“The Dheickra Rose”

Author’s Note: This is a Take Ten to Write story and has not been proofread for errors. If I feel inspired or if there’s interest in the story, I’ll post a revised, edited, and extended version at a later date. Happy reading!

Prompt: “Writing, to me, is simply thinking through my fingers.” — Isaac Asimov

I watch the words appear as I run my finger along the parchment. My thoughts flow easily; it turns out that I have no shortage of thoughts this evening. After all, I had just witnessed the event of a lifetime: the blooming of the Dheickra Rose.

I’d only ever read tales of this once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon, of the beauty and wonder that it inspired.

I must say, it was rather different than what I had expected.

Since the Dheickra Rose only blooms once every five hundred years, it has become something of a myth. I regret to inform you now that the beauty and mystery of the Rose have been grossly overexaggerated.

To put it simply, the Rose was quite the opposite of a beauty. The undersides of its petals were a dark brown, and I hoped that it would soon reveal a much more enticing colour within. Alas, I was disappointed, as I watched the petals slowly unfurl to reveal a putrid greenish-grey. It looked as if the flower had given up on itself and had released its innards onto itself.

But its appearance was the least worrisome. As soon as the Rose revealed its full glory, I was struck by the most horrific scent. In fact, I would go so far as to say that it smelled worse than a Giant Elethron’s paddock during the spring thaw.

Still, I forced myself to endure the stench so that I may take thorough notes of the event.

Needless to say, as I am writing my notes now, that I was not able to withstand the scent for long. In the end, I took one final look at the terribly disappointing flower and ran as fast as I could.

Let this account serve as a warning for any future explorers who hear of the mysterious Dheickra Rose: Do not waste your time, nor your hopes.

Final Comments: I wasn’t originally planning for there to be such a drastic shift in narration style.

Overall Rating: 🤨