What A Wonderful Alternate World

Chapter Nine: Un-Calm Before the Storm

By the time Rose's parents drove up to the curb right outside their house, the sun had gone down, and the moon was high in the sky. Rose already had one hand on the handle to the door. Before Rose's father could even turn off the ignition, Rose used her other hand to pull off her seat belt as she opened the door and ran out of the car running up the steps.

"Rose!" Rose's mother called, opening the door and getting out of the car. "Rose, what's gotten into you?"

"Let me in!" Rose shouted, putting her hand on the knob and trying to turn it repeatedly, even though it was locked, resulting in the knob rattling.

"Rose, just calm down..." Rose's father closed the door to his side of the car. Pulling the house keys out of his pocket, he walked around the car and rejoined his wife as they walked up the steps. As her husband put the key in the lock and unlocked the door, Rose's mother looked at her daughter, now seeing her pale skin and shaking body.

However, before she could ask her daughter if she was okay, her husband pulled the key out of the lock and opened the door, Rose bolting into the house. "Hurry!" Rose ordered. "Come inside!"

"Rose, what's gotten into you?" Her father demanded as he and his wife entered the house. Rose, however, did not answer and rushed over to the door, closing and locking it. Now panting, Rose turned around to face her parents. "Rose, what's wrong with you?" He asked again.

"I'm..." Rose started to say, but she stopped herself, before she tried again. "I'm...not...I'm not safe..."

"What do you mean?" Rose's father asked. "Of course you're safe!"

To the surprise of both of her parents, Rose quickly shook her head. "No..." She insisted. "...He's going to come...Brad's coming..."

&*%

Brad stood at the front desk at the police station. The uniformed female officer put a box on the counter, which when Brad looked inside, he could see that it contained all of the belongings he had on him when he was arrested. Scowling, Brad looked away from the box and looked down at his fingers, which were marked with black ink.

"You can go now, sir..." the female officer told him.

Brad looked up, glaring at the officer as he grabbed the box, turning around and walking away from the desk, just as the phone on the desk rang. "Hello, New York Police Department, what's your emergency?" She asked.

"Bitch..." Brad growled, and proceeded to storm out of the station, but as he did, Brad glanced over at the small desk that was right by the door to the station, and as he looked, Brad's eyes widened as he saw the shape of a Glock on the desk, and as he got closer, Brad could see that gun.

Quickly glancing back to see if the officer was looking, Brad could see that she wasn't, as she was busy with the call. Quickly, Brad grabbed the gun and placed it in his box before he exited the station.

&*%

Rose decided to take a look at her wristwatch as she sat on a stool in front of the front window; according to her watch, it was 12:45 in the morning. As she lowered her wrist, Rose returned her look-out. Another thirty seconds passed by before she yawned, feeling a rush of exhaustion hit her.

As she looked out the window again, Rose knew that she needed to stay awake, but it was getting very hard, and within seconds, Rose lowered her head and drifted off to sleep.

&*%

Rose once again found herself in the alley. Rose moaned as she looked up at the dark sky. Rolling her head back to the side, Rose tried to move, but to her surprise, she couldn't move. It was then that she realized that her hands were behind her back, locked together with handcuffs. After realizing this, Rose looked down and also saw that her skirt was pulled down.

Suddenly, a flash of lightening flashed through the sky, and in the light, Rose's eyes widened when Brad was standing in the alley, a cruel smile on his face.

"Hey, Rose..." Brad then reached into his pocket, and with a clicking sound, Rose's eyes widened even more as she realized it was a gun, which Brad was now pointing at her head. "...You know the best thing about having a cop for a dad? You get to use his gun..."

Then, Brad let out a cruel laugh as he put his finger on the trigger. Rose shook her head, and she tried to be Brad not to pull the trigger, but her pleas were muffled, as if something had been placed over her mouth. In any case, Brad ignored her pleas, and he pulled the trigger.

Rose could hear a loud "bang" sound, and for Rose, the bullet ejected out of the barrel slowly, and Rose's eyes widened as the bullet slowly came toward her...

&*%

"AAHH!" Rose quickly sat up, sweat pouring down her face. Her heart was pounding against her chest, and her breaths came out quick. Slowly starting to realize that it was just a room, Rose started to look around the dark house.

&*%

Rose's mother and father were both sleeping on their bed in their dark bedroom, completely unaware that their door was creaking as Rose pushed it open. Light footprints could be heard as Rose silently made her way to the bed. Once she arrived at her father's side of the bed, she gently put her hand up his shoulder and gently shook.

"Dad..." Rose whimpered, gently shaking until she got a response.

Rose's father groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. sitting up, he reached over to his nightstand and switched on the lamp. Once his eyes adjusted to the new light, Rose's father turned to see his daughter standing beside the bed. "Rose..." He began, about to tell his daughter to go to bed, but when he saw the tears running down his cheeks, he quickly changed his mind. "Baby..." He asked instead. "...Baby, what's wrong?" As he spoke to her, his wife groaned as she sat up.

"What's going on?" Rose's mother asked.

"It's Rose..." Her husband answered, just as Rose wrapped her arms around him.

"Daddy..." Rose held him tightly, resting her chin on her as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Rose, talk to us..." Rose's mother urged.

"I..." Rose started, her voice choked by forced back sobs. "...I had a...dream. Brad, he--"

"Say no more..." Rose's mother cut her off. "...Rose, you're safe in this house. He can't touch you in here. You are perfectly safe..."

"We will NEVER let him harm you, Rose..." Rose's father told his daughter.

Rose sniffled as she slowly released her father. "Okay..." Rose managed. "...But...can I sleep in here tonight?"

&*%

It was early in the morning, and Rose sat on the couch; her arms were wrapped around her legs, pressing her knees up to her chest. The TV was on, and as it was her mother's idea to keep her mind off of Brad, she was supposed to be watching, but Rose wasn't. The only thing she was thinking about was that she had to get out of the house.

If Brad were to come looking for here, the house would be the first place he would look. If she was out of the house, she might be able to avoid Brad completely.

"Anything good on?" Rose turned her head to the side at the sound of her father's voice. Rose's father came around the couch and sat down right next to his daughter. "Anything on?" He repeated.

"Dad..." Rose finally said. "...I have to get out of here...I have to get out of this house..."

"Now, Rose..." Rose's father sighed. "...Your mother and I strongly feel that you should stay inside for today..."

"But, Dad!" Rose continued frantically. "If Brad really wants to get me, this is the first place he'll look! I'm not safe here!"

"Rose, do you know how silly that sounds?" Rose's father asked, bringing his hand up to his daughter's head and running it through her blonde hair. "I'm sure that Brad is smart enough to know that if he comes within your eye sight, there will be trouble. Besides, even if he does come back, we'll protect you...You know that, don't you?"

"Yes, but..."

"Then don't worry, baby..." Rose's father removed his hand from his daughter's head and he got up, and started to walk away. "...You're perfectly safe..."

"Dad, please!" Rose tried again, making her father turn around to face her again. "Please...I don't feel safe here. Please, let me go out. I promise I won't be gone too long..."

Looking at his daughter's pleading face, Rose's father wanted to be stern and to tell her no, but he found that he couldn't. Sighing, Rose's father nodded: "Alright..."

&*%

Rose closed the door to her house before she hurried down the steps. From inside the house, Rose's father watched from the window as his daughter turned and ran down the sidewalk.

"Honey..." Rose's father turned around as his wife came out of the kitchen. "...Did you go outside?"

"No..." Rose's father replied. "...Rose convinced me to let her go out for a few hours...."

"What?!" To his surprise, his wife seemed livid at his confession. "Why did you do that?! She was safe here! We could protect her here! Out there, if she runs into Brad again, who knows what could happen!"

"She just said that she would feel safer away from home..."

"I don't believe that..." Rose's mother stated. "...Here, we can protect her. This house is the safest place for her..."

No sooner had those words left her mouth, did they hear a crashing noise coming from upstairs. "That sounded like Rose's room!" Rose's father realized.

Both parents reacted quickly; rushing up the stairs and down the hall until they threw open the door, just in time for both of them to gasp.

Brad was standing in the room, and when he noticed them, he quickly extended his arm toward them, pointing his gun. "Where's Rose-a-licious?" He asked.

END CHAPTER

A/N: Ooh, what's going to happen now? Well, there are only two chapters (plus and epilogue) left, so you'll soon find out. Please review!