1 1 Fake Roses

She placed the fake roses in a red glass vase on the table. The table was small it was only the two of them, so they didn't need to get a bigger table.

The Cali bamboo floors thumped in a repeated rhythm of anxiety every small step she took, she was starting to get worried about her husband he was usually never late.

The storm outside was getting bigger every few minutes that passed the thunder would strike with a brilliant flash every now and then.

The lights in the small home would flicker off and on at random, the mood was somber and thunder would rumble like the sound of a skating ring.

Soon the lights went completely out the wife soon lit some candles and the fragrance of 'Milk dew Sweetheart' soon wafted through the home. The wife hated the names of candles she hated how they always had names that didn't smell like there scents.

The candles only smelled like honey why make such a long name for something so simple.

Then the sounds of a child wailing we're heard in the house the wife dropped her tea and the glass fell with an ear piercing shatter.

The wife looked down and saw the pieces of glass stuck in her foot fresh blood soon spilled out slowly. She calmly walked over the glass, and soon reached the bathroom and started to tend to her injuries.

The wailing started again the wife jumped in surprise, yet went back to treat her wounds. Every time she dabbed the cotton ball she'd hiss in pain the wife had to bite her lip to hold back a cry. One noise from her lips and that 'thing' might just come near.

The storm slowly ended leaving only the traces of rain behind, leftover spaghetti from the other night, and an earthy smell. The wife finished with tending to her injuries and went back to make another cup of tea.

After twenty minutes of being on the stove the smell of fresh tea permeated sinking into the other smells of the house.

Soon the wife walked over to her patio and stared out into the desolate woods tea in hand the sounds of a child wailing weren't heard after the storm and the wife's body visible went limp in exhaustion.

She slumped onto the couch and heaved out a huge breath of relief she curled into a ball and fell asleep not too long after.

She slept for four hours straight only waking up when the pink push-button telephone on the gray kitchen counter sounded with ear piercing noise. The wife picked up the phone and with her faint voice asked "Hello?" The person on the other line paused then asked "Are you Mrs.R.Herring?"

"Yes." She replied "I'm sorry to inform you Mrs.Herring but your husband Mr. Rue Herring was found dead this morning in his car, it seems he drove off the road side from the storm last night."

"Oh." She asked "H-he's dead?" Then she fell to the floor with a thud clutching at her chest. She felt weird like someone was roughly brushing the inside of her with a brush, she felt uncomfortable and tears poured from her eyes. "Are you ok Mrs.R.Herring?"

She sobbed "Y-yes. I n-need a moment." She cried there for half an hour before trying to move again and speak to the officer "Mrs.R.Herring, we need to come over to do some legal work I hope you don't mind.

We can give you a couple days if needed, but I suggest we get this done with as soon as possible. Will coming over tomorrow at four be fine?"

"Yes." She replied

After a few days she got the legal work done (Getting a medical certificate, registering the death, arranging the funeral, notifying the land lord, notifying the government departments, etc.) she was feeling uneasy she soon shook the thought off. She crawled onto her couch and wept so much that her face was as red as a tomato her hair was everywhere and she cried two days straight nonstop.

She didn't take a bath those two days and didn't eat those two days. She got up from the couch dropping the grey blanket on the Cali bamboo floors with a thud. She hated that blanket 'How dull.' She thought. The blanket was ripped to shreds by her in a distorted manner, the blanket had the initials 'A.H' in golden letters.

She walked off to the kitchen dragging her feet with her in a limpid manner. She reached the kitchen bending over and opening a cabinet. She pulled out a pot filled it with water, then put the pot the stove to boil. She took off the pot soon making her way up the stairs.

*****

She soon woke up with a startle covered in sweat on the couch someone was knocking on the door. She heard the sound of thunder once more and the sounds of a child wailing she stood up from the couch dropping the gray blanket.

She went over to the door and opened it. "Honey! Sorry I got caught up in work today, and this storm delayed me a bit too I hope you don't mind!"

She replied "It's fine I made us some spaghetti. Come in." The husband walked in kicking off his shoes and taking off his coat. His feet pattered with a 'pitter patter pitter pitter, pitter pitter, pitter.'. "How's our boy? He must not be sleeping well with this storm."

"Ah, yes. He's not sleeping well at all. He's been crying all evening."Soon the sounds of crying were heard throughout the house. The wife climb the stairs which were situated in the living room the husband soon followed after her.

They walked into a room with a baby blue door the inside was a dark . Stars were all over the ceiling and you could see them glowing in the dark room. Once the wife turned on the lights the stars were gone and you could see the dreamy white clouds on the walls. "I'm so proud of the paint job I could almost shed tears."

"What do you mean? You didn't even paint this the decorator did. Do you think I'm blind?" The husband then coughed and took hold of his chest with a exaggerated face filled with grief. "You don't trust me?"

"No." Replied the wife. The husband gasp and looked at his wife in overemphasized betrayal. The wife shook her head and let out a small giggle then went over to the crib.

The wife looked in almost falling onto her knees in horror. She saw her baby squashed like road kill in the crib blood sprayed everywhere soaking into the baby blue carpet turning it into dark crimson.