He handled the rose with savage delicacy as he stood on the stoop, awaiting the maiden’s arrival. The door had been knocked upon and an old woman had answered and now the only step left was to ask. He wore his best suit, having come straight from church, and pulled nervously at the awkward collar. Perspiration stung his darting eyes as he glanced over his surroundings for piercing and perceiving eyes.

She suddenly was standing there in her simple style. Her head cocked a little to the side and her billowy, golden hair draped across her shoulder. She stared at him with an ambiguous, lifeless look and maintained her patience with difficulty.

He fumbled for words and tripped over his tongue. He handed over the rose like it was something bad he’d done. He avoided her gray eyes and their mystic ways as he struggled with his mind over elocution. The whole proposal through she did not move except to delicately place her hand on one hip in a condescending way. He knew before he was done what the answer would be, finishing in silent murmurs. There was no reply only a moment of pious silence. He though that perhaps he had succeeded but soon realized he was badly mistaken. The door received her, as her eyes told him the truth, and then unbelievably snapped shut.

He hung his head in shame and regret and trudged his way down the last few steps. He stood on the sidewalk outside her door for a moment or two, when he heard the window of the second floor room open out to the street. She leaned daintily out with the rose in her hand. She flashed him a smile and his hopes flooded back. She snarled in disgust and threw the rose out, slamming the window with a decisive gust.

Realizing his mistake he picked up the crumpled red rose and started down the road. The day seemed to mock him in its pleasantries of an infinite blue sky and orderly green trees. His life was finite and disordered and now he didn’t know what to live for. His love had been everything and now it was crushed just like his rose. But such are the dangers of proposals and red roses.

Prompt= Picture #15