The Rose

Posted on Wed Oct 7th, 2009 @ 4:36pm by Lieutenant Commander Dylan Blake

582 words; about a 3 minute read

Mission: Shoreleave - Welcoming Old Friends and New
Location: Camrose, Canada, Earth

After six years out in the far reaches of Federation space stepping on solid ground, surrounded by the everyday noises were almost foreign to the ears of Dylan Blake. The once familiar sights and sounds of Camrose had altered since he left the area as a child save for the overwhelming number of roses that still bloomed in the cities park as colour and plentiful as he could remember.

Trailing a finger around the delicate flower of the red rose before him his memory travelled back to his first crush and how he picked Joanne a bouquet and spent an hour licking his bloody fingers from the sharp thorns. It had been worth it though, her face was a picture with her beaming smile and sparkling eyes that made him go weak at the knees.
They were together for a few months before due to some unsteady relationship with her parents she moved down south and their paths had never crossed again.
Dylan however moved on and had allowed several of women and special person into his life since then, mostly for the enjoyment or satisfaction, but occasionally looking for something more substantial.

The fresh air was twanged with a distinct chill that never left the coast of Canada and always reminded Blake of the blanket of snow that covered his home town to the north for weeks on end in the winter months. However cold and picturesque the heavy blanket was it always bought a sense of hope to the residence for it was a clear symbol of shift in seasons, and once the snows began to melt they knew for certain winter had finally given up its grasp to the beating sunshine.
For Dylan however the vision of gushing water made his skin pale and his pulse race, for beneath his charming looks, stubbly chin and solid frame lay a phobia which occasionally stood in his way of his goals a fear of water.
In the centre of the park beyond the flowering roses was a magnificent fountain which he could just hear over the sounds carrying around the area which penetrated his thoughts and compelled him to leave without a second look.

That was the blessing of working with Starfleet, it was very unlikely that he would be faced with a situation where he would be in water. Not impossible but unlikely, still every counsellor he had served with wished to help cure him of is fear as it was clearly documented upon his records but as of yet they had not made any headway.
Ironic really that a human body consists of high percentage of water, an ever higher amount is need to consumed to stay at peak condition yet the substance in its natural state of movement frightened him.

Sitting upon a bench on the outskirts of the park Dylan took sock of his achievements so far. They had been little in regards of his career as an engineer other the rising to the rank of lieutenant junior grade since departing the academy. His next posting is to upon the Archimedes which was due to arrive in dry dock the following day. So until then Dylan was a free man without a constriction or care in the world. The morning sunshine was warm against his back as he watched the population pass him by going about their daily tasks which he could not relate too.
Space must have altered him a little, but had not cured him.

 

RSS Feed