Crossing Roses Novels & Stories

“Sorry, I’m a bit out of it.” She shrugged, and opening the small door in the gate. She had no umbrella with her, I’m guessing she go out in a hurry. Who wouldn’t when their cousin was standing in front of her own home gate, and staring at her house like a psycho? “Don’t apologize. Let’s get you inside before you catch a cold.” I nod, following her through the door. The walkway is just like I remember, on each side are prize winning roses. Of different colors. Huh? When do black roses exist? I took a small detour from following Alexis, bending over a patch of those strange black roses.

Like the house itself didn’t want me here. That’s when I saw it. A single white rose. Placed at the center of the hallway rug. No vase. No note. Just lying there, too perfect. Too intentional. I bent down to touch it, then stopped. Something about the way it was arranged, petals facing me like a pair of open eyes, made my skin crawl. And the scent… Not floral. Not soft. Smoke. I turned around and realized the faintest wisp of it was curling out from under a door halfway down the hall.

"Nоt hеrе, Rоѕе mу lоvе, іt wоuld be wrоng. Thіѕ рlасе seems ѕо рrіѕtіnе аnd рrіmаl. At night, іf уоu close your еуеѕ and соnсеntrаtе, уоu will sense a pure, роѕіtіvе аnd wild energy. A fоrсе іf уоu will, еmаnаtіng frоm thе grоund and соntаіnеd within the сіrсlе. Bеѕіdеѕ, we don't want tо оffеnd your ѕрrіtеѕ and ріxіеѕ." "Or your rabbit." Rоѕе оffеrеd kіѕѕіng my mouth аnd ѕmіlіng. "Dоn't believe me then, уоu іmреrtіnеnt v ixen. I wаnt you naked, ѕtrір." Aftеr Rоѕе ѕtrірреd, I рut hеr rеd ѕіlk ѕсаrf bасk оn her аgаіn as a blіndfоld.

I held my breath, breaking out in sweat as his proximity made fear spread through my now shivering frame. "You see... The Black Rose is a bad crowd to stick with. They'll lead you to your death. As a friend and a man who's insanely attracted to you... I advise you to cut all ties with them." His smile remained on his face, his voice still the same low, soft lilt it had been since he started speaking. Yet... There seemed to be venom in every syllable, burning through my skin like acid, making my heart pound painfully against my chest. I was afraid. This man... there was something about him, something sinister. He was going to hurt me. He wanted to hurt me.

He was thrilled to stand at the door, to have the wind slap through his hair and clothes while feasting on the sights outside. Soon, the train slowed down and came to a stop. Dev looked around. They were parked at some desolate place with nothing but tall grass around. He glanced at his watch. Three minutes had passed. “Are we at a station or something?” he asked the balding man. “Not really,” he answered. “There’s a crossing here. The express train is due any minute.” He paused to listen. “Talk about the devil. Here it comes.” A BLARE closed in fast and SLAPPED past.

As I put one of my feet inside of the warm and welcoming water filled with the petals of the beloved and most beautiful rose. I sometimes wonder why it has so much love being given to it. It is so imperfect, yet that is its perfection just like all of us--We are perfect and one because of the imperfections of us. I also wonder why a rose just steals my heart every time I look at it--it's just so magnificent. Is it because of the color that it possesses or because of the way it possesses the frail heart of mine? So melted in my thoughts that I was, I didn't realize that I had to get out of the bath to get ready.

They want to dismantle the hierarchy of the entire wolf kind. "Who’s your contact?" I demand, stepping back. "How are you moving across borders unseen? Who’s feeding you intel?" He grins up at me, his teeth stained red. "The Rose." My heart hammers against my ribs. "What did you say?" "The Rose," he whispers, a look of reverence crossing his twisted face. "She blooms in the dark. She carries the scent of the garden and the poison of the grave. She opened the door for us." Wild roses.

Rosa's hair is whipped all over the place leaving it a mess. They turn to face each other and I can see Rosa's face beginning to turn red as she concentrates on everything that she is trying to do at once. They hold hands and as they kneel down for the final piece there is an explosion of embers and water of all shapes and sizes. It is really quite remarkable to see how far everything flies.

Suddenly, I was surrounded by beautiful blooms. There are many varieties of roses, each with its own unique hue. As more and more sprouted simultaneously, it resembled a distant sea. The fragrance was intoxicating, filling the air with a sweet and floral scent. The petals were soft, and I couldn't resist running my fingers across them. It was a breathtaking sight, a moment of pure beauty and tranquility amid nature's abundant wonders. "I haven't been to this place in quite some time." A sigh escaped my lips. Memories flooded back as I took in the familiar sight of the rose garden. The nostalgia was overwhelming but also comforting in its familiarity.