The Bouquet

Chapter 4

When you had returned to the apartment, there was a burgundy rose resting elegantly in a slender vase full of water on the kitchen counter. He had found you so quickly, how foolish you were to think you could shake him off. This was a message, a message stating that you could never run far enough to escape him. He would always find you. And find you he did.

As you grew older, you learned that the roses followed you everywhere you went. When you and your aunt moved further into the city, they followed you there too. When you graduated from high school and moved into your dorm there was always a rose waiting at your door. Your roommate had thought it was cute, she was convinced you had a secret admirer. But you knew better. He was no secret admirer, he always wanted you to know that you were his. This was always his way of staying in contact with you, seeing as you had blocked his number from your phone multiple times and kept moving away from him. But still, there was no escaping him.

It seemed time was not a deterrent for him. It had been seven years and his advances had not lessened. You had lost hope a long time ago, and on the brink of graduation, you knew the clock was ticking. It was only a matter of time before he came to claim you and force you to fulfill your end of the deal. He had kept his promise, your brother was still alive. That much you knew from your parents checking in on you every now and then. They told you how proud they were of him, how he had become a "businessman" and was sending them money every week. They told you how much they missed you, they only ever saw you for holidays and the day after you would dart; too afraid that he would find you and take you away the minute you stepped foot in your house. He had turned you into someone else, just like he had done to your brother.

You still hated the color red, you shivered and gagged any time you were confronted with the disturbing shade. But, you had found some refuge at your college in the arts program. Art had helped heal you, in some manner. You knew the major you had chosen was one many parents feared that their children would choose. But it made you happy, and your dad could see that. He was proud of you no matter what you did. He just wanted to see you happy and taking care of yourself. And the time away had helped a little bit. You were still paranoid, constantly watching your back in hallways, classrooms, and empty parking garages.

You were curled up under a tree in the quad, a thick sweater protecting you from the cool spring air, your earbuds plugged in and playing a slow song. Your fingers balanced a pencil in between them, lightly twirling it as you thought about how you would format your thumbnail sketch for your next project. You were in your happy place, the world severed by your own bubble of comfort. That was of course until your roommate came barreling through the grass in your direction.

She bent over, grasping her knees as she wheezed from her sprint. She held up one finger, signaling for you to wait as she recuperated. "We're going out tonight." She finally gasped out.

"We?" You said, sending her a tired smile as you removed your earbuds and gently set your sketchbook off to the side.

"Yes! We've been too damn stressed so we're going to go out, with our friends, and shake some ass!" She yelled with a beaming smile as she threw her body down beside yours.

"It's the first week of the semester?" You chuckled.

"Yeah, I know and it's been hell." She sighed, leaning her head back against the tree dramatically. "Come out with us, please? It's not gonna be fun if I know you're just going to be sitting in your room all night." She pouted.

"I-" You began only to be cut off by your phone buzzing in your lap. You picked it up and unlocked it, your gaze fluttering over the text on your screen. It was from an unknown number, the message was short and to the point.