Roses and Thorns

Wither and Despair

My life flowed much the same after that. My time spent after school with the groundskeeper Jack Samael. My home life often alone with the enjoyment of music to keep me company. On the last day of school for the year something changed. You could blame it on the rain, or the howling wind, or even on the fact that I had woken up late that day. In my haste to get ready for school I stumbled and shuffled my way around my room. My uncareful steps spelling disaster as an audible crunch could be heard. Followed by a silence. My eyes drifted down to my CD player. The cracks in it noticeable. Its blue cover snapped and tilted to the side. The music that was flowing from it no longer filling the air with melodic tunes. In that moment it felt as if my last thread of sanity had snapped. To have one of the few lifelines to happiness be gone with a careless move hurt. Time moves on though with or without my input. So I pick up the broken pieces. I slide the disk out thankfully and place it on my desk to be delt with later. I place the broken pieces into my book bag and walk out my room. My mood now sour, something that even Dan and Marcy noticed. The ride to school was silent. It felt odd. So used to wanting silence. That when I was presented with true silence in a place where conversation flowed like a river, I closed myself off further. Holding my book bag close to my chest and hiding behind the old cloth of it.

Once at school I got out of the car quickly. Cameron not too far behind me. I kept my eyes down though. Not desiring to see or even look anyone in the eye. How could I? I was a failure, a clumsy kid. Typically, the last day of school is a joyous one. Where people celebrate the fact that summer vacation was less than a day away. But on that particular day I felt as if I was just going through the motions. The cacophony of noise of my classmates filled the halls and the classrooms. I didn't have the heart to spare anyone a glance. Just stayed at my desk and stared at the grains of the wood. By lunch though an idea had formed in my head. Asking for help is always a good idea, but who to ask? Dan would be worthless; he can't even fix the radio in his car. Marcy would be an option, but she would be busy as usual. Cameron is only a few years older than me and in middle school but I figured he wouldn't even know how to fix the broken CD player. Which left me with one final option, Mr. Samael. The old man was smart, and I had seen him often fixing the schools equipment for his job. Surely a man like that would know what to do in this situation. How wrong I was in this situation. If I could go back in time, I would have told the younger me to head home after school. To not stick around. To just open up to my foster parents. Life doesn't work that way though. Choices are made and they can't be undone once enacted. Dear readers, head my warning. This is your last chance to do so. The events of that day are dark, morbid, and by and large horrifying. If you are squeamish, and you do not wish to know more then please skip to the next chapter. The events after this will be referenced but never told in the detail that I will go into here. For your sake, advert your eyes. Enjoy your innocence. This has been my warning to you.

Once school had ended, I went to the rose bushes. Where I always meet Mr. Samael after school. By now all of the roses were long gone. But the vibrancy of the bushes still hid the shed behind them. Heavy footfalls approached me, and I turned to Mr. Samael saying the first words I had said all day.

"Can you help me?"

"Sure kid, what do ya need?"

I pull the broken remains of my CD player from my book bag and hold it out to him. My eyes pleading with him for help. My hand shaking as he took it from me. He grumbled a bit when looking over it before giving me a look. Like he was working a problem out in his head.

"Alright kid, I can help you. Step inside the shed, its where all my tools are at"

I wordlessly follow him. This isn't the first time I had been inside the shed. But it was the last. The tools were always arranged neatly. The inside lit up by a single dangling bulb. The shed always smelt of fertilizer and chemicals. Mr. Samael set the CD player on his workbench before starting to take it apart. I sat on a stool in the corner watching him. Mr. Samael was the kind of man where his version of you helping him fix something required you to also be out of the way. You helped by just being there, never with your own hands. I watched as he moved back and forth from the workbench gathering tools and muttering under his breath. Every now and then he gave me this odd look. I know what that look means now, but back then it was something entirely new to me. It is the look of desire and want. The kind of look that should have never been given in my direction. As he worked I listened to the sound of the wind and the rain outside. The branches of the rose bushes scrapped the walls of the shed gently almost making its own kind of music.

"So kid, you have been a big help this year ya know. Its not all to often someone volunteers to help out around here."

I watch as he talks and moves to the door. The click of a lock engaging rings out in the shed. This was…. Unusual to me. Mr. Samael never locked the door when we were in here. My eyes took in the form of the older man as he turned around. His smile was just as unusual as before. His eyes looked at me but almost didn't truly look at me. It was as if he was looking and what he wanted to look for. He casually walked over to me.

"How about you help me fix your little device together."

An offer that at any other time I would have jumped at the ready to do. But something was wrong. Something was off. It is funny how the human mind works. You can tell when something is wrong without ever truly knowing what it is that is wrong.

"N… no thanks"

The words tumbled from my lips. It was the first time I had said no to Mr. Samael. With how things were going though I felt…. Scared.

"You want it fixed right? So come on over. Have a look."

I push my fear down. I did want it fixed. I also wanted out of here at the same time. I had made up my mind though. I truly wanted no needed for it to be fixed. I stepped up to the work bench, I had to get on my tip toes since it was so high. I felt him get behind me.

"There ya go kid. You always are the best worker, arn't ya"

I felt his hand on my shoulder much like the first time I had met him. Fear blossomed further. And each second his grip got tighter. I tried to get out of it.

"Now, now. None of that kid. See I've been planning a surprise. Special just for you. For my number one little helper."

His voice had lost the usual gentle notes that he had usually expressed. His grip was like iron. A cloth I hadn't seen before was placed over my mouth and shoved inside.

"There you go kid. No yelling for you. If you're a good boy for me and you do what I say then we will have a nice and fun time. Won't that be nice? Some nice special alone time with good old Mr. Samael before you head off to middle school?"

Both of his hands where on my shoulders now. The cloth tasted horrible and dried my mouth out. I tried to struggle. I really did. I kicked. I fussed. I tried to scream and yell. He dragged me to the middle of the shed. His grip bruised me and it hurt. The rain was thunderous then. The wind was howling. And fear gripped my throat.

"Shhh Shhhh, none of that now kid. No one will hear you. Not all the way out here. Not with all that rain and wind. You're mine for now kid. I've waited all school year for this moment and you're not going to fuck it up."

Tears formed in my eyes as I felt his hands wander. My cloths being taken. My innocence draining way as if being washed by the rain. That's when I felt my mind start to slip. Things became… muddy. As if each moment was a flash, a picture of horror. His greedy hands and lips upon me. The pain blossoming from places I had never been touched before. Thudding impacts met with heavy grunts. I slipped into my mind. Trying to hide from what was happening. The pain I was feeling. The tears I cried. Despite all of that I could still hear those rose bushes. They scraped on all of the walls of the shed. Almost as if they were trying to scratch their way in.

Wouldst thou like to live deliciously? Wouldst thou like for the pain to stop? Wouldst thou like the taste of revenge?

Its voice was like a dark whisper in my mind. Like a cunning snake wrapping its way around my mind. Its succulent promises worming its way in. The wind must have intensified as the rose bushes started to scratch at the walls fervently. The dark words keep on whispering in my mind. The pain that I feel is excruciating. I nod my head. Felling that for sure I would like to no longer feel this pain.

Call to me sweet child and give me name. Call to me sweet child and feel no shame. Call to me child and our burdens we shall share

I choke. The cloth blocking my moth stops me from speaking even still. But now I have a way out. The voice. The voice it calls. The voice the voice requires me to speak its name. It will save me. Save me from the pain. Save me from this man. Save me from this demon. Save me from this hell. Deliver me to salvation. Deliver me to safety. I work my jaw in between pained moan. Inch by inch. Its not a race, its survival. Salvation is just a few more inches away and ill I need to do is give that voice a name. All I have to do is just call out to it. Finally I am able to spit out the gag. It right there. So close. It falls to the floor and I gasp a breath as I scream out,

"MICHAEL"

The wind stops. The sound of the rose branches scraping on the walls stops. Only the sound of Mr. Samaels grunts and the sound of skin meeting skin can be heard. It is as if the world outside the room had stopped but for a moment. With a creak, a squelch, and the sound of twisting metal the sky above opened up as the roof was torn. Branches twist and mingle their way into the room and Mr. Samael looks around in horror above me. I was baptized then. In the warm blood of the man. The iron taste washed over my mouth. His body was protruded with thick vines. The thorns had torn their way through his body and out the other side in front of me. Washing me from head to toe in his life blood. I screamed, and when I did it felt as if there was a voice screaming there right along side me. Mr. Samael was ripped into the air above the shed and ripped to pieces. Gore and viscera sprayed down upon me and over the shed. The branches stopped moving for a moment before coming back together into the shape of a human like figure in front of me. It was then that I saw the truth. I brought this into the world. My savior. This was my quirk, at least a part of it, The branches separated themselves from the mass of the rose bushes and became a form in and of itself. I had named it. I had brought it. I had created it. With that I whispered to it. My voice ragged and broken.

"s... save…. me…. Michael"

The figure, Michael, reached down and picked me up. Its arms where that of rose branches. Each part twisted into shape. Where it held me not a thorn could be found. My vision darkened. Each moment was like a hazy dream. The rain had not stopped, for I could still feel it. Michael moved with purpose, each step almost glided across the ground. I could not cry for I had shed every last tear that I had. I vaguely remember hearing screaming, and sirens. All the while I remained in the arms of Michael. He did not speak. His face was featureless but at the same time filled with so much. As if each branch and vine had created a mosaic that flowed. It had no eyes but I know he was looking at me just as much as I was looking at it. From within my head I heard him again.

I am yours. You are mine.

Rest now Rowan. Safety shall come.

Fear not. The pain of today is behind you.

When I woke up again I was laying in a hospital bed. The room was quiet. I was not alone though. Michael stood in the corner. I should have felt happiness. Maybe felt anger. Even possibly felt fear. Instead I felt… relieved. Relieved that Michael was still with me. I reached a hand out. Not feeling strong enough to get up from the bed. I watched as his hand encapsulated mine. Felt the texture of the wood that made up his body. It was… comforting. To know that I would never truly be alone again. It was comforting to know that my quirk had finally shown itself when I needed it the most. I felt all the pain and fear from before leave my body and lessen. It was as if Michael held it for me. For once I felt…. Save. An odd feeling. I knew that without a doubt the thing that I had made with my quirk would protect me. While I might have lost my innocence, I still had a friend. A protector.