Roses With Thorns
She rolled her sleeves down, heart still beating fast. She had forgotten that she was still in public.
Thick trees lined the dirty, pebbled path. She inhaled, the smell and sight of smoke filling her senses. The bench she was on was practically giving her splinters from how hard she was gripping it. She dropped her cigarette and stomped on it. The smoke finally cleared and she saw the sunset. Although, it didn't look like a sunset. Clouds covered the fading sun, casting a silver glow instead of a normal orange and rosy one. The moon was already rising, almost like it was mocking the sun. She crossed her arms and closed her eyes, letting her head drop. Sometimes she wished that she could just stay there. Or anywhere else. Anywhere that wasn't her home. God, just get up and go somewhere. You'll die if you stay here.
At that thought, she sighed and quickly got up. She lifted her hood over her head and straightened her glasses, pausing for a moment to feel their round frame. She shoved her hands into her pockets and strode along the rocky path. She knew that there was a small town away from her home in that direction. A small town meant a place to stay. She had money on her so she knew she could do something there. At least something.
She somehow found herself in a part of the town that she'd normally never visit. The only times that she would visit it was when she really needed to clear her mind and just go somewhere different and calmer. She passed by places like small diners, bookstores, a grocery store here and there, tattoo and piercing parlors, drug stores, and more. She seemed to be subconsciously walking, her legs seemed to be moving on their own. She found herself around the edge of the town and closer to the forest near it. She stopped walking and took a moment to take in the scenery around her. She could faintly see dark green leaves placed along long, thin, oak wood branches.
The clouds had cleared a bit, making it easier to see the bubblegum-pink glow against the town. She turned to her right to see a local, light-seeming flora shop. She loved flowers and could use something to clean her mind so she went in.
Walking in, she looked around and took in the rather pleasant aroma of the shop. There were fluorescent lights that seemed lightly faded, making a light but dim aurora. Some of the lights glitched or flickered. She realized that nobody else seemed to be in the shop, not even an owner at the small desk against one of the walls. There were many rustic shelves filled with succulents, flowers, cacti, and more. She found herself looking at all the different sections from afar. There were parts with tulips, lilies, wildflowers of all kinds. One corner of the store caught her eye the most. She walked over to it and let her eyes rest on the many different roses. Roses of all colors, shapes, and sizes lined the wood of the shelves. There were many different kinds, from standard red ones, to dyed black ones, to multicolored ones. Her eyes landed on the large, deep red petals of the main roses. They were placed in different amounts as well. There were bunches with two, five, nine, twelve, and anything above, below, or in between that.
She found herself staring at the part that had just many individual roses, each one with a silk black ribbon tied in a bow around it. There was one with a few darker petals than the rest of them. Her eyes flashed. Still slightly mindful that it may have its thorns, she reached to pick it up. She felt a hand brush against her own. The other hand continued reaching until it quickly grabbed the rose. Her hand pulled away on its own and she glanced at the person that she hadn't seen on the other side of the display, backing away slightly in anxiety and surprise.
"Oh, sorry! I didn't see you there!" the other person said.
She looked at the person in front of her, taking in the image. It was a girl with light skin, dull blonde hair done up in a high ponytail with swoopy bangs almost fully covering her right eye, bright gray eyes, and a pleasant smile. She was wearing a black scarf and pair of gloves, a collared white shirt, and a short dark gray skirt. Her hand was still gripping the rose. The other girl looked at the one opposite her as well. Her gray eyes met dark green ones. She moved her eyes down, looking at the gray digi-heart in the middle of the black shirt that was on top of a gray hoodie. She saw more of the figure, staring at the long dark black hair, red shoes that stood out more than the figure itself, and the dark gray toque on her head. She looked back at the evergreen eyes and widened her smile. Her gaze shifted to the rose in her hand. Then, she extended her arm and mutely offered the rose.
The other girl slowly reached out a shaky, hand and held the rose.
"Ah, fuck!" she exclaimed, immediately letting go of the rose and putting her finger to her mouth. The rose fell to the ground with a drop or two of blood.
"Whoa, calm down. It's a small shop. We don't want to ruin the sight and sound."
She sighed and took her finger out of her mouth. She bent down and picked up the rose, mindfully, this time.
"Sorry..." she said, rubbing the back of her neck with a nervous look.
The other girl smiled again.
"It's okay," she responded. She then held her hand out. "Mina."
The opposite looked down at the girl's hand before hesitantly taking it.
"Kayali."
They shook hands and the girl Mina walked out with nothing in her hands. Kayali dropped her hand and looked down at the rose, lifting it and staring into its deep red petals.
Mina...
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Hello my devils, angels, and everything else!
This was traumatic to write.
Anyway, don't ask me why I turn a single five-second moment into two full paragraphs.
It is just a habit.
Nothing much else to say.
So, I'll see you in the next chapter!
- Psyche
P.S
Please tell me I'm not the only person on Inkitt who does this and this is only a Wattpad thing.
I've been on there for too long.
