the blood as it poured out of her body, taking her life with it.
Then it began again: Briar found herself on her feet, unharmed. The boy was talking to her like before and then from behind her came the sound of the engine.
‘No!’ she screamed as the car ploughed towards her. She tried to move out of the way, but it made no difference. Down she went, and then she was up again, standing helpless, like a
virgin sacrifice to an insatiable god.
Over and over she died, each time becoming weaker, more eager to give into the pain and let go. She heard the car again, turned to see the lights. How many times had this happened now? Five,
ten, a hundred?
Deep down Briar knew this would be the last time. She couldn’t take it any more. She should just give up and end the agony.
Ya have to fight it, girl.
‘Lily?’ she called out. ‘Help me!’
But the old woman wasn’t here.
Fury filled her that someone was trying to kill her just because she was Briar Rose.
‘I’m not giving in!’ she shouted. ‘I will never give in!’
As the car moved closer, with crossed fingers and a whispered prayer, she closed her eyes and walked directly towards her fate.
‘She’s not breathing,’ Mr Rose said. ‘Oh God, she’s gone.’
‘Hush now,’ Lily commanded. ‘She’s still out there, but she has to do this herself.’
Reena touched her friend’s hair. ‘Come on, Briar,’ she urged. ‘You can do it.’
‘Baby, don’t give in,’ her mother whispered, caressing her daughter’s cheek.
Lily placed an aged hand over Briar’s chest. ‘Ya have to fight it, girl. Yer a Rose – show some backbone. If ya give in, the darkness wins. Now get to it!’ she
ordered.
With that, Briar took a deep, shuddering breath that shook the bed. Her eyes flew open for a second, and closed again. The next breath was softer, as was the one after that as she fell into an
easy rhythm, a deep sleep, her face no longer contorted in agony.
‘Hallelujah,’ Lily said, smiling. ‘Lord a’ mercy, it worked.’
‘All right! Go, Briar!’ Reena said, pumping a fist towards the ceiling.
‘She’s OK?’ Mrs Rose began, her voice quivering. ‘She’ll wake up soon?’
Lily’s smile dimmed. ‘That all depends on her. She’s somewhere between this world and what lies beyond.’
‘I’m not understanding this. I thought she was supposed to die,’ Mr Rose said, his voice hoarse as he wiped away tears with a shaky hand. ‘And now she’s . .
.’
‘She shoulda died, but I’d hoped Briar might be strong enough to change the curse a bit. She’s done that. She’s sleepin’ for now.’
‘Just like Sleeping Beauty. But for how long?’ Reena asked, her joy fading.
‘I have no notion,’ Lily replied. ‘Ten years, a hundred? Maybe she’ll wake up, maybe she won’t. That’s the way of it.’
Reena hadn’t expected a miracle, but the thought of her friend shrivelling up, day by day, all sad and withered, wasn’t one she could face. ‘So that’s it? She sleeps . .
. forever?’
Her great-gran’s eyes bored into hers. ‘I told ya it wasn’t no simple curse. It’s grown over the years, twisted itself. Be thankful she has a chance.’
‘But—’
‘I’m not God, girl. I can’t fix everythin’.’ Lily hesitated. ‘None of us can. Ya’ll learn that soon enough when yer doin’ yer own
rootwork.’
‘But if we can’t help Briar, what’s the point of doing any of this?’
‘Because you’ve given her a chance. That’s more than she had before,’ Briar’s mother murmured as she smoothed a strand of hair off her daughter’s face.
Lily gazed down at the sleeping girl. ‘The curse still has power over her and it can kill her if she isn’t strong enough. Y’all have to prepare yerselves for that.’
Mrs Rose’s eyes met Reena’s, filled with both raw fear and desperate hope.
‘No, she’s strong inside,’ her mom said. ‘Briar will come back to us. I can feel it.’
‘From yer lips to the
Then it began again: Briar found herself on her feet, unharmed. The boy was talking to her like before and then from behind her came the sound of the engine.
‘No!’ she screamed as the car ploughed towards her. She tried to move out of the way, but it made no difference. Down she went, and then she was up again, standing helpless, like a
virgin sacrifice to an insatiable god.
Over and over she died, each time becoming weaker, more eager to give into the pain and let go. She heard the car again, turned to see the lights. How many times had this happened now? Five,
ten, a hundred?
Deep down Briar knew this would be the last time. She couldn’t take it any more. She should just give up and end the agony.
Ya have to fight it, girl.
‘Lily?’ she called out. ‘Help me!’
But the old woman wasn’t here.
Fury filled her that someone was trying to kill her just because she was Briar Rose.
‘I’m not giving in!’ she shouted. ‘I will never give in!’
As the car moved closer, with crossed fingers and a whispered prayer, she closed her eyes and walked directly towards her fate.
‘She’s not breathing,’ Mr Rose said. ‘Oh God, she’s gone.’
‘Hush now,’ Lily commanded. ‘She’s still out there, but she has to do this herself.’
Reena touched her friend’s hair. ‘Come on, Briar,’ she urged. ‘You can do it.’
‘Baby, don’t give in,’ her mother whispered, caressing her daughter’s cheek.
Lily placed an aged hand over Briar’s chest. ‘Ya have to fight it, girl. Yer a Rose – show some backbone. If ya give in, the darkness wins. Now get to it!’ she
ordered.
With that, Briar took a deep, shuddering breath that shook the bed. Her eyes flew open for a second, and closed again. The next breath was softer, as was the one after that as she fell into an
easy rhythm, a deep sleep, her face no longer contorted in agony.
‘Hallelujah,’ Lily said, smiling. ‘Lord a’ mercy, it worked.’
‘All right! Go, Briar!’ Reena said, pumping a fist towards the ceiling.
‘She’s OK?’ Mrs Rose began, her voice quivering. ‘She’ll wake up soon?’
Lily’s smile dimmed. ‘That all depends on her. She’s somewhere between this world and what lies beyond.’
‘I’m not understanding this. I thought she was supposed to die,’ Mr Rose said, his voice hoarse as he wiped away tears with a shaky hand. ‘And now she’s . .
.’
‘She shoulda died, but I’d hoped Briar might be strong enough to change the curse a bit. She’s done that. She’s sleepin’ for now.’
‘Just like Sleeping Beauty. But for how long?’ Reena asked, her joy fading.
‘I have no notion,’ Lily replied. ‘Ten years, a hundred? Maybe she’ll wake up, maybe she won’t. That’s the way of it.’
Reena hadn’t expected a miracle, but the thought of her friend shrivelling up, day by day, all sad and withered, wasn’t one she could face. ‘So that’s it? She sleeps . .
. forever?’
Her great-gran’s eyes bored into hers. ‘I told ya it wasn’t no simple curse. It’s grown over the years, twisted itself. Be thankful she has a chance.’
‘But—’
‘I’m not God, girl. I can’t fix everythin’.’ Lily hesitated. ‘None of us can. Ya’ll learn that soon enough when yer doin’ yer own
rootwork.’
‘But if we can’t help Briar, what’s the point of doing any of this?’
‘Because you’ve given her a chance. That’s more than she had before,’ Briar’s mother murmured as she smoothed a strand of hair off her daughter’s face.
Lily gazed down at the sleeping girl. ‘The curse still has power over her and it can kill her if she isn’t strong enough. Y’all have to prepare yerselves for that.’
Mrs Rose’s eyes met Reena’s, filled with both raw fear and desperate hope.
‘No, she’s strong inside,’ her mom said. ‘Briar will come back to us. I can feel it.’
‘From yer lips to the
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