least. I felt terror drop into my chest and my throat tightened in fear. I tried to scream and couldn't. It wasn't fear around my throat, it was his hands and they were ice cold.

  My eyes went wide and the exhilaration of rapid breathing I had experienced moments before stopped. I had no way to breath and my sight started to fail me. I was about to faint. With the swiftness he had jumped out from the bushes and landed on me, he was off of me. I gasped in the chill air and it stung my lips, my throat and my lungs.

  My eyes felt as if they were going to bulge from my face. I was completely alert though disoriented and I backed away, crawling away on the ground, from where this evil man had just been.

  I could see his body fifteen or so feet in front of me on the ground and another person stood over him. I rubbed my eyes in disbelief at a dark figure that towered over him. The body on the ground was limp, unresponsive.

  I could make out that the person standing over my attacker was a man. I rubbed my eyes again and found my voice to scream but as I sucked in as much air as my lungs would allow his eyes were upon me and something stopped me.

  In the darkness I could see his eyes, even while his face remained shadowed. I could only see his eyes on me and I felt them, searching me for something as if asking a question and the answer was simply on me.

  "You lack some self-preservation instincts," said the man, "or you are just plain crazy,"

  I regretted not screaming. Sarcastic with the first words out of his mouth couldn’t make for a much better night.

  "Or perhaps you don't like competition in the park," I said.

  He straightened taller after the words left my mouth. He didn't say anything and for a moment there was only silence. The body on the ground moved.

  "I'm Prussia," I tried to humanize myself to this man who had saved me in the event that my attacker was simply competition after all, "Thank you so much for saving me,"

  I smiled and the man tugged on his jacket to straighten it. He wasn’t completely disinterested but wasn't completely paying attention to me either.

  "I'm glad you are not hurt," he said, "I don’t think this man had the best intentions,"

  With those words, the body on the ground grabbed the leg of the man that had just saved me and threw off his balance, sending him to the ground. The attacker leapt to his feet. I scooted away, my attacker looked at me and for a moment I thought he would come after me again. He looked at my savior on the ground. He had begun to rise and that seemed to make him think it unwise to come after me again. He ran.

  The man who saved me got up from the ground and began to run after the fleeing man but after about fifteen steps gave up.

  "Did you get a good look at his face?" he asked as he walked back over to where I sat on the ground.

  "No," I said, "It all happened so quickly, too quickly,"

  "I'm sorry he won't be brought to justice," he said.

  "Thank you for saving me," I said, "He was completely mad. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't been here,"

  The man came closer and I was surprised to find that even in the shadows he was handsome. I couldn't make out all of his face but his lips were soft, his eyes steely and beautiful, and his cheekbones high with great character.

  "I'm Prussia," I said.

  "I know," he said.

  "How do you know my name?" I asked.

  "Because," he said, "You already introduced yourself once,"

  "Oh," I said, "Funny, I didn't catch your name,"

  "I didn't give it," he said.

  He looked at me and after a moment I felt awkward.

  "Okay...I'll just call you handsome stranger I guess," I giggled in my nervousness.

  "Sebastian," said the man, "My name is Sebastian and I'm flattered that you think I'm handsome,"

  He extended a hand to help me up and I let him help me off the ground. I swatted at the grass that was all over me. I must have looked a disheveled mess.

  "Can I walk you home?" asked Sebastian.

  "I can manage," I said, shrugging, "But thank you,"

  He looked at me long and hard, "I think I'll walk you home all the same," he said, "I have no idea where that man went and he did seem particularly insane,"

  "I really don't need-" I started to say.

  "It's for my peace of mind really," said Sebastian, "I would just hate myself if I open the morning paper to find you were murdered after I just saved you. A waste of a perfectly good heroic act,"

  I smiled and shook my head, "Well, as long as it’s for your peace of mind and not because you think I’m a frail creature that needs protecting. After all, you did save me."

  "If we're being completely honest-," he said.

  "But we're not," I interrupted, "We're just strangers in the park walking the same direction..."

  "Except I know your name," said Sebastian, "And I saved you so I don't think that makes us complete strangers,"

  "What would that be then?" I asked.

  "Linked by fate," he said with a stern face.

  My smile began to drop as I tried to decide if he was someone I should worry about after all.

  "Just kidding..." Sebastian smiled at me.

  He had a sick sense of humor. I tried to chuckle, "You got me!" I said, "That was extra creepy at 1 am in the middle of a park,"

  "It's close to 2 am," he said, "You should get your watch checked,"

  "I'm not wearing a watch," I informed him.

  "Okay well, read the time from the moon better next time," said Sebastian.

  I looked up at the moon, "Is that a thing? Can people do that?" I asked.


  He looked at me as if I needed to be kept at a safe distance and started down the walking path. I looked after him a moment until he turned back to see if I followed. I jogged to catch up to him and smiled. He was very handsome. And I was fortunate that he had come to my rescue. I felt better as we walked through the park together. I kept looking out in the bushes, waiting to see if my attacker would strike again.

  We made it back to my apartment and I was relieved. I thought he would leave me at the front of my building but insisted on walking me to my apartment door. He asked which floor and pressed the elevator buttons. I was surprised by how big his hands were. They matched the rest of him.