Cage of Roses

I didn't stop running until I reached the house. It was quiet, way to quiet for my family. I didn't want to believe it, they were alright they had to be. I raced up the steps not caring when I fell and snagged part of my skin on the thorns. They were the least of my worries right now. Grabbing the door handle I threw it open then stopped. The house was still. There was no sound at all.

"Mom? Dad? Jas?" I called afraid to walk in.

No one answered. Nothing moved either. I was terrified. But still I walked inside my whole body trembling. Silence seemed to circle my body as I walked through the halls. It didn't feel like my house anymore, it didn't feel like the place I had spent thirteen years in. It felt like I was in some strangers house.

"Mom? Dad? JAS!?" I called my voice getting louder and louder.

I walked into the kitchen as was shocked to see that the dishes from breakfast were still in the sink. Turning on the light I headed for the basement door. It wasn't locked which told me I had to hurry. Throwing this door opened too I ran down the stairs stopping at the sight before me. My father lay on the ground face down.

"DAD!" I ran over to him an carefully turned him over.

He groaned which told me he was alive, I checked for any wounds but I saw none. He wasn't hurt so why hadn't he opened his eyes. Placing shaking hands on him I started to move him back and forth on the ground.

"Dad get up. Please you have to I need your help." I whispered moving him back and forth.

But he didn't move. He was asleep, I could tell from the way her breathed. I don't know how long I keeled by his side but finally I stood back up. It was like sleeping beauty. Nothing I did would wake him up. Nothing.

"Mom, mom can wake him up."

I started to turn and go back upstairs but I paused. I couldn't leave him there. It wasn't right. I wasn't very strong but I managed to pull him to his feet and drag him upstairs. it was hard, each step was painful, but if he fell he could die. Finally I got him upstairs onto the couch in the living room, after making sure he was comfortable I raced to their room to get my mom. But she was the same. Asleep, nothing I did would wake her up. Jas too had fallen under the spell. There was a scowl on her face as if she was about to wake up and yell at me. But she didn't. She just slept.

I made them as comfortable as I could. Then as if someone had switched on my autopilot I moved around cleaning up the house. The blood that was escaping from my cuts had dripped everywhere. After tending tot the wound I started cleaning that up. When I finished I did the dishes and put them away. When dinner time came I made some soup, cleaning up afterwards. But when I was all done there was nothing left to do. Nothing.

Except cry.

"Stop crying!" I ordered as I swiped at the tears. But nothing would make them stop.

"You're not going to be able to help them if you're like this!" I said even as the hot tears continued to run down my cheeks.

When the tears finally stopped I started looking around. Maybe there was a charm I could use. Maybe there was a spell that would work for me. Maybe.

But I found nothing. I couldn't read the spells in mom's books, I didn't know how to mix the recipes in dad's and Jas's stuff was stuff she had randomly collected from garage sales. There was nothing I could do. Finally I put everything away and took dad to his room where I tucked him into bed next to my mom. After checking that Jas was alright I grabbed a blanket and went into the kitchen. It didn't feel right sleeping in my room. It was too close. Instead i crawled under the table with my blanket and laid down on the floor. It was something Jas and I would do when we were scared and they weren't home. Now it was just me.