Shadow Rose
Chapter Seven
i should probably keep working on chapter eight...
Rose Anderson's Narrative
I watched them from the shadows, they were arguing. Danny was throwing random ecto-blasts at the targets Sam used for practice; she'd shown them to me before. "I'm telling you, she just a little crazy from being called Rosie, blew it way out of proportion because she's stressed!" Said Tucker.
"So you saying that claiming she's a long dead murderer is normal?" Valerie pointed out, looking concerned, and I guess she'd forgiven me then.
"It was probably some sort of side-affect from the experiments, remember the impulse?" Sam said and she pulled bits of grass out of the ground. "I mean, there's no way Rose is Rebecca Azeri."
"So you don't believe her?" Danny challenged, "You don't believe her when she says that's who she is? I don't care what the rest of you think; but I believe when she says her name is Rebecca."
"Rose is not a serial killer," Valerie yelled at him, "She's a delicate girl who's been emotionally scarred by past experience."
"I'm going to visit her, are you guys coming?" Danny asked sullenly and as the others nodded I stepped out of the shadows.
"I'm touched by your loyalty but you have to have some sort of doubts," Tucker jumped.
"You're our friend Rose, nothing's going to change that."
"Do we keep calling you Rose, or call you Rebecca?" Danny asked nervously.
"Her name isn't Rebecca," Valerie hissed at him through gritted teeth. From what I could tell, she and Sam still firmly believed that I wasn't in my right mind and I was not Rebecca Rose Rachel Azeri.
"I've used many names over the years," I told her, "But I've always been the Shadow Rose, and for the longest time I was called Rebecca. I am who I say I am Val, I'm not forcing you to believe me, but I am asking you, as a friend, to believe that I am capable of taking a life." Valerie glared at me and flounced off, she was angrier than I thought then about the whole Shadow Rose thing.
"Can I take a raincheck for Patrol tonight?" I said to Sam, "I've got a couple of things that I want to do." She nodded and I jogged away, tears blurring my vision.
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I sat on the bridge and gazed at the surprisingly clear waters beneath me. I was perched on the edge of the railing, and I was crying. I could sense someone approaching.
"Rose?" Danny said tentatively and I suddenly became philosophical, still staring out across the water.
"We think that we can be there for anyone, no matter what they've done. Some say that everything's forgivable, and then they find the unforgivable, and recoil in horror. That's what I am, the unforgivable." The wind began to blow and I could feel it through my jeans. I tightened my grip as my shoulder-length hair was whipped into the air.
"I always thought that I could stop myself if I wanted to, but I kept on taking what was not mine. I couldn't keep what I took, and it was wasted, I wasted it. I have committed heinous crimes; Rebecca Azeri, the greatest criminal of time, although most internet records say she is second only to the Hidden PDA, who changed the official records."
"I'll see you at school tomorrow?" He said and I shook my head.
"I can't stay here, I can't look those people in the face and say I'm alright, I can't even look you in the face anymore."
"So you're leaving?" Danny asked, confused. I rested my gaze on the water below me and imagined it rushing up to meet me.
"No, I'm falling," as I said that I let go. The water really did rush up to meet me and everything went black.
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I was alone in a world of white, it was silent, completely silent. Am I dead? I wondered to myself.
No, said a voice I had not heard for years, you are still alive. I turned to find Verity.
But you are dead, I thought, you have been dead for years, I killed you. Verity shook her head.
You did not kill me, that worthless snake of a man did, I did not know who she meant, but I did not ask, she would tell me if she wanted to
When I woke your blood was on my hands I told her and I was holding the weapon that killed you
So? That does not make you a killer she said, smiling, she looked no older that the day I had seen her for the last time
How can I be alive? I asked, I thought I finally figured out how to end my torture, and now this
This is the place where those who wish to die always come Verity told me solemnly this is where wounds are healed and pain is forgotten
I do not want to be here I said, and took in my surroundings, not that there were any surroundings, like I said before, everything was white, there was nothing, no light, no darkness, no solid ground or sky, we just, existed. The only things that had colour or substance were me and Verity… who was looking kind of blue.
Vera, where am I? I asked and why is there… nothing
I told you where you are she said quietly but you do not believe me, you never believe me
I'm supposed to be dead! I yelled at her
But you're not! She yelled back and looked at me gravely, Rose, as much as you want to give up, you have to go on, everyone in life has a purpose, you still haven't lived yours
What purpose is ahead of me? I asked bitterly when everything and everyone I loved are out of my reach
What about Sam? She asked, what impact have you made in her life? She would never have made friends with Danny, unless you brought them together
I tried to walk away but everywhere I went, Verity was directly ahead of me, even when I turned in the opposite direction. There's no where to run to this time Rosie, I clenched my fists but did not say anything. Look at me Rose, please. I ignored her as hard as I could. Rebecca, I trembled but I kept my head down. Rebecca Rose Rachel Azeri look at me, please. She added as an afterthought, I complied, reluctantly. We stared at each other for what seemed like an age, maybe it was. There were so many things I thought in that moment, so many regrets.
Rebecca Rose Rachel Azeri, Rebecca Azeri, Rachel Arundel, Rose Anderson, all my names, each had a story, but was I ready to tell that story? Verity smiled at me sadly I know how you feel sweetie, it's painful. I noticed for the first time that her lips weren't moving, and her words echoed slightly.
Leave me alone I said coldly, and my quiet words echoed more than hers.
I will go, she said sadly, but as soon as I go, ghosts worse than me will come for you. I turned away and there was silence, but when I looked up again, I saw the last person I wanted to see.
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Sam Mansons Narrative
I was ten thirty when I received a frantic and jumbled message from Danny, something about Rose and the River. I was trying to figure out what was so important he'd left three messages on my answering machine when he burst through my wall as Phantom holding a dripping wet and unconscious Rose. She was also a pastel blue and was most definitely not breathing. Danny was panicking as I directed him to place her on my bed.
"Did she fall in or something?" I asked, curious as to how she ended up in the river in winter at all. I was expecting it to start snowing any day now.
"She jumped," Danny said hopelessly and I felt the blood drain from my face, Rose had just killed herself.
"I'll call a doctor, you get Tucker and Valerie."
The Doctor was at least ten minutes and none of us knew how to do CPR. Rose's face was no longer blue but a deathly grey. We had tried to warm her but to no avail, her skin was still icy. Rose was not responding, to anything, and the Doctor kept throwing amazed glances at Danny, who was at that moment Danny Phantom. In fact, he hissed to me when I bent over Rose, "Why is Phantom here, do you know him Miss Manson?" I shook my head.
"Phantom pulled her out of the water and I understand he had heard that she is a friend of mine."
"I'm afraid you should be saying; 'was'," he whispered and I paled.
He left soon after that after pulling a blanket over Rose's face and promising to return to write up a Death Certificate. "Rose is not dead," I said fiercely, "Danny; I need you to overshadow her."
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Rose Anderson's Narrative
He was giving me an accusing look and I began to cry, why are you haunting me?
You were about to leave the people who needed you the most Rose, he said, how could you do that?
I need you, I wept, Will, I need you, do you know how hard it is, day after day?
I can imagine, he said gently and wrapped his arms around me, it was so wonderful to be in his arms again. But that doesn't change what you are there to do.
God is cursing me, I sniffed, leaning my head against his chest, he ran his hand through my hair, like he used to.
It may seem like a curse, but you are a blessing Rosie. I let him call me Rosie, he had always called me Rosie, and I had once loved him for it. You're friends will come for you, one of them is coming right now. He vanish and a stood.
Will? I felt something cold hit me and I twitched, closing my eyes to deal with the pain. When I opened them again I was standing in an old cathedral, the one I had grown up near. A figure began to form from out of no where. Will?
But it was not Will, it was Danny Phantom, how did he get in here? Get out Danny, I said, turning away from him.
We need you to wake up Rose, he said, I could sense him looking around curiously, Please, we need your help.
No you don't, I said hollowly and raised my head to look at the light that was spinning through the stained glass windows, but Will was there, standing so I could see him, and he nodded.
Please Rose, Danny continued, he had not seen Will, only I could. I made my decision and closed my eyes, letting myself fall again into the Darkness.
--- --- ---
Light gradually filtered through my eyelids and I lifted them with a groan. There was an excited shriek ad I was enveloped by an ecstatic Valerie. "Can't breath," I mumbled and she dropped me in alarm, I hit my head against the wall. "Ow," as I sat properly on what seemed to be Sam's bed I was faced with four delighted faces, my friends.
"You had us worried there Rosie," Tucker said cheerfully and the colour drained from his face as he realised what he's said. "I'm sorry!"
"Don't Tuck," I said weakly, and he mouthed a 'sorry'.
"Will you be up and running soon?" Sam asked and tentatively gave me a hug, I nodded and managed a smile. Although I was still weak, for the first time in a long time, I felt truly alive.
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now that all the emotional stuff is out of the way we can begin the main storyline... yippee!