Memories Of A Succubus

Chapter One: Rosebud

It had started so long ago. Their eyes had met over the glow of the hot sun pounding down on the sandpit. Ever since that day, their eyes had never wandered from one another. As they grew up, they learned to love one another.

Seven years old. So young. So naive. So innocent. Jennifer was walking along the sidewalk, her mother waiting for her only a few streets away. The sun glinted off her fleece zipper as she strutted over the paving slabs. A giggle lifted itself from her throat as her feet lifted over the small cracks in the pavement. The smile of the sun warmed her back as she stopped, staring at one of the houses. It was right in front of her. That blackened, wood door stared her right in the face, silently standing guard over the beautiful garden in front. It was filled with flowers waving in the summer breeze. The lavender danced enticingly in the wind, the hydrangea heaved a sigh, the roses stood stoikly, weeping for their lost love. There was something about them that drew her closer, luring her in with their beauty. She didn’t know why, but Jennifer felt compelled to take one. She felt it calling to her across the grass. She gave in to that desire. Before she knew it, her feet were taking her over to the flower beds. Her nimble fingers wrapped around a rose, plucking it from the earth with a satisfying ‘pop’.

As she looked up, her eyes met a set of sapphires burning into her soul. “Needy!” She blurted out; the rose forgotten in her slack hand.
“J-Jennifer? What’re you doing?” Needy stood at the top of the porch, looking down at Jennifer, who was just standing up, the incriminating evidence clutched in her palm.
“I saw the pretty flowers and just had to get one.” She pouted, her eyes welling with tears.
“What’re you gonna do with it?” Needy asked, starting to shuffle closer to Jen.
“I’m giving it to my grandma, I’m on my way to see her now.”
“Oh, okay. I guess that’s okay as long as I come along with you. I wanna make sure you’re pretty enough to make this flower-taking business okay.” She mumbled, fumbling with the words as they tumbled out her mouth. As soon as she’d said it, her cheeks flushed the colour of the rose in Jen’s hand. But Jen just smiled and took her hand, leading her away from the house.

They slowed as they reached a pair of steel gates. “Devil’s Kettle Cemetery? I thought we were seeing your grandma?” Needy pondered, her face scrunching in confusion before it dawned on her. “Oh, gosh. You’re grandma’s…”
“Gone. Yeah. But Mommy says it’s a good thing. That she’s in a better place. A special place. She says we should be happy about it.” She said as they walked into the garden of death, hand in hand. As they approached a tombstone that read ‘Margaret Check’, Needy’s hand squeezed Jen’s and she kissed her cheek. The sun warmed their backs as they crouched down over the grave, placing the red rose beneath the stone. Despite her earlier speech, a single tear rolled down Jen’s cheek, dropping to the ground without a sound. Seeing the distress written all over Jennifer’s face, Needy pulled her into a smothering hug. She kissed her forehead and rubbed her back in soothing circles, just as her mother did when she was upset.

They sat there for a while, just embracing each other as Jennifer poured out her heart over the grave. And once she was all cried out, they walked home, hand in hand into the sunset.