Rose -A short story-

Eloquent beams of sunlight tumbled down onto Rose’s auburn locks that were bouncing down her back as she made her way through the woodland. The clement autumn daze made a comforting warmth enclose over her soft and pale childlike cheeks. Her chubby fingers clasped tightly around the mahogany box in her dainty hands that she held level with her chest. The sunlit sky made the shiny coating of coral painted neatly onto her stubby fingernails glint in the light. Her Mother had shakily painted them this morning, it was the first time she had worn nail polish. And she liked the idea of changing the colour of her features, and she was content with how her appearance was for her passing.

The birds in the treetops above tweeted their harmonious melodies. They floated in the balmy air as they carolled into Rose’s ears. She smiled at the tranquil lyric less music that was so softly enveloping the wispy branches that were painting themselves in simple brushstrokes against the blank and fresh canvas of the early October day. She soon found herself humming softly in tune to the bird’s chirping. She felt a slight urge to utter a few lyrics into the air, to merge it into the dulcet tune but she refrained. She didn’t want to puncture the igneous day, even though her voice was most beautiful for one of an eight year old she knew that some things were better left untampered with. Which was why her footsteps were careful as they cautiously made their way through the bed of leaves beneath them. The fiery reds and oranges were crisp underneath her feet, but their appearance was innocent and calming, they reminded her of the bright and abstract paintings of her brother’s room.

Her brother was one of the reasons that she knew that her time was right. His had come a while ago, although he had no idea. Rose didn’t know a lot about it, her Mother was keen to protect her daughter’s sinless ears from the tragic truths of her sibling’s death. He had endured a few years more of the both beautiful and cruel principal of life before the fatal accident last year than her. And she respected that not everything was fit for the ears of a child.

But she knew that death must be if it was going to happen to her. She knew she had served her purpose in this life, and that it was time for her to move onto the next. She wasn’t sure what her purpose was in life yet, her mind was slightly fogged. It was clouded with the tears her Mother was still shedding, and the remorseful looks of pity she got when she passed neighbours in the street. She didn’t understand why everyone was so upset over the news of her time coming to pass. She’s so young. People would say in their whimpers between their sobs. Yes, Rose knew she was young. But she also knew that God had perfectly written plans for everyone. And she respected every single syllable of every single neatly written and trimmed chapter of her life. And she knew that over time, in her next life, the clouds would clear and her purpose would be clear. She was going to do her best to fulfil it. She knew she would. Rose tried her best in everything, and she was always the kindest to everyone, even if people didn’t deserve it. Because in Rose’s eyes, everyone did.

As she neared the clearing she felt her heartbeat become less frequent. A slight fuzziness took over her mind for a few seconds, but it was short-lived and this feeling was no stranger to her over the past year of her battle with cancer. She was content with the fact that her time here was done, and she was neither happy nor wistful that it was predicted to be over by tomorrow.

As she reached the clearing she felt the fuzziness blur her vision for a few seconds. But like a snap of the fingers it was gone again and Rose smiled. As she inhaled another sweet breath of the virginal air she felt her heart flutter at the tranquil feeling of breathing. Although she knew she wouldn’t be able to envelope herself into this exercise many more times she found just a few times enough. After all, nobody who was greedy got anything out of life.

Rose didn’t deserve to die. She was an innocent child of eight years old. But Rose didn’t mind. In her opinion, everyone deserved nothing. There was no classification in what should and shouldn’t happen in the state of being fair and everyone was equal.

As she knelt down onto the comforter of leaves she felt a strange waver of nausea wash over her but this was as well, short lived and she ignored it, glad that it felt a lot better than the pain and sickness she had experienced in the past year.

Her tiny fingertips worked the lid of the sleek mahogany box and it lifted with ease displaying the paper. The thin and fraying sheet was laden with her childish font that perfectly carved the words and letters that made up her wills and wishes to whom she was leaving behind in this world. Carefully she lifted the paper from the box that she had written when she first got the news of her illness. Rose placed it underneath the box leaving it sandwiched neatly between the ground and the base of the box.

Next, her stubby fingers clasped around the hem of her wig and she lifted it away from her naked scalp. Her Mother had insisted on the faux head of hair, but Rose didn’t want it. She believed that whatever happened to her was supposed to and that she, and everyone else were beautiful no matter what their state of appearance and health. But nonetheless she complied with her Mother’s wishes not wanting to upset her in the time she had left. But now, she was placing it inside of the box and closing the lid. She could feel by the feeling that was cloaking over her slim figure that her time was coming. It was almost to the faint climax and she was ready. She had been for a while.

She lay down and closed her eyes her child frame lying innocently in the clearing of the woodland. Her tiny heartbeats began to slow and a cold sweat broke out over her body but she was smiling nonetheless as her body slowly began to shut down. In her last movement she slipped her fingers in between each other and rested them on the pit of her stomach as she felt her whole body relax. And as her brain turned blank, her heartbeat faded out to halt, a feeling of completion took over. The birds all gathered to witness, their calls silent as they watched in wistfulness. But Rose knew this was right. She had served her purpose and spent her last few minutes in ecstasy. And that was all she ever wanted.