The Rose Garden

Preface

Trigger Warning for the Whole Book:

Murder, violence, alcohol, stupidity, gore, horror, guilt, (depression?).

If any of these disturb you, or you are sensitive, please go find another story to read, this is not for you, and is filled with all of these triggers.

She was singing. It was her favorite song, "The Secret Garden." Her mother sang it to her sometimes. Lauren loved her mother, she was pretty, kind, and cared about Lauren. Or at least, Lauren thought she did. It was a beautiful day, and Lauren was outside, picking flowers for her family. The flowers were white, white roses to be specific. She loved roses, but she especially loved white ones, and so her mother had bought her a packet of white rose seeds.

Lauren's mother had small stone walls built outside, to enclose the garden that Lauren was making. She had loved to spend hours gardening, smelling and picking roses. There was almost no time of the day she wasn't out there. It was her escape too, an escape from the world, and all the troubles that came with it. "Lauren! It's dinner time!" Called a voice from the house. Lauren got up, clutching the flowers in her arms as she went back inside for dinner.

The small girl stepped back into her home, flowers still in hand. She was quite happy, as any child should be. Her bright smile filled up the room, lighting it with childhood innocence. That smile dropped from her face when she heard her mother yelling.

"I'm.. Leeaving.." slurred Lauren's mother, clearly drunk.

Lauren panicked, tears quickly forming in her dark brown eyes. She had to run, she couldn't let mother catch her again. Her room! She needed to head to her room, her room was safe. She could lock the door and Mother couldn't get in. She tried scrambling upstairs quietly, crying. She slipped, a small thud could be heard from the stairs. Unfortunately, that means Lauren's mother heard it too.

"Whe-ere do you think you're off to, braat..?" her mother questioned.

"M-My bedroom..." Lauren stuttered, fear laced in her words.

"No, c-come with me, we'ree going out to the garden."

At those words, Lauren brightened, and her crying lessened. A hope found it's way into her chest. Maybe her mother wasn't drunk, maybe her father had just upset her, maybe she wanted to just talk with her, maybe she was just stressed, maybe she had gotten Lauren the red roses she asked for. They never went to the garden when Lauren's Mother was drunk, her mother never remembered. Lauren was safe, it would be okay.

Lauren was sadly mistaken.

The intoxicated woman led her small, 7 year old daughter to her the garden of roses.

"Mother, what have you brought me here for? Are they new roses?" Lauren excitedly asked.

She felt better, just by being around all those roses. Lauren's mother didn't respond, and instead pulled out a hatchet, turning to face her daughter.

Lauren grew scared, more scared than she had ever been in her entire life. "

M-Mother, what are you doing..?"

Her mother stepped closer to the girl, holding the axe with a deadly grip.

"Mom, please, I'm scared.."

She stepped even closer, a wicked gleam shining in her eyes.

Suddenly, the girl shrieked.

"Would you like a rose, sweetie?" her mother cackled. Lauren's dying screams rang out through the entire village. Then, it went eerily silent. Blood pooled around the corpse, dying the roses red. Then, there was laughter. Psychotic laughter, from Lauren's Mother. Lauren's killer. Lauren's murderer.

Lauren Rosana was dead. Her remains spread about the entire garden, still oozing with blood. Even the body was still warm. Her laughter stopped as her head cleared, finally ridding itself of the liquid that overtook it earlier. Lillian closed her eyes, trying to clear her foggy mind. As she did, she suddenly became aware of the blood that covered her entire body. She slowly opened her eyes, and glanced at the axe in her hands. Her eyes slowly wandered to the young girl's remains in front of her. The blood, the organs, the axe, who could've-

She froze. She dropped the axe, falling to the ground, sobbing. She had killed her only daughter, what had she done? What kind of monster would do that to their baby girl? Her baby girl. She was a monster, she didn't deserve to live, she didn't deserve to continue living, not with the guilt of her actions weighing down on her.  then, Lillian had an idea. It would make up for taking her daughter's life, she was sure. An action needs an equal and opposite reaction, right..? She glanced towards the axe. With trembling hands, she slowly picked it up, lifting it with the little strength she had left. Turning the large blade to face herself, she held it shakily.

"Lauren.. I'm so sorry sweetie.. I hope you can forgive me.." She whispered.

Then, she took the axe and plunged it into her skull. She fell with a thud.

Two woman,  a daughter and a mother, lay dead, in the now red rose garden.

One of them didn't forgive the other.

And neither did her spirit.

856 Words