1 A blood covered rose

Aud Pov

I'm walking down the streets as my steps are heavy from fatigue. I look down as I enter the small apartment complex seeing a few people coming out of their flats and cursing for reasons I don't exactly wish to know. I walk up the stairs to the top floor holding my keys in my left hand as I unlock the door slowly, stepping into the shirt hallway.

I close the door quietly knowing everyone will be asleep because of how late it is... except maybe my mother, she is possibly in the bathroom shooting up. The little amount of money I make is practically always taken by her and her addiction... it's supposed to be to feed my little brother but she doesn't care! She'd rather let him starve along with me, instead of giving up that damn addiction!

I kneel over to untie my laces as I hear the sound of the bathroom lock being undone. I look up as I'm untying my left shoe to see my mum looking at me. "Where have you been!?" At work. Like always but you wouldn't know that since you're high as a kite...

"I was out with Jean. She was helping me with something..." I look down to finish untying my laces when I feel her grab my face, squishing my cheeks while digging her nails into my skin.

"Mother... please let me go," I say in a quiet voice that she unlikely heard. She brings her face close to mine as I see her clearer. I wonder if she remembers I can't see well at night... unlikely.

"Why were you gone?! You're piece of shit brother kept crying about not having food!" I glare at her slightly through the small amount of tears in my eyes as she lets go of me. I can't see what her face is like but all I know is that she goes back into the bathroom locking the door again.

I sigh slightly as I untie my laces quickly and put my shoes on the small metal shoe rack by the door. I still have my apron on and I remember the small piece of bread Jean handed to me quickly as I left the restaurant. I take it out the pocket at the front as I walk into the bedroom on my left putting the light on. I blink a couple times as I start to see everything again, "Luke?" I whisper as I see him moving under our covers. I smile slightly as I walk over to the bed and pulling the covers off the small 7 year old. I see his eyes move to the bread in my left hand and his eyes sparkle slightly as I hand him it.

He nibbles on the bread as he looks at me before frowning slightly while eating. "You didn't eat anything again?" I smile slightly ruffling his black hair. I stand up from the bed as he finishes eating, I look at my drawers seeing the clothes Jean bought me. "You... go back to sleep," I say as I walk over to the drawers and look at the clothes in the open drawers. I grab a vest top and pair of shorts before quickly getting changed, "Are you asleep?" I smile slightly as I walk over to the door closing it and locking the door. Seems he's asleep... I turn off the light feeling my away around the room with my feet and hand on the wall.

I slip into the bed as Luke stays perfectly still. Hopefully, we don't need to live with her forever Luke, I'll try and get us away from her and this town.

****

I feel something continuously poke me as I open one eye and realising there wasn't a point since I can't see anything. "Aud... it's seven," I hug Luke slightly.

"Thank you for waking me up..." I sit up in the bed before slowly moving off it and tucking Luke back in. He makes a little whimper sound and I freeze. She didn't...

I walk over to the door quickly tripping a few times before I put the light on and walk back to Luke. He is looking at me over the quilt with pained blue eyes, "did she hit you?" I ask as he shakes his head slowly. I pull the covers off of him and I slightly touch his neck, arms and ribs. He flinches slightly when I I touch his lower left ribs and I lift up his shirt seeing a dark purple bruise.

"Luke... this could be serious," I look at his face as he looks away with sad eyes. I know that look all too well, the she told me not to say anything look. I sigh slightly before grabbing some clothes and putting them on quickly, I look at Luke's new clothes grabbing a set for him as he looks at me shocked. "I'm taking you to the hospital. You could have ruptured your spleen or be seriously injured in another way," I throw the clothes to him as he catches them and slowly puts them on as I grab my small black phone from my pocket. I dial Jean's number.

"Hello? Why are you phoning me so early Aud?" I sigh slightly.

"She hit Luke... he has a big bruise on his lower ribs and below it. Can you tell Veronica I might be in a bit late?" I say feeling like I might cry. She can hurt me all she wants but not him...

"She did what?! You should tell the police!" I laugh unamused as she said that.

"Last time I did that she claimed I was his mother and I was arrested. They still think that it was me... they glare at me when I'm serving them as well," she scoffs at that

"That's because they're all idiots! If you showed his birth certificate it will show you aren't his mother..." I look down a bit biting my lip trying to stop myself from crying.

"I'll just take him to the hospital... tell Veronica. I can't since I don't have her number..."

"Be careful Aud. I'll tell her, just look after Luke and keep him away from that place for a bit," a sad smile is on my lips as I look at Luke, who is making the bed and looks at me afterwards with a huge smile.

"Bye Jean..."

"Bye Aud. Stay safe!"

I end the call as I look at Luke, "time to go... she should be asleep right now," he nods as I unlock the door seeing her door closed and slight sounds that I wish neither of us had ever heard before. She has another man over... I sigh slightly as I hand Luke his shoes as I take my keys from inside my shoes before I slip them on, tying them quickly.

I look at Luke who is wincing slightly from moving and I tie his laces as well. I look over at the other bedroom's door before opening the front door slowly and picking Luke up since he seems to be in a lot of pain.

I close the door as I look around at the other doors not seeing anyone else before walking down five flights of stairs and walking out the building quickly. I hold Luke close to me as I walk in the direction of the hospital, many people are glaring at me or confused at me carrying a small boy.

"You okay Luke?" I hear him hum a yes. "Why do they all hate you?" He asks as I look down a bit sighing, a man walks into us, "child beater," I glare at him as I hold Luke closer. "The police are the ones that hate me. They think I'm the one that hit you before and now..." he goes silent as I notice he has fallen asleep again.

****

It takes me a while to walk to the hospital with Luke in my arms. As I open the doors I walk over to the reception desk, "I was wondering if I could have someone look at my little brother. He fell down a flight of stairs and has a nasty bruise on his left lower ribs and upper abdomen," she nods quickly as she phoned someone and a man walks quickly towards us asking our names.

"Luke and Aud Summer..." he nods slightly before gesturing for us to follow him into a private examination room. I shake Luke slightly, "Luke you need to wake up..." he stirs in my arms as I put him down on the examination table in the centre of the room.

"So, Luke. What happened?" I look at the doctor as he pulls up Luke's shirt, seeing the big bruise. "He fell down the stairs..." I put a finger to my lips while looking at Luke. The doctor lightly touches the bruise causing Luke to hiss in pain and flinch a few times. The doctor looks at me, "are you his mother?" I shake my head as he looks at the two of us, "siblings?" I nod as he turns to me and looks me in the eyes. "Was he hit by one of your parents?" I look away as I close my eyes taking a step back.

"The police think I'm his mother... that's why we can't tell them. Our mother lied and said I was his mother..." I say as he pays my shoulder making me flinch. I don't like being touched by strangers or anyone I barely know, I instinctively flinch away from them. He holds his hands up showing he isn't a threat.

"He's okay, he just has a couple bruised ribs and that big bruise you can see. Nothing else is wrong. It should go away by itself in a few days," he says as I nod slowly checking the time on the clock above the door, my eyes widen slightly.

"Is he fine to come home or does he have to stay here?" I say biting my lip slightly, he looks at Luke who is wincing every time he moves and the doctor shakes his head, "he'll stay here for today and overnight. Just to make sure he isn't worse then we initially think," I nod my head as I look at Luke smiling slightly.

"Luke... I need to go but you're safe here, okay?" He nods as I smile and leave the room quickly as the doctor follows me, "you need my number in case of emergencies right?" I say as the doctor nods handing me a form. I fill it in while leaning against a wall, handing it to him when I'm finished. "Look after him..." I say as I quickly walk out of the hospital and towards the restaurant. I'm so late...

"Ahh! Someone help me!!" I flinch slightly at the loud scream before facing the dark alley and running in it to find who was shouting... I look around as I trip over something catching myself before I fall. I look at what tripped me up to see a woman in her early twenties with her neck slit and a white rose covered in her blood on her stomach. I stare wide eyed at the woman... she's definitely dead.

I dial 911 as my hands shake as I look at the woman who seems to be looking into her soul.

"911, what is your emergency?"

"I... I found a dead woman in an alley..." my voice shakes as I feel like I'm about to fall due to shock.

"Where are you miss?" I look around noticing it's a bit dark in here and I can't see the street name.

"I... I... I can't see... I'm partially blind in the dark. I can't see the street name... it's near the hospital... th... that's all I know..." I look around as I lean against the wall opposite the woman.

"What's your name?"

"Aud... spelt A-U-D Summer..."

"Aud... why did you go down the alley if you can't see?"

"I heard a woman scream..."

"We will send a police vehicle to where you are now. They should only be a couple minutes,"

"Okay..."

I hang up by accident after that as I just stare at the dead woman that seems to be staring back at me.