Chapter 3 The black rose

I let my breath return to normal, my heart beating in a rhythm that was beyond normal. I walked back to my locker room and with each step I wasn't so sure if my eyes were correct, had I really seen her or was I just so desperate to get away from Eve that I conjured her up. I didn't like the latter option, I preferred to think she was real, or at least I had really seen her and somehow she had read my mind and taken me away from that whore Eve. Once I got to my locker room, I closed the door and sat on the cold bench, head in hands. I wanted her to be real so badly that I was starting to see her, see her when I wasn't smashed. Curt tapping came to my door and the only hope I had was her, then again if she wasn't real then how could she knock on the door, I didn't really want to get into that so I yelled for them to come in. More annoyed than I was orginally, Mark came in. His face was grave which didn't put me at ease.

"What?" I looked up at him not wanting to have this conversation. I already knew this wasn't a conversation I wanted to have let alone hear.

"I was talking to Eve" Mark started, his eyes nothing but worried.

"Yeah I was talking to her"

"She said you started running after a girl, a girl that she couldn't see"

"Then she's blind, see, nothing to worry about"

"Glen" He said my name in a breathy voice that made me want to punch him, I heard my name said like that and I hated it. "I want you to talk to someone"

I laughed in his face, I couldn't help it. "No thanks, I'm good"

"Well excuse me if I don't think so, you're going back to that place, that place where everything is fucked up and I don't want you to do something you might regret"

"Look dude, I'm fine, really, I just need you people to piss off and leave me be"

"Fine" Mark got out before striding out the door and finally leaving me alone. I went back to her, hoping that Mark was wrong and I wasn't insane. Although that would explain alot.

The day went on as normal and sadly I didn't see her again, I thought I did but when I looked at her properly, it wasn't her and it was just some whore and some random woman. I thought this day couldn't get any worse and just like that, it did. The ex-wife made her presence known, I don't even know why but for some reason she just had to see me. I was much bigger than she was and looking into those eyes I only questioned one thing, why the hell did I love her any way. She was nothing special, just another woman that needed a bullet.

"What do you want Kat?"

"I wanted to tell you personally that I'm getting married"

"Good for you" I went to walk around her but she got in the way meaning she wasn't done. "Why are you even here Kat, so you're getting married, like I really care"

"Just thought you should know how happy I am" She flashed me that grin, like a wolf stalking a rabbit. I only wished that she would drop dead or get the hell away from me.

"Yeah I don't care, I only hope that you and that prick die from monoxide poisoning"

She started to speak again in that voice that made me want to smack her body against the wall so hard that her voice just stopped. Thats when I noticed it and I really couldn't help but laugh "You're bleeding"

Kat's eyes widened as her hand rubbed her nose, the blood bright red as it poured from her nose, "Why the hell would you hit me?" She whispered at me clearly hurt. "You've never hurt me before"

"You're an idiot Kat, I didn't hit you I was standing here and suddenly your bleeding. Good by the way, one can hope that you bleed out and die" With that I walked past her and left her with her bloody nose, I really hoped she would die but I couldn't help but wonder if someone had heard my silent wish. I liked to think it was my girl.

After work I went straight to the local bar, I was officially out of drugs so I guess alcohol would have to do. I was shotting my way to bliss, I would have to have at least at ten shots until I was drunk off my face, because I was a big guy the alcohol took longer to get to me, that was fine, the burning liquid was freeing me from reality and thats what I needed, freedom. I was up to the fifth shot when I finally heard it, the voice that I was longing to hear.

"If you stop now, nothin bad will happen"

I looked at her and there she was on the bar stool next to me, everything just as I remembered it only she was up close and I swear I could smell her, a light rosy smell.

"Are you real?" I whispered at her, I wasn't sure if anyone else could see it but I didn't want anyone to know that I was talking to myself, I wasn't sure if I cared but I kept my voice down any way.

"Yes Kane I'm real" Eve giggled from my right, I had no idea she was even standing there, I looked at her then to my left, she was still there but her face had grown hard, evil almost.

"I hate sluts, worst kind of slut is a gold digging one"

"Why are you here?"

"Because I wanna apologize about today, I'm sorry about what I said, I didn't mean to make you un-comfy"

I cast a look at my girl expecting her to leav but she was still there, her silver eyes dancing almost.

"Look Kane, you can either stay here and let Eve twist the night into something it wasn't, or you can follow the black rose"

I had no idea what that meant but I watched her get up and walk through the slight crowd, she kept stopping and starting so I could keep up with her. Thats when I saw it, she purposely rolled up left sleeve a little and put her wrist up so I could see that black rose.

"So Kane, can we start over?" Eve asked her voice suddenly more high pitched and girly. I ignored her and got off my seat to follow the black rose. For the first time in a long time, I felt good about something.