When The Roses Bleed

11 | confrontation

Dr. James was found dead in his bedroom.

The local news is already feeding off the story — it's not too often that such a vicious murder happens, and when it does, the entire city can't seem to stop buzzing about it. Although it's spreading like wildfire, it wouldn't have been such a big whisper if Dr. James was the only one killed; but he wasn't.

His wife and eight-year-old son were also found dead, their bodies piled on top of Dr. James.

Tears drip down my cheeks as I scroll through the news articles. I soon discover that they were repeatedly stabbed to their death. The instrument used is still unknown, but they weren't able to find any fingerprints or other forms of evidence yet.

The only thing they found was a red rose smeared in the victims' blood on top of their bodies.

I tell my parents that I'm going to sleep early, and around 9-O'clock, I retire to my bedroom, turning off the lights. I lean onto the door and begin to slide down until I'm sitting on the floor. For the next hour, I simply think.

This is my fault. I'm responsible for the murder of an innocent family. How? Because I wished that my sessions with Dr. James would end, and Rosalanea made my wish come true.

Part of me hopes that she wouldn't do that — but the fact that she showed up in his office, and then only an hour later, he was found dead is no coincidence.

I find myself breathing heavily; the guilt is eating me alive. It feels like I'm being drowned by my own thoughts, and I can't breathe. I jump to my feet and find myself bending over the toilet seat, vomit falling out of my mouth.

After I calm down, realization dawns upon me; I have to confront Rosalanea. I have to know whether she did it and why.

Quietly, I open my door and tip-toe past my parents' bedroom, hearing soft snores from the other side. Deciding that the coast is clear, I make my way to the living room. I stand in front of the mirror, take in a deep breath, and walk into the Other World.

Once I see the meadow, I immediately begin to walk towards the cottage. I hear Rosalanea singing the oh-so-familiar song, and for some reason, my heart thumps faster as I get closer. Usually, whenever I'm in the Other World, I feel safer than ever; but this time, something is different.

"What a goodly thing,
if the children of the world
could dwell together
in peace."

Shivers run down my spine. Only minutes later, I'm standing in front of the entrance. I swing it open, only to see Rosalanea sitting on the couch, knitting once again. There's this smile on her face that scares me — I don't like it.

She turns to face me. "Jenna, what a pleasant surprise. I didn't think you were coming today." The tone she's using tells me that she's lying, and in fact, she did know I was on my way.

"Did you kill Dr. James and his family?" I simply dropped the bomb.

Rosalanea smiles, "That was your wish, no?"

"No!" I exclaim, my chest heaving up and down. "I didn't want you to kill them!"

Her smile disappears as soon as those words leave my mouth. Her head tilts slightly, and I don't like the look on her face at all. "There was no other way. If I were to keep him alive, the sessions would have never ended." She goes back and sits down, "You wished for it, I simply granted it."

Gathering up the courage, I say, "Why did you kill his entire family, then? Why not just Dr. James?" I'm enraged, to say the least.

I see anger flare in her eyes, and immediately, I feel small, her pupils piercing into my being. "They saw me, so I had no other choice." Rosalanea stares at me seriously, anger radiating off her. "Don't ever question me," she says. "Are we clear?"

I nod quickly, gulping slightly.

Rosalanea's demeanor suddenly changes, and once again, happiness radiates off her. "Great! Now come here — I'll teach you how to play chess!"