are
telling me that I must go? How am I to do that? I have nothing to wear and no
way of getting there!”
“Dear child,
still you question me?” asked Amanda with a shake of her head. “I have the
power to send you there, but you must bring me eleven red roses from the garden
and I will need the blood of a venomous snake.”
“And what are
you to do with those things?” Cindy asked, horrified.
“Retrieve them
and I will show you,” Amanda promised.
Taking a deep
breath, but unable to hide her curiosity, Cindy pulled open the door to head
out into the garden. Eleven red roses… She hoped she could find that
many in the unattended garden.
4
Cindy looked
throughout the garden, seeking any roses that may have survived the autumn
weather. Roses were good in the cold, but most plants in the garden were dying
from neglect. She alone simply wasn’t enough to care for everything. It was
hard enough keeping the house looking decently clean. Luckily, a large gate
and stone wall hid the grounds from public view.
Walking to the
south garden wall where the roses grew, Cindy was discouraged to see the wall
covered with dead vines which held sharp, petrified thorns. She peered around,
distraught at the realization that there were no flowers at all in the garden. Her
heart fell at her failure. Perhaps there was something else Amanda could use
as an alternative.
Turning to go,
a small fleck of color happened to cross the girl’s eye. She turned back,
examining the spot until finally she reached her hand to it. Enveloped in a
mass of brown vines, a deep red color made its presence known. Pulling away at
the vines, she cut her finger on one of the sharp thorns but did not stop. Wincing,
she continued her work, removing the vines until more color emerged.
After a bit of
work, a deep red rose was revealed to her and she quickly took it in her hand. She
plucked it and ran the fragrant blossom under her nose, drawing out the scent. The
flower smelled as fresh as if it had just bloomed.
Looking back
to the spot where she had removed it, she saw more red color peeking out at
her. Ripping more vines away and accepting more cuts and pricks, more roses
let themselves be seen. She plucked them quickly, as though they might
disappear, and when she gathered what was surely all of them, she counted.
Eleven…
One short of a dozen.
Cindy looked
over the roses that rested in her apron. As she looked, there was something
else she noticed. The rose petals were the same color as the blood rolling
down her hands. When her blood touched the rose, the color blended together
perfectly.
Finally
tearing herself away from the thought, she made her way back to the kitchen
where Amanda was waiting for her. When she entered, she nearly dropped the
flowers at the sight before her. Amanda had dumped a copperhead snake upon the
table. In her hands, she held two knives and her large black eyes were empty,
as though she was not present inside her body.
The snake
hissed as it crawled across the surface, trying to get away. In a fast
movement, Amanda struck down with the knife, catching the snake straight
through its head of soft cartilage.
The serpent
writhed as its nerves began to buckle in death. The knife in the woman’s other
hand came down and sliced the snake into two even pieces. Cindy watched,
absorbed as the blood spilled across the table and began to drip off the edge
and onto the floor.
“Bring the
roses now!” Amanda commanded, waving the girl nearer with a blank stare.
Cindy was
hesitant, but obeyed nonetheless. She dropped the roses hurriedly into the
blood and quickly stepped back. Amanda moved her hands over the flowers and
began to breathe deeply.
“It is
coming,” she said, closing her eyes. “Hold out your arms, Cindy, and embrace
what is yours.”
Cindy held her
hands out to the sides obediently, though unsure of what she should expect. As
she
telling me that I must go? How am I to do that? I have nothing to wear and no
way of getting there!”
“Dear child,
still you question me?” asked Amanda with a shake of her head. “I have the
power to send you there, but you must bring me eleven red roses from the garden
and I will need the blood of a venomous snake.”
“And what are
you to do with those things?” Cindy asked, horrified.
“Retrieve them
and I will show you,” Amanda promised.
Taking a deep
breath, but unable to hide her curiosity, Cindy pulled open the door to head
out into the garden. Eleven red roses… She hoped she could find that
many in the unattended garden.
4
Cindy looked
throughout the garden, seeking any roses that may have survived the autumn
weather. Roses were good in the cold, but most plants in the garden were dying
from neglect. She alone simply wasn’t enough to care for everything. It was
hard enough keeping the house looking decently clean. Luckily, a large gate
and stone wall hid the grounds from public view.
Walking to the
south garden wall where the roses grew, Cindy was discouraged to see the wall
covered with dead vines which held sharp, petrified thorns. She peered around,
distraught at the realization that there were no flowers at all in the garden. Her
heart fell at her failure. Perhaps there was something else Amanda could use
as an alternative.
Turning to go,
a small fleck of color happened to cross the girl’s eye. She turned back,
examining the spot until finally she reached her hand to it. Enveloped in a
mass of brown vines, a deep red color made its presence known. Pulling away at
the vines, she cut her finger on one of the sharp thorns but did not stop. Wincing,
she continued her work, removing the vines until more color emerged.
After a bit of
work, a deep red rose was revealed to her and she quickly took it in her hand. She
plucked it and ran the fragrant blossom under her nose, drawing out the scent. The
flower smelled as fresh as if it had just bloomed.
Looking back
to the spot where she had removed it, she saw more red color peeking out at
her. Ripping more vines away and accepting more cuts and pricks, more roses
let themselves be seen. She plucked them quickly, as though they might
disappear, and when she gathered what was surely all of them, she counted.
Eleven…
One short of a dozen.
Cindy looked
over the roses that rested in her apron. As she looked, there was something
else she noticed. The rose petals were the same color as the blood rolling
down her hands. When her blood touched the rose, the color blended together
perfectly.
Finally
tearing herself away from the thought, she made her way back to the kitchen
where Amanda was waiting for her. When she entered, she nearly dropped the
flowers at the sight before her. Amanda had dumped a copperhead snake upon the
table. In her hands, she held two knives and her large black eyes were empty,
as though she was not present inside her body.
The snake
hissed as it crawled across the surface, trying to get away. In a fast
movement, Amanda struck down with the knife, catching the snake straight
through its head of soft cartilage.
The serpent
writhed as its nerves began to buckle in death. The knife in the woman’s other
hand came down and sliced the snake into two even pieces. Cindy watched,
absorbed as the blood spilled across the table and began to drip off the edge
and onto the floor.
“Bring the
roses now!” Amanda commanded, waving the girl nearer with a blank stare.
Cindy was
hesitant, but obeyed nonetheless. She dropped the roses hurriedly into the
blood and quickly stepped back. Amanda moved her hands over the flowers and
began to breathe deeply.
“It is
coming,” she said, closing her eyes. “Hold out your arms, Cindy, and embrace
what is yours.”
Cindy held her
hands out to the sides obediently, though unsure of what she should expect. As
she
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