The Bloody Rose

“It’s dark here,” Violet shivered and clung on to Taylor’s arm. “It’s just the trees,” Scott said and rolled his eyes. He glanced at his girlfriend and said, “My sister is a big scary cat.” “Am not!” Violet said before she jumped when the car went over a rock. Scott laughed and then put one arm around Amanda, his girlfriend as they neared the site. “Okay tell me where to drop you kids off cuz I don’t wanna run over the dead guy’s grave or anything.” “Scott!” Violet cried; outraged at her brother’s lack of tact. Scott glanced back at Taylor in the backseat and mumbled an apology, which Taylor accepted. He was just grateful the guy agreed to take them. “Here is fine,” Taylor said. “It’s right through those trees passed a clearing.” “Great! You guys go do your thing,” Scott glanced at Amanda with a sly smile “and we’ll do ours.” Violet rolled her eyes at her brother and muttered, “You’re disgusting.” Scott laughed but then turned very serious the next minute and looked at his sister. “Listen, you get a text from me to come back you better come back cuz we don’t want Mom freaking out, got it?” “Yes Scotty,” Violet nodded as though she heard the drill a thousand times. “We’ll be parked right here,” Scott went on. “Oh and give us a text five minutes before you get back; just so we know.” Violet shook her head at her brother but agreed before she and Taylor ventured off hand in hand into the woods until they were out of sight from Scott and Amanda. Despite Violet’s bravery front, she stayed close to Taylor while they walked deeper passed the trees and the clearing. “Here it is,” Taylor announced when they finally got there. He sat on the dirt faux grave not caring if he got his shorts dirty and Violet sat right alongside him “He was great in every way,” Taylor continued; half to himself and half to Violet. “I miss him so much.” “Uh, Taylor, look.” Violet’s voice couldn’t disguise the panic as she squeezed Taylor’s hands so tight her nails dug into his skin. He didn’t say anything though as he followed Violet’s gaze and noticed that not far from the gravesite where they were sitting beside was a single, long-stemmed red rose they hadn’t noticed before. Taylor froze in his spot when he saw it. “You didn’t leave that when you came the other day?” Violet cried as she eyed the rose as if it would wake up and bite her. “It’s her,” Taylor cried. “That bitch is trying to screw with my mind. She said she was going to leave this place. Apparently she had other plans.” Violet began to tremble uncontrollably. “You don’t think she’s still here, do you?” “I don’t know.” “Taylor, that rose looks pretty fresh to me,” Violet cried; unable to disguise the panic in her voice. Though he was nervous too, Taylor wanted to try to find this killer to demand to know what kind of game she was playing and why she would come here to put a rose on his father’s grave. But he knew Violet was scared and he didn’t want to risk her safety when she had nothing to do with any of this. He glanced at Violet in obvious fear and said, “You want to leave?” She nodded; unable to speak but looked around as if ready to see a figure materialize any minute and attack them. Taylor had a bad feeling come over him as well and decided this was a bad idea after all. He squeezed Violet’s hand in comfort and said, “Let’s get out of here.” The hell with giving her brother a five minute warning, this was about their lives. No sooner had they decided to leave when a high-pitched shriek was heard echoing in the air against the trees. It sounded like Amanda. Taylor and Violet looked at one another in terror before they both bolted toward the car hand in hand without giving it another thought. It was there that Violet screamed at the top of her lungs; her voice resonating through the woods at the sight of her brother and his girlfriend slumped in the backseat; laying in a pool of their own blood; both with two long-stemmed roses on top of them.