Hey so I've been waiting for my teacher to grade this before I posted it and she did so here it is. For my final exam, my job was to either write a poem or a short story in a certain style. The topic I chose was to base my short story on another story called a Rose for Emily and put it in the style of Edgar Allan Poe's The Cask of Amontillado. In other words, it is dark so if you're kind of squeamish about dark stories then don't read any further. Its not too bad, but just in case, you know?
Anyway, here it is: A Rose with Thorns.
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The dozens of insults of the low-born Yankee I have borne as best I could but when he ventured to injure by good name before all the town, I vowed revenge. I was a Grierson, and as such would uphold my noble name.
Many had seen the two of us about the town, and while I knew they did not approve of the relations between Homes Barron and myself, I had full intentions on marrying this man. We spent many months together and the closer I grew to him, the more I had come to see he did not wish to wed. Still, I continued in my attempts to persuade him. I hinted around how wonderful it would be to start a life of own together, to run away from this town with him and perhaps even have children together. He would hear nothing of it. This relationship to him was trivial.
His refusal to marry me was an insult that I would not bare. He planned to depart from the town now that his job was done here, leaving me unwed and shamed before the town. I would not allow this, but could not do anything until my cousins, whom were visiting on a request made by some of the town's women, left for Alabama once more. Homes left before they did, but I was not going to let that put an end to my vengeance.
When my cousins had finally made their leave, I wrote to Homes and his reply gave the date in which he would come to discuss matters with me.
Within three days, he arrived at the kitchen door at dusk and I ordered my servant to let him in. I had been planning this day for months now. It was since I realized he would not willing stay with me that I must go to drastic measures to keep him by my side. He stated he could not stay long, but I—being the clever woman I am—convinced him with feigned tears to stay with me for just one more night. He agreed and we went to the dining room in order to eat the wonderful dinner that had been prepared just for this moment.
We sat across from one another and as soon as my old servant brought us our plates, we ate in silence. I couldn't help but feel satisfied as I watched him eat. He knew nothing of the fate that was to become of him in the next hours. Instead, he ate in silence, enjoying his meal.
When dinner was finished, the two of us made our way up the old stairs, the wood squeaking with protest under our feet, until I lead him to the room we had shared often before. Only the room was different now. He noticed the change the moment he stepped through the doorway. The room was decorated in white, and within the room held a suit, folded and hung upon the chair. Below the suit was the socks and shoes to match. Laying on the dressing table was the toilet set I had purchased, set in silver and his initials carved onto the side. Everything was ready. It was all perfect. Just as I always dreamed our room would look after our wedding.
He stopped in the middle of the room, looking about with a dazed expression set on his face. He turned to me and I could see the annoyance and anger mixed with his look of confusion. He asked why the room was decked in such apparel and I merely stated it had been like this for days, even before I sent the letter beckoning him to come. I suggested he not pay much mind to it and urged him to dress in the night shirt I had laid across the bed for him. He did so and as he stood there I could see his skin paling and his hands trembling. Yes, this was all going very well.
I moved back to the door way as he sat on the edge of the bed. He looked to me and asked why I was not coming to bed as well I told him I would in a little while. His reply was another question, asking me how long I would be. I answered him calmly, a smile plastered to my face, “Time does not matter now, my darling husband. We will both remain in this home until death has reaped us of our last breaths.”
With those words said, I watched his eyes widen and slammed the door shut, using my key to lock the heavy door into place. Behind the door I could hear his hurried footsteps approach. The door knob wiggled from his attempt of escape, but would not turn. He abandoned the door for a moment and I could assume he was going to the window. He would soon find though that I had ordered my servant to bar the windows as well. There would be no escape for him, and he came to realize this. In one more attempt to get free, his fists hammered against the door, calling my name, begging to be released. I said no other words to him. Just listened to his attempts of breaking the door grow weaker and weaker. I knew the poison he had unknowingly eaten atop his dinner was beginning to take effect.
I waited patiently for the next few hours, and when I unlocked the door,entering the room, I found him laying on our shared bed, his eyes open and chest heaving as he struggled to capture air in his lungs. A small amount of blood dribbled from his nose, which I gently wiped away with a handkerchief before I climbed into the bed as well. A few times his body would convulse strongly, only to lay very still a moment after. I continued to lay there on my side, watching him with a happy smile as Homes took in his last struggled breath. My eyes locked onto his eyes, which now began to cloud over with gray, knowing I had won. He would stay with me, never to leave.
I would lay there for days, just to look at him and be next to him. The smell did not bother me as it would others, because this of course was my unlawful husband. When his face began to loose its natural shape and the skin began to disappear I stayed with him.
Every day I would come to him and lay next to his deteriorating form, his body turned into his side so I could embrace him. When my feeble bones could no longer make the trip up the stairs and to our bedroom, I had my servant lock the door for good, so my husband could remain undisturbed in his peaceful sleep. I regretted our relationship had become so unlively, yet was relieved he would never threaten to leave me again. No one knew of our long silent marriage. For years no mortal had laid hand nor finger upon my bridegroom. Undisturbed he stayed within that room for forty years.
I kept true to my words I had spoken to him so many years ago. We remained in that very house together 'til death do us part.
Anyway, here it is: A Rose with Thorns.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The dozens of insults of the low-born Yankee I have borne as best I could but when he ventured to injure by good name before all the town, I vowed revenge. I was a Grierson, and as such would uphold my noble name.
Many had seen the two of us about the town, and while I knew they did not approve of the relations between Homes Barron and myself, I had full intentions on marrying this man. We spent many months together and the closer I grew to him, the more I had come to see he did not wish to wed. Still, I continued in my attempts to persuade him. I hinted around how wonderful it would be to start a life of own together, to run away from this town with him and perhaps even have children together. He would hear nothing of it. This relationship to him was trivial.
His refusal to marry me was an insult that I would not bare. He planned to depart from the town now that his job was done here, leaving me unwed and shamed before the town. I would not allow this, but could not do anything until my cousins, whom were visiting on a request made by some of the town's women, left for Alabama once more. Homes left before they did, but I was not going to let that put an end to my vengeance.
When my cousins had finally made their leave, I wrote to Homes and his reply gave the date in which he would come to discuss matters with me.
Within three days, he arrived at the kitchen door at dusk and I ordered my servant to let him in. I had been planning this day for months now. It was since I realized he would not willing stay with me that I must go to drastic measures to keep him by my side. He stated he could not stay long, but I—being the clever woman I am—convinced him with feigned tears to stay with me for just one more night. He agreed and we went to the dining room in order to eat the wonderful dinner that had been prepared just for this moment.
We sat across from one another and as soon as my old servant brought us our plates, we ate in silence. I couldn't help but feel satisfied as I watched him eat. He knew nothing of the fate that was to become of him in the next hours. Instead, he ate in silence, enjoying his meal.
When dinner was finished, the two of us made our way up the old stairs, the wood squeaking with protest under our feet, until I lead him to the room we had shared often before. Only the room was different now. He noticed the change the moment he stepped through the doorway. The room was decorated in white, and within the room held a suit, folded and hung upon the chair. Below the suit was the socks and shoes to match. Laying on the dressing table was the toilet set I had purchased, set in silver and his initials carved onto the side. Everything was ready. It was all perfect. Just as I always dreamed our room would look after our wedding.
He stopped in the middle of the room, looking about with a dazed expression set on his face. He turned to me and I could see the annoyance and anger mixed with his look of confusion. He asked why the room was decked in such apparel and I merely stated it had been like this for days, even before I sent the letter beckoning him to come. I suggested he not pay much mind to it and urged him to dress in the night shirt I had laid across the bed for him. He did so and as he stood there I could see his skin paling and his hands trembling. Yes, this was all going very well.
I moved back to the door way as he sat on the edge of the bed. He looked to me and asked why I was not coming to bed as well I told him I would in a little while. His reply was another question, asking me how long I would be. I answered him calmly, a smile plastered to my face, “Time does not matter now, my darling husband. We will both remain in this home until death has reaped us of our last breaths.”
With those words said, I watched his eyes widen and slammed the door shut, using my key to lock the heavy door into place. Behind the door I could hear his hurried footsteps approach. The door knob wiggled from his attempt of escape, but would not turn. He abandoned the door for a moment and I could assume he was going to the window. He would soon find though that I had ordered my servant to bar the windows as well. There would be no escape for him, and he came to realize this. In one more attempt to get free, his fists hammered against the door, calling my name, begging to be released. I said no other words to him. Just listened to his attempts of breaking the door grow weaker and weaker. I knew the poison he had unknowingly eaten atop his dinner was beginning to take effect.
I waited patiently for the next few hours, and when I unlocked the door,entering the room, I found him laying on our shared bed, his eyes open and chest heaving as he struggled to capture air in his lungs. A small amount of blood dribbled from his nose, which I gently wiped away with a handkerchief before I climbed into the bed as well. A few times his body would convulse strongly, only to lay very still a moment after. I continued to lay there on my side, watching him with a happy smile as Homes took in his last struggled breath. My eyes locked onto his eyes, which now began to cloud over with gray, knowing I had won. He would stay with me, never to leave.
I would lay there for days, just to look at him and be next to him. The smell did not bother me as it would others, because this of course was my unlawful husband. When his face began to loose its natural shape and the skin began to disappear I stayed with him.
Every day I would come to him and lay next to his deteriorating form, his body turned into his side so I could embrace him. When my feeble bones could no longer make the trip up the stairs and to our bedroom, I had my servant lock the door for good, so my husband could remain undisturbed in his peaceful sleep. I regretted our relationship had become so unlively, yet was relieved he would never threaten to leave me again. No one knew of our long silent marriage. For years no mortal had laid hand nor finger upon my bridegroom. Undisturbed he stayed within that room for forty years.
I kept true to my words I had spoken to him so many years ago. We remained in that very house together 'til death do us part.
