His Flower

Chapter 12

Rose stared at the mirror before dabbing on a little more blush to her cheeks. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before stepping out of her bathroom. The night was nearing.

A knock on her bedroom door caused Rose to turn to face it. Tabitha closed the door behind her and approached her niece. "If anything happens tonight," she ran her fingers through the ginger locks. "Just run away."

Rose, confused by her aunt's words, only nodded her head before looking away from her eyes. "What do I do after that?" She figured that the two of them were planning her escape. Something to get Rose out of this horrid life and into a better one. 

Tabitha opened her mouth but was soon cut off by the door. 

"My beautiful flower," Jerome had broken the closed door down. His voice went from low to high before going back low. "Don't you look wonderful as always." Rose gave him a closed mouth smile which fell as quick as it came. She watched as her aunt left her bedroom. Rose was alone with the monster she feared. 

"Tonight is the night," Jerome grinned before wrapping an arm around Rose's waist. He started to lead the girl out of her room. "Gotham will be ours soon," 

Rose only went along with him. Let him talk and talk while she listened. Let the boy hear what he wanted to hear. She was by his side for most of the evening. Until the time came. Time for his little magic act with Barbra. 

She didn't say anything as Jerome, rather aggressively, smashed their lips together. Rose stood there allowing him to kiss her. "Don't worry my Rose," Jerome whispered to her. "It'll be you and me after tonight." 

Rose felt herself shiver as Jerome walked past her to stage. She squeezed her eyes shut and hugged herself close. She didn't want this to go on any longer. Her uncle and his plan, Jerome and his antics, her aunt and whatever has been going on with her. 

Rose stood by the curtain, watching Jerome and his "magic" act with Barbra. She didn't pay much attention to the actual act. Just shifted between the act and the audience. 

"And now I would like to call to the stage," Rose snapped her head to Jerome. She watched at the Deputy Mayor climbed to the stage with a smile on the man's face. 

"By the way," Jerome spoke over all the clapping. "No one is getting out of here alive." 

Rose's hands immediately went to her mouth. She watched as a small knife went from Jerome's hand and to the chest of the Deputy Mayor. She only backed away from the curtains. She could only hear the screams of the audience. A firing gun came out of nowhere. Rose crouched down, covering her head with her hands. 

She could feel tears falling down her face. Rose just wanted all of this to stop. She glanced up to see Jerome smiling at her. Could he not see the fear on her face? Did he even care? 

'He doesn't care,' Rose thought to herself. 'This is what he loves. He will always love this.' 

Time went on, and Jerome had the place under his control. He was on the phone with someone. Rose couldn't really hear. Voices were muffled as she covered her ears. She could still hear the screams of everyone from earlier. She just wanted it all to stop. The killing, the death, Jerome.

"Enough!" 

Rose wondered why her uncle's voice was the only voice she could hear clearly. She watched him though. Watched as he made his way to the stage where Jerome stood.

"I know there is some human decency left in you." Jerome smiled confusingly before pointing to himself. Her uncle must've known about the interaction between Jerome and Rose. How he felt something towards the girl. If a monster is capable of loving someone, then there must be human in them. Right? 

Why wasn't this helping Rose though? Why did she still feel fear towards him? 

If anything happens tonight, just run away

Could this be that anything? Could this be what her aunt was thinking about? This could be her escape. Rose could finally leave her life behind. 

She couldn't though. Rose couldn't manage the strength to get up and run. She was just stuck where she was. 

"I think it's time for our official first victim of the night," Rose couldn't deal with this anymore. She wanted to call out to Jerome and talk some sense into him. If that could even work. "Where is Bruce Wayne?" 

"Jerome," The ginger boy glared over into Rose's direction. He wasn't happy that she was interrupting his big show, and Rose could see it all over his face. He marched right over to her before grabbing her neck and shoving her against a wall. 

"You need to listen to me my flower," Jerome hissed at her, listening as she gasped and choked for air. His hand tightened a little bit with anger. "This is my moment. I won't let anyone ruin that." He released her and only watched as the girl coughed. "And that includes you, my little Rose." 

Still coughing, Rose watched as Jerome returned to the stage with tears in her eyes. If any other sane person was in her spot, they would run. Run far from that monster. But Rose didn't move an inch. 

"Bruce!" The angry Jerome yelled into the microphone. "Where are you buddy?" 

"Kill his butler." Barbra told Jerome with boredom in her voice. 

Rose shook her head, like that would do something to stop Jerome. "Jerome, please don't," she quietly begged from her spot. 

"Ehh, I'm bored. Shoot the butler." Jerome said while turning around. 

"Stop!" Rose recognized the voice of none other than Bruce Wayne. She quietly made her way back to the curtains, watching as Bruce walked himself to face Jerome. 

"Jerome don't," Rose called out, watching as the maniac ripped Bruce away from his butler. It wasn't loud enough though. Not even Barbra was phased by the call of the quiet girl. 

Another shoot out erupted. Detective Gordon started shooting at people who were there with Jerome, walking closer to the clown who had Bruce wrapped up in his arms with a knife against the kid's throat. Jerome only laughed at the sight of the police officer.

Jerome was going mad from what Rose could tell. He was laughing and muttering to Bruce. Probably planning the endgame for everyone. 

"I said enough," 

Rose shook her head as her uncle picked himself up from being knocked out. Jerome had released Bruce and turned to face Theo Galavan. A pit was forming in Rose's stomach. She could feel something bad was going to happen. 

And then it did. 

Rose covered her mouth as she watched it unfold. Tears fell from her face. She felt herself suddenly become empty.