Withered Roses...

Prologue

Welcome to my newest series: 'Withered Roses...' If you've read the description of the story you should know where we start our story, and a little bit of what's to come.

!!TW:!! [ THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE SERIES, THIS BOOK WILL INCLUDE SENSITIVE TOPICS SUCH AS... ]

Abuse
Mental abuse
Physical abuse
Use of strong language
Hallucinations
Smoking
Gore
Blood
Violence
Heated love topics (Probably not sin)
Childhood trauma

[ IF THESE TOPICS BOTHER YOU, PLEASE SCROLL OFF THIS STORY NOW! ]

And without further adieu... Enjoy.

[ Reader discretion is advised... ]

The small skeleton opened his eyes. He sat up and looked around his boringly familiar surroundings. A nearly empty dark room with only one window to provide moonlight, if there was any that weren't covered up by the fluffy clouds that whizzed by. The meek little boy who seemed to be no older than 11 rose up from a cold, torn and stained mattress that looked to be older than the house itself, which was around 200 years of age.
  Suddenly, the sound of the old grandfather clock from downstairs echoed through the wooden hallways, startling the child. He jumped for a moment, then slunk into a corner. He listened to the chimes. He only knew how to count up to 12 since those were the only numbers on the clock. 1... 2... 3... They stopped. 3 in the morning, he assumed. He would have been told to get up in 3 more hours anyway, so might as well start the day.
  It was still pitch black and would have easily been confused for being midnight. He attempted to open the door but was unsuccessful. The door wouldn't open. It was locked from the other side by his father. As the skeleton boy walked away from the door towards the dresser to get out a better set of clothing, the doorknob began to shake violently. It sounded like someone was trying go get in, but couldn't open the door. The skeleton yelped quietly at the noise, but then calmed down with a sigh. This was normal for him. The entity rattling his doorknob he called, 'Robert'. He's been communicating with Robert for a while.
  "Robert! You scared me." The boy sits down on the floor against the wall. From what Geno; the boy; could tell, Robert was a friendly entity. He loved to tease Geno and sometimes hug him, even if he was transparent.
  The doorknob turned slowly from left to right.
  "Hehe! Don't do that! Goss will wake up!" Geno giggled. Then he felt a small tickle in his back, trailing up his spine making him squeal and laugh, but he then slapped his hand over his mouth, eye sockets wide.
  "Robert, I'll get in trouble if Goss hears me, you know?" The small child muttered quietly.
  There was and eerie moment of silence, and with every passing second of quiet, Geno calmed down in hopes Goss hadn't heard him.
  That feeling of calm only lasted a moment, because then the dead rotting wood that had claimed to be Geno's floor had let out a creak. That was Robert telling Geno that Goss had in fact heard him and was now coming.
  Geno felt fear pang in his chest as he dove back onto his tough and withered mattress, shaking with fear. Geno wasn't allowed to laugh. He wasn't allowed to speak unless spoken to by Goss. He wasn't even allowed to cough or sneeze while in the same room as him.
  The rusted lock turned and the door squeaked open slowly.
  "Why oh why is my little boy laughing... What seems to be so funny?" An ominous voice grunted. Geno could tell Goss was grinning.
  Geno sat up, looking over at the black figure looming in the doorway resembling a corpse.
  "Nothing, daddy." Geno's small voice shook fearfully.
  "Laughing doesn't seem like nothing to me, boy." Goss' voice seemed a little more agitated.
  "Daddy, it was nothing. I swear. I just woke up and Robert wanted to-"
  "How many times must i said this. Nobody is in this house but us. Robert doesn't exist, and I'll make sure you won't either if you don't cleanse your mouth of this none sense." Goss' voice deepened.
  "But daddy-"
  Goss approached Geno undoing his belt from his trousers and yanked Geno's arm forcefully then whipping his arm repeatedly until it bled. Geno whimpered, but held back his cries.
  "I would have gone easy on you... But you've taken it too far upon the mention of Robert again. I didn't raise you this way..." Goss' sadistic grin filled the room with a negative energy.
  "I'm sorry, daddy..." Geno's voice was quiet and clenched with pain.
  "Good boy. Since you're up now, start cleaning." Goss floats out of the room somehow without moving.
  Geno shivered. He got up and grabbed a small used bandage which he left on his 'nightstand' which was actually just an old beaten cardboard box and shakily put the bandage on his blood-dripping arm. Around then was when he felt a sorry presence rub his shoulder apologetically.
  "Robert, we'll tall later." Geno mutters with a small sniffle. He was clearly upset that Robert had gotten him in trouble, even if it was an accident.
  Geno quickly changed into what he intended to wear before Robert had interrupted him, and fled down the dark hall to start his daily routine.