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Autumn Rose
“Rebecca! Rebecca! Ugly Rebecca!” the voices danced around her, cruel and mocking. Rebecca dove at the wall of children that surrounded her on all sides, trying to escape. Her weak attempt was unsuccessful as she found out, for when she pushed at a group of the children. They pushed back, but harder.
Rebecca's blue dress was now coated near the hem with the mud she had fallen into. The children laughed at her falling onto the wet earth below, they pointed and shouted. They were like animals, hyenas almost. Laughing at another's expense, going for the defenseless.
The cruel song rang through the air, almost dangling there as long as possible. Just to make sure Rebecca was as tortured as possible. “Rebecca! Why are you in the mud? How does it taste!” spat Little Kara, the leader of the wild children. She kicked some of the mud in Rebecca's direction, laughs and hollers followed. Kara's action was fed off the children's reaction, and the children's reaction fed off of her action. So it was non-the-less a never ending cycle.
Rebecca looked at the herd surrounding her. Their wide eyes glared, filling with tears from laughing. Their hair was tangled and dirty from the light wind and drizzling rain. Kara's red (almost demon like) hair twirled in front of her face, and she quickly tucked it behind one of her pierced ears.
“Had enough?” her voice pierced through the rest like a knife. Rebecca could feel the unwanted tears welling in her eyes, she stood up, and noticed the small cut on her exposed knee. She watched the small amount of blood trickle a little down her leg for a moment. Then looked up and ran for the blockade again.
Which was just as unsuccessful, she found out while slamming into the mud. She looked at her dress. The once happy baby blue color was now a distorted and glumly greenish brown from the grass and mud. She forgot all about her calm and collective manor and ran toward Kara. She screamed and kicked and thrashed about, not caring what evil child she injured. The children responded crazily, running at her, eyes wild with fury. “Get away from her!” “She's gone crazy!” “What the heck!” The muffled screams cried out. They pulled and pushed and punched. From a distance the scene looked like that of a bar fight, but smaller. And younger obviously.
R-R-R-R-R-R-Ring!
The sanctuary of the school bell sounded throughout the playground. And the children froze, obedient to the rules. They wouldn't want to be late, in fear that Mr. Malachy may get the stick out. They ran inside, wiping the mud off their boots, and straightening their hair so it wasn't messy. They wanted to please Mr. Malachy, or else they'd get the stick... For some it wouldn't be the first time.
Rebecca laid in the mud. Tears streaking her mud coated cheeks. She was going to get the stick for sure. Again. This was all Kara's fault, Thought Rebecca to herself. She got up, now alone in the schoolyard. She brushed off her hopelessly dirty dress. She noticed the blood on her knee had dried, and began to scrape it off at an attempt at looking cleaner. It was a wasted attempt.
She couldn't go back to class like this. She'd get the stick for sure. She quickly thought of her options. Not many to choose from, and decided to start for home.
Rebecca didn't want to go “home”, considering it was yet again another foster home. Not that mrs. Kelly wasn't a wonderful woman, it's just she wasn't Rebecca's Mother. It wasn't necessarily the best situation for an eight year old to be in. No parents, no family, no friends, no hope. All together mix and form a gruesome attitude in a young girl. As a matter of a fact, Rebecca had stopped believing in anything close to hope. On the television at home she saw the glamorous stars with their wonderfully pampered lives. She knew she'd never have a life like that. She didn't hang over the subject though, she tried to hold onto every positive thing that occurred in her life.
As she began walking across the bridge over the crick on the path home, Rebecca stopped.
“Rebecca! Rebecca Thorn!” She heard Mr. Malachy call out from the schoolhouse. She knew he couldn't see her now, she was in the protection of the forest. She stammered down the bank to the crick, and ventured under the small bridge. She leaned over the side of the bank at her reflection. Her thick glasses showed the most in the water. She took them off in anger and thrust them away. You could hear the small rustling sound of them as they hit the vegetation creeping on the forest floor.
She sat on the edge of the bank, staring at herself, thinking. She sat under the bridge as Mr. Malachy and the other two schoolmasters called out for her, she sat under the bridge when they had finished and gone back inside, she sat under the bridge as the school bell rang loud and shrill through the air, She sat under the bridge as all the children walked past and she heard Kara sneer “Maybe she ran home crying to mrs. Kelly.”, she sat under the bridge until the dim light of the setting sun shone through the last of the lowest branches, and then she fell asleep.
Sounds almost like the highest pitched and most beautiful bells rang through the air. The sound danced about, messing with each tone, some higher than others. It was almost like an enchanting song, attracting only the worthiest peoples' attention. Only those willing to listen.
Rebecca sat up, drowsy. She looked around, trying to find where the music was coming from. It was unlike anything she'd ever heard before. Mystical almost.
She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and got up, brushing the dried mud patches off her old dress. She walked out from under the bridge, and scurried up the bank. The path was dark, the woods uninviting. She didn't quite know her way home, so she walked the opposite way towards the now deserted schoolyard.
The moon shone brightly and loudly above, as if to say, “Why little girl, what on earth are you doing walking around at such an hour?” Rebecca looked up at it, but quickly looked away as the sound got louder. In the middle of the field at school where what looked like fireflies. Odd for spring, thought Rebecca. She walked towards them, for they seemed to be the source of the odd but beautiful sound.
As she came near them, she noticed they weren't fireflies at all, but instead little human like creatures. They where barely the size of her index finger, and seemed to almost glow in the darkness of night. They twirled and danced about, as they flew without wings. As they sang their wonderful song, Rebecca could see the dreary Grey/brown terrain of Autumn melt into the green liveliness of spring. She watched, not even five feet away , with awe. That was impossible, the weather did not permit such natural beauty in this month. The small creatures payed her no notice, until one stopped circling with the others, and moved towards her.
Rebecca froze, unsure whether to run away, or stare at this lovely creature more. The creature came close to her, only but a few inches from her face. It's emotions portrayed worry, but it spoke with as much awe as she had.
“Oh my,” It's voice was even more lovely than it's song, “You are so beautiful!” The creature circled Rebecca, inspecting her, “My child, what has happened to someone as lovely as you?” It asked, it's voice immobilizing Rebecca.
“K...Kara and the children were being quite cruel at lunch hour.” Responded Rebecca blankly, She couldn't get over the creature's beauty.
“My, that doesn't sound fair. Tell me child. Do you like it here?” Asked the creature, as it stopped but an inch or so from her nose, its small eyes gleaming with curiosity.
“Well, no, not here.” Responded Rebecca coldly. She looked down, with the disgust that came from thinking of Kara and her little hyenas.
“My, My. You poor child.” The creature's words seemed to hang in the air forever, each word more lovely then the last. The other creatures stopped their mystic dance, and floated towards Rebecca cautiously.
“Oh my, she's so beautiful.” One's soft voice rang through the rest of their whispers and giggles. The others agreed with a small and delicate explosion of more giggles and nods.
“Do you want to be happy?” asked another as it floated as close to Rebecca as the first, “We can show the children how beautiful you are to us.” It's voice was louder then the others, more overcoming. But not by much.
“W...Well of course.” Stuttered Rebecca, overcome by the creature's before her. They were all so breathtaking, she wanted so much to be as pretty as them. Her envy only grew each time one of their mystic voices would ring through the air.
Giggles and smiles engulped Rebecca. The little creatures flew around her, quickly, but most certainly not quietly. Their song quickened from the legato it had been before. It was faster, more saddened. It started slow and flowing, but increased in tempo and happiness. Rebecca's mood changed, she felt peaceful and not as lonely now. Her dress waved a little from the creatures brushing against it as they circled her. She could feel them brush against her skin, and it sort of tickled her. She smiled her wide smile, and closed her eyes. She escaped all of her worries and torture from real life. And found instead tranquility and happiness. She felt as though she could take off and fly at any moment.
The creatures glow began to dim, and Rebecca could feel her skin become warmer as She began to glow instead. She laughed at the tickling feeling against her skin, her mind now completely erased all of her bad memories. She remembered only the good.
Laughing with her mother when she was younger, snuggling up against her father as he read her a bedtime story. Her old friends, her old life. All happy thoughts. All calming.
Rebecca could feel tears streak across her face, and she sighed as she remembered all of those things.
Even though Rebecca's eyes were closed, she knew the sun would be rising soon. She never wanted this initial happiness to leave. Ever.
The Creatures song began to fade, and she wondered if they were leaving. She didn't want them to leave.
In the midst of the song she heard, “We will never leave you Child, you're too beautiful to forget.” Rebecca wanted to tell the creature to promise, but she couldn't talk. She just let herself be engulped in the happiness, rather to ruin the moment with her accursed blabbering. She welcomed the warm feeling again, and tried harder still to listen to the song that danced around her.
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Kara walked to the schoolyard, her white dress swishing at her knees. As she approached, instead of all of the children circling her and giving their usual compliments and awe's to her, they were circled around something. She shoved and pushed her way to the middle, only to discover what everyone was gawking at. A single rose sat in the middle of the dusty earth. It's petals a purplish-blue. It was light, and delicate, and seemed to almost glow in the morning's sunlight. It was truly beautiful.
She snickered at the flower, jealous of it's beauty, and ability to become the center of attention over her. She trampled it, crushing its delicate petals, and crisp stem into the dirt.
The children around her gasped, and yelled. All hell seemed to break loose. The children grabbed at Kara and pulled her away, hoping for the flower to not be too harmed.
They gasped again, Kara's jaw dropped. The flower rose, becoming more beautiful then before, it's glow intensified. Kara growled and stormed away, not believing what she had seen.
Every morning for a month she attempted to destroy the Rose, for she had nothing better to do since Rebecca had disappeared. Every attempt ended the same. The rose stood strong and very much alive. It never grew, and it never withered no matter what the weather. It never closed up at night. It stayed breathtaking and beautiful. It seemed as though it was laughing at Kara, for every time she tried to kill it, it would come back more beautiful.
But at night, when neither the children, nor Kara where around. The creatures would come out and dance about the rose. Their song would be different since the rose had been there. It would start slow and sad, then grow increasingly happy and quick in tempo. Their voices would ring throughout the schoolyard, unheard by anyone not worthy. And the rose would stand slightly more straight, it's petals shine a golden color at night. A most beautiful and truly happy sight to behold.
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