The Truth Beneath The Rose

All the people stared at the tall gravestone with reddened eyes, and heavy make-up. All in black, they were genuinely fancy, with firm faces that held sad forms. The skies above formed angry gray clouds, and thunder boomed across the sky.

The Cemetery of Lies, was how these people would recognize this place. A place where they mourned for the loved ones they never knew they lost.

All the people were huddled around the preacher of the only church in town, where he read from the bible. Preaching words of wisdom from God himself.

All but the girl in the red dress.

The dress was short, and raggedy, because her family of two couldn’t afford much. Her shoes, tall black converse, were old and dirty, but they couldn’t afford anything different. Her father, a failing inventor, was now gone. Underground, where she could never reach him.

She stood farthest from the people. The liars. They came only because they had to. They were the girl in the red dress’s family, but her and her father were always looked down upon because of her father’s want to be a famous inventor. And, they were the poorest.

Daddy knew she would not put up with living with one of her distant family members, the ones that never really cared for them. Instead, he gave her to a rich man, who lived in a tall manor, with many maids. Of course, she would work, but she would stay there for the rest of her life. He knew it was better than staying with people she knew didn’t love her.

That’s what the men in black are here for, She thought, side glancing at the men over at the black cars, without twisting her head.

Another cackle in the sky, and rain started pouring.

The people took out fancy black umbrellas, and covered themselves. A man stepped up beside the preacher with the same kind of umbrella and placed it over his head, letting himself get drenched without cover. The preacher kept speaking powerfully.

“Thank you all for coming, let us all pray….” The preacher bowed, closing his book. And all the people bowed their heads, breathing words of lies under their breathe.

The people dispersed, talking quietly under the rain. The men in black walked up to the girl in the red dress.

“No!” She cried, trying to yank away as they gripped her arms. “I’m not ready to leave! No—please don’t!” Tears sprung from her eyes and she screamed, causing heads to turn. The faces didn’t look horrified for her, but they looked disapproving. They didn’t care.

"Traitors!" The girl screamed, "You never loved us like you loved mother!"

They gasped, some looking away.

She fell to the ground unwillingly, but they dragged her in the mud anyway, drenching her ragged red dress.

She was dragged off, sobbing.

Mercy Stormhaven was her name, and little did she know….

She would be living with a monster.