Kill Me With a Thorny Kiss

This world will never be what I expected
And if I don't belong who would have guessed it
I will not leave alone everything that I own
To make you feel like it's not too late, it's never too late

I groaned groggily as I reached for my phone trying to turn off the alarm I had on it. It was only three in the morning, and I am far from a morning person, but I don’t dare try to sleep any longer in case I wake up when they’re up. I reach for my old, worn robe and slip it on over my thin night gown that I have been using since I was seven. I quietly slip downstairs from my room in the attic cursing every noise step I took. When I had reached the kitchen on the first floor I made myself breakfast, nothing special. Just some cold cereal with milk that was starting to taste sour. Checking the date I frowned; this is the last day it was good, and it’s not like I have money to spend on milk I just hope that when mom and dad see this they don’t take it out on me…again.

After I ate I went back upstairs and got dress in some of the little clothes I had. I chose a pair of blue jeans out of the choice between that and a pair of jeans that were black. I chose a gray long sleeved shirt out of the choices of a black spaghetti strap shirt and a long sleeved shirt that was the color of blood, my shoes were the same everyday that I wasn’t bear-footed: black sketchers that were so worn there was tape to help hold them together. I don’t mind though…it won’t matter in the end will it? I look at my phone the time read four o’clock. It was time to leave for the hell I had to call school. Unfortunately school wasn't much better than my life at home. If I wasn't ignored then I was beaten up. Fun! Hear the sarcasm someone please.

Oh well, at least if I leave now I can visit Sarah real quick. Sarah…how long has it been? I want to say it’s been lifetimes, but it’s only been a few years, hasn’t? I don’t know anymore, time flies and leaves me behind. I pick up my book bag, which is just an old torn massager’s bag, but I don’t care if it gets the job done then what does it matter what it looks like?

I left my house feeling deeply relieved not to have to confront my parents, but that only makes me worry for tonight. If I’m lucky then I won’t get notice and I can live quietly, but luck is never on my side sadly. I continued my daily stroll through our quiet neighborhood looking at the leaves that fell from their tree captors. The reds, yellow, even the browns were all beautiful in the slight light that came from the dawning sun. I sighed contently, even if my life was hell the world could still make me relax under its spell of natural beauty. I started to hum ’My Immortal’ by Evanescence it had been Sarah favorite song so it natural became mine as well. I could’ve took out my Ipod, a red, old one that Sarah had left for me, and listened to it instead, but it had a low batter and the only time I could charge it was during school when we were working on the computers, or when I was at the library. So I had to settle for my own voice that hum the words in a voice just above a whisper.

When I had reached the cemetery I leaped over the wall with grace that could have only come through the many times I snuck into here. But its not like anybody cared, no one ever comes here except for funerals and for the first year. Then they start to move on with their life and forget about the people they loved, because in the end nobody cares about the dead…and sometimes that’s true for the living also.

I amble along the path I had made for myself to Sarah’s grave, her grave had become my safe place. Where no matter how much abuse I go through, no matter how much pain, or how scared I am I can always go there and feel safe.

I make a dead stop when I am not a hundred feet from her grave. This is the way to her grave, right? I am having second thoughts that I might have wondered off because I see a woman I have never met before in from of Sarah’s grave. I’ve never seen her before, but she’s beautiful. She has red hair that looks almost like it’s on fire, it’s long too almost down to the back of her knees. She’s short just a little over five foot, at least I think so, I can’t tell her exactly size because she’s hunched over at the stone marker. I walk cautiously closer, and I can’t help but feel like a complete idiot; I probably look like one too.

I freeze when the lady suddenly stands up and looks at me. She smiles,… I think, either way I am smiling trying to look friendly but still stuck feeling like a moron. ‘Hmmm, that has a nice flow to it. Gack focus, focus, focus’ I tell myself repeatedly. Just barely catching the fact that the lady is waving me over. Sigh, I hope she is going to yell at me. I hate it when people yell, I think that’s the only thing that I’m actually scared of too.

I could tell she was getting slightly impatient so I started to jog a little to get to her faster. ““Hello sweetie. What are you doing out and about so early in the morning. Especially in a cemetery also.” she said her voice honey sweet, it reminded me of some fond grandma talking to her toddler grandchild.

If there was one thing my parents had ever drilled into my head that didn’t end up scaring me it was to be polite. “Ah, good morning ma’am. I just wanted to see my friend before I went to school to day.” She was a ma’am, right? She doesn’t really look that much older than me, oh well, better to be polite. I think I’ll need all the help I can get when talking with her. She has this aura around her, its indescribable, but I think I should be careful around her.

I think she also notices something about me the way I do her because she doesn’t answer me for a moment and then “Oh, is your friend by any chance Sarah Hennlings?” I just nod starting to feel a bit awkward, I don’t know this lady at all, and what is she doing at Sarah’s grave?

I swear that woman can read minds or something because her next statement answers just that. “Well how about that. I knew her too. My name’s Melody” She shoots out her hand to shake mine. ‘Melody.. ’ My eyes widen in recognition to her name. I remember her now! Brief memories flow into my mind of Sarah telling me about this woman that I needed to met. How she knew people who granted wishes on some special nights that had to do with day and night thingies like the solstices. And if you wanted to meet her you had to do things like not hurt yourself or try to attempt suicide for, like three years, but for that whole time wishing yourself death.

“Melody.” I repeat, just because this doesn’t feel real. None of this does, I feel like I’m in a dream, but I keep talking to her. “I heard of you. Sarah told me so much about you! Oh, I guess I should introduce myself. Sorry, my name is Rose.” And suddenly it hits me, like in those cartoons where they run into one of those brick walls. This person knew Sarah, this person knows how to help me. I want to hug her, and maybe if I do, I’ll feel like I am hugging Rose.

“It’s nice to meet you Rose. How much has Sarah told you about me?” Melody asks me, waking me back from my reeling mind.

“ Told me? Oh, she told me about how you, know this place with some Latin name, that can grant a person’s greatest wish if they can offer something in return of the same value. Speaking of which do you think you could take me there. Please! I need to go there, I have a wish that needs to be granted and I am prepared to offer anything for it!” I begged her, seeing a slow smile cross her face. My gut to me I should be afraid, very afraid, but I am not. Not when I am this close…

“Yes, yes I can and I will sweetie, and you’re just in luck tonight is going to be one of the nights that they are actually open to the public. So meet me here tonight at dusk and we’ll go together, alright?” I nodded thrilled that this was going so easily for me, and even Melody smiled. She has a nice smile, oh god I sound like a creeper.

“Oh, I have to go or I’ll be late for school. Thank you so much Melody! I’ll see you here tonight at the dusk!” I called turning, away and running back to where to the waking world. It was already 5:30. How could time pass so fast? I didn’t think we had been talking more than just a few minutes.

“At dusk.” She called after me “Oh, and Rose,” I stopped and look back at her so she knew I was listening. “Don’t tell anyone anything, or I can’t take you. Got it?” I understood her completely and besides, who was I going to tell? Not my parents obviously and I didn’t have any friends except for Sarah. I could just see what would happen if I told Tiffani what I was going to do. Tiffani was ‘the girl’ at our school, the slut, the prep, the whole big deal as daddy’s little rich girl. Ha ha, what fun that would be. I nodded again to Melody before taking off again. For the first time in a long time I was running with a light heart and a new hope giving me my own wings to soar. Tonight would be the night that would change my life. Now if only I had know just how true that would turn out to be…