Fifteen- Briar-Rose

FLASHBACK TIME! I'm trying to slow down the action.

Chapter 15

Briar-Rose

Maybe the sun will shine

and take away the memory

of this day

take away the tears I spilled

maybe I'll forget this time

Excerpt from "Forget this time" by Sophie Lynch

I'm having fun, dancing with Airborne and various guys, I haven't had anything to drink, because I'm the designated driver, Air has had one or two blue cups, but she's only slightly buzzed, nothing major. I've seen Ash around, he's ridiculously wasted, stumbling around, falling, laughing, and his speech is incomprehensible. I'm not even tired at two in the morning, the music and the energy of the people around me gives me more energy. The song changes to a slow one and Air and I back off the dance floor.

“Hey, I gotta go to the bathroom, I'll be back in a sec.” I say and walk away, now , if only I knew where the bathroom was... I walk into a door near us and see two writhing bodies underneath sheets.

“Oh my God! I'm sorry!” Nox looks up, startled. I scream and close the door. “I'm scarred for life!” I mutter to myself. Finally I find the bathroom. I splash my face with cold water, glad for my water-proof makeup. The music has changed again, now a faster song and I can feel the bass vibrating my stomach. I flip my hair and pull it back into a ponytail, it's hot on the dance floor. I line my green eyes with more black eyeliner, and apply a little more mascara. I go to the bathroom and then make my way back to Air.

“I think it's time to take Ash home, or should we call him Ashley?” Air laughs as she points to the passed out boy at her feet.

“Oh gosh, okay. You take his right arm, I'll take the left.” I bend down and we half drag half carry him to the car. Across the street. I'm sure that was sight to see, thankfully though, because it's so late/early no one is up. We lay him down in the back seat and I get in the driver's side and start the car. I drop Airborne and Ash off at her Air's house, by then Ash is conscious enough to at least stumble into the apartment. I drive home.

I know my parents are asleep, so I open the door as quietly as I can. I take off my stiletto ankle boots at the door to minimize the sound on the tile floor of the kitchen. I drop my keys on the granite counter and go upstairs to my bathroom. I peel off my skintight light pink dress and throw it into my hamper. I turn the shower so the room is filled with steam instantly and step in. I'm exhausted and the warm water pounding my back feels amazing and almost lulls me to sleep standing up. As I rinse my hair of conditioner, I let my mind wander.

When is the next attack going to be? And will we be ready? Being taken in Malum's custody is a life changing, horrific experience. I was eight years old.

It's spring, my favorite season. I sit in my pink room gazing at the trees outside. Making one leaf wilt and live, wilt and live over and over again. My parents are at work and I'm bored. Then I hear a crash downstairs.

“Mommy?” I call and open my door. I slip to the stairs in my socks and call again, “Mommy? Daddy?” I hear someone coming up the stairs. It's a man, a man I have never seen before. He is tall, but not any taller than a normal person, but with glowing red eyes. Immediately I know to be scared. And with the little practice I have, I twist the leaves of a nearby plant into a thick vine and I twine it around my arms, as a whip attached to me. He comes toward me at indescribably fast speeds and rips the vines apart and picks me up. My vision fades into blackness.

I wake up shackled to a wall by my ankles. I yank at the chain and will any plant life to show itself. No signs of green emerge from the stone floor. The only light in the room comes from three slats between the bars in the door. As my eyes adjust to the small amount of light, the door opens. I realize then that it is an enormous door. Much taller than any one I've ever seen. Then a figure stoops under the door and the height of the door is completely diminished. A ten foot tall figure stands in the door way, bathed in light from his shoulders down. His hair reaches his waist and his skin is a frightening red.

“Hello, Briar-Rose.” He said.

“Wh-who are you?” My voice quavered.

“I am Malum, the reason for your existence.” He answered.

“Why am I here?”

“That is unimportant. All you must know is that you are one of the eight Vires,” pronounced

Ve-reez, “with the power of vegetation. Satelles, unlock her and bring her to supper.” Malum turns away and the man who captured me unlocks my shackles.

“When can I go home?” I ask him, avoiding looking into his glowing red eyes.

“No.” He says slowly.

“I want to go home!” I scream.

“No.” He repeats.

“So I'm here forever?” I ask, my voice shaking.

“Yes.”

The shackles are removed from my ankles. “Follow.” My little feet struggle to keep up with his long strides, and finally we reach some double doors. He pushes them open and we walk into a dining hall. On the table are... people. Alive, screaming, crying people.

“Dinner is served!” Malum chuckles.

The cold water makes me gasp and wrenches me out of the memory. I've been standing in the shower for a long time, and the water has turned to ice. Just in time. I don't want to think about that night, but the dreams are unavoidable.

Airborne may tell me I sleep like a rock, but really, it's because I'm paralyzed with fear. Because almost every night, I relive my two years with Malum, over and over again. I turn off the shower and wrap up in a fluffy white towel. I dry off my hair and body and then put on pajamas and collapse in bed, hoping for a peaceful night's sleep.

Of course not.

I stare in horror at the people chained to the table. They stare back, some accusingly, others in pity, and some stares are blank and wild with fear.

“Come, come, your seat is right here. Also, we saved you the best meal we could find, as our guest.” Malum says, sitting me down forcefully in a chair at the head of the table. It was lowered for my size.

“Bring out the delicacy!” He says. Two humans with animal-like eyes bring out a small figure. She looks up.

“Ariel!” I cry. My twin sister.

“Enjoy your dinner.” Malum chuckles. The two people set her in the tale in front of me, chain her limbs on hooks, and hand me many razor sharp looking knives and a fork.

“She's... dinner?” I whisper.

“Of course, what did you expect?” Malum laughs.

“Rosie! Help me!” Ariel cries.

“P-please, let her go!” I start to cry.

“We can't do that, someone must eat her!” Malum chides.

“Not really.” I whisper. Ariel starts to sob.

“Well, if you really aren't that hungry, I suppose Satelles and I can share. Actually, why don't you two join in!”

“No!” I cry, as the four of them take knives and forks. “NO!” I scream again as they make incisions in her skin. She screeches in pain, tears running down her cheeks.

“STOP!” I scream. Plants burst in the windows and a branch pierces on of the two human-like creatures. He crumples to the ground. Vines and trees twin around everything, one twists around Satelles' head and twists. The branch pulls away and whips around, like an angry creature. Satelles reaches up and twists his head back to a normal position.

“MAKE THIS STOP!” Malum roars. He grabs a branch, breaks and breaks off the point. The plants shrivel back outside as he does. Ariel's blood runs in rivulets on the table and pools on the floor. She still cries. I run to her. Her hand is detached and hanging by a small flap of skin. She has slices on her legs and arms.

“Ariel, I'll get us out of here, I promise.” I start working on the chains around my twin's wrists. She cries out as my finger brushes where her hand used to be.

“My dear, that is a promise you cannot keep.” Malum says. He raises the branch above his head and plunges it deep into her chest.

This is where I wake up. Every night at exactly 2:48 in the morning. I sleep normally for the rest of the night, and then tomorrow night, the dream will continue where it left off.

I was the younger twin, and I've always wondered why Ariel didn't get the powers. My theory didn't fit us, that we had to be in a certain age group, because we... were the same age group. I suppose it's whoever got the gene, just like one child gets blue eyes while the other gets brown.

But I wish it had been me who was on the table.

Author's Note

thoughts?

Reviews

[Sylvana]

“Oh my God! I'm sorry!” Nox looks up, startled. I scream and close the door. “I'm scarred for life!”
pffffttt... i would be too...

Wow, those 2 years must have been worse than hell. They told her to eat her own sister...
Anyway, now I'm curious about how she got back and what her parent's did, not to mention exactly what the Vires are meant for and who Malum really is.

Honestly, if you do publish this book....
I will buy it.

[Shay]

I have a twin sister so this last part of the chapter where Ariel dies made me cry D: omg its so well written tho .. I cant stop reading this! it needs to get published !

[MandaBear]

Stupendous chapter as always Sophie. I cant wait to find out what happens next. I'm curious about who malum really is and how this tale is gong to play out. great job

[Abbie]

Stupendous chapter as always Sophie. When Briar Rose walks in on Nox I was laughing my head off! And on being scarred for life, I would be surprised if she wasn't. I know I would be!I feel really bad for Briar Rose. told to eat her own sister! and then watch her die right in front of her! I don't think that I could last for two years, let alone a day. The background info was cool, but quite...vile. I hope there is more, but from what happened in that background info I almost wish there wont be. Oh, And by the way, I agree with Casquatch, you have GOT to get this published into a book. It is really good! And I would soooooo buy it. possibly more than one copy. :)