Shades of Purple

Chapter 16

'Roz bends down slowly to pick up the rose; still looking down at the floor, she notices a dark figure looming over her.

She hears a click, and the barrel of the gun is pressed against the back of her head, "Ms. Rosewood, please place your hands above your head."

'He thinks I'm Marina,' Roz exclaims to herself! A reflection of light catches her eye, and she sees a large fragment of glass.

Grabbing the shard, she stabs it into the man's leg. He lets out a loud, indignant shout of pain. A sense of satisfaction and relief washes over Roz before a mask is thrust towards her face and she drifts out of consciousness.'

* * *

Marina wakes up at the crack of dawn. 'Why did Roz not wake me up? She must be tired,' she thinks in incertitude. Pulling a twig out of her tangled hair, she sits up. She looks around, but she doesn't see Roz anywhere near her.

"Roz," Marina calls out! She gets no response. Marina stands up and walks in the direction she remembers seeing Roz walk towards before she fell asleep, continuing to call out her name- nothing.

That is when she sees it. Lying on the ground is a singular sheet of paper, held in place by a small rock and Roz's bag. Picking the paper up, Marina holds it closer to her face and begins to read Roz's slightly messy handwriting:

'Marina,
If you have found this, you have probably already figured out that I'm gone. Don't worry, I'm safe. I know you are probably mad at me, but I just couldn't deal with any more pain. Every thought of saying goodbye is like a jab in the heart, and I don't want to put either of us through that again. I left you the wool blanket in my bag and a few other things I thought you might find useful, but remember everything I have taught you. It hurts so much to leave you, but it's better to rip the bandage off quickly, right? I'm so sorry, Marina. Don't lose your fight. I know you're angry at me for this, but try to remember the good times. Try to remember the times when we would try to fix breakfast together, and you would end up getting sidetracked because you are useless at cooking­. Try to remember the times when we would sit on the porch together and watch the stars. Just try to remember us.
Love,
Roz.'

Marina watches as her own tear drops mix in with the stains Roz had already left on the paper. It hurts, yes; but, Marina is not angry with her friend. She understands- she understands that her friend was scared, and her friend was hurt, and her friend was tired. In all of the time Marina has known Roz, she has never known her to run away; Marina isn't angry, she's hurt and she's disappointed.

"Looks like we are down a person, boy," Marina tells Otis' sleeping form sadly. When Otis continues to sleep, Marina sits down dejectedly, deciding to write Roz her own letter:

'Roz,
I am not mad at you. I get it. You just did not want to say goodbye, but you also did not want to lie and say "see you later." I respect that, but I miss you. I have only just realized you are gone, and I already wish you were back. I want you here with me, not alone like you have been for most of your life. It is hard to write this. It is just so real. It is like a train has hit me in a full-on collision. I just felt like we were something that could last a lifetime. I just don't understand how you could just leave. I get what you were thinking, but to actually do it is a completely different story. I know you, Roz. I know that your favorite flower is a rose, I know that you could live off of waffles, I know that you are so loyal, I know that you are the bravest person I have ever met, and I know that we are better together. How could you leave me? What could I have done differently to make you stay? That is all... until we meet again.
Love,
Marina.'

Marina looks up from her note, tears in her eyes; she notices that Otis is beginning to groggily yawn as he transitions from a state of resting to a state of waking.

"Alright, Otis-," Marina begins, "-we need to get moving." She picks up the two backpacks, one hers and one Roz's, and rises to her feet.

* * *

Otis plods alongside Marina tiredly as they make their way up a steep hill. Once at the top of the hill, Marina notices a large building far in the distance­; it is surrounded by something she cannot make out. 'I wonder if it is another Village. We could probably make it there by sundown,' Marina thinks to herself, becoming more and more curious as to who could occupy the area.

Squinting her eyes, Marina tries to get a better look at the area surrounding the structure- nothing. She cannot seem to tell what it is around the building other than trees. 'I will figure it out when I get there,' Marina decides after a few minutes of pointless guessing.

Otis barks as a butterfly flies by his face, and Marina laughs at his excitement; for a split second, she forgets how upset she was. Then she sees it- the butterfly's wings are the exact same color as Roz's rose. Roz- Roz is gone; Roz left her.

When the butterfly flutters away, Marina calls out for Otis to follow her. Traveling goes by relatively easy for the rest of the day, giving Marina some unwanted time to reflect.

The atmosphere already feels different without Roz: the breeze feels less relaxing, the trees look less vibrant, and the chirping of the birds becomes less like a beautiful melody and more like a funeral march. 'At least I did not have to say goodbye. I would have liked to have been able to make that choice for myself though.'

* * *

Marina knows she is heading in the right direction, making it even more frustrating when she cannot seem to find the building; it is almost dusk, and she needs to find somewhere to settle down, but Marina is determined to find this building.

She notices a wooden sign; spray painted in red is: "Project Revelation: 3 miles ahead."

It is almost nighttime when Marina sees it. After traveling in circles for what felt like an eternity, Marina finally finds what she was looking for.

The gate is covered in ivy, making it almost invisible to the naked eye. It seems to be very elegant but also looks old and unkept; the hinges are rusted over, making Marina wonder if anyone lives here. Marina recognizes the gate; it is the same gate described in every horror book Roz had forced her to read. She forces the gate open slowly, and the hinges let out a shrill cry as they fight against the movement. Marina takes a deep breath, preparing herself for whatever horrors she may encounter; she can only hope that her fate is better than the protagonists' of those stories.