The Unforgotten Rose

He turned on his famous video camera, pointing it at the wide-eyed Lunaire. She tried to unhook herself from the table, but all attempts failed. She saw the red light come on, her eyes trained onto it. The man turned around, a knife in hand. She squirmed away from it, but was still held in place, under a bright, blinding light.

He slid it across her cheeks, her muffled screams filling the air with excitement. She could feel the stinging sensation etch across her face. He took out his cell phone and snapped a picture. He reached his hand down into Lu’s pocket and retrieved her own phone. He easily found her twin sisters number and added it to his own. He expertly wrote a quick text message, and sent it along with the picture.

He smiled, setting the phone down on a small movable table by the foot of her dissection table. She felt the blood spilling onto her hair and neck. The heat from the lamp made it seem like it was boiling on her skin.

“You feel it then?” He asked leaning over her face, as she glared at him. She struggled to move herself, but he laughed. “Yes you do. That knife is laced with the best of my poison. Always good for torturing, you think? Yes, yes. You can feel it burning on your skin. Isn’t it wonderful?” He honestly seemed ecstatic about his torture methods, and it scared Lu. He unwrapped her mouth, letting her screams of anguish fall out.

Her fingers grasped the edge of the table, as she shook in pain. She screamed a string of curses at his face, but that only made it worse. He sliced a few places on her chest and legs, the blood slowly but painfully seeping out. He walked close to her, and she dug her nails into his arm. He frowned, and clicked his tongue in disappointment. He easily released her arm, but brought over the table with the cell phone on it. Several deadly tools wee placed onto it, others seeming normal.

“What nice nails you have there. You know, you rockstars always act as if you give a lot back, but in reality, you do not. Nevertheless, do not worry, before you die you will give back. “ He picked up a pair of pliers, and ran it along her bloody cheek. He wrapped the pliers around her thumbnail, and ripped it off. She screamed in pain, and he laughed.

“Don’t worry, babe. Only nine more.”

* * *

“We need a break, Destin,” Jack said almost falling over. The others nodded in agreement, and Destin sighed, collapsing onto the ground.

“Five minutes,” she said letting Jason hold her as he breathed heavily. They had ditched their stuff in order to run faster.

“You know, getting to her dead tired will not help. Ten minutes,” Zach said, the others nodding their heads casually.

“Were really close anyways. Ten minutes, and then another thirty or so, and were there,” Alex said, lying on his back, his chest rising and falling periodically.

“I hate to be a Debbie downer here but how are we even going to find her?” Rian asked looking at everyone’s dismal faces. No one spoke up, but looked away. Destin kept seeing Brandon dead in her arms, and then she would see Lu. Not two people she cared for. What is he doing to her? Why didn’t he take me first?

She got up, and stormed off to the side of the road, leaning against a tree, in the shade. She walked on the other side, leaning her sweaty forehead against the cool, sticky bark. She thought of how sticky her forehead was when she held Brandon for his last moments. Her breaths came quicker, and it wasn’t because she was tired and out of breath. She slid down, turning around and holding her knees against her chest.

She knew it was her fault. If Lu didn’t survive it would be her fault too. She was hyperventilating and couldn’t stop as much as she wanted to. She let her tears flow, happy no one could see them right now. She had to be strong for this, strong for Lu. She wasn’t strong enough for Brandon. That was her last point. She cried harder, just wanting to bring him back. He had always been there for her, even if half the time he would joke.

She heard someone coming but couldn’t even pull herself together. Jason knelt down, rubbing her hair. She avoided his gaze by looking to her right.

“Babe, it’s not your fault. I hope you know that. Come on we have to be there for Lewis too. He is just as hurt as you, though he’s doing his best to hold it in.” Jason tried to pick her up, but she pushed him away.

“Not right now, Jason. It is my fault, and I’d like these last six minutes of break to be just me with my thoughts.” He sighed, kissed her wet cheek, and then walked away. Destin sniffled, and wanted him back but there was no way she would call him back. She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket, and pulled it out.

It was from an unknown number and it was a picture message. She opened it out, and held in her screams of fear. There was her wonderful sister, cheeks slashed and bleeding. Her eyes were what held Clandestine the most. They were full of fear and pleas of help. She finally scrolled down to a message.

123 Bakers street. Come alone or I kill her. If you obey, I might offer a trade in.

Destin’s heart raced, as she looked at the picture. It ripped my heart out. She texted back an agreement, and stood up. She let her be the death of Brandon, it couldn’t be of Lu. The lord knew she deserved this life more. She was a pussy, and unworthy. However cliché this scene may have sounded, it was true.

She walked out of the tree line, and walked over to Bill. He was standing up, stretching. Destin looked at his belt, one that held his only knife. Jason smiled when he saw her come out. It broke her heart to have to do this to him. Then she looked at Lewis, whose eyes weren’t red yet, but his face was worse then it could have been if he cried. That was what really sent her into grabbing Bill’s knife. He turned around as she held it to her throat, walking backwards, towards the way they all had been heading. Everyone stood up at Bill’s yell of astonishment.

“Destin… w-what are y-you doing?” Jason asked standing up and slowly walking closer. Destin pressed the blade closer to her throat letting a little blood trickle over the knifes blade. She almost dropped the knife from the look he was giving her. Just the image of Lu kept it steady, and Brandon.

“I have to go by myself. You all will stay here, and not follow me. If you do I… I will kill myself instead.” She sounded steady and firm at the end of her statement and everyone looked at each other unsure what to do.

“Baby, please don’t do this. Don’t you know how this always turns out? Put the knife down, and we can all go together,” Jason said trying to soothe her, walking closer. She took steps back every time he came forward. She saw her little sister next to Jason, nodding her head in disapproval at what she was doing. She lowered the knife slowly and walked forward. Jason smiled, and opened his arms wide.

She embraced him, and kissed him softly. Her eyes stayed on Rose who was still not smiling. She knew her real plan. The kiss was magnificent and surely awkward for the others. She went up to his ear, and breathed into it.

“I’m sorry, babe. I love you, but it’s my sister. Goodbye,” she whispered quickly, then pushed him down and ran in the opposite direction. The knife reflected off the sun, blinding the party behind her. She pulled out her phone checking the text one more time, letting the address burn into her memory.

“Destin no! Please come back. I love you,” she heard Jason scream, about to cry. She knew this was too much for him, but she knew he would recover. Maybe months after her death, but hopefully Lu and Lewis could help him.

She stuck her phone back into her pocket, unaware of it slipping out. She was fully concentrated on her sister and nothing else. She kept repeating the address in her head, just as Dory did in Finding Nemo. Her cell phone fell out, but who was there to notice?