Foxfire and Rose Briars: A Rose's Thorns

Chapter 17, PTSD

Rosaleen's PoV

(Mentions of death and gore)

Another day at school, another day of bullying and relentless reminders of who I was. What I meant to my parents and to my sister. I threw my bag onto my bed, running my hands through my knotted fiery ginger hair. My mom and sister were more of a light peach, almost a dirty blonde, I got a mix of my dads and my moms.

“Rosaleen Dervila, get your butt down here, you have some explaining you need to do.” I heard from outside my door, my eyes rolling as I stood and walked out my bedroom door and down the stairs.

“Why did your father and I get a call from the school? Saying you picked a fight with one of your classmates?” My mother asked, quirking a perfect brow as she looked at me in disappointment and I huffed slightly. Crossing my arms over my chest slightly in a defensive stance.

“Rosaleen answer your mother.” My father demanded making me jump slightly, my father rarely ever raised his voice.

“I didn't start it… They were making fun of me… I had to defend myself.” I said, knowing anything I said would go in one ear and out the other.

“We have gone through this Rosaleen, you can’t be starting unnecessary fights for no reason.” I deflated upon hearing her words, bottling up the betrayal, I didn’t start that fight but everyone blames me.

“Mom please… You have to believe me.” I whined, hoping she would listen but her dark brown eyes narrowed at me, my eyes flicking to my father now. I was only 15 what they were expecting, he shook his head in disappointment and I deflated further.

“Why does no one ever listen to me!?” I finally cracked and broke making both my parents jump in shock, my childlike black eyes stare at the two adults.

“Why can’t you be more like your sister? She doesn’t start fights and she has perfect grades.” My Mother huffed standing and ushering me out of the kitchen.

“You’re grounded, no TV and no outside privileges.” My mother snapped, pushing me out of the kitchen now making me trip on my feet slightly, my eyes widened in shock as tears stopped running down my cheeks as I stared past her and looked at my Father who looked disappointed.

“Room now young lady, I don’t want you in my sight anymore.” My Mother said her voice was rising and I instantly spun and ran up the stairs, my hands shaking as I closed the door to my bedroom and flopped onto my bed, curling in on myself tears streaking my cheeks.

“Why can’t you be more like your sister…” Their words kept running through my mind, my body shivering slightly as I sat up and grabbed my laptop that was in my bag. I sniffled heavily running a hand across my face to wipe the tears away, I got a search engine running and typed into the search.

‘How to summon a demon.’ I had been looking into it lately, hoping to find something to help me change my life, maybe make a deal and make my life better. I was done being compared, I want to be their equal not less than.

I scrolled through the website names, reading over the words quickly and froze upon one that caught my attention. I clicked on the link and a black website opened up with the signature red letters and the demonic symbols.

Ignoring them I scrolled down to find the incantation, and I hummed softly grabbing some of the drawing chalk I had and drew the symbol I was given. After that I wrote down the words I was meant to say. Lighting the black candles on each point I begin.

“By the shadow that bends, and the light that reflects.” I start.

“I summon forth the one who disguises the texts.” I licked my lips as I bit my cheek slightly.

“From the depths of the unseen, come forth to me- I call upon you essence; I beckon thee.” I chant and the lights in my room begin to flicker as I look around, biting my cheek slightly.

“How can I help you?” I heard a dark voice, making a chill run down my spine and I gasped my eyes wide as I stared up at the being now in my room.

“I… I want to look different.. Please I want to become better than I am… Please.” I said tears pricking my eyes at the smell of sulfur pooling around my room, my hands began to shake as the being looked me up and down.

The being was tall, taller than me with slick black skin that glistened in the dimming lamp light, my eyes stared into his burning blue cat-like eyes as he studied me.

“As you wish, and in return?” He asked, staring me down still as he approached me and I stumbled back slightly in fear but I swallowed the bile in my throat and stood up straight.

“Anything of mine is yours.” I say without thinking my words through and a languid grin crawled across his features as he grinned wickedly. His hands unwound from where they were and he brushed the back of his slick hand across my cheek, the cold contact made me whimper and shiver but I didn’t move and stared back at him. Willing to give him anything, but he froze and hummed softly, it coming out in a low growl as he nodded and bowed slightly.

“Your wish is my command child.” He said and with that the shadows that I had not noticed started to retreat and climb back into the circle and dissipate.

I let out a shaky breath as I collapsed onto the floor and let out a soft whimpering gasp. I hiccuped and stood up. My stomach rolled slightly as I kept my head from spinning from the sulfur smell that lingered in the air.

“Carla! Can you help me-” I had gone to my sister's room to ask for help as that summoning did nothing for me, when I didn’t hear a response when I knocked I opened the door a crack. Looking into the bedroom, hoping she would be there.

The light from the hallway leaked into the bedroom, the first thing I laid my eyes on was a torn up pillow the feathers stained with red my brows scrunched together in confusion when I opened the door further.

“Carla?” I asked out softly, my voice quivering slightly as I looked up seeing marks on the bed and the walls, my hand shakily moved to my mouth as I gasped seeing the curtains torn to shreds. Darker looking liquid drenched them and jagged glass had darker black like substance on it.

“Mom! Dad!!” I screamed in numb shock, as I collapsed onto my knees in shock as their thundering footsteps made it up the stairs and into the bedroom.

“Oh my… Carla!” My mother screamed looking around in desperation.

“CARLA! CARLA ANSWER ME!” My mother screamed again as I sobbed on my knees, looking around at the destruction of my sisters room.

‘Your Wish is my command child.’ Whispered in my head again and I cried harder, as my father held onto my mother. Looking for his phone to call 911.

“My baby!” My mother cried, looking at the disaster of a bedroom, the torn curtains and the dismantled bed. She struggled against her captor but for how long.

Present Day

I rubbed my face, I sat in class with Cara, Kaito, and Luca. They were all chatting about the notes and the missions that Cara has been on lately with Alan and the other two, my teeth clenched slightly at the thought of Cara being in danger and Leo not doing anything to help her.

It was a few days since Ryder and I had gone to check that community, we both agreed that academics was super important compared to field work. I had fallen behind a bit.

I tapped my fingers on the desk anxiously, my black eyes were glued onto the paper in front of me. It was the anniversary of ‘her’ disappearance. I zoned out not realizing someone was trying to talk to me, my eyes raising as I looked at Cara.

“You good Rose?” Cara asked, her eyes were soft and worried I smiled in return nudging her slightly my black tired eyes focused slightly now as I looked at the notes again, noticing I was clenching the paper.

“Yeah just a lot on my mind today… How’s the mission with Alan and the other two? Do I have to kick their asses?” I asked, my eyes narrowing slightly, noticing her wrist was bruised and my eyes narrowed slightly

“Are you okay? What happened?” I asked determinedly as I stared at her wrist in concern and Cara pulled her hand back from view, my jaw clenched slightly as she smiled thinly.

“Alan accidentally went overboard…” She said, nervous and my eyes narrowed in anger as I stood up quickly, my chair screeching as I stood.

“WHAT?!” I pretty much snarl, making many other students jump at my words and actions.

“I will be back, Cara. I am so sorry…” I said softly, quickly leaving the room. I heard her running after me as I left the room quickly and making my way down the hall quickly.

“Rose, wait! It was an accident! He was protecting me! He didn’t mean to!” I didn’t listen, my anger boiling down slightly upon hearing her say that, but I was still broiling under the surface to know that she was in that kind of danger.

I got to the Vagastrom garage, whipping the door open exposing a shocked Leo on the other side. My anger lashing out immediately and I shoved Leo back hard, he let out a yell of shock my body moved past him and into the garage.

“ALAN!” I yelled out loudly, my voice carried across the garage making a few general students jump as my heeled boots smacked the concrete, my eyes narrowed and my hair trailing behind me in a fiery curtain.

“ALAN MIDO get your ass here NOW!” I yelled my voice sharp and tone angry as I stormed towards the leather graffiti couch.

“Flower. What seems to- WOAH.” He caught my hand as I went to punch him in the front of his shoulder, his eyes were confused and his gaze flicked to Cara who had followed me.

“Why did you put her in danger!!” I yelled my voice cracking slightly at the words, my eyes were now pricking slightly at the emotions that ripped through me like jagged claws. Alan watched me with concern clear in his eyes.

“Why…?!” I sobbed slightly, my entire demeanor changing to a heartbroken sob as I fell to my knees. But Alan refused to let me fall, his hand catching my elbow as he looked up and around.

“Get to class now! And if not just go!” Alan demanded at the students staring at my disheveled state, all except for Cara, Sho, and Leo. My sobs echoed through the garage as my heart poured out through my pain and my anxiety, the fear that I felt even way back when.

Alan held my arms as I cried, my pain obvious, as I just kept asking why as I tried to make sense of the new pained feeling I had deeper down.

“I did what I could to protect her, I made it my mission to protect her the best I could.” He said softly, as I weakly just gave up bodily wise and whimpered slightly. Curling in on myself in shame at my sudden mental snap.

“Flower…? Are you okay?” He asked softly, holding onto my arms still watching me closely as I shook my head softly in response to his question.