A Rose Among Ashes

ra'

to meet Jason, a painting of him clutched in my hands, desperate for my b

eeze, for the last three steps to become one to me. My vision blurs the minute

around me fade into the background, and all I can

in and out of consciousness. Someone screams in

l 91

and I sink my teeth into my lips, stopping the tears from falling down my f

ng to be

nto my hands for the whole fifteen minutes. I feel her there, squeezing lightly. Her w

it reminds

und, and all of this

*

clinging to every corner. The bright lights and white walls usher me in, yet the

he blood pooling at the spot where there sh

I am wheeled into, his eyes scanning m

in the same room as him. But that is the thing. I try to

ng at

omeone I can barely recognize. I search for the housekeeper from the visible part o

ly, everyt

nding on the way

s in. My eyes narrow when I take a look at my homeschool teacher. S

today," she murmurs, then lifts the covers off

ant to tell her that. But I nod instead, all

way here," she speaks excitedly, pushing ev

phone from her pocket and dials a number before handing it over to me. It is summe

il. I feel it tease my brain. A migraine comes along, but becaus

rs sting the corners of my eyes. My older brother pushes his he

p her expression steady, but the worry in her tone betr

talk. I can't

e echoes through the phone, sounding like

, and my whole life is shatt

crashing, of glass breaking against each other, of metal crushing. I hear

g ends, at least from what my memory se

but through

sheets, needing to be out of here. "Mom! Dad!

disappears from my side, along with the phone, which was still pressed against my ear. My fis

as my wrists are tied to the posts of th

tears to flow down my face. "If I ha

ds to be

nant and we can't let anything happen to th

ng with Alex, the man I have bee

that I was transported to t