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Xue Yang adjusted his gloves as he entered the quaint little flower shop. He had entered on impulse thinking of his latest toy at home. He glanced around the seemingly empty shop and started to look at the flowers. He wasn’t sure what he was looking for until he spotted a white chrysanthemum. He recalled seeing this flower often at funerals. A small smile spread across his face as he approached the flowers. He reached toward the arrangement, when he heard a noise behind him. Startled because he thought he was alone he whipped around his hand instinctively reaching for the small switchblade in his pocket.
He came face to face with a taller man who had the most gorgeous eyes that Xue Yang had ever seen. ‘He wondered if they’d be more beautiful full of pain’
“Hello. My name is Xiao Xingcheng, may i help you find something.”
Xue Yang felt a smile curl across his face much like a striped cat who just found a new toy. His next game had just begun.
Some days It's hard to see If I was a fool Or you a thief
Made it through the maze To find my one in a million
Xiao Xingcheng smiled as he heard the bell ring on the front door. He turned and looked as Xue Yang walked in. He was happy to see the young man. It had been three months since they first met. Xue Yang had gotten flowers for a funeral that first time, it was obvious that the young man was still grieving whoever he had lost seeing how unhinged Xue Yang acted on occasion.
Every friday when Xiao Xingcheng receives his shipment of fresh flowers Xue Yang comes by to learn their meanings and practice arrangements to settle his mind while getting closer to Xiao Xingcheng. He usually ends up taking some of the older flowers home with him. Xiao Xicheng began making arrangements that made him think of Xu Yang.
And now you're just a page torn from the story I'm building
And all I gave you is gone Tumble like it was stone
Xue Yang was excited as he rode in the van toward the gated community. Xiao Xingcheng drove the van to his house. He could tell that Xue Yang was excited the young man was practically vibrating in his seat. They pulled through the neighborhood gate and then up to the house on the edge of the cul de sac it was a large traditional built house. It stood out amongst the multistory more modern style homes. There was only one other traditionally built house a few blocks down that Xue Yang had seen on their way in.
Xiao Xingcheng parked his van in front of the home before hoping out and waiting for Xue Yang. He was fiddling with a rock when he felt something sharp poking him in the back. He froze and relaxed as he turned to face Xue Yang accusatory. The other man laughed and held up a sick that was sharp but otherwise harmless.
“Made you look.” Xue Yang said sticking a tongue out and winking in an innocently mischievous manner.
Xiao Xingcheng smiled and turned undoing the lock on his front gate and they entered.
The first thing Xue Yang noticed about the house was the yard filled with four miniature green houses. Simple frames covered in a greenhouse mirroring plastic. They were filled with what looked like flowers.
There was a small sliver of glass roof peaking over the roof of the house that was evidence of another larger greenhouse some place in the back.
“You really like flowers don’t you?” Xue Yang asked, smiling at Xiao Xingcheng.
The smile he got in return made those eyes light up to an even more tempting target.
Xiao Xingcheng knew he was a coward as he made the rosemary and thyme chicken for dinner. He knew that Xue Yang wouldn’t understand. But still to get the feelings off his chest in a way was a relief to him. He glanced over to the gladiolus he had pulled out of his personal garden in preparation to give to Xue Yang today. He watched the young man smell the flower looking pleased.
Thought we built a dynasty that heaven couldn't shake
Thought we built a dynasty, like nothing ever made
Thought we built a dynasty forever couldn't break up
(And all I gave you is gone)
Xiao Xingcheng wondered what he had done to cause this to happen. He watched tied to the chair as a strange man with dimples smiled at him.
“You changed him. I can’t have that.” He used an eye dropper to play with the strange liquid in a bottle.
“I won't kill you.”
Reaching toward him the stranger grabbed Xiao Xingcheng’s hair pulling his head back. ”Now i need you to keep looking at the pretty flowers. I want you to know if you hadn’t gotten close to Xue Yang I wouldn't have to punish you!” quickly tightening Xiao Xincheng’s hair around one of the chair legs forcing him to arch his neck back and squint his eyes at the pain a hand reached into his narrowed field of vision and prys one of his eyelids open. “This is going to hurt quiet badly so make sure you scream loud for me” A single drop of what could only be acid falls gently into Xiao Xingcheng’s eye his world immediately exploded into pain the last thing he is able to see before his vision goes forever dark is a purple hyacinth that he had pulled out at this strange man's request.
The scar I can't reverse When the more it heals, the worse it hurts
Gave you every piece of me
No wonder it's missin'
Xue Yang entered the hospital room with a flower arrangement he made himself. It had flowers of sympathy and wellness.
“Xiao Xingcheng.” Xue Yang’s voice was unusually soft.
Something inside of Xiao Xingcheng broke at the sound of his friend's voice.
“Just go.”
Don't know how to be so close to someone so distant
Xue Yang came by every day. A new bouquet of flowers every day. Even though Xiao Xingcheng didn’t speak to him. He came by every day. He sat in the room and chattered about anything and everything. The way that the attacker was still on the run and how Xue Yang was determined to find the killer.
The topics got darker as the days went on. To graphic one sided conversations on what Xue Yang would do to the man who had attacked and subsequently blinded Xiao Xingcheng. Threats of dismemberment and disembowelment.
And all I gave you is gone Tumble like it was stone
It was almost two weeks into the hospital stay that Xiao Xingcheng said anything to Xue Yang.
It was an explosion of emotions that rang through him. It was when Xue Yang presented him with his arrangement of flowers for the day. Something about the scent triggered him into his fit.
“It was because of you!” He threw his pillow at Xue Yang hitting the wall near him not being able to see where the other man was. “He said it was because I got close to you!”
There was a strange silence in the room after Xiao Xingcheng’s out burst.
“He?” came the quiet reply from Xue Yang. Followed by foot steps as he left the room.
“Xue Yang? Xue Chengmei!” Xiao Xingcheng cried out but there was only the ringing silence in the hospital room.
Thought we built a dynasty that heaven couldn't shake
Thought we built a dynasty, like nothing ever made
Thought we built a dynasty forever couldn't break up.
Meng Yao. That was the name of his attacker. He had been found with his confession tapped to his chest dismembered and disemboweled in the flower shop. He was surrounded by Red Dahlias and white Crysthanamum.
Xue Yang was suspect.
It all fell
It all fell
It all fell down
It all fell down
It all fell down
It all fell down
And all I gave you is gone
And all I gave you is gone
Xiao Xingcheng was told he was not viable for a cornea transplant. Xue Yang still hasn’t shown up to the hospital since the death of Meng Yao. Police were stationed at his hospital door. He was just staring into the unending darkness. That was his visual world now. Despite the pain killers and other medications to keep him calm and stable. He could still feel the pain of the acid hitting his eyes. And the last image of the purple hyacinth burned in his mind's eye.
His eyes constantly watered from the irritation in his eyes and the numbing drops that were added left the gauze in place so as to absorb the excess moisture. As his shoulder shook the tears couldn’t be absorbed and left streaks of bloody tears down his cheeks.
Tumble like it was stone
Thought we built a dynasty that heaven couldn't shake
Thought we built a dynasty, like nothing ever made
Thought we built a dynasty forever couldn't break up
Xiao Xingcheng awoke to a strange smell and presence in the room. He turned his head trying to look around. But only darkness greeted him as such was his world now. He heard a noise behind him. Before he could turn toward it a hand was placed on the small of his back.
“Don’t look.” It was Xue Yang. But not quite as he ever heard him before.
“I’ve done many bad things…” the voice whispered in the darkness. Soft and vulnerable.
“I thought I thought I would play with you at first.”
It all fell
It all fell down
Xue Yang remembered the first time he just watched Xiao Xingcheng. It was one of the days he was at the flower shop. This time was no different than any other time he was there. Xiao Xingcheng was going on about the meaning of flowers. But Xue Yang just didn’t understand it was strange. For some reason this time he just watched Xiao Xingcheng and felt peace? No urge to harm, no overwhelming anxiety and self hatred. Just silence peace, content, calm. It was so strange. And just as quickly it disappeared.
It all fell down ehhh
It all fell down
“You are my peace.” Xue Yang said as he placed his forehead against Xiao Xingcheng’s back. He felt tears falling down his cheeks. Tears of guilt, tears of sorrow, tears of anger, grief, joy, loss, and anger. Tears for every one he suppressed. Xue Yang cried so silently that he was sure that only Xiao Xingcheng could hear him.
“Xue Chengmei…” was all Xiao Xingcheng got out before he felt something sharp and stinging slice through his neck. He heard the sounds of his hospital monitor machines let out loud beeping. As he felt himself lose consciousness he heard a gunshot ring throughout the small hospital room.
It all fell down
It all fell down