Roses Are Red
Rose petals rain down on to the wet earth. Every day at noon, assortments of flowers rain on the small village. Citizens consider it normal, while tourists find it amazing and beautiful. High up above, a castle sits on a cliff, directly above the village. Each day a villager delivers its offerings as a form of taxation. Dried meats, canned fruit, fresh produce is brought up by one sole villager. The villager is then taken inside the castle's walls, to live an exotic life full of feasting and earthly pleasures. A life of luxury and riches.
Villagers constantly fight, scrambling on to one another, eager to find what awaits beyond the sealed castle's gates. Blood splatters against the ground, already painted with the blood-like color of roses. The village is tough. They always survive, always prosper. They can't give up, not with hopes of paradise on the line.
A young woman, Mei Lin, carries a large basket of juicy green apples. She hums a hymn, popular at the temples. Always cheerful, always happy, Mei Lin. She takes no breaks, a hard-working woman, and continuously travels from the orchards to the town. Her parents are proud, proud of such a fine daughter. Beautiful black her flows into a bun, her blue floral dress contrasting to the red-stained earth beneath her feet. Her skin is beautiful and peachy, compared to the soft skin of a peach.
As she strolls in to town, her feet moving with grace, pacifism fills the town for once. The roses stop flowing, and the townsfolk stop fighting. She returns to her home, basket full of apples, and happily hands it to her father.
A message awaits her. She has been chosen to deliver a package of goods to the castle above. Oh, happy days! Her tears wet with joy. The chance of a life-time, bestowed upon her.
A night's rest accompanies her, and she eagerly awakes the next morning. She is handed a large sack, full of many of the townsfolk’s hard work. She snaps it across her back, and struggles to stand. She is accompanied out of the town, as everyone says their goodbyes and best wishes, knowing she will never be seen again.
The trek up the mountain is hard and treacherous. Mei Lin battles off the ravenous creatures that occupy this particular cliff. Carniverous cliff vultures pick and pull at her bag, their razor-sharp beaks tearing at Mei Lin's skin, blood dripping out of her wounds, staining her beautiful clothing. She races up the cliff, swinging her sword at the vultures, but they know no fear. Several heads are severed off, as their bodies fall through the air, spilling fluids out of the holes that once were heads.
Mei Lin rests, weary on her trip. She was so close, but this trip was so treacherous. She had been told, since she was little, about how dangerous the outside world was. The village and the castle were supposedly the only safe havens they knew of. Not many decided to trek outside of their territory. Now she knew why. This world was horrifying. The creatures she had seen terrified her, having never seen anything like them.
The young woman continued her trek, eventually reaching the top of the cliff. The castle was within a short walking distance. Oh, the excitement she felt! What a rush! She felt proud, ecstatic. Oh, if only her father could be here!
She begins to walk, approaching the castle carefully. As she reaches the gates, the doors slowly creepy open. Mei Lin nervously steps in, thinking, Oh, to finally reach paradise! To finally feast on the finest of meats, and only eat moist and delicious cake!
But for Mei Lin, that is not what awaited her. As she walked down the grim, black hallway, a large club was slammed against the back of her head. She lay on the floor, blood dripping down her body. Several large figures crowd around her, and begin to carry her. Her sack is removed and thrown into storage. The creatures shriek and gnarl, growl and moan. Mei Lin can't tell what is happening, her head throbs, she can't move, where is paradise? That is all she can think.
The black furred creatures carry her to an outside area. A cold wind chills down on her, but the sun is shining. It is mid afternoon. Mei Lin is placed on a bed of white roses. The wolf-like creatures growl and gnarl once again, almost in a chant-like offering. Their teeth flash, their red eyes shining. That was her last sight, as their teeth and claws burrow into her flesh, staining the roses.
The wind picks the roses off the cliff, and it rains down on the village once more.
And the next day, a young boy is picked. Ra Mue.
Villagers constantly fight, scrambling on to one another, eager to find what awaits beyond the sealed castle's gates. Blood splatters against the ground, already painted with the blood-like color of roses. The village is tough. They always survive, always prosper. They can't give up, not with hopes of paradise on the line.
A young woman, Mei Lin, carries a large basket of juicy green apples. She hums a hymn, popular at the temples. Always cheerful, always happy, Mei Lin. She takes no breaks, a hard-working woman, and continuously travels from the orchards to the town. Her parents are proud, proud of such a fine daughter. Beautiful black her flows into a bun, her blue floral dress contrasting to the red-stained earth beneath her feet. Her skin is beautiful and peachy, compared to the soft skin of a peach.
As she strolls in to town, her feet moving with grace, pacifism fills the town for once. The roses stop flowing, and the townsfolk stop fighting. She returns to her home, basket full of apples, and happily hands it to her father.
A message awaits her. She has been chosen to deliver a package of goods to the castle above. Oh, happy days! Her tears wet with joy. The chance of a life-time, bestowed upon her.
A night's rest accompanies her, and she eagerly awakes the next morning. She is handed a large sack, full of many of the townsfolk’s hard work. She snaps it across her back, and struggles to stand. She is accompanied out of the town, as everyone says their goodbyes and best wishes, knowing she will never be seen again.
The trek up the mountain is hard and treacherous. Mei Lin battles off the ravenous creatures that occupy this particular cliff. Carniverous cliff vultures pick and pull at her bag, their razor-sharp beaks tearing at Mei Lin's skin, blood dripping out of her wounds, staining her beautiful clothing. She races up the cliff, swinging her sword at the vultures, but they know no fear. Several heads are severed off, as their bodies fall through the air, spilling fluids out of the holes that once were heads.
Mei Lin rests, weary on her trip. She was so close, but this trip was so treacherous. She had been told, since she was little, about how dangerous the outside world was. The village and the castle were supposedly the only safe havens they knew of. Not many decided to trek outside of their territory. Now she knew why. This world was horrifying. The creatures she had seen terrified her, having never seen anything like them.
The young woman continued her trek, eventually reaching the top of the cliff. The castle was within a short walking distance. Oh, the excitement she felt! What a rush! She felt proud, ecstatic. Oh, if only her father could be here!
She begins to walk, approaching the castle carefully. As she reaches the gates, the doors slowly creepy open. Mei Lin nervously steps in, thinking, Oh, to finally reach paradise! To finally feast on the finest of meats, and only eat moist and delicious cake!
But for Mei Lin, that is not what awaited her. As she walked down the grim, black hallway, a large club was slammed against the back of her head. She lay on the floor, blood dripping down her body. Several large figures crowd around her, and begin to carry her. Her sack is removed and thrown into storage. The creatures shriek and gnarl, growl and moan. Mei Lin can't tell what is happening, her head throbs, she can't move, where is paradise? That is all she can think.
The black furred creatures carry her to an outside area. A cold wind chills down on her, but the sun is shining. It is mid afternoon. Mei Lin is placed on a bed of white roses. The wolf-like creatures growl and gnarl once again, almost in a chant-like offering. Their teeth flash, their red eyes shining. That was her last sight, as their teeth and claws burrow into her flesh, staining the roses.
The wind picks the roses off the cliff, and it rains down on the village once more.
And the next day, a young boy is picked. Ra Mue.