Page 9 of Inked in Bloom
“I don’t understand.” I retreat a few steps. “How did this happen?”
Turning for the door, I rush through it, scanning over the other three lining the halls. They’re all shut, their rose-gold knobs glinting like beacons.
Who else is here?
I’m not sure I want to know, so instead of giving into my curiosity, I descend the spiral staircase. With each step toward the bottom floor, I hold my breath, unsure if the floating wooden planks will buckle beneath my feet.
“What’s the last thing you remember?” Fate gently asks, following me.
“A bus.” My jaw screws shut.
“You died on impact.”
I halt at her words, my hand quivering over the doorknob, eager to leave whatever hellscape this is. I want to go home. Wake up in my own bed, in my little apartment, and have some coffee in a hand-painted teacup that doesn’t match any of the others. Shutting my eyes, I inhale and exhale, hesitating a moment before opening them again.
I’m still in front of that same door.
“When?”
“A few days ago… Sometimes it takes a bit to regain consciousness after.” Fate places a palm on my arm.
Did Beth think I stood her up when I never showed for Sunday dinner? Was she able to go see Richard in the hospital? Did he make it out okay? Do they even know I died? How did everyone find out? Were my parents the first ones notified as my next of kin? I hadn’t spoken to them in months.
The questions turn over and over in my mind, churning until bile rises up, clogging my throat.
Swallowing down my fear, I release my fists and clasp my hands together. The pads of my fingers drag over the crescent-shaped dents in my palms. I finally muster the courage to glance over my shoulder at Fate. “This must be some mistake. There’s still so much I have left to do. People who need me.”
“Yes, you do,” Fate says, but I’m too busy wondering if anyone knew where to look for my will… and what it even said. It’s been years since I had it drawn up. I thought I’d have time to redo it, but I’d been wrong. I guess the saying’s true:
Time waits for no one.
Fate brushes back some of the mint strands hanging in front of my face, tucking them behind my ear, then cradles my cheek. “That’s why I brought you here.”
“You don’t understand.” My hands fist at my sides.
This can’t be real. It’s a dream. A nightmare that I need to wake up from.
Wake the fuck up, Monroe.
I pinch my thigh until it sears.
“I do understand.” Fate drops her hand to mine and lifts it away from the skin, frowning at the dark-pink divots peeking from beneath the hem of my slip. “In time, you’ll come to embrace your new life here.”
“Ihavea life.”One I need to get back to.
Fate sighs. “I know this is a lot to take in.”
“That’s an understatement.” My hand grips the knob and I twist, but nothing prepares me for what’s beyond the porch draped in sunshine.
There are flowers everywhere, climbing along the vines reaching up the stony cottage I’m inside of. Deep-green foliage and vibrant blossoms wrap around the walkways lining the row of houses circling the cul-de-sac. At its center, a fountain burbles with pale-pink water that shifts into hues of green and lavender, pouring from an arrangement of wildflowers, each towering at different heights.
“What is this place?”
People stroll along the row, many unable to avert their stares. Probably wondering who I am and why I’m in a slip. Not that I mind their attention. I stare right back. Their skin and hair is like mine, unusual hues ranging from dark-forest green to pale lilac and creams, as if I’ve wandered into some surrealist’s painting.
“This is spring’s territory.” Fate comes up next to me, nodding in acknowledgment at those who watch her, some in awe, others wary. “Welcome to your new home, Monroe.” She waves a hand toward the flourishing city poised ahead of us. “This is Florezca.”
I stagger back inside the doorway and shut it before Fate can enter. Turning around, I come face-to-face with rainbow-streaked hair and color-palette eyes narrowed on me, but she says nothing. A few doors groan from above and three multicolored people approach the balustrade and stare down at us.
