I
awoke I know not how long later, with water in my ears and a ringing in my head.
James, leaning
over me, smiled when he saw I was awake. I smiled back, forgetting all I had
ever done. Wordlessly,
he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a single, perfect, red rose.
Words and visions flooded
through me. Petals drooped and fell, thorns spiked. I stared at him, his gentle
green eyes and innocent
smile were lost to me, and all I could see was the rose he was holding. It was
red, red as blood... He
must have taken my horror for surprise, and I heard, but never registered his
words as he told me
once again that he loved me. I reached out a hand, missing his smile, his happiness;
he thought I
was going to take the rose from him. My soul had long since withered and dropped
away, the thorns
of the rose within had torn it to shreds... and I slapped him.
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