A Tragic Bloom

During a time of old, arranged marriages were considered to be a grand gesture, thought up by the parents of children with excellent mannerisms, behavior, and overall high status. It was also a plus if both individuals were beautiful. So naturally, parents tried to pair their children who they believed were perfect for each other. Usually this meant that anything not working towards that goal was seen as time-consuming and a hindrance to their growth. Likewise, it also meant their children had no say in who they were told to marry, even if they themselves didn't get along. That was the case for Rachel Flint, and Jackson Park. They were both popular in their youth. Rachel, was a ginger-haired young lady with freckles on her cheeks, blue pearly eyes, wearing an emerald green dress that stops above the knees. She was exceptional in looks, her parents thought, so they wanted her to get together with someone just as impressive. That's where Jackson Park came into this. He was a charming young man with pale blue wavy hair, deep sea green eyes, dressed in a poppyseed sweater vest, with sandy slacks. Jackson was always taught that he was a gentleman that should aspire to make a lady the happiest in her life. He was taught to aspire to never make a girl cry.

It wasn't long before their parents pushed for them to get married shortly after college. Rachel wanted a grand ceremony, and wanted all her friends and family members to be there for it. Jackson complied to make Rachel happy, as that was what he was raised to solely want in his life: to make the woman of his dreams happiness a reality. Jackson's father was the owner and CEO of a successful company who wanted to pass it down to his son after the wedding. With such advantages in life, the two started off well financially, able to take care of anything they needed. Jackson bought a big house, as Rachel wanted the space to experiment with different activities, such as: having a room for painting, another for yoga, and one to practice sculpture making. Jackson didn't mind her reasoning too much so their home was as big as a mansion. It wasn't long after they got settled, their parents wanted grandchildren, and Rachel wanted servants to help tend to their needs.

Jackson was anxious about the idea, but to make his parents and Rachel happy he did what was needed. Together they had two beautiful children, a boy and a girl. Jackson, being a hard worker, couldn't stay home as often as he had liked to, but figured since Rachel would be there, it wouldn't be so bad. Jackson, however, learned from the servants, that soon after he returned to work Rachel went out for parties, and had guests over that he knew nothing about. She acted as wild as when they were in their youth, making him wonder if she was at all spending time with their children. So when he had a day off Jackson tried talking to Rachel about his concerns. He didn't want their children feeling neglected by their parents and asked Rachel to spend less time out of the house unless she was taking the children with her on an outing. Rachel shrugged off his request, giving a halfhearted response about how she would get more involved in their lives. Jackson, still concerned, asked the children's nanny to keep an eye on Rachel when she could, and the middle aged woman agreed. One day, while running the company, Jackson had put his duties to the side when he heard that his son had gotten into an accident that resulted in a broken leg.

He grilled the servants for information, feeling distraught by the news. He learned that Rachel took both the children out to the park that same day to have some time together. While confronting her, Rachel told him that she only took her eyes off of them for a minute, and Dan, their son, fell from the slide. With so many children climbing up and crowding the small space, Dan tripped and fell. His sister, Susie tried to warn him about being careful, but it was too late. For Jackson, this was the last straw with Rachel. Due to her lack of awareness towards her children Jackson felt the need to take action. He was tired of trying to comply with Rachal's demands, and his parents' demands. He only wanted now for his children to be safe and taken care of. And Rachel was a liability to that.

Understanding that no matter what he might say or do to reason with her, Rachal didn't feel any sort of responsibility. She just did whatever gave her a good image and made her look better than she was. But putting their children at risk was her last mistake, Jackson told himself. He took a few days off work and even made reservations for a weekend trip with Rachel to a secluded cabin on top of Mount CoJo. He told Rachel he wanted to go there for a small get away, appealing to her irresponsible desires to persuade her. Easily swayed by the idea of a get–away with Jackson, Rachel agreed and they packed for a few days. Jackson told the servants to look after things while they were gone. He told the children they would be back as quickly as they could to enjoy some real time together. With that, Rachel and Jackson were off.

When they arrived, Rachel commented that the place was empty despite how clean and tidy it was inside. Jackson told her it was empty because he wanted the trip to be all about her and her alone. He would give her his full attention. Rachel loved the refreshing gesture of Jackson thinking of her as she headed to their shared room to put her things away. Jackson set his bag down on the table as he checked the contents inside: a set of keys, a rope, a black phone, blindfolds, a tape recorder, spare clothes, a pair of white gloves, and a mask. He was certain he had everything and closed the bag up again. That night he cooked for Rachel her favorite dish: chicken Alfredo with broccoli and corn. They enjoyed the quiet peacefulness that came with being child-free for a few days, while drinking wine and reminiscing over their past together. The next day they went out sightseeing, and Jackson saw there was a river nearby where he could hide the evidence of everything to come. Later that same day, Jackson went out to get firewood since they were on a mountain and up there the air was denser and colder too.

While he was out, Rachel made dinner that night and prepared a simple steak and gravy meal for them. While she was detracted, Jackson had changed into the spare clothes he had brought with him, putting on the gloves and mask to disguise himself. He also took a knife that he had hidden the previous day. With everything at the ready, Jackson took one of the keys off the set and used it to enter into the cabin quietly. Since it was dark outside, Rachel had placed a lamp out front which gave Jackson some light to see the keyhole. Opening the door carefully, he steps inside, his muddy boots tracking dirt with every step he takes. He knew where the kitchen was and made his way there, so when hearing footsteps Rachel expected Jackson and went to greet him, but was instead met with a stranger dressed in a gray sweatshirt, and gray sweatpants with white gloves and a white mask covering his face with the exception of his eyes. Rachel screamed in fear, backed away from him. She reached for the nearby knives, but was quickly tackled to the ground as Jackson wrapped his hands around her throat, squeezing. Rachel kicked and tried prying his hands off, weakly calling out for Jackson. Playing it off as a different person, Jackson only shakes his head.

"Your lover can't help you now," he told her, trying to suppress his desire to stop.

At that time, Rachel passed out feeling too weak, and Jackson gets up quickly to turn the stove off and set everything up to appear as if she's been taken somewhere else. He removes the bed out of the room they were sleeping in, as well as the dressers, before tying Rachel to a chair and leaving her in the empty room. He used the wood he collected for firewood to board up the windows so Rachel couldn't see outside. Feeling a dreading sense that she may have been kidnapped, he figured would work in his favor. He placed the blindfolds on her, and set the recorder he had outside the hall on their dresser. He set the knife down on the floor and sat in a chair opposite of her. When she awakened, Rachel breathed shakily as she tried to get a look around her surroundings, but found that she had blindfolds on and was restrained. She called out Jackson's name again loudly, but was mocked by Jackson himself.

"Jackson, Jackson!" he exclaimed. "What is he, your butler?"

"Wh-who are you?" Rachel asked fearfully. "What do you want from me?!"

"Just for you to see your mistakes," he said, standing up as he took the knife off the floor. "It's people like you that make living a good, honest life harder for the rest of us."

"I don't even know you!" Rachel cries softly as she shook her head, trembling. "Please, Jackson if you can-

"Rach-Rachel, where are you? I can't see anything!" Jackson's tape-recorded voice can be heard, sounding as if he was in the next room over.

He sounded scared and anxious and Rachel felt her heart sink even further, thinking that Jackson had captured as well.

"Jackson you have to do something. There's a killer here!" She shouted desperately, her voice trembling.

"Rachel? Rachel, please answer me!" Jackson strained his recorded voice, and sounded like he couldn't hear Rachel, adding to her despair.

"Unfortunately, it looks like he can't hear you," Jackson, being the man before her in disguise, said. "Now then, are you ready to pay?"

He was raising the knife to make her death quick, when Rachel called out to him again.

"Please, please wait! I.. I'm rich! My family is loaded! Just spare me and I'll pay you back in cash!" Rachel pleads as she speaks sincerely from her heart. She had truly intended to pay him handsomely.

"And your husband?" He asked as he placed the knife against her throat gently.

"P..please let him go," she pleaded. "I don't want him to die. And not only that..we have two beautiful children whom we love very dearly. It would break their hearts if I told them he was dead."

Feeling moved by her words he sighs, lowering the knife. He was hesitant. He couldn't pull this off and if her words were true about how she truly felt, he could not kill her. Thinking it over he decided to give her a second chance.

"Alright, let me think it over," he told her as he turned to leave, closing the door behind him.

Resting his back against the door he shakes his head feeling foolish for questioning his wife's devotion and love for their life and family. That's when he overheard her through the door.

"Tsk, this guy must be a complete novice to buy into that crap," she spoke with surprise and utter annoyance in her situation. "As soon as I'm out, me and Jack are through. Clearly he doesn't know how to care for a woman with needs or how to protect one. And it was his stupid idea too that we ended up like this. I ought to sue him."

Rachel's grumbling can be heard muffled slightly by the door, but Jack can clearly tell by the disdain in her voice that they were over with. She might've intended for him to not be killed, but she wouldn't at all change her ways. Jack felt shattered as he cried, opening the door. Rachel is confused and tries to play it off to his weakened state.

"M..Mr have you thought about it?" She queried.

"W..why.. why can't you understand me?" Jack choke out as he continues to cry.

"I.. I'm sorry I don't know you," Rachel shook her head, getting an uneasy feeling as he drew closer.

"I gave you everything.. everything that could make you happy, satisfied, feel complete! Yet you still aren't happy, satisfied or even content at all!"

"N-No wait, you have the wrong idea!" Rachel shakes now afraid as Jackson sobs hugging his wife closely.

"You'll never be content," he murmured.

He sobs into her hair as he loves the way it smells of fresh brew honeysuckle. Taking the knife he had, he impales her. Rachel is shocked by him stabbing the knife into her and starts to panic. Blood leaks from the open wound as Rachel struggled more and more, causing the blade to dig deeper as she screamed out. Jackson is too distracted to notice her anguish as she flailed less and less. Soon her voice is but a whisper as she pleads for him to let her go. In her last few moments she calls Jackson, and the children's names praying that they would be able to smile without her. When hearing her faint voice, Jackson is brought back to his senses as Rachel's eyes close and her body is numb. He calls her name, but Rachel doesn't reply. It was then he realized it was too late and that despite her selfishness and only wanting more of everything, she truly did care for her family to the bitter end.

He sobbed holding Rachel's corpse in arms. He believed he failed her as a husband unable to truly love her and help her as he should've. The next day Jackson threw all and any evidence he had on himself into the river nearby, leaving only the black phone that was used for tracing calls on the floor as well as the murder weapon. Since he wore gloves, he didn't get any blood on himself and buried his bloody clothes. With that, he took the rest of the few days to climb down the mountain, call the police to make the claim that his wife was kidnapped by some stranger up on Mount CoJo and that he hasn't been able to get in touch with her or the killer. The police investigated and found the body and cell phone. They then told Jackson the terrible news, and assured that they were looking everywhere for the killer. Jackson thanked them and along with his family, prepared for a funeral where he would say his final good-bye, and vowed to make her final wish come true.

The End.