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It was a cool spring afternoon as Alice walked down the street to her apartment building. Morning classes at the collage had just finished and she really felt like she need to relax. The first semester of collage was just about done and things were getting frantic. It felt like she never had any down time anymore. She sighed as she turned the same, familiar corner of her apartment building. Alice entered her apartment building and stopped briefly to grab her mail, hoping the scholar ship money had finally arrived. She needed to pay off her first semester before she was allowed to start her second. She started to climb the long flight of stairs as she shuffled through her mail. She stopped dead in her tracks. She could not believe it, there it was a picture of her and her boyfriend, Mike, of just two months. The black rose was clearly across her. This symbol could only mean one thing death was coming to her soon. She stood there motionless for nearly ten minutes before quickly ascending the stairs two at a time. By the time she got to her apartment her hands were shaking so badly that it took her several minutes to unlock her apartment door. When she was finally able to get inside she quickly slammed the door shut after her. She leaned on the door for support but she just couldn't take it her knees where trembling badly as they gave out, sliding to the floor she started to cry.

Alice woke up several hours later, her shirt was stained with tears and she was stiff from having stayed curled up for so long. By the amount of light that still filtered in from her living room she judge that it was getting close to six, but that was just a guess of course. She uncurled herself and walked stiffly to the kitchen where she set down her purse and mail on the table. Glancing at the clock she realized she was wrong it was already well past seven. As she stood there it clicked to her that she was supposed to meet Mike at eight at Francisco's for dinner. She was going to have to cancel, there was no way a date was possible in this kind of condition. Mike would be disappointed this was the 6th time she had canceled on him in the past two weeks. Collage finals had been getting in the way a lot lately, but this was for a completely different reason. Should she tell him? Better yet could she? It was probably best not to at this time. She dialed his number with no need to look it up.
"Hello?", Mike said.
"Hey Mike, it's Alice...umm I won't be able to make the date tonight."
"Let me guess more finals stuff?"
"No...it's not that", Alice could tell her voice was beginning to choke up.
"Hey are you okay? Do you want me to come down there?" She could tell by the way he said it that he was gonna be worried until she explained what was going on.
"No, no. I don't think that's a good idea. I'll call you later, k?", before he even had time to say anything more she hung up the phone. She knew there was no way to keep Mike at bay for long, then again she probably didn't have that long to do so. There was no way she had more then a day to live. At least thats what the rumors said, but how true could they be. She just made it into the bed room before she collapsed and fell back asleep on her bed.

She was awoken by the phone ringing and the knock on her door that could barely be heard over the phone. With sleep still weighing down on her. she got up and answered the door. To no surprise it was Mike, he was always worrying to much. This time there was something to worry about though.
"Hey Alice. Can I come in?"
"Yeah, sure", her voice just barely croaked out.
He walked toward the kitchen as she closed the door and followed after him. Leaning on her kitchen counter he finally took the time to look her over.
"Alice, I really don't mean to be mean but you look like a mess. What's going on?" he glanced around for any sign that she had company. He trusted Alice but when things looked this bad you can never be to sure.
"Look, Mike, it's no big deal nothing really. Just...." she didn't even get a chance to finish her sentence when she noticed his eyes glance across the picture on the table. She should have been smarter and put that away last night. Then again last night seemed to go by so fast, Alice really didn't have very much recollection of what happened. She tried to grab it but his reflexes were about ten times faster then hers.
"Alice you should have told me about this", he stood there waving the picture at her. "If not me at least the cops. I know you know what this means. Everyone around here does. You should have protection."
"You know that won't do any good at all. You've heard all the stories too. This thing is adhesive," her voice couldn't hold much longer it was beginning to tremble.
"It's better then not doing anything now isn't it," he reached for the phone. Just then a loud sound rang through the apartment as the glass of the kitchen window was shattered and a glass that lay on the counter broke into pieces.
"Mike you gotta get outta here, its not safe for you to be with me", her eyes began to fill up with tears.
"I'm not leaving you. Now go get showered and dressed, we'll go some place else", he ushered her to the bedroom. Tired and shock stricken she didn't protest. She came back a while later looking half decently better. Mike had already cleaned up the shattered glass from the window and the broken cup was gone. On the table lay a small bag of her things, right next to it was the picture. How happy they had looked back then. At that point in time she was sure neither of them could have ever thought this was coming. She would give anything at all to go back to that time, but now that was impossible. Now she had Mike wrapped up in this to. What kinda person was she. They only had a mere while left to spend with each other, she was sure of that, and this was how they were spending it. They should be happy and enjoying what little time was left. There was no way to avoid this and they both knew it was true. Her thoughts were interrupted as he entered the room.
"Let's go" he grabbed the bag off the table and guided her out the door, not even bothering to lock it behind him. The shock of it all was sinking in for neither of them said anything as they descended down the flight of stairs. Mike's long legs allowed him to take three at a time. He normally didn't walk this fast, he was definitely worried. Anyone would have been, yet he could avoid this situation entirely. Why wasn't he doing so.

It only took them 10 minutes by cab to reach the police station, but by that time it was late afternoon again. All of this had really messed up her sleep schedule. She rarely slept in till 3 in the afternoon.
"uh hu. so you say you need protection, all cause of a drawing on a picture", the officer stared at them in disbelief. They never took these things seriously and if the person wound up dead the media was told it was all gang related, nothing more. The higher power would never admit to there being some sort of evil in this world. It was all in peoples head, just make believe. Well the stuff that filled up nightmares and peoples imaginations was finally starting to come true. No one would realize it though. They all turned their backs to it. What was a couple dead to keep the world blind folded.
"We really do. If you need the proof go to apartment 362 on 40-2 street", Mike scribbled down the address on a piece of paper, "you'll find your proof there".
The officers shot each other glances and giggled. Alice wondered how many people took these problems to the police and got the same reaction. Most people just choose to ignore them and wait for what was coming. Wouldn't it be easier that way. Wouldn't there be a chance of less people getting hurt.
"Now you youngin's wait here and we'll go check it out", the second officer winked at his partner.

It seemed like forever when the police station door finally opened up again. This had to be the officers finally back from their look over the apartment. Who else could it have been, they said they had locked the front door on their way out. That was probably just another lie. Mike got up to go see what they had to say, motioning to Alice to just stay where she was. He had barley made it out of the office door when he heard a gun shoot fired. Quickly glancing around the corner he saw one officer dead on the floor and a hooded figure standing there holding a gun. Mike was frozen with fear, he couldn't make his body respond and move. Then the man turned his gaze onto to Mike. The room felt like it had gone icy cold as their eyes met. He was off racing back down the halls to where Alice was.
"Come on we gotta go", he said urgency and panic was very heavy in his voice and Alice noticed this. They ran out of the room and started to head toward the exit, they were a mere few seconds late the strange ghastly figure was already standing in front of the door. They turned around and ran through the halls looking for another exit. To their relief they found one just a short ways through the building. When they finally emerged outside they stood panting, out of breathe. They figured they had to be safe for at least a few minutes. Mike glanced up at Alice, he knew they weren't entirely safe here, they had to get further away. Alice was nearly passing out though, she couldn't make it much further. He grabbed her hand and bolted through the alley making straight for the park in the middle of the city. There was a slight chill in the air as they reached the park. The swings creaked as they swung in the gentle breeze that rustled the leaves on the tree in the center of the park. He stood there shielding her in his arms. The sun just beginning to rise over the horizon, playing with the shadows in the tree, bouncing off the morning dew on the leaves.
"I love you", He said.
"I love you too..."
Suddenly the black rose pierced through the air, they both fell to the ground. Only one heart beat remained...