THE DUKE'S FORBIDDEN PROPHECY
My shaking arm pushed forward, fingertips edging out, reaching, pulling at nothing.
Fingers grazed the wet, soft flower surface. The thing within was grabbed fast, then came the loud snap of the window closing - my pulse racing hard.
A cold weight sat in my hand - just one rose, long past bloom. Broken off too low, the stalk showed raw fibers where it split. Edges of each petal had darkened, folding inward like shriveled legs of an insect left too long in sun. The smell hit slow: rot first, then underneath, that sharp tang of citrus someone used to wear.
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