
Gray Roses
A complicated world were lies and gloom have filled it. They had swallowed the colors of anything beautiful. Flowers. All the roses have turned gray. Except one. One remains, and if this one goes away, the world will fade away as well.
Copyright © 2012. All Rights Reserved.
Chapter 1
The Day Of The Red
Note: You have to read the intro.
I slick my bare feet on the cold ground. No shoes. It's not that weird here. Only selfish people wear shoes, at least in public.
I am followed by many others and yet following others. My older sister, Arella was on my left, adjusting her hair-clip. I could never be used to being this quiet.
Today was my first time to be in the "The Day Of The Red". I will never understand the tradition. Saying prayers to a rose. Asking the rose for mercy. The Day Of The Red is a ceremony, taken place twice a year.
I'm quite familiar since I can watch it anytime on politically-controlled channels.
Anyone who is capable of coming, must come to this ceremony, or it'll be a shame for the family, people from age 17 to further should come. I just turned 17. Otherwise I would be sitting at home, doing something more typical.
We say our prayers to a rose and then we go back.
My mom can't come. She couldn't since my dad left, she was too unstable. Nobody blamed her. My father left to find comfort, and I hated him for that.
I shouldn't hate. It makes the world worse, although I don't believe in it.
So why do we worship a rose? Many years ago, darkness and lies filled the world in a way that purity couldn't be found and in fact, it couldn't be tolerated. People who were pure, became victims. The flowers all turned gray. You could never find a colorful one. Only one remained. And it's the rose which has landed here.
Trusting was to be blamed.
On The Day Of The Red, many people from other cities join our revolution. But nobody was forced to it, except our town. As I already said I don't believe in this.
Rules are set. We must not lie. We must not hide. We must not hate. We must not disobey.
But even though' those rules are set, it doesn't mean that they're stopped. No, people haven't changed, in my opinion. They don't obey.
I scan the crowd ahead of me. I can see the brown hair of my best friend, Thyra. She seems as happy as me for the union.
Many people believe. Many don't. Most don't, but only a certain group actually show their dismay.
People stop and I know that we are there. A calm woman, whose voice could be easily heard as the crowd didn't talk, asked us to sit down. I still couldn't see her.
The pavement was clean. I sat. Through the contact of my ankles to the ground I shivered. It's fall, but it's still a little cold here. Some days are cold, some days are not.
People start murmuring their prayers. But me, I just sit here. I don't want to do something that I don't believe in. I check Arella from the corner of my eye. Her curly dark brown hair is filling her face. She wasn't saying prayers either. I stared hollowly forward.
I am not, fortunately, the only one who is not fond of the union. There are other people too, who instead of saying prayers just look around blankly.
They say we shouldn't make ourselves look beautiful. It would be a form of desire for attention. I didn't believe in that one either.
Arella was beautiful. She couldn't help it.
She was quiet too, and I could easily find out by the look in her eyes, that she wasn't saying the prayers in her mind too.
I get uncomfortable after a while. I want to rest my head on my curled up knees, but I should sit with respect. I want to lean my body on my hands. But that would be rude too.
Other teenagers, whom had their first time, were no better. Thyra, however, already managed to sit calmly next to her parents and her younger sister. I admired Thyra, for her calmness, and her abilities. She hardly ever got angry and when she did she wouldn't show it.
Anger was considered crime too, like lying. But people didn't ever protest since you cannot control anger. I embezzled my muscles to take a glance at the flower. It was a beautiful scene. A red one next to a crowd of gray flowers.
I promise myself, that day, in my first celebration of the Day Of The Red, that I will never beg a flower for mercy, it would be idiocy.
I slick my bare feet on the cold ground. No shoes. It's not that weird here. Only selfish people wear shoes, at least in public.
I am followed by many others and yet following others. My older sister, Arella was on my left, adjusting her hair-clip. I could never be used to being this quiet.
Today was my first time to be in the "The Day Of The Red". I will never understand the tradition. Saying prayers to a rose. Asking the rose for mercy. The Day Of The Red is a ceremony, taken place twice a year.
I'm quite familiar since I can watch it anytime on politically-controlled channels.
Anyone who is capable of coming, must come to this ceremony, or it'll be a shame for the family, people from age 17 to further should come. I just turned 17. Otherwise I would be sitting at home, doing something more typical.
We say our prayers to a rose and then we go back.
My mom can't come. She couldn't since my dad left, she was too unstable. Nobody blamed her. My father left to find comfort, and I hated him for that.
I shouldn't hate. It makes the world worse, although I don't believe in it.
So why do we worship a rose? Many years ago, darkness and lies filled the world in a way that purity couldn't be found and in fact, it couldn't be tolerated. People who were pure, became victims. The flowers all turned gray. You could never find a colorful one. Only one remained. And it's the rose which has landed here.
Trusting was to be blamed.
On The Day Of The Red, many people from other cities join our revolution. But nobody was forced to it, except our town. As I already said I don't believe in this.
Rules are set. We must not lie. We must not hide. We must not hate. We must not disobey.
But even though' those rules are set, it doesn't mean that they're stopped. No, people haven't changed, in my opinion. They don't obey.
I scan the crowd ahead of me. I can see the brown hair of my best friend, Thyra. She seems as happy as me for the union.
Many people believe. Many don't. Most don't, but only a certain group actually show their dismay.
People stop and I know that we are there. A calm woman, whose voice could be easily heard as the crowd didn't talk, asked us to sit down. I still couldn't see her.
The pavement was clean. I sat. Through the contact of my ankles to the ground I shivered. It's fall, but it's still a little cold here. Some days are cold, some days are not.
People start murmuring their prayers. But me, I just sit here. I don't want to do something that I don't believe in. I check Arella from the corner of my eye. Her curly dark brown hair is filling her face. She wasn't saying prayers either. I stared hollowly forward.
I am not, fortunately, the only one who is not fond of the union. There are other people too, who instead of saying prayers just look around blankly.
They say we shouldn't make ourselves look beautiful. It would be a form of desire for attention. I didn't believe in that one either.
Arella was beautiful. She couldn't help it.
She was quiet too, and I could easily find out by the look in her eyes, that she wasn't saying the prayers in her mind too.
I get uncomfortable after a while. I want to rest my head on my curled up knees, but I should sit with respect. I want to lean my body on my hands. But that would be rude too.
Other teenagers, whom had their first time, were no better. Thyra, however, already managed to sit calmly next to her parents and her younger sister. I admired Thyra, for her calmness, and her abilities. She hardly ever got angry and when she did she wouldn't show it.
Anger was considered crime too, like lying. But people didn't ever protest since you cannot control anger. I embezzled my muscles to take a glance at the flower. It was a beautiful scene. A red one next to a crowd of gray flowers.
I promise myself, that day, in my first celebration of the Day Of The Red, that I will never beg a flower for mercy, it would be idiocy.
236 Comments
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Your chapters are medium length and... I am stuck as well for good songs-- SORRY!
I loved the chapter. Can you please pass some of your amazing talent to me??? As a Christmas gift?
I hope you do! It'd be a pity if you ran out of good music to listen to. Florence + The Machine is amazing, I recently started listening to them.
You're welcome! And I think you're already an amazing writer, I mean that.You have a unique way of writing that enchants the reader. It's undeniable that you have talent. Also, I don't think any of your new chapters are stupid. Every chapter of this story is incredible, but like all writers, you've improved over time.
You're welcome for everything!
Argh, I just want to keysmash with this new chapter, you're incredible, brilliant, talented and ertgyre *Cue the keysmash*
Yes, I think you could publish this. You'd have to edit out mistakes and odd phrases (in this chapter, I saw bye instead of by and bound instead of bond, for example), but you're very talented and I haven't seen something original like this in a very long time. You're better than most adult authors these days.
P.S. It's a pity you had a bit of a hard time lately...
Also, on artists, check out:
Florence and the Machine, Damian Rice, James Arthur, Birdy, Ed Sheeran, Celine Dion, Muse, My Chemical Romance and All Angels (those are some of my favourites). If you like classical/orchestral music, I suggest:
Carter Burwell, Bach, Edvard Grieg, Tchaikovsky, Howard Shore, Alexandre Desplat, John Williams, Rachel Portman and Murray Gold. (:
Thank you, those seem like things I'd like. Since I love Florence + The Machine and have all of their albums saved. Also thank you for pointing out my mistakes. If I somehow would publish it, I'd probably wait a while so that I am better of a writer so that I can rewrite the scenes.Because as stupid as my new chapters are, I think they're better than the first chapters.
Thank you so much. And not just for all of the suggestions.
Ashtynne...
YOU ARE SO INCREDIBLY BLESSED WITH WRITING! I am so sorry that I didn't read this earlier, I'vve been cramped with crap.
I still treasure this story and I promise you, I will always be one of your faithful readers. so, never quit this story until you are done. :]
Thank you :) Only I am going through an internet shortage at home because my grades are lowering. So I might update less often as id I didn't already.
Your comment means so much. Thanks for sticking to this story.
I have those days too. XD You're welcome, it was my pleasure.
That was such an awesome chapter. I feel somewhat bad for Diamond, but she deserves what's going to come to her. I just hope Alex doesn't get upset and actually sticks to Ashtynne's side. -.- Fat chance, though. XD I was tensed throughout the whole chapter! Great job.
I just want to kill everyone. I don't even know. It'll be such a plot twist, that's why I'm not gonna write today. Cause' everyone will end up dead. Thanks for commenting :D
Another stunning chapter. I can't wait for the next one -I admire your writing-style!
Thanks :D I can't believe I have 37 chapters and people who read along. Thanks tons.
I love you more!!! You are soooo awesome for posting a new chapter! It was full of action and amazing crazy stuff! :D I bet the next one is just as good.
And honestly, I think you should post them. A little mystery never hurt anybody...
OH! One last thing.
New chapter in Welcome to my Life. Again. To read or not to read. That is the question.
What I think? *Kermit spasm* That was one heck of the chapter. Too bad about the Alex/Ashtynne thing, but oh, well... The story is still incredible.
Thank you :D So you think it's worth it even if updating this could be a bit irregular?
Oh yes!
This is nice love it
Thank chuuu :D