Status: Completed
Torn Fragility
Dungeons and roses
"Proud people breed sad sorrows for themselves." Emily Bronte
The creature screamed, indignant as it dived underneath it’s covers. It’s fury was palatable and I took a nervous step back.
“I’m sorry Max!” Hannah gushed but there was a hint of sarcasm in her voice. “I told you you should be expecting her.”
‘Max’ grunted and twisted underneath the voluminous bed covers to turn away from us towards the drawn heavy curtains that cast his entire room in darkness. His room was extremely gloomy and the vision of the monster I had seen must merely have been a result of the shock of such a morbid environment. Shouldn’t an invalid’s room be bright and cheery?
“Well, Rose, this is Max Smith, Max this is Rose,” Hannah said folding her arms and sighing.
“He...hello,” I said timidly but something caught my eye and I turned, seeing the outline of a baby grand piano near the window.
I received a wallop from a feather pillow for and my head hit the wall behind me with a painful dull thud.
“Max!” Hannah shouted and I saw her again for the first time, a force to be reckoned with. She walked towards the curtains and tore them open. Butter yellow sunlight spilled into the room promising another beautiful day. But the bed’s occupant clearly did not find this to his taste and showed his disgust by groaning and digging deeper into the covers.
“Suit yourself, but you’re listening to Rose while I’m gone, is that clear?”
I had been looking at Hannah this time and did not see the alarm clock hurtle towards me.
“I didn’t know he’d be so rude, I must apologise on his behalf,” Hannah was saying as she held a cool cloth to my forehead. We were sitting on my bed and I took the cloth from her with a slight wince as she accidentally applied pressure.
“It’s fine,” I told her instinctively, not so sure of my own words. Rude was an understatement though, but I wasn’t about to go correcting her.
Hannah wiped her hand across her face, looking very old and worn out. I smiled comfortingly at her and asked her if there was anything else she still had to explain. She shook her head and I followed her downstairs where a small suitcase stood near the front door.
“Thank you very much Rose. I’ve already served him breakfast so you won’t have to do that. If you see he’s too much of a hassle don’t hesitate to call me. But I want you to call me at least once a day anyways so I can hear how things are going. I’ll make sure not to tarry and hurry back.”
I shrugged. “It’s a funeral; you shouldn’t rush things.”
“Have you ever been to a funeral before Rose?” she asked inquisitively as she bent to pick up her suitcase.
“Many.”
A few minutes later I watched her small Golf chug down the gravel driveway and out of sight. I locked the front door, made sure I knew where all the keys were kept and I walked slowly upstairs passing Smith’s dungeon without a pause.
A dungeon whose scent had held a delicate trace of roses.
The creature screamed, indignant as it dived underneath it’s covers. It’s fury was palatable and I took a nervous step back.
“I’m sorry Max!” Hannah gushed but there was a hint of sarcasm in her voice. “I told you you should be expecting her.”
‘Max’ grunted and twisted underneath the voluminous bed covers to turn away from us towards the drawn heavy curtains that cast his entire room in darkness. His room was extremely gloomy and the vision of the monster I had seen must merely have been a result of the shock of such a morbid environment. Shouldn’t an invalid’s room be bright and cheery?
“Well, Rose, this is Max Smith, Max this is Rose,” Hannah said folding her arms and sighing.
“He...hello,” I said timidly but something caught my eye and I turned, seeing the outline of a baby grand piano near the window.
I received a wallop from a feather pillow for and my head hit the wall behind me with a painful dull thud.
“Max!” Hannah shouted and I saw her again for the first time, a force to be reckoned with. She walked towards the curtains and tore them open. Butter yellow sunlight spilled into the room promising another beautiful day. But the bed’s occupant clearly did not find this to his taste and showed his disgust by groaning and digging deeper into the covers.
“Suit yourself, but you’re listening to Rose while I’m gone, is that clear?”
I had been looking at Hannah this time and did not see the alarm clock hurtle towards me.
“I didn’t know he’d be so rude, I must apologise on his behalf,” Hannah was saying as she held a cool cloth to my forehead. We were sitting on my bed and I took the cloth from her with a slight wince as she accidentally applied pressure.
“It’s fine,” I told her instinctively, not so sure of my own words. Rude was an understatement though, but I wasn’t about to go correcting her.
Hannah wiped her hand across her face, looking very old and worn out. I smiled comfortingly at her and asked her if there was anything else she still had to explain. She shook her head and I followed her downstairs where a small suitcase stood near the front door.
“Thank you very much Rose. I’ve already served him breakfast so you won’t have to do that. If you see he’s too much of a hassle don’t hesitate to call me. But I want you to call me at least once a day anyways so I can hear how things are going. I’ll make sure not to tarry and hurry back.”
I shrugged. “It’s a funeral; you shouldn’t rush things.”
“Have you ever been to a funeral before Rose?” she asked inquisitively as she bent to pick up her suitcase.
“Many.”
A few minutes later I watched her small Golf chug down the gravel driveway and out of sight. I locked the front door, made sure I knew where all the keys were kept and I walked slowly upstairs passing Smith’s dungeon without a pause.
A dungeon whose scent had held a delicate trace of roses.
♠ ♠ ♠
Very short, I know. I'm might just put on the next chapter if I get a few more comments. I'm very greedy. Or even just one more subscriber...What do all of joo think of Smith?