A Rose to Keep (The Society 1)

The guys were nowhere to be found, and I didn’t know if they’d left without me or were still sleeping.

I wanted to go and see Heather anyway. Releasing a yawn, I knew I hadn’t been sleeping well since the initiation. I had the ink, which seemed to be itching as a constant reminder my life was no longer my own.

Hunger drove me toward the cafeteria. I needed to eat something and drink lots of caffeine to get my head on straight.

As I was nearing the building, one of the security guys called my name. Glancing around, I saw there were plenty of students walking around, and I went to him.

“Can I help you?” I asked.

“Sian Roberts?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“Here.”

He handed me an envelope. My name was on the front of the brown envelope, and there was no address, just an instruction to give this directly to me.

“Wait, who gave you this?” I asked.

“I don’t know. It was on my desk on Friday with these instructions. I’ve been waiting for you.”

The envelope started to ring.

Opening it up, I saw the cell phone inside.

Someone was calling.

I took it out and stared at the number. I had no idea who the caller was.

The voicemail didn’t pick it up. The tone kept ringing.

I pressed my thumb to the green telephone icon and pressed the cell phone to my ear.

“Hello.”

“Sian, baby, it’s you. It really is you.”

“Mom?”

I heard her sudden cry of relief.

“Yes, honey, it’s me. It’s so good to hear your voice. I don’t have time to explain. You have to leave. Do not tell anyone. They are going to make your life miserable. You’ll be under their control, but I know what I can do. Drew showed me the way. I can save you. Save us. You’ve got to listen to me.”

“Mom, I don’t understand.”

“I will not allow my daughter to fall victim to their schemes. They control everything. Your love. Your happiness. They take people away from you.” She sobbed. “They killed Drew, and I promised I would never forgive them. I lied. I acted. I knew what was expected of me so he forgot to give it to me. Now I will protect you.”

I heard some noise in the background.

“Oh, no, he’s here. He’s coming. I … I…”

“Mom?”

“What are you doing?”

“Dad?”

The line went dead.

“What the fuck?” I glanced down at the cell phone.

As I was about to dial again, I heard a scream and looked up.

“Heather’s trapped in the library. There’s no way out. It’s on fire.”

I didn’t know who spoke. I just heard the words and I didn’t know if it could have been multiple people speaking.

I dropped the cell phone and my bag, then ran. I ran as fast as I could, getting to the building.

The smoke came in thick and fast. The library didn’t open this early in the morning.

Arms wrapped around me, trying to get me to stop. I stood on the foot of whoever tried to keep me away, and I charged forward.

Heather was at the door, screaming.

“No!” I yelled the word and rushed toward the door, pressing my palms to the glass and gasping. The glass was hot. There was so much smoke. Heather kept on coughing, covering her face.

“Sian, go,” she said.

“No. What the hell happened?” I felt tears fill my eyes as I looked at her. She was going to die.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a brick. I rushed to it and threw it against the glass.

It didn’t smash.

What the hell?

It always did in the movies. The glass broke.

I kept on picking it up. Trying to shatter the glass. At some point, Heather got down on the floor.

“Help is coming,” I said. “Get an ambulance.” I screamed to be heard. Heather reached out. Her hand not touching the glass, and I knew she was weakening. There was too much smoke. She was going to die.

Tears fell thick and fast.

“I love you, Sian. It’s better this way.”

Shaking my head, I told her no. “You can’t go. You’re going to live a long and full life. Promise me. You promised me.” I sniffled. “You’re going to be happy and have the best of everything. Please, Heather, don’t give up. Please. Please.”

She didn’t answer.

I was suddenly grabbed roughly from behind. My head pulled back, and I felt the tugging on my hair.

“No one defies The Society.”

My hair was hacked off as I screamed. Heather was dead.

I saw her even as the smoke came.

The person hacking my hair off let me go roughly, kicking me hard in the ribs. I fell to the ground, gasping and crying out. Pain exploded throughout my body. I didn’t know what the hell had just happened.

The ground felt too hard and rough against my flesh.

“Heather!” I called her name, hoping by some miracle she’d make it.

She needed their help. Why wasn’t anyone coming to help her?