Let's Play in the Garden (24 page)

She crept out of the car and moved carefully up the road, practically on tiptoe. She saw the house and the white picket fence. She hopped the fence like a thief in the night and snuck over to the side of the house, concealing herself.

Pressed against the wall, she moved around the other side until she discovered the cellar doors. “What luck, they’re still unlocked.” Her eyes lit up. “I just hope he stepped out for a moment. I can get some award-winning pictures.”

She pried open the doors and descended the steps, cloaked in darkness. Below, she could see dim light. Monica took each step at a time, bracing herself against the cold, damp walls until finally reaching the bottom and…

“Jesus Christ…” She muffled a scream. “Merciful God in heaven.” Camera flashes lit up the cellar, and moments later she came racing out, face drained of all color, face damp with sweat.

Already out of breath, she chose to run with all the speed her legs could manage. Her face morphed with a myriad of horrified expressions as she went blindly down the road, until screaming finally spilled out of her.

“My God, my God, my God! I’ve got to tell someone. I’ve got to get to the police. Thank God for the camera, my proof, my evidence.” She reached her car and threw herself into it. Stuffing her hands in her pockets she searched for—

“Keys! Where the hell are my keys?”

She tore back into the road and began searching it for her keys. A faint jingling noise came from above, and as she lifted her head, a fist connected with her jaw.

She tasted blood in her mouth, salty and warm. In a daze, she looked up and saw a figure standing before her. It was the slayer of Henman’s Copse.

The killer threw the keys into the woods and drew its infamous spade.

Monica pulled herself up with the help of her open car door and ran, but it raced after her, death upon its hands, fire in its steps.

She reached the edge of the woods as her skirt tore on stray branches and her jacket caught, the gold brooch sailing into the air as she attempted to jerk it free, but it was too late. It was upon her.

It dragged her into the woods as she tried to scream. A gloved hand locked over her mouth as the spade plunged into her.

The killer returned to her car and searched the inside. Finding the camera, it promptly smashed and crushed it into bits under its feet. It swiped the spade across its tattered flannel shirt, wiping the blood away.

21. Harvest

Merydith stirred under her covers.
I can’t get to sleep tonight. I hate that. I need my sleep or my strength will weaken. C’mon, Mery, go to sleep. S
he twisted and turned in bed, the dark all around her. She turned to face the wall across from the bed, stared out the window at the night sky. The stars reminded her of a giant sparkling blanket.

“Merydith…”

The whisper came out of the darkness. Merydith froze as she recognized the voice. She never thought she’d hear that voice again.

“Merydith…”

It was too much for her to bear. She forced herself to turn around and face the voice as terror crept up her spine.

No! It can’t be…

Aaron stood in the doorway of her room, his arms outstretched. He appeared just as she remembered him, except now there was a bluish tint all around him. An innocent smile beamed on his face and his eyes twinkled.

“Aaron?” she asked finally, a smidgeon of joy in her voice, tears in her eyes. “Aaron, is that really you?”

“It’s me, Mery! It’s me,” he answered.

“How can this be?” she asked without really expecting an answer. She leapt from the bed and into her little brother’s waiting arms. She hugged him tighter than she had ever done in her life. The bluish glow surrounded both of them. “Aaron, what happened? We all thought you were dead. Where have you been?”

“I’m sorry, Mery. I didn’t mean to scare everyone. I was just hiding. I was only playing a game.”

“A game?” Merydith was puzzled. “It couldn’t have been a game for that long, Aaron. How did you survive the winter?”

“I don’t know. I was just warm all the time and never hungry.”

“Aaron how can that be? That’s not possible.”

“Yes, it is, Mery. Just believe. Now, c’mon, Merydith, let’s play in the garden!” Aaron let go of Merydith and ran down the stairs, the bluish glow following all the way down, illuminating the halls and rooms of the house.

“Aaron, wait, Aaron!” Merydith called softly.

“Let’s play in the garden!” his voice called back, sounding faint and diminished.

She left her room and quickly raced downstairs. She barely managed to catch a glimpse of him going out the front door.

She followed him outside. The garden gate was wide open as she approached it, no chains upon it, no boards or great padlocks. Aaron stood in the gateway, beckoning Merydith to follow him. “Aaron, no, wait! Don’t go in the garden. It’s too dangerous.”

Aaron just giggled childishly and waved to her. “Come on, Merydith, come play with me. Let’s have lunch. I’m waiting.”

“Aaron,” she called and ran after him, entering the garden. She was frightened to do so despite having Aaron back and alive.

She stood in the garden again after so long. The plants and fruits were just as they’d been…lush, vibrant and huge.

Aaron stood in the gazebo, waving to Merydith and smiling. There was a chill in the night air as the stars appeared to dance in the sky.

Merydith joined Aaron in the gazebo and hugged him again. He took her hand. “Come, Mery, let’s go. I know a special place in the garden.” He led her down a trail to what looked like a circle of mushrooms and flowers. They stepped inside it.

“What is this, Aaron?” she asked, her eyes staring at the strange mushrooms.

“It’s my burial ring, Mery, where I’ve been waiting.”

“Waiting? Waiting for what?” she asked nervously, her body beginning to quiver.

“Waiting for you!” His face became enraged with hate and his eyes narrowed to slits as a mouthful of jagged teeth appeared beneath his blue lips. “Where have you been? You promised you’d find me! You promised you’d never leave me!”  

His breath was fiery hot and Merydith felt it singe her flesh. Black slime oozed from his cheeks, the palms of his hands, his nostrils. “Do you know how long I’ve been waiting for you? I sat here and rotted, maggots crawling over me, worms burrowing into me, you bitch!”

“Aaron!” Tears streaked her face. “Aaron, no, I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! I-I tried t-to find you. I never stopped. Ever. Don’t do this…” She screamed as she watched Aaron’s horrid transformation from her baby brother to a hideous creature.

She turned to run but Aaron screamed at her.

“No, you don’t!” Aaron shouted. “There is no escape for you! Stop her!”

Bloodied arms shot out of the mushrooms and reached for Merydith, stopping her from leaving the ring. They ripped at her nightgown, her hair, her arms, her flesh.

“Kill her! Kill the bitch!” Aaron screamed.

The arms tore the flesh from her body, blood spurting everywhere as they dragged her to the ground. Wails of agony and terror filled the air as Aaron stood over her and laughed.

“No!” Merydith called as her eyes popped open and she found herself in bed. Her hair and face were drenched, as was her nightgown. She wiped it from her face with both hands as sunlight poured in through her window. It was morning.

She panted like a racehorse before breaking down and crying, deep, heavy sobs. Aaron was indeed gone and she was still living the real-life nightmare right here at home. She threw her covers aside and opened her window, breathing in the fresh air. “Aaron, I’m sorry. I will find you,” she whispered and then went to put some pieces into her puzzle.

###

Morning grew late as the children finished their breakfasts and darted off to Simon, who was tuning up his truck as he waited for them. As they drove off the road and onto Route 109, they heard a crackle as the truck ran over and crushed something. Merydith looked out her window and spotted what looked like a gold brooch.

She couldn’t help but think that her dream had really meant something. That it was not just a guilt-ridden dream but something more. It was trying to tell her something. Whatever it was, the answer was probably in the garden. She knew it was time she tried to get in there, to investigate it thoroughly for herself and see if there were any clues to what had happened to Aaron. Spring was back, no excuses this time, no more failures. She had to get in, time was going to run out, and for this she needed Tobey’s help. She turned to look at him as he stared out the window. He looked so sad. She wondered what he was thinking.

###

On Saturday, Merydith sat in her room, doing some of her make-up homework for school, and at the same time devising a plan to get into the locked garden. After she came up with a way, she would tell Tobey and together they would penetrate the wall.

As she sat at her writing desk, she glanced up at the window and saw a stream of black smoke blowing in the wind. She had not seen that happen since before the winter, and now that spring had returned, the smoke had come with it. So had the nightmares.

She went to her window, opened it, and poked her head all the way out. The smoke caught her in the face and she got a good smell of it.

“God, it stinks!” She coughed, choked, and pulled herself back in. “I know that’s coming from Grandpa Simon’s workshop, but what on earth is it? What’s he doing now?”

###

Down in the kitchen, Marion and Gladys put the finishing touches on Merydith’s cake. Yes, it was her turn. Merydith’s birthday. Now she was seventeen. Reaching womanhood, reaching adulthood. “She’s growing much too fast for her own good. She’s too rebellious, like that other one, but she’s working it out in a different way,” Gladys said.

“I know,” Marion said as she hung some balloons in the corner of the kitchen. “We should have known that the oldest of the three would give us trouble. Especially since she’s a girl. I never expected it so soon, though.”

“I won’t be surprised if she gets so bad that she runs away.”

“It may be just as well—as long as she doesn’t go spreading things in town about the way we are here.”

“Don’t say that, Marion. You know what Simon would do if she ever did. Thank God she knows very little.”

“Does she, Gladys? How much does she know? She won’t say, of course. So how do we know? What if she knows everything?”

“Impossible, Marion. There would be such an uprising that we would have to do something drastic. Something none of us wishes to do.”

“I hope it doesn’t come to that, Gladys. I’d hate to lose another.”

“Well, enough. We can’t worry about eggs that haven’t hatched. Things will work out. They always do. Remember, we have Simon. He’ll keep us all safe. He’ll protect our ways. Now let’s call him up and Tobey. The party is ready.”

Gladys walked over to the chain and pulled it, signaling Simon to come up into the house. Marion waited for Simon to arrive, and then she called Tobey down. He was justly surprised. It was his sister’s birthday and no one had told him. Yet, as they did for her, they picked up a gift from him. After lighting the candles, Marion went to the stairs and called Merydith down into the kitchen.

###

Merydith came out of her room with a feeling of dread inside her. She did not want to go down and see them. She felt they only had the worst in store for her. She entered the kitchen, and the first thing she saw were balloons
. Birthday? About time.

“Surprise! Happy birthday!” they all yelled, including Tobey.

“My daughter, sixteen years old. You’re almost a woman, my dear Merydith,” Marion said.

I am not your daughter, and this is probably not even my real birthday. But I have to admit you did well. This is close, real close, to last year. But not quite right, I’m not a
fool.
Merydith did not exhibit the least amount of surprise but did manage to crack a half smile.

She closed her eyes for a moment and made a wish. She did not have to think long or hard. She knew exactly what it was. Tobey did, too. And the adults probably did as well. She blew out the candles in one quick breath.

The grandparents then handed her their gift. She opened it and it was a black and white polka dot dress with ruffles. Gladys had made it herself. “Thank you, Grandmother, Grandfather.”

Marion gave her gift to Merydith next. Upon opening it, she found a book, a historical romance novel. “I know how you used to love to read. Perhaps this will get you back into it, Merydith.”

“Perhaps. Thank you,” she answered dully. The gift seemed to suggest something cruel. It was like showing Merydith what she would never have—romance. What a slap in the face. That was just how Merydith took it, intentional or not. She would never read it.

Marion also passed her the gift supposedly from Tobey, but Merydith knew better. She opened it and found that it was a jewelry box with a picture of a circus clown on it. Merydith knew that he would never give her a gift like this, since all the jewelry she had she was wearing, the locket and that was it. She would not wear the odd plant pin that Simon had given her at Christmas. Well, she might have a use for the box yet, to lock that symbolic plant pendant away in it forever. Merydith still pondered that Christmas gift.

“Thank you, Tobey,” she said.

“It’s time to cut the cake, birthday girl,” said Simon. She took the knife to cut and looked up, her eyes meeting Simon’s.

###

The time was right. The time was now. It was one of the warmest nights so far, and it was the perfect time to harvest. The garden had finally sprouted the seeds that Simon had waited all year for. Seeds that could only be harvest in the twilight hours, in the darkness.

They looked at the clock. It was two-thirty in the morning, a perfect time to get started. Marion checked on the children and made sure that they were asleep and would remain ignorant of this secret event.

The three stood in the hallway, Simon the leader, then Gladys and Marion. Each of them carried a large wicker basket. Gladys carried a lighted lantern. Lastly, Simon carried their protection, a shotgun. It had never been needed in all the years that they had harvested. This would be the first time.