Hi, this is my new story Black Rose. I don't know if I want to continue it. let me know what you think?


I awoke to the rare sound of rain upon my window. It was reminder of what today was. In our town everyone called it the day of sorrow because this was the only day it rained throughout the whole year. For me it was called my birthday. I went to the window and stared in shock at not seeing the regular black rose outside on the sill. I sighed and went to get ready for the day.

A black rose, the only flower I can hold without it wilting upon my touch. Try explaining to a date when they give you flowers and they die instantly in your hands. Sort of a mood killer if you ask me. But five years ago on my thirteenth birthday I was in town and a man with a hood came up to me carrying one single black rose. He handed it to me and I stared in fear that something so beautiful would soon be dead in my hand. But it didn't wilt; it stayed pristine and beautiful in my grasp. I looked up at the man in shock and he merely smirked and walked away. I stared back and forth between the two, the rose and the back of the hooded man.

And since then there has been black roses on my windowsill every time on this very day. But the only odd thing was that the amount was decreasing. On my fourteenth I got five then fifteenth I got four and then sixteen there were three. And last year there were two so why was there not one today. It saddened me in someway. I had never told anyone about the man or the black roses. In truth I tended to avoid making any contact with anyone. The school already regards me as the quiet one and that didn't need to change. Not even today when I was turning eighteen.

I sighed and threw on a pair of jeans and a gray sweatshirt. I went downstairs to see Uncle Tim reading the paper drinking his coffee.

"Is that our little Rosebud?" Aunt Alice called from the kitchen.

"That it would be." Tim rose from his chair and engulfed me in a hug. "Happy Birthday kid." He smiled and motioned me to the plate with food.

"Kid? I'm pretty sure I'm an adult now?" I stuck out my tongue to prove my point.

"Oh extremely so." He smirked and sat back down as I sat across from him. Alice walked in and kissed my head.

"Morning." She smiled and sat next to her husband. They looked between each other and he reached for her hand.

"So what would you like to do today?" Alice said to me but looking at Tim.

"I believe its called school."

"Well if you really wanted you could skip today…" I lifted an eyebrow as I saw Tim's smile falter. What was going on here…? Tim never let me miss school not even if I had the flu or a fever.

"Well its just that your eighteen now and we thought maybe you'd like the day off or something…" Alice wouldn't make eye contact with me and I could tell her smile was forced.

"Its fine." I rose from my seat not feeling the slightest bit of hunger. I put the plate on the counter and reached for my bag. But Alice snagged it before I could.

"Please…Just spend the day with us please." For a second I thought I saw fear in her eyes but I couldn't imagine of what. I shook my head and she placed my bag back down.

"Alright, I don't know what's gotten into the two of you but if you really don't want me to I'm fine with it I guess."

"Thank you." She heaved a sigh in relief.

"So what do you want to do?" I asked sitting in the lounge room.

"Well it's your day why don't we do things you like to do. What about that bookstore over on Fifth Street? And we could go out to lunch? Just the three of us today." I felt excitement well up inside me. Maybe today would be fun. I nodded and they both smiled.

An hour later I sat on the floor in the bookstore sifting through a stack of books I couldn't choose from. I looked to the window too see Alice and Tim enjoying a cup of coffee at the café across the street. They handed me fifty bucks and said get whatever I wanted. I looked at all the books and decided that's what I wanted. I lifted my stack and carried it to the cashier.

"You again? You cant have already finished the ones from last week." The older woman smiled scanning the books.

"Yeah I did, I loved the ending of the one you suggested. I never would have thought it was the brother, he seemed like he really cared about her too." She smiled as her eyes lit up.

"I thought the same thing." She put the books in the bag and I paid. I said goodbye and headed out the door with a smile but that soon fell as I looked across the street to the empty table. I jogged across the street pulling my hood up and looking around.

"Alice? Tim?" I called out but no one answered. Where were they? They're coffees were gone; it was like they were never at this table at all. I was only out of sight for five minutes. Not even…where were they. I looked back and forth down the street but to no avail. They were not here. I began to panic and ran in the direction of where the car was. I froze with fear at the sight of no car. I pulled out my phone and called Alice. It rang and rang until I heard her familiar ringtone. I followed the sound pulling my phone away from my ear. There in the trashcan lay both of their cell phones.

"What?" I gasped and began to dial the police. Maybe they were taken…maybe someone has them hostage. Maybe they're… every terrible scenario ran through my head as I felt tears trying to push through.

"Police, what's your emergency?"

"Yes hi…" I stopped talking as I noticed a familiar hooded figure walking in my direction carrying one single black rose. My phone began to drop from my hand as I heard the woman on the phone asking if I was still there. He smirked as he got closer and I felt fear shooting up my spine. I tried to move but I couldn't control my legs.

"Hello Amy, it would seem you forgot something…" he held out the rose to me and my eyes darted back and forth trying to memorize his facial features and trying to look away from the beautiful rose. Before I could do anything I had already reached out for the rose uncontrollable. He smiled darkly and I knew something was wrong. Where were Alice and Tim? And who was this man? And why the black rose?


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