rose garden

"The Rose Garden"1

"Look at that, another dead one..." Lola muttered as she examined the green bushes. "All these roses--they're all dying! I wonder why...?"2

"It's just a bad year, Lola," Chris stated, shrugging. "There's nothing to be concerned about. The actual bushes are healthy. The buds just aren't giving us good flowers this year."3

"I think it's just this bush," Lola muttered, moving on to a different bush. "See? These roses seem very healthy to me." She carefully picked a half-open rose off the bush, avoiding the thorns as best she could. "Roses are so pretty..."4

"Personally, I don't like roses too much," Chris responded, studying one of the dead roses before clipping it off the bush. "A dead rose, though, that has character. It survived something horrible and look at it. Look at how the petals still hold form, even if it's dead. Look at the fact some color remains.... Dead roses are a much prettier sight, to me," Chris said softly, staring at the dry petals. "This bush isn't getting enough nutrients..."5

"You're weird, Chris. A dead rose? Pretty? I don't think so. They're disgusting--they're dead. There's nothing pretty about the dead," Lola remarked, placing her lively pink rose in her hair, behind her ear. She had managed to pull off all the thorns without cutting herself.6

"The dead always have a story to tell," Chris said, fingering the withered rose. "Do you know what color this rose used to be...?"7

Lola shrugged. "I dunno.... Hey, Chris, what was it that you wanted to show me here, anyway? There's nothing out here I haven't seen before..." she muttered, trying to get the rose she had picked to stay behind her ear. She walked over to him, leaning upwards to kiss him softly. As she did so, she forced the dead rose out of his hand. "Or did you want to ask me something in the privacy of your own rose garden...?"8

"Well...I knew about the dying roses. I wanted you to help me give the roses a chance to live. I know how much you love roses, Lola..." he said, smiling softly at her, holding her loosely in his arms. "How about we get started? The bag of fertilizer and top soil is over there by the shed. I think I know exactly how much this bush needs..."9

"Alright!" Lola pulled away from Chris. "The shed's over here, right?" Chris nodded, and she bounded off towards the shed. As she ran off, Chris went in the opposite direction to grab a shovel. "Oi! Chris, this is heavy! Can you come here and help me?"10

"I'll be over in a minute!" he called back to her. He picked up the spotless shovel, examining it and feeling the weight of it. "Perfect," he whispered to himself. Once he had the shovel firmly in his hands, he walked over to the shed.11

He timed it just right. Just as Lola turned around to greet him, he swung the shovel with all his might at her head. Her skull cracked and bled profusely, and he watched and waited for the body to show no signs of life.12

He left her lying there, as he began moving dirt from underneath the dying rose bush, creating a hole large enough to hold Lola's body, carefully digging around the roots. Once he was sure it was deep enough, he picked up Lola's body and placed her within the hole.13

*14

"Wow, Chris! This garden is beautiful..." said a girl with blonde hair. She smiled at him as she walked down a new aisle. "Oh! Look at these beautiful roses!"15

Chris followed her, smiling to himself.16

"Oh! This bush is dying..." she whispered. "I wonder what's wrong with it...?"17

"It just needs to be fed. Here, won't you help me? The fertilizer is in the shed--along with the topsoil..."18