Red Eyes and Roses

Chapter 15

The room around me spins as soon as I open my eyes. Quickly, I close them again and let my other senses kick in. I have no clue where I am. The air is not miserably hot, it smells like cleaning supplies, and I am laying back on something soft. I can still sense the presence of power but I do not hear anyone. The room around me is completely silent. I slowly open my eyes once again and look around. The light in the room is bright in contrast to the darkness the whole way here. As my eyes adjust to the lighting I realize I'm in a bedroom. My body is lying on a mattress encased in black bedding. The walls around me are plain white and lined with black furniture. From a bureau to a bedside table, everything is made from an identical black wood. I sit up and swing my legs over immediately. The carpet below me is a light grey color. I'm still in my clothes from the school day but my shoes are now missing. On either side of me, I can see a door. Each one is made of black wood, just like everything else. As a curious person usually does, I hop off of the bed and start to wander. No windows, only doors. No one else, only me.

Upon further investigation, I find myself staring at the door knob on one of the doors. The door knob is made of a grey metal, but it also has a design embedded on top. I can pick out the shape of a devil in the pattern. The horns and head stare up at me, giving me unwelcome chills. Snaking around the horns looks to be a snake. There are two other designs on each side of the head, but I cannot figure them out. Below the satanic creature, there is a scroll containing a list of words which are in another language. Latin, I think. Of course I chose French in school.

I reach my hand towards the knob in order to open it. Within seconds of me touching it, I pull back with a yelp. I look back down and see that the design is turning red. Red with heat. My eyes dart down to my palm and, sure enough, the design from the door is marked on my hand in a bright, agitated red. My whole body just gives out onto the floor behind me. How did my life suddenly turn into such a mess? I went from being a normal girl to the love interest of Death. I went from living a normal schedule to waking up in strange rooms. No part of my memory remembers me asking for this. No part of my memory remembers me doing something to deserve this new form of torture. A single tear slips down my face. I cannot continue being strong. The barriers break. A sob cracks through my strong face and the tears flow.

I lie there on the carpeted floor for what feels like hours, but is most likely only minutes. No one knocks on the door. No one comes to save me. I started here by myself and I'm still by myself. With force, I pull myself over to the wall next to the door and sit up. The splotches on my face are there without me having to look. The fact that my face feels puffy proves this hypothesis. With gentle hands, I wipe the tears from my face and take a deep breath. There is no time to feel sorry for myself. I need to find a way out.