Where the Wild Roses Grow

Then Amy glanced over her shoulder at the boys and smiled. She was a gothic chick and wore a wild rose, the colour of lovers red, in here long black hair. Her eyes were the colour of fresh blood. Do goth’s usually smile? Kiel thought to himself.

It was a bright summer day, the birds were flying and geese were honking in the distance. Somehow they were audible above the heavy traffic in the streets of Windsor. Kiel and his best friend Randy were on their way to the mall to buy the newest gadget on the market; the smart phone.

“Would you like to buy the silver or gold model?” asked Arnold, the sales person. His hair was so curly that it looked like a giant ginger cotton ball was glued to his head, and his abnormally large, red glasses made Mr. Dressup’s look tiny. Then there were the conspicuous old style aqua suspenders that gave Kiel the idea that Arnolds grandma must have dressed him this morning.
“Silver,” Kiel answered without hesitation although inside he was screaming just give me the phone already! They had been standing there listening to Arnold talk about random things that supposedly had something to do with the phone for at least an hour already.
“It was a pleasure doing business with you,” Arnold smiled showing off his assortment of colourful braces as he handed the new phone to Kiel. Kiel yanked the phone from his hand mumbling a thank you and cursing to himself about how talkative sales people can be so annoying.
As the boys turned to leave Arnold said, “Hold on a second, I forgot something really important.” Kiel turned abruptly to face Arnold and said in a hissed tone,
“What more could you possibly say?”
“The button with the star on it is a magical button,” he exclaimed with a burst of spirit fingers. Randy rolled his eyes and said, “dude, I want what you’re on. You been smoking some laced pot or something?”
Arnold stared in confusion for a matter of ten seconds before he shook his head and went on like he hadn’t been interrupted. “Well I just wanted to warn you that if you hold that button and point it at anyone on a phone you can listen to their conversation without them even knowing.”
Kiel and Randy exchanged glances and said in unison, “cool.”
“Cool?” Arnold choked. “It is in no way cool. That’s invasion of privacy! Why someone would even create that kind of technology is beyond me.”
“That’s not all that’s beyond him,” Randy laughed but Arnold didn’t look amused.
“Well it is your phone so whatever you decide to do with it is none of my business, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. There is a saying, what goes around comes around: Kismet, Murphy’s Law, Karm-” before Arnold could finish Randy held up his hand.
“Alright Bevis we get it.”
“The names’ Arnold,” he said with a frown.
“Right, right. You see Bevis, we are teenagers. Do you really think we are going to listen to what we should be doing with our lives? I don’t think so.”
As soon as Kiel and Randy were done paying for the phone they stepped out of the mini store and into the mall. It was buzzing with people today.
“So who should we target first?” Randy asked. Kiel scanned the faces for someone interesting. Kiel thought that it was ridiculous that the smart phone allowed you to actually spy on someone’s conversations, like the world wasn’t messed up enough already.
“Her,” Kiel said while eyeing a girl dressed in black.
Randy laughed, “did she just get back from a funeral or something?”
“Lets find out,” Kiel replied as he pointed the phone at the mysterious girl in black, and pressed the star button.
“…the package to you after midnight,” said the girl into her cell phone.
“Amy, I’m warning you,” came a deeper voice from the other end. It sounded frustrated. “If you don’t get that package to me soon I’ll have you reported.”
“To whom Xavier, the cops?” the girl spat.
“No,” he replied calmly. “To Lillith.”
“You wouldn’t,” Amy tested.
“Don’t play games with me girl.” the deep voice said. Even though Kiel and Randy couldn’t see him they could picture a clenched jaw. “Don’t you dare fail me.”
“Do you have any idea who you are talking to? And my name is not girl. I said I’d have the package to you after midnight, now you can trust that I’m not lying, or you can wish upon your death. This is not as easy…” Amy held her breath as one of the mall cops passed by. She smiled at him and then as soon as he was out of hearing range she continued. “Like I was saying. This is not as easy as you might think. I am putting my ass on the line here, so I would like to hear a damn thank-you for the sake of all things evil!”
“Fine,” the deep voice said. “I trust you. Now get that package to me, or there will be consequences.”
Amy snapped her phone shut and Kiel did the same. Then Amy glanced over her shoulder at the boys and smiled. She was a gothic chick and wore a wild rose, the colour of lovers red, in here long black hair. Her eyes were the colour of fresh blood. She is a goth. Stupid Randy to think she was coming out of a funeral. She smiled at me. Do goth’s usually smile? Kiel thought to himself.
“Did you see her eyes?” Kiel asked.
“Dude, contacts.” Randy replied irritably
She started towards them, but the boys remained cool. Once she was standing in front of them she asked, “Is that the new smart phone you have there?”
“Yes,” Kiel replied suspiciously and wondered how she knew.
Amy flashed her eyelashes at Randy. “Have we met before?” she said as sweetly as a snake before the strike. Her eyes reminded Kiel of death itself.
“I don’t believe we have,” he replied in a deeper tone than usual.
“Oh, its just that you two look so familiar. Hey, how would you like to make twenty dollars each?”
Before Kiel had the chance to say anything Randy blurted, “Of course. What’s the deal?”
“Drugs. Are you sure you’re up to it?” Amy’s eyes narrowed on Kiel. She was centering him out.
Feeling the urge to be confident Kiel said, “Damn straight we are.”
“Good,” Amy smiled. “It’s in my car right now.” She motioned them with her hand to follow.

“Where on earth did you get a 2009, gold eagle, Lotus?” Randy said breathlessly. “I don’t think they even sell those in Canada.”
“Got it transported from overseas,” Amy replied coolly. Kiel thought the expression on Randy’s face just then was priceless.
“I like this chick,” he whispered to Kiel as Amy popped the trunk.
“I need you to deliver a package of drugs to a very rich man,” Amy said while bending into the trunk.
“What’s in it?” Kiel asked.
Amy came out of the trunk to look at him suspiciously, “I trust that you aren’t going to sell them for yourselves. If this all goes wrong you two could be killed you know.”
“Right, but what are we delivering?” Randy inserted, totally oblivious to the fact that his life was in danger.
“Date Rape, Angel Dust, and some over the counter shit.” Randy nodded his head, but Kiel was beginning to feel uneasy. Something about this whole thing wasn’t right. Amy bent back into her trunk to retrieve the package, and that’s when Kiel realized the wild roses. They covered the entire inside of the trunk. Who the hell is this chick? Kiel thought, and eyed Randy for an answer. Randy just shrugged.
“It was a pleasure doing business with you boys,” Amy laughed, but before the boys could look back at her their worlds went black.

Kiel tried to move but it seemed that every inch of his body was in chains; it was dark so he couldn‘t see his surroundings. He tried to talk, but there was something in his mouth that tasted salty, but his face was pressed into something that smelled sweet. Then from behind him there was a grunt and Kiel flinched. He bashed his head off of something hard and could feel blood leak down his forehead.
Just then a creak sounded and the lid of Amy’s trunk opened. Amy peered inside with a grin as wild as the rose in her hair. Kiel wanted to scream profanity at Amy, but the thing in his mouth didn’t allow such action.
“Well hello fellows,” Amy said in a wicked voice. Kiel narrowed his eyes at her. Amy leaned in and yanked Kiel out of the trunk like he was paper, and threw him to the ground where he landed on a sharp rock. Kiel winced as the jagged edges pierced his skin. While Kiel remained helpless Amy removed Randy from the trunk and plunked him down beside Kiel. The trunk closed with a click and the boys were lifted to their feet. The thing that was in their mouths was removed and Kiel asked angrily, “What are you doing?”
“It’s a surprise,” Amy teased, letting her crimson eyes fall on Kiel once again. They seemed more taunting than before, but Kiel thought that could be because the dark night made them seem almost black. Amy yanked on a rope that Kiel realized was tied to his hands, and both boys moved forward.
As they were being dragged along, Kiel had a chance to look around. His eyes had adjusted to the dark night and he realized that Amy had brought them to a graveyard. Kiel looked over to Randy to see him holding his arm that was soaked in blood.
“What did she do to you?” Kiel asked as quietly as he could.
“He ran into a knife,” Amy laughed from ahead of them. Kiel decided not to comment, and they walked in silence.
They stopped beside a tall gravestone that had a carving of an angel perched on top of it. There were two burial holes, six feet deep in the ground, and it hit Kiel that he had to get away. Amy started speaking a different language into a cup that was holding a thick liquid and stood beside a table with candles and bones.
“Are you a witch?”
“Close,” Amy said, not taking her eyes off of the cup..
Kiel looked around frantically for a way out, and kept Amy talking to waste more time.
“So there was no package then?”
“Oh there’s a package all right, and I am going to deliver.”
“Deliver what, why do you need us?” Kiel asked as he struggled to untie the rope around his hands.
“You are the package. You and your friend,” She scoffed at Randy who was beginning to look white. The blood was still falling from his arm.
“What do you need us for?”
“You, my friends, are sacrifices to my Lord.”
Randy lifted his head then and with a small voice said, “God wouldn’t want you to sacrifice for him.” This caused Amy to laugh. She took three big strides towards Randy and pulled his head back by the hair so she could look him in the eyes.
“This God you speak of, is he of heaven?”
“That’s who your sacrificing for isn’t it?” Randy mumbled so low it sounded like a whisper.
“No, I do not worship that God.” Amy spat. “Lucifer, that is who I worship. And you are a blood sacrifice in his name. I’m sure he’ll be pleased to see some fresh souls for once.”
“You mean to say…” Kiel said.
“Yes, you two are going to have a nice trip to hell. I heard it’s beautiful down there. That is, if you like fire hotter than the earth’s core and lakes of blood.” Amy grinned, showing her teeth. Kiel thought they almost looked like they were filed to appear sharp.
Amy spun on her heel and walked back to the cup and took a drink just as Kiel slipped off the rope. “Randy,” she said. “Your blood tastes good.”
Kiel’s nose cringed at the thought as he bent to undo his shoes and slip his feet out of the tight rope around his ankles.
“What are you doing Kiel?” Amy asked and Kiel stopped dead in his tracks, and confused as to how she knew his name.
“Nothing,” Kiel lied.
Amy spun around and stabbed Randy in the gut, twisting until blood came from his lips. “Nothing?” Amy asked. “So you are not trying to escape?”
“Please don’t kill me. I don’t deserve this.” He plead.
“Oh stop it, I hate mushy goodbyes,” Amy teased before she drove the knife across Kiel’s throat.

Kiel jolted awake; all the covers on the floor. He looked around suspiciously until he realized he was in his bedroom.
“It was just a dream. There is no such things as smart phones.” He said as if he were mesmerised. His alarm went off beside his bed, so Kiel went to reach for the snooze button. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw them. The wild red roses that were sitting in a vase. Some of them were dying and the pedals were falling off. He instantly ran to his window, opened it, grabbed the vase and dumped the roses out. His heart was beating fast so he went to lay back down on his bed, and just forget about the dream he had.