The Orchid

She awoke from the nap that she didn’t intend to take, rushing to the window to see blue skies and orchids sprouting from the sharp grass outside. A sense of bewilderment overcame her, knowing that she fell asleep to a world resembling a shaken snow globe, yet awoke to a picturesque summer morning. Hope frantically made her way to the door and swung it open to find an old woman standing before her.

Her grey hair barely grazed her neck and her wrinkles resembled a beach after the waves had their way with the sand that lay in front of it.

“Come with me. Your husband is in trouble. I found him half a mile north, suffering from the cold weather.”

She looked back at her, disbelief painting her face.

“Who are you and what happened to Matthew?”

“He is fine now, but he needs you more than ever. I took him in and have been nursing him all night. He asked about you and told me where to find you. Now come, we must go.”

Hope thought it over for a second or two before abrasively denying her command.

“No,” she said with a hint of rebellion in her tone, “I won’t go with you. Who’s to say that you’re even telling the truth? You come across a single woman in a cabin, of course you’re gonna assume that I have a husband. I’m sorry but I’m gonna have to ask you to leave.”

Hope clutched the handle to the door and began to slam it shut, but before she could, she felt the brute strength of this woman stopping her force. The grey haired woman pushed the door back, resulting in Hope ending up on the floor, unconscious after banging her head on the lavish coffee table provided by the resort.

In the same way she dragged Matthew through the white, fluffy chasm, she treated Hope with similar regard. As she stepped out of the doorway with Hope’s legs in her palms, she stopped to pluck an orchid from the miniature garden directly outside of the window. Hope struggled to wake up from her state of lethargy, turning her head back and forth as If she was dreaming. She mouthed the words, “Matthew, no, I’m coming for you.”

Dust kicked up behind her as she was pulled by her ankles at the will of this abnormally strong woman. With the orchid resting between her teeth, beads of sweat began to fall from her brow, lending dampness to the otherwise sun scorched land under her feet. As she rested to take a breather, she scanned the cloudless skies above and saw a trio of cardinals in flight. The red birds made their way to the pavement and strolled towards the woman, who had relinquished the grip of Hope’s feet.

As the woman approached the three birds, she was puzzled by the fact that they were receptive to her presence. She ripped the orchid from her teeth and tossed it besides Hope’s face with no regard as to where it landed. While the cardinals pecked the dirt, she reached out and snatched one by the throat, snapping its neck instantly.

The other two flew away as the elderly woman looked up to the sky and smiled to the God’s up above, thanking them for this gift that was bestowed upon her. As she kissed the bird, she placed it inside of her cleavage inside of the black v-neck shirt she donned.

“This is magical. Thank you, Lord. Thank you.”

The cave was only two hundred yards away, but she regretted not bringing a bottle of water with her for the trip. She underestimated the heat, and she knew that if she didn’t haste her way back it would be a decision she’d eternally regret. Her wrinkled fingertips clutched the flower and placed it directly beside the deceased bird. She concluded that dragging this woman was no longer a viable option, and picked her up over her shoulders and carried her to the cave.

Before sliding the rock concealing the inside of it, she tossed her to the ground like a package of unmixed cement. Once the light entered the opening, she rolled her inside. A chill was in the air due to no sunlight entering the shelter for over a day, so she didn’t bother closing it off.

Matthew and Hope still lay unconscious, side by side as she removed both items from her shirt. Placing them on a table that housed the mixture she had concocted for Matthew, she ventured over to Hope and put the orchid in her left hand before folding both hands over her chest. She then walked over to Matthew and did the same, but with the bird instead.

Standing over two of them, she grabbed a green book from the aforementioned table. A demonic chant that she read from the book echoed throughout the quarters.

“Sa-may-lek-heim, Pol-ayno-la-shay, let them be forever united, as one,” she repeated a dozen times. Their eyes opened simultaneously, and stared at each other, uncertain of what had happened to them.

“What the fuck have you done to us?!,” Matthew shrieked.

The woman giggled and stepped over them and said, “Fear not, my son. You have been given the gift of eternal life. You shall not ever leave this place. All three of us are now one, stuck here until the end of time. It’s about time I got some company.”