STAY WITH ME

vingt-trois

   phil stumbled in his walk and he walked backwards. being guided by evelyn's hand. he was completely drunk. he was drunk off alcohol, off of evelyn, off the thoughts of dan. he was so broken and scared. so he took everything by the reigns, cutting down the portion of his garden planted by dan's warm, gentle hands. letting evelyn in his place, to plant thickets of dead roses.

   their breathy moans wrapped around each other. their kisses filled only with lust. no compassion, no love, no tenderness. they were only their to fill the needs of both of them. so phil let evelyn in. let her push him through the thicket of roses, as to so she wouldn't get cut as phil bled out.

   "you're so, ah, good, phil." evelyn slurred as she pulled around. rustling around in her vintage back, rushing to get her keys. she fumbled as she opened her apartment door. once open, she grabbed phil by the wrist, pulling him inside, throwing her purse on the floor and kissing phil again. it was all passion. phil could feel the sleeping pain as he kept kissing her. he watched as the lilies, daisies, and gardenias dan had planted burned.

   he didn't stop though. he let evelyn push him through a growing thicket of dead rose. more cuts appeared on his skin the longer and longer this continued. his skin burned as he let her continue. the flowers that dan had planted burned. phil watched as they burned, not trying to stop them.

   and phil knew that he'd never be alright.