Forbidden Rose

Here is a great story by my sister Laju that I wanted to share:

Forbidden Rose- The Short Story

The woman, who was wearing a black cloak, crept into the woods. The moon was white and shone brightly, transmitting its eerie light into the woods. The trees whispered and chattered at the sight of her.

She bent down. Silence. Only the distant cry of an owl. The woman reached into her cloak and revealed a beautifully detailed metal box. In the middle was a ruby, encrusted. She opened the box and checked that everything was still inside. Everything was. The woman again reached into her cloak and brought out a spade and a seed. She dug and hid the box.

Then she planted the seed on top of it. The seed immediately grew into a rose. The woman ran away.

***

I woke up and stretched. The sun shone gently through the windows. I went to the washing room and sponged my face. The water was cold.

My Mistress said that maids don't deserve warm water. I wore my working dress. I was brown as a tree trunk. I donned my cap and tied my apron.

My name is Rose. My mother named me after the one she grew when I was born. I have big blue eyes and hair the same colour as sand. My first chore was to go out and buy five pounds of meat. I meandered my way through the busy market to the local butchers shop. I bought the five pounds of meat.

On my way back to the house, I passed a wood. Something within me wanted to explore it. But I have no time. So I carried on going.

I went to the kitchen and handed the meat to Griselda, the cook. She is bulky and huge compared to my thin, pale body.

'Rose', she said. 'The Lord and Lady want to see you now'.

What have I done? I wondered as I scuttled to the drawing room. I have done everything as I am supposed to and I am never disobedient. They can't fire me now!

In the drawing room were the Lord and Lady Crompton and their spiteful daughter Alice. She was stout and ugly and the same age as me.

'Rose,' Lady Crompton began. 'You shall now be waiting on Alice.' Then she exited the room with her husband.

***

'Stop touching my clothes like that!' screamed Alice. 'It'll get Rose disease!'.

I ignored her.

She grabbed hold of my hair. 'Look at you, thin and pretty, maids can't be pretty so I'm going to cut all that long pretty hair!' she cackled, getting hold of a knife. I screamed.

I had to get out of here.

I grabbed one of Alice's dresses and stuffed it in a bag. When she came close, I had to knock her out with a book and put her in a bed to make it look like she was sleeping. I collected a lighter, a candle and some food. It was getting dark.

I sprinted my way through the market into the lonely woods. Suddenly someone grabbed me.

I opened my mouth to scream but no sound came out.

The person held a lantern to my face. I recognized that Lavender smell, those blue eyes...Mother!

I hugged her close. She kissed me on my head but put her finger to her lip, gesturing for me to be quiet. We wandered into the heart of the woods were there was a rose. The rose my mum planted when I was born.

She was holding a box. It had money in it. A lot of money. My mum ran to her horse and helped my up.

'Where are we going,?' I asked.

'Roseville', she replied.

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