Trigger Warning: Rape and Violence
"Flora, do you need any help closing up? I can stay a little longer if you would like." A woman with short brown hair and fair skin asked.
"I am fine, Cara." Flora responded, "I just need to finish organizing the last of the fall order seeds." Flora said looking down at a small pile of seed envelopes that she had been sorting to be shelved.
Flora had been working for Cara at the Magix Flower and Seed Emporium for the past few months. She loved working with nature and gave her time alone away from the craziness of the Winx missions and allowed her to develop her skills. She dreamed of being a botanist and was studying plant and cell biology at the University of Magix in hope that she could use her knowledge of plants study them and put them to use in creating natural remedies for ailments. She had already bred her own tea plant that alleviated the symptoms of the flu and curbed nausea. Cara saw the passion in Flora's eyes and decided to hire her on and all Flora had been was an absolute delight. Flora was amazing with the customers as well as handling every plant and seed with care. Cara could not imagine a better employee.
"Alright, Flora. The key is under the register and no worries if you don't get everything finished tonight, I know that you have class in the morning." Cara said as she grabbed her jacket.
"You know I can't let any task go unfinished." Flora giggled. "Now go home."
"You're the best, Flora. Call if you need anything." Cara called out as she walked out the door.
Flora smiled and waved to Cara and watched her walk down the street. Flora looked down and resumed filing the seeds. She put in her headphones and started to play music, that had always made the work more fun and go by faster. After she had sorted out the seed packets she went around to the shelves to place them in their respective spots. She walked down the aisles of the store and started to place seeds in baskets when she heard the door alarm ring alerting the employees to when a customer had entered the store. Flora took out her headphones and walked to the front of the store and saw a tall man with black hair and pale skin.
"I am sorry sir, but we are closed for the day. Our hours are 9am to 10pm." Flora informed the man.
The man turned around to reveal striking green eyes and minor stubble around his chiseled jaw. "I apologize, I totally forgot about my anniversary with my girlfriend and I just got off of work and I just need to get some flowers. If you help me, I will be out of you hair in no time. Please, help a forgetful sucker like me."
"Well, I guess I could help. Do you know what your girlfriend would like? May I suggest roses? They aren't quite in season yet but I am sure that they will look beautiful nonetheless." Flora said.
"Thank you so much. Again, I am so sorry. I don't know if she would like roses, she doesn't like cliche tropes. She really likes pink dahlias, do you have any of those?" the man asked.
"I think so. If I do, they won't be out here. We have already set out our fall plants and flowers so I can check in the back for you. Just wait one moment." Flora smiled as she walked back into the store room. She walked in a room that had a light mist running through the air and sweet fragrance of the plants filled the air. Flora looked around the room a saw a gathering of pink and red dahlias in the corner of the room. She walked over and picked up the flowers and smiled at how beautiful they looked.
"They look very nice." a voice said behind Flora causing her to jump. Flora turned around and saw the man standing behind her.
"Yes, they are. You aren't supposed to be back here." Flora stammered still trying to catch her breath from being scared. The man took the flowers from her hand and placed them down on a small wooden counter.
"I don't care." the man growled as he walked closer to Flora causing Flora to walk back into the corner. "I think that I found a better flower."
"Which ones are they?" Flora asked trying to bring the focus back to the task at hand. "I think that your girlfriend would like-" Flora was silenced when she felt the man's lips on her own. Flora pushed him away and ran past the man. "I thought that you were shopping for your girlfriend?"
"I don't have a girlfriend." The man chuckled sinisterly. "I have been watching you for the past month. I know you, Flora. I know you attend the University of Magix and I know about your friends. If you tell them about what is going to happen, I will kill them. I will kill your family. Then I will kill you." the man informed as he walked closer to Flora.
"What...what are you going to do?" Flora asked through heavy breath as she backed away from the man who was slowly inching closer to her.
The man said nothing as he looked her up and down. Soon he grabbed her wrist, turned her around, and pushed her against the wall. Flora started to cry as she felt a sharp and cold object on her neck. "Please don't do this." Flora begged through her tears. Flora thought of her friends, her family, and Helia. She had never told Helia how she felt. He was her best friend and she loved him more than anything in the world. Every memory that she shared with Helia came flooding into her mind as she felt the man's hands trace her body. Flora felt the knife move from her neck and cut her shirt and bra. She felt them fall on the floor and the mist hit her body causing her to shiver.
"Don't shiver. I will warm you up, Flora." the man whispered in her ear. He then ran his hands along her back and brought them around to her breasts. Flora gasped and started to cry harder. She closed her eyes and started to think about Helia. She imagined that it was Helia holding her and caressing her skin, it made her feel warm but did not distract her enough from the attack that was happening to her.
Soon she felt her pants and underwear being pulled down, leaving her completely exposed to her attacker. The image of Helia had left her mind, nothing could make her feel better or out of the moment. She felt his hands migrate from her breasts to her inner thighs and pulled them apart. Flora's crying stopped and finally coming to realize that this was not a nightmare and that everything happening to her was real. All she could do and close her eyes and breathe slowly. Flora soon heard the sound of unbuckling and found skin against her own. Before she could process anything she felt something hard enter her. She felt her body go heavy and the only thing keeping her up was the wall and the force of the man raping her. Rape. That is what was happening to her and she couldn't do anything about it. She was paralyzed with fear and all she could feel was the man going in and out of her with the knife making slow and light cuts on her back. He grunted and moaned as he went in and out of her. She tried going back to Helia but it was no use. She felt the man thrusting in her faster and harder until he pulled out and climaxed on her back. She felt something hot on her back and knew that he had finished when she heard the sound of buckling again.
The man bent over her and whispered in her ear, "You were so tight, Flora. Were you saving yourself for me? You are such a good girl. I enjoyed our time together and I can't wait until we can be together again. Remember, tell anyone and you know what happens." the man repeated as he ran the knife down the side of Flora's face. He walked over to the pink dahlias and plucked one from the bushel. He walked over to Flora who was still in the same position as he left her in. He kissed her tear stained cheek and placed the flower in her hair. "Goodbye, Flora." He then left the back and the alarm went off indicating that he had left.
The alarm broke Flora out of the trance that she was in. She pulled up her pants and went over to small sink and mirror that was in the back room that was used for employees to wash their hands. She turned on the water and looked at herself in the mirror and quickly looked away. She was disgusting and used. She saw the red marks on her body and turned around to look at her back in the mirror. She washed her face and her body, leaving no trace of what happened only moments earlier. After washing, she looked at the bruises that were on her body and ran to grab her jacket to cover herself up. Flora ran out of the store and back to her dorm room.
Hey all, I am still trying to figure out where to go with my other story and I know that this one may seem dark (understandably so) but I think that I can make a good story out of it and work through some issues that I am going through. Thanks for reading the first chapter and let me know what you think.
