Once upon a moonlit night, a young woman raced past all the shops and homes of the city. Passing a host of confused faces peering out of illuminated windows, she finally made her way to the outskirts of town, where the only sounds were train whistles hooting in the far distance. Never looking back even once, she fled into the ominous forest. The city was not safe anymore. As she caught her breath at the foot of a large tree, there was a rustling in the bushes. A chill went up her weary spine. She couldn’t stand this feeling anymore. She ran as fast as she could, stopping abruptly at a bush where light seemed to omit and whispers were carried on the icy wind. Was this the very place of refuge she sought for? She carefully peeled back the undergrowth and peeked into the clearing. Three men in black coats, hats, and sunglasses stood roasting marshmallows on an open fire. Just who she was trying to get away from! She tried to conceal a surprised yell, but it was no use. A strained sound escaped from her dry throat. The shady men wheeled around on their leather-clad feet. They looked around intensely, yet did not spot the frightened woman hiding in the bushes. After they stopped looking for her, she fainted with sheer exhaustion. The woman was awakened when the songbirds belted out their merry tune and the bright sunrise creeped through the forest. She was still lying by the bushes. But the men were gone. She quietly got up and brushed herself off. She was to resume her treacherous journey immediately. Running barefoot through the woods, the poor woman got many nicks and scrapes on her dirty feet. She was worried about her feet, yet kept on running. She was so busy looking down at her injured feet that she didn’t notice the wall. She ran into it with a loud thump. As she once again got up, she realized that the large brick wall was surrounded by thousands of bright red roses. She gave a very slight smile. She knocked on the wooden door. A friendly face answered. The woman whispered the password. The face nodded, typed something into the door, and suddenly there were multiple clicks, whirs, and beeps as the mechanical gate slowly creaked open. The woman collapsed tiredly inside the safe walls. Many people surrounded the woman- the woman whose name was Rose.
Categories