THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH ROSE
SAM PEMBROKE
"Think about it for a moment Sam! Rose hasn't been acting like herself at all lately." Ruth said as she sat in her chair in the sitting room. Samuel looked at her with wonderment. "What do you mean Ruth? She hasn't been home for merely two days and you think that she isn't acting herself? The accident traumatized her. I feel as though Emily helped her the most throughout that episode." Samuel said as he sipped his whiskey in a tumbler glass. Ruth looked at her husband, the honorable Admiral Samuel Alan Bukater.
"I heard her last night say that she wants to kill herself. Samuel, no girl should talk of that."
"Have you seen her write it down in her diary?"
"No."
"Then what makes you sure she wants to commit suicide? Does she have a plan or intent?"
"Elizabeth said that Rose wanted to die because we don't love her and we're going to make Emily go away."
"That seems like a silly reason to want to die."
"To us maybe, but to her it's a very large part of it."
Rose lay in her bed. The term at school had been over a mere two days and inside she felt like she was squirming. She felt like nothing was going right for her, there was that scrape she'd gotten into with Emily over a hair ribbon; but that was something trivial. Rose didn't want Emily to go away for the summer to visit her adopted family, she wanted her to stay. Without Emily, Rose's life would be dull and pointless.
"Mother could stand to lose me, I don't think she wants me around." She thought to herself. "Papa wouldn't be hurt at all."
How selfish were these thoughts she was thinking! She hadn't realized that her parents were at the same moment talking about Rose's earlier actions, perhaps even contemplating what to do about Rose. She stared at the ceiling, listening to Elizabeth's deep breathing over in her own bed.
"What would she lose? Elizabeth wouldn't care if I was dead." She continued to think to herself. Suddenly Rose's thoughts came back to her: "I think this family would better off if I was dead. They don't love me, not even mother. Her love is so fake, she doesn't give a damn about me!"
Meanwhile downstairs, Ruth and Samuel continued their discussion in the sitting room.
"What do you suggest should be done about Rose?" Samuel asked.
"We should take her to see Doctor Langdon, he'll know what to do."
"But what if she has to be institutionalized?" Samuel asked again.
"It is what is Sam. If that is what the ultimate move must be, then it will be."
"I'm worried about her Ruth, I hate to think of her being in an asylum."
"It won't be for forever Sam. Rose will be better again. You'll see. You and I both know that Rose will be better again."
"I wish it didn't have to be this way."
"As do I."
By now Rose was fast asleep. Asleep in her little dream world, a world where she was happy and carefree; at least that's how it was normally. This night however, her world was shattered. She dreamed of shadowy figures with outstretched hands wanting to grab her and take her away. A hand grabbed her and began to drag her to a door marked "Hell." Rose kicked and screamed, but still the hands dragged her. Finally, she woke up screaming. The screams were enough to rouse her parents from downstairs. They came barging in and immediately began to comfort the frightened child.
"There, there Rose. It's okay. It was all just a bad dream. You're okay." Ruth said to the sniveling child."
Rose wouldn't believe that this affection her mother was showing was real.
"It's not real. Your love is not real. You don't love me." Rose said as she sniffled. Ruth was taken aback.
"Don't be silly Rose. It's very late. We'll talk in the morning."
And with that, Ruth and Samuel left the room.
Back downstairs, Ruth and Samuel returned to their places as if nothing happened. Ruth looked hurt and dejected. Samuel was curious and asked his wife what the matter was.
"What's wrong Ruth?"
"Rose said I didn't love her."
"Does she know that that is a false statement?"
"I don't know."
"Has that swayed your mind?"
"Yes."
"Are we decided?"
"We are decided."
