Yellow Roses

by Lanaia Lee

I awaken in a place I'm not familiar with. Seems I am in some sort of hospital, the white walls, they look padded, could it be I am here because of something mental? I really haven't a clue. The only thing I really remember is the man, I recently met, what I would call the man of my dreams. I just don't understand why I am here. I guess I will figure it out eventually. In the mean time I will think about my new suitor, this will calm my nerves.

We met inocenntly enough, by bumping into each other literally. He was coming out of the dime store as I was going in and we just collided. He was so good looking, with his dark hair, beard, and blue eyes. He looked so good, he actually took my breathe away. After bumping ino him I say," Oh my goodness, I am such a klutz. I am so sorry"

He replies," No harm done. I should have been watching where I was going. But it's not every day I bump into some one as beautiful as you. Let's start over, hi, my name is Dillion."Blushing, I answer back, " Strange way to meet some one. I am so sorry. Thank you for the compliment. I guess I at least owe you my name. My name is Laura. Again I am so sorry for bumpimg into you."

"No need to apologize, maybe us bumping into each other was destiny. Maybe it meant for this to happen, so we could meet each other. Anyway, I would be honered if I could take you to dinner. How about tonight? We could meet right here, if you like, at least until you get to know me a little better. I want you to be at ease with me, not to think I am Jack the Ripper", then he laughs.

"You aren't shy are you? O.K., we will meet here say at seven? I guess the least I can do is give you a chance, so I will see you here at seven." Dillion agreeing, the we part ways and I go back to shopping, but I can't get Dillion off my mind. I am just so excited about our date tonight, I literally can't be still. Soon it is almost six, so I rush back to my apartment to freshen up before I go to meet Dillion.

Almost being seven, I rush back to the dime store, I surely don't want to be late for our first date. Arriving I see Dillion is already there, nevously pacing back and forth like an expectant father. I notice he is carrying a bunch of yellow roses, my favorite color.

I make sure Dillion sees me so I don't startle him, walking up to him I say," Hi, have you been waiting long?"

Dillion says," I been here for a few minutes. May I say you look beautiful. Also, I got you these. I hope you like them.

"I am very flattered by the roses. Thank you so much. How did you know I liked yellow?"

"Remember when I first met you, you were dressed in all yellow, just like you are now and may I say the yellow looks great on you because of your dark hair. Anyway I figured you like the color because of how you were dressed and it appears I was right. I thought maybe we go out to dinner, then we catch a movie, how does that sound to you?""Dinner and a movie sound really good. You lead and I will follow."

Here in Lake Charles, Loisiana not that many things to do like you would in a big town. We are just Cajun folk. We choose the movie 2012, because I have been dying to see it. But first we settle on great Cajun food at a restaurant known as Hebert's. Before that we make a quick trip to my apartment so I can put my roses in water.

We arrive at the restaurant and lead to a table by the hostess. Then we are greeted by the waiter. I order catfish and Dillion orders gumbo. Waiting on the food, we have a couple of beers as we talk.

Dillion says," Have you thought since we meet that maybe it was pre-ordained? I think you are one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen, since we bumped into each other you have been the only thing on my mind. I feel privileged just to be in your presence."

I look at Dillion feeling my face blush I say," Thank you for your kind words, you so flatter me. You could be right because since I met you I can't think of any thing else but you. There is definitely some kind of chemistry here wouldn't you say? I am always on guard because I have been hurt before, but with you I haven't even thought of this and don't really care. I just couldn't wait to see you again."

"I must say I feel exactly the same way. I want to get to know you, do things with you and I hope this won't be our only date. You just leave me breathless."

"I want to see you again also. You know I have lived in Louisiana a couple of years now and I have never been sight seeing. I have always had an interest in the supernatural and two places I wanted to see here is Magnolia Plantation and the Myrtles Plantation. The stories behind these places just fascinate me."

"Well, we have something in common, an interest in the supernatural. I visited Magnolia Plantation once, all the voodoo practiced there, to think of it just gives me goose bumps. So if we agree to see each other this is something you would like to do?

Soon our food arrives and we continue talking through out the meal, I love getting to know someone on this level. After we finish our meal we go to see 2012, after that Dillion drives me to my apartment, after arriving Dillion says," I was having such a good time, I hate for the night to end. Do you want me to walk you to your door?"

"No, I will be fine but thank you for asking. I hate for the night to end also, so would you like to come in for a while?"

"Are you sure it will be alright? I would love to come in."

After we both reach the door, we walk in, the first thing I do is put on some music, then go to the kitchen to get a couple of beers. Dillion walks around the living room looking at pictures and things.

Arriving back in the I hand Dillion his beer, but he puts it on the table, lightly grabbing me around the waist and starts dancing with me. This totally surprise me. I am totally swept off my feet. Then before I realize it we are sharing a very passionate kiss. Then he picks me up in his arms, us staring each other romantically in the eyes, and he heads toward the bedroom. I usually don't sleep with some one on the first date, but this I just couldn't help myself. We end up making wild passionate love all night.

The next morning we wake up and after breakfast we decide to drive to and tour Magnolia Plantation, the plantation steeped in voodoo. After arriving here the feeling one gets , well there are no words for the depressive feeling one has. Dillion walks around like he is in a trance like he notices everything here.

After that first date we become quite the the item. We are always together and do everything together. Dillion sends me yellow roses every week, to show his feelings for me and he knows these are my favorite flowers. After a couple of weeks things start to change as Dillion starts spending more time with himself and then claiming him not remembering where he was or what he was doing. But I love him and I trust him. One night we stayed together we get up the next morning and in the local paper is a story about a horrific murder."It says here they think this murder was some how connected to voodoo because they found a mojo bag.

The murder they think was some sort of sacrifice to the Gods. The mojo bag was made of red flannel which signifies love. They say the victim was a young male around the age of twenty. Now that will send chills up your spine. Now we have a killer that worships voodoo Gods. How appropriate."

Dillion says, " It is probably just some nut after their fifteen minutes of fame. I don't think you have anything to worry about. Why worry? You will be safe as long as you are with me."Two weeks pass with no more incidents, until one day another murder reported in the paper with the same M.O.

Dillion says," Are you still worried about this psycho? I can tell from the look on your face after reading the paper. No need to worry my darling.

"I guess you are right but I would think any woman that lives alone would be sort of alarmed, don't you?"

"I tell you what to ease your nerves why don't you come stay with me until they apprehend this nut. I promise you will be safe."

"Perhaps you are right. I will stay with you for a while."

Time passes about three months now and I am still staying with Dillion. This thing really scares me. We both go to work, go out sometime together, but there are times Dillion just disappears for hours and he has no explanation. One day I'm cleaning the apartment and there is a knock at the door. Upon answering it, it is the police wanting to speak with Dillion.I ask," Why do you want to see him? Has he done something?"

The police say," We want to speak with Dilllion because we think he is involved in something.""Involved in what? He is with me most of the time."

" All we can tell you is that we think he may be involved with the voodoo murders, I'm sure you have heard of. The mojo bags being red flannel, doesn't Dillion's work have something to do with red flannel?"

It all starts to make sense now, the red flannel, the times he disappears with no memory, Then this thought just overwhelms my mind and my next moment I am aware of, I wake up here in this mental ward.

According to the doctors here, Dillion was made up, just something in my mind. I was lonely so Dillion was a fabrication. The murders were real enough though and they bothered me so much I fit them in to my illustration.

So they say I can't distinguish between reality and imagination. I see it is almost time for me to see the doctor again but first I hear a knock on my room door. I say," Come in." In comes an orderly carrying a bunch of yellow roses.