Rose hadn't expected her life to end so quickly.
She wanted to live longer.
Do more than see blood on her small hands, between her fingers. It was no longer crimson heaven in that moment for her.
It was just a reminder of all the things she never got to do. And all of the lives she had cut short using the hands the bitter liquid stuck to.
It was dark and quiet. Sand pressed against her limp body; some loose sprinkles blew around her.
Her eyes were half opened, consciousness rippled in and out of her like the rapids where she once lived.
Pain spiked through her arms and legs every time she struggled to stand up. Every moment ended in ragged whimpers and trails of wet regrets dripping down her smooth cheeks.
She didn't expect anyone to save her, not after everything. She didn't believe in second chances. And even if she did, she doubted she deserved one.
Brown eyes disappeared behind her eyelids. Hope faded by the second. But the bright light never came.
Her eyes jolted opened. Bright lights hung from what she eventually made out as a ceiling. Voices buzzed all around. The smell of bleach made her nose wrinkle.
"Miss?" the voice closest to her asked. It sounded female, soft and comforting. She tried to turn her head but a something stiff restricted her neck. The woman must have noticed the movement because she moved above Rose, looking down.
"You're wearing a neck brace. You need to keep still or you're going to hurt yourself." A white gloved hand adjusted a bulky mask over her mouth and nose. Breathing didn't feel so hard after that. Air seeped out of parched lips. Then it came in.
The world seemed hazy. Almost too far away to touch. Rose lifted a bloody hand, ignoring the blistering pain that shot down her arm, and reached out, grasping all the air. Was it real? Was she still alive?
Bright red lips smacked together, her gloved hand gripped the frantic arm, guiding it back to her side. Grass green eyes glimmered with worry.
"Are you in any pain?" Rose shook her head. The pain from moving her arm had already vanished, becoming a distant tingle.
"Get some sleep. I'll come check on you later." The woman in white left. Rose fought to keep her eyelids open. It was more of a losing war. The light dimmed. The wind felt light and fluffy like a cloud of sand coated her flesh, becoming a second set of skin.
Maybe it wasn't air...
Something warm brushed her cheek. Soft heart beats become thunderous. The strange sensation made her fight even harder to open her eyes. As her vision blurred, the darkness taking over, all she could make out was crimson locks clashing against pale skin.