The Rose

I've edited this short story according to suggestions and reviews by Jared and Birkhoff. Please enjoy~
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She watched her surroundings attentively. The heavy rain poured down from the sky as the thunder groaned in the clouds. The gravel road was wet and slippery. The wind was strong. The trees nearby swayed violently in the harsh storm as the young girl stood underneath the shelter the shop had to offer.

However, the downpour did not last long. Soon, the heavy storm calmed and the rain reduced into a light drizzle. The atmosphere was damp and cold and a mist fogged up the glass of the shop. Small puddles were scattered throughout the gravel road leading deeper into the town.

Kaliyyah, noticing the change, stepped out from her shelter and walked through the drizzle. The small rain droplets dropped faintly on her lips, soaked into her hair and trickled down her face like fresh tears. However, she was not feeling sad at all—the wide smile her lips formed and the gleam in her hazel eyes were the signs of her happiness.

Across from the store she had taken shelter at during the rain was a flower shop. She browsed through the wonderful array of flowers—the bright yellow primroses, the white daises, the light pink peonies—they were all beautiful and vivid.

She stood there, confused and lost, until the florist approached her with a smile, “Hello. Would you like a bouquet?”

“I don’t have enough money for that,” Kaliyyah smiled sheepishly and revealed to the florist the little money she had, “Could I have one rose?”

The florist prepared the requested flower. She placed a single stalk of rose into a piece of transparent plastic adorned with a pink ribbon before it was handed to Kaliyyah. The teenager paid the florist with the few coins she had.

Holding the rose firmly in her little hands, she jogged down the road. The patter of her feet with every step she took echoed off the walls of the emacitated buildings around her in the nearly-deserted town.

Her hazel eyes twinkled with joy as she looked down at the flower in her hands. A single raindrop fell from the sky and dropped onto its petal, forming a pristine, oval-shaped drop of water. She fastened her pace and released a small giggle.

It took her months to save up the coins to buy the rose. Flowers were not cheap—nothing was, actually. Kaliyyah, being a part of an impoverish household, learned that the hard way. Although she knew she would later be scolded by Roland for wasting, she didn’t mind. His beatings had no effect on her anymore.

When the drizzle halted, she reached a junction, where a few rusty cars were stationary by the red traffic light. There were no zebra-crossings, nor were there any cars crossing the junction. The people in the vehicles were blandly dressed and ugly—their windows rolled down, a cigarette between their fingers and smoke emitted from their mouths.

Kaliyyah gulped and skittered across the road, taking her chance. However, the light turned green at that instant. The drivers slammed on the pedal, the wheels turned rapidly and their cars jerked forward. The young teenager, with fear surged throughout her whole body, was suddenly paralyzed in the middle of the road.

In a town such as the one she was in, nobody cared for another soul. Everybody did not care whether they ran over a person or saw somebody got shot in an alley. Everybody minded their own business, and whatever happened to the other was simply bad luck.

Time reduced its speed and everything became slow in motion. A feeling of relief settled in her chest—this was her chance to escape from everything. The torture, the abuse, the pain—the hardship life gave her.

She quickly accepted her untimely fate and closed her eyes, but not before she stole a glance to the rose in her hands.

The rose stood out proudly and beautifully, shining with all its glory like the superior flower it was. Its red glowed a beautiful crimson and its thorns pricked Kaliyyah’s thin skin through the plastic. The drop of rain which rested peacefully on its petal trickled down the edge and disconnected from the beautiful flower.

A sudden feeling of determination pervaded Kaliyyah. Although she decided it was better to die, it was not the time. She had an objective to fulfill, a task to be carried out. As time resumed its original speed and energy replaced her fear, she took in a quick breath and channeled energy to her right leg.

It emitted a powerful burst of energy and she leapt to the left, avoiding the speeding car which came at her like a bullet. Kaliyyah fell heavily onto the road, landing painfully on her left side as she released a cry of pain. The wind from the car’s motion kissed her face and absorbed into her wound, adding its pain like salt.

Her hand flew to her left arm and she writhed in pain on the empty junction. Her mouth opened in a soundless gasp for air and her eyes remained shut. Her skin was scratched and open like she had been clawed by an animal. The warm blood oozed through her fingers.

For a few minutes, she stayed there. She beared the unbearable sensation, gritted her teeth in the pain, took in breaths to steady and calm herself. Sliding to a stop on the road caused pieces of dirt and rainwater to cling to the edges of her nasty wound.

Kaliyyah gathered the courage to open her eyes. She lifted herself into a sitting position with the strength she had and looked around. It was deserted and free from any oncoming vehicles. As she swept her gaze over the area, she spotted her rose nearby.

She struggled to her feet and picked the flower up with her right hand. The lines on her palms still held hints of her blood as she unintentionally transferred the thick, red liquid onto the plastic she held. The pain still pricked her but the beauty of the rose brushed the pain away.

It was as though the rose was smiling at Kaliyyah, proud of her achievement and bravery. The flower still stood out brilliantly and beautifully, flaring her determination furthur. The young girl proceeded with her journey.

The wind blew and whistled in her ear, playing with her long hair as she walked weakly into the direction of her destination.The blood running down her arm left a faint trail of her journey behind her, like footprints in the sand during a long walk on the beach.

She limped past a black, metal gate and entered the large area where she had intended to be. Her determination left her body and relief took its place, sending her lips into a beaming smile. Her boots clicked against the cobblestone pavement as she made her way past the maze of stones sticking out from the dirt, adorned with flowers poking out from the grass underneath.

She wobbled up to her mother, who waited patiently on the grass for her.

“Mother,” Kaliyyah sputtered, her lips still curved upwards into a smile and her voice trembling with immense happiness, “It took me a really long to save up to buy this. I hope you like it.”

She gave the rose to her mother, resting it lightly on her.

A small giggle escaped the teenager’s lips, “I got hurt when crossing the road, but I’m sure it would heal soon. Do you remember how you used to make me feel better when I was sick or wounded, Mother? You would kiss me on the forehead and the pain would instantly be gone.”

Kaliyyah’s eyes flickered with joy at the fond memory, “I always wonder how you did it.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t spend so much time here, Roland will be mad with me if I don’t come home soon. I wish I could stay longer, Mother, but we both know you’ll always be with me in my heart.”

She heard her mother giggle. Her mother’s chuckle was like music to Kaliyyah’s ears. The sun’s warm rays kissed her skin lightly as the wind blew once again, rustling the trees and startling the birds—awakened nature’s harmonious events as a tear rolled down the young girl’s cheek.

“Happy Mother’s Day,” She chirped, smiling at her mother’s name engraved on the tombstone.