Welcome Home, Rose

Eleven

Tyson Turner had a sinking feeling he was going to die.

He knew from the moment he felt the prick of the needle in his neck. He woke up in a room he didn't recognize but he knew the smell of home. Bennington Parque, his own personal Hell, a place where his own father refused to accept his dreams. It was there he made his own way showing a Turner could be more than just a small-town hero. He could be a legend all it cost him was the only family he had left.

He kept tabs on his Little Rosie, watched as she left their hometown going to Cornell Lake. He saw her graduate, the happiness in her eyes as she hugged her best friends. He had seen every text, every apology he could never find the right words to make amends. He had tried and failed to put the words into song.

Finally, an idea struck he got a red rose tattooed on the top of his hand. Right after he got it, he sent his sister a text from his wife's phone. He and Florence had their wedding on the one-year anniversary of his parents' death. He kept it from Heather wishing he had just sucked it up and apologized.

The sound of a door slamming brought him out of his thoughts. His restraints didn't allow him much freedom but his hearing had always been keen as a bat's.

"You are absolutely positive you saw them leaving the hospital together?" a male asked, or at least that's what it sounded like today. They were careful to mask their voices when they were in the house to conceal their identities.

"You asked me to keep tabs on her and I have. She left first and Fender followed." A female replied sounding extremely annoyed.

Tyson couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. He knew from the moment Heather and Adam Jones met at the age of five they would be together. He watched AJ have a crush on his sister doing everything in his power to get closer to her. It had been Tyson's idea of partnering students who were struggling with students who were doing well to improve relationships and grades. His mom, a sucker for budding romances paired Heather with AJ right away.

"I told her what would happen! Guess all bets are off."

He jumped back when the door flew open revealing his black masked captor, The Backroads Killer in the flesh. His blood began to boil, his old man had taught him how to get out of handcuffs. When the time was right, he would make his escape.

"My Rosie giving you a run for your money?" Tyson smirked. He took the punch like a champ spitting the blood on the floor.

"She is going to be shown what happens when she ignores my warnings." He pulled out a hatchet. Grabbing the hand with the rose tattoo he brought it down.

Tyson screamed, his vision going black for a moment. He brought it down again. His stomach clenched seeing his hand fall to the floor, he felt himself falling to the floor to meet it.

He awoke a few hours later to a familiar face. She had his arm bandaged, a stump where his hand used to be. The pain was unbearable but he would endure it for Rosie.

"They won't be gone for long. I've bandaged you up the best I can but you're going to need antibiotics and there's no way I can get those here." She bit her lip. "At least not right away."

"I'm not going to survive this, am I?" He asked weakly.

"I am so sorry Ty." Tears blossomed in her eyes pulling out her phone she helped him into a sitting position.

"Make amends with your sister and I give you my word I'll make sure it gets to her."

"I don't plan on dying today but if anything happens to me you keep your word." He held out his only hand. "Oh, and one more thing."