Luke lived with his mother, father, his two older sisters and had a baby brother on the way. He and his sisters helped their parents in the family’s flower shop. His older sister Rose is quite good at making flower arrangements as his other older sister Mary can make delicious tea from edible flowers. Both the flower arrangements and tea sold well the same with the flowers the family grows.
His mother worked in the little shop helping with customers whenever they couldn’t decide what to buy for their sweetheart or a family member, his mother and sisters were kind to everyone that came into the store. His father would work in the garden and the greenhouse when Luke was little, his father would allow him to sit on the tables to watch him work. Luke loved it whenever he learned about a new flower.
“That’s an Anemone. There are about 200 species of them, isn’t that neat? Take a look, son!” his father smiled. Luke liked all the flowers, but his favorite are tulips.
Luke helped his father, but if the job were too harsh, he would help his mother and sisters. He thought it was tedious work; however, since his mother was pregnant, she couldn’t pick up or move heavy objects, and couldn’t reach high places.
Luke even had to help her pick something up from the floor he joked saying his baby brother was already a troublemaker. The family had hired a few men to help their father on the larger projects, like plowing a new field for new flowers to grow for the next year.
Luke’s father told him when he was sixteen is when he could help them with harder projects. He just turned thirteen in September. He still has a while before he can help his father with challenging tasks.
After another long day, the family sat down at the table, but unlike tonight Luke’s parents looked excited. Luke glances at his two sisters who just shrugged, the last time their mother and father looked this happy was when they announced that their mother was pregnant. “Are you going to make us guess?” Mary asks as she puts her hands on her lap.
“Blue,” is all her father replied.
Luke didn’t know what that meant, but his sisters did as they got just excited as their parents. Luke got a more confused expression. His mother gets up with a small wobble as she put a hand on her husband’s shoulder. “Love, I think it’s time you show Luke who Blue is,” she hums with a honey-sweet tone. Luke studies his father, who had a broad smile.
“Son, before I show you who Blue is, you must promise me not to show or tell anyone about her! Understand?” his father orders as they walk towards the greenhouse. Luke reply with, ‘yes, sir.’
His father unlocked the door, going inside Luke followed him down the row of colorful flowers that felt like they were watching them. There’s an oak door at the end of the greenhouse Luke’s father told him it was his office and that Luke wasn’t allowed in there because he had chemicals and other toxic stuff that was safe for plants but not for children. Before heading inside, his father looked around. He picked up a flowerpot that Mary made him, under it was a gold key. He picked it up and unlocked the office door.
The room was dark, Luke’s eyes were having a hard time trying to adjust but behind the desk, something shined a light blue when Luke could get a better look he gasped. A bright blue rose shined under a small light as water drips down its beautiful petals and its leaves that were full and green.
“Luke, this is Blue. It took my father and his father all their lives to grow a pure blue rose. It almost took me, but I got lucky, and this beauty blossomed,” Luke’s father explains as Luke couldn’t look away. The rose was stunning. “Real blue roses are hard to come by, and the ones you see are just white roses drinking dyed water. With Blue, I can take her seeds to grow more like her. We’ll make enough money to help our business and help when you kids go off to college, and with your brother on the way, we don’t have a whole lot. But with Blue, that’s not a problem anymore!”
Luke lightly touches one of the petals that felt like silk. “Sadly, with trying to get everything ready for winter, I’m worried that I won’t have time to watch her and-” Luke cut his father off he looked at him with a wide grin. “I’LL DO IT! I’ll water her, give her the nutrients she needs, talk to her, and, and.” Luke’s father puts his hand on Luke’s head with a smile, trying to calm his excited son.
“This is going to be a big job, you sure you can handle it?” he asks. Luke nods, still grinning. “Okay, but I’m putting my trust in you if Blue starts to show any signs of wilting, come tell me right away.” Luke nodded again, then said, ‘yes, sir!’
Every morning before the sun was even up, Luke would be in the greenhouse, like his father. He would look around before unlocking the door. “Good morning, Blue!” he would always call out, then he would begin his daily tasks water the rose, feed the rose, and he would talk to her for hours.
He would tell her random stories about school, friends he has, what’s going on with his family, and how he can’t wait for his brother to be born.
“Be nice to even the field. Let me tell you, Blue, two men in a house living with three women isn’t fun! I think dad is looking forward to it too. He always wanted to do the fishing tournament during the Spring Festival. It’s a three men team, but he’ll have to wait until my baby brother is big enough to hold a rod.” Luke talked on and on until it was time for breakfast.
One night Luke was going in to click on Blue after dinner like normal, but he stopped at the door of the greenhouse. One of the men that work for the family was hunting around the door and muttering to himself. “What are you doing?” Luke asks as he came in more, which made the man jump and glare at the boy.
“I-I lost my key. I think it fell around here somewhere. What are you doing in here? Thought your old man didn’t like you being in here because of the chemicals?” the man lies.
Luke swallows, ‘Keep Blue a secret,’ he reminds himself. “My father said it was okay since I’m getting older, but you and the others aren’t allowed in here.”
The air in the greenhouse shifted. The man balled his hands and forced a smile.
“Your old man asked me to come in to grab something for him, but like I said I dropped the key to his office, can you help me find it?” the man lies again.
Luke backs away, knowing he was lying. “I have to go speak with my father first,” he turned, but before he could leave, he was knocked unconscious by another man that was waiting behind him.
The sounds of Luke’s sisters’ and mother’s muffled cries woke him, he glances up and begins to tremble in terror as the two men in the greenhouse, and two other men were beating his father. After they were done, the man that was trying to find the key picks his father up by the head. “Where is it!” he shouts, his father spits in his face the man punched him. On the floor, the three other men continue to kick him.
“That’s enough,” the three stopped, “if you won’t tell me? Fine, I’ll make you tell me.” The man walks away then stood behind Rose as she begins to hyperventilate behind the rag that covers her mouth, pulling her head up the man held a knife to her throat. “Tell me where it is, or she dies,” the man grins as Rose was screaming and crying. “NO! DON’T!” Luke’s father begs, but the man pulls the knife over her throat.
The room became laughter from the men and sobs from Luke’s family and himself as Rose’s body falls to the ground. The man now stood behind Mary.
“Tell me, or it’s bye-bye, little girl,” the man was enjoying himself as the three other men held Luke’s father up to watch. His mother couldn’t look as she cried, Luke’s body was cold, hot tears flow down his face as he stares at Rose’s gray eyes that were now dim. When his father didn’t answer fast enough, Mary met the same fate as her sister. “YOU SON OF A BITC-” Luke’s father tried to scream, but the one man kicks him.
It was now his wife’s turn when the man pulled her head up. She was staring at her husband as she cried the man held the bloody knife to her neck. “Where. Is. The. Rose?” he asked slowly. Luke felt a sharp pain in his stomach, Blue… They were looking for Blue! Luke begins to yell, “Wait!” from under the rag.
The man with the knife glances at him then nods at one of the others who walked over, taking the rag off Luke’s mouth. “The blue rose? You’re looking for it?” he asks, panting in between words. The man with the knife lowered it from his mother’s shaking neck. “I’ll take you to it!” Luke yells.
Two men stayed behind, as the two other push Luke to the greenhouse. “You better now be f*****g with me, boy, or so help me.” The man snaps Luke swallows hard once inside the flowers were dying. The greenhouse felt like a graveyard as they walk down the eerie quiet rows. Luke stares at the pot that had the key under it. Rose’s gone, and Mary’s gone, he’ll never see them again, but if he gives the men what they want, his parents, his unborn brother, and he can all go free.
As he unlocked the door, the wind started to blow into the greenhouse, which sounded like whispers. The blue rose sat on the desk like she was waiting for them. The man with the knife pushes past Luke and the other man that kept a hold of him. The man begins to analyze and admire the rose.
“Yes! All this time, I’ve been trying to find it!” he picks the pot up still amazed by it from the house and shop there came two gunshots. Luke’s body fell onto the floor as he started to scream. The man turns with an evil smile. “Kill the boy!” he orders.
The man was about to leave the greenhouse with Blue in hand. The wind was picking up sounding like anger wolves as the dead flowers begin to moan and groan. “My, my, you’ve really done it this time,” a woman’s voice spoke from nowhere, and then she starts to giggle. The man stares down at the pot he’s holding, he screams and drops it.
Luke yells, “No!”
“I’m fine, dear,” The voice was coming from Blue as the rose petals start to spin with a bright light flash the men, and Luke turned away as it intensifies. “Didn’t your mothers ever warn you not to murder someone that made a deal with a demon?” a woman asks as she smiled with blue lips, the men look stunned at the woman that stood in front of them. Luke’s eyes widen as he backs away, knowing who she was.
Blue’s skin is a pale blue color, as her eyes are bright icy blue that shined, and her pupils are snake-like. Her dark blue hair is long that’s done up into two braided ponytails, on top of her head are two ram horns that are dark green with tiny red thorns on them. Blue’s poofy dress stops at her knees as it’s the same blue as her lips with a green ribbon going around her waist that’s tied into a bow. The socks that go all the way up her legs are the same color as the ribbon but have dark green leaves on them with dark green high-heels to match.
The two men backed away as she took a step towards them still with that cold smile. She sighs and peers down at the dying flowers, placing a hand on one. “They know their master is dead, so they weep. The poor things,” she took her hand away.
The man with the knife held it up. “Who the hell are you?!” he demands. Blue blinks at him.
“I have many names, but right now, my name is Blue,” she bows, “Lady Blue. I would say it’s a pleasure to meet you, gentlemen, but it’s very rude of you two to plan on taking my client son’s life!” Blue grins as she held out her arms to her sides as her fingernails become long red thorns. “I would love to see you try!” she laughs as the dying flowers sound like they were hissing.
“Let’s kill this freak of a b***h!” the man yells Blue kept laughing as the two men rush towards her Luke closed his eyes. He heard their screams and the sounds something wet being ripped apart.
“Luke, it’s okay now,” Blue spoke lightly with the same honey-sweet tone as his mother had. Luke opens his eyes. Blue’s kneeling in front of him, she didn’t have any blood on her, but there’s blood all over the greenhouse, and the dying flowers were colorful and bright once more.
“I thought if… if I told them…” Luke stutters. Blue sighs and held the boy he wraps his arms around her, crying.
“Hush now, you were brave to try. But we still have unfinished business,” Blue comfort and then helps Luke up as they left the greenhouse. The flowers cried out. Blue hands him the knife that belonged to the man who was responsible for his family’s death. He held it tightly.
“Where the hell are they? This place is starting to smell!” one of the men grumbles as he kicked the father’s dead body.
“Quit your bitching. I hear them coming now,” the other snapped back. The sounds of footsteps came to a stop outside of the shop’s door as it slowly opened, but no one stepped in, it was only darkness. “Did you find the plant?” the one man asked, still no sounds until Blue begins to giggle.
“Hold that knife tight, Luke, don’t want them to get away,” she informs.
Luke stares at the four holes that his family lies in as the sun begins to rise his cheeks were still wet from both tears and blood. “Rose, I tried my best to make flower arrangements. They’re not as good as yours, but I did my best,” Luke smiles a little, “and Mary, I put your’s and everyone else’s favorite tea in for you all to enjoy, mom I put the toys you made for our baby brother with you, sorry that he didn’t get to play with them…” Luke starts to sniffle, “and dad, I just want to say I’m sorry… I thought-”
Blue puts a hand on his back as he starts to cry. “He knows you’re sorry, dear. Come now, we need to go.” Luke glances at her then nodded slowly he put his arm out. Blue grips it lightly. The same bright light shined. Luke looks away when he looks back to his arm. A rose’s steam was twisted around his arm. The thorns dug into his skin; however, it didn’t hurt nor bled. The rose was on top of his hand, shining that bright blue color.
“What do you mean, he made a deal with a demon?” Luke asked, looking at the rose. He went to the greenhouse to take care of Blue after lunch, like always. She was more talkative than usual.
“Your father was going to give up on trying to grow a pure blue rose, but he didn’t want to fail his family. So, he called upon a demon to aid him. That is why I am here, Luke,” Blue spoke.
“Aren’t demons evil?” Luke asked. Blue began to laugh lightly.
“Yes, we’re evil to some, but if we take a liking to someone, we keep them safe,” Blue responded.
“My dad is married, you know,” Luke grumbled while rolling his eyes as he sat down in the office’s chair Blue started to laugh again.
“No, Luke! Your father called for my help, yes, and he’s kind, but I have taken a liking to you. So, I’m telling you if anything bad happens, come to the greenhouse. I’ll keep you safe forever,” Blue promised.
“Nothing bad is going to happen! But thank you,” Luke smiled, but the rose signed.
“Bad things always happen, my dear,” Blue hummed Luke looked at the rose he was going to ask her what does she mean.
“Luke, I need your help, please!” Luke’s mother called from the shop.
“See you after dinner, Blue,” Luke chirped as he left the office and closed the door Blue signed once more.
“Greed is an ugly thing,” she spoke to no one, “so many deaths will happen tonight all because of greed… This is going to be interesting!”
