Let's Play in the Garden (26 page)

Their eyes went wide again after all this time. The garden’s awe had not lost its power over them.

“It’s been a long time hasn’t it?” she said. “We’ve been away from here for so long, Tobey, but it’s as if nothing has changed. Look at it.”

“It is magical, Mery, but it scares me.”

“Me too. Don’t let it fool you. It’s horrible and evil. Let’s start looking around. We might just find something. This place hides many things, I’m sure. If we look around long enough we should find something. I can just feel it. Let’s split up and start searching. Maybe the answer to Aaron’s disappearance can be found somewhere.”

They moved down different trails. Tobey walked, looking into the wells and searching monstrous bushes and trees. Nothing out of the ordinary was about, though a cold sensation suddenly crawled up his back, and he was having trouble shaking it.

Merydith walked down a trail as fruit trees loomed all around her. Pears, apples peaches and nectarines glistened and smelled delicious. She tried to ignore the sensations and followed her path.

She felt as if she were being watched. That old feeling from before returned. She thought of the thing that lived in here, the thing she had heard. She saw the snake in her mind’s eye; she could see its serpent eyes and her death in them.

“Merydith…ha-ha…”

A voice called to her and a playful giggle followed. She froze where she stood, staring at the birdbath to her left.

“Who’s there?” she asked, but there was no reply. “Tobey, is that you?”

“Merydith…Merydith…ha-ha-ha…”

“No, I won’t be tricked again. It’s not Aaron,” she repeated to herself. “It’s not Aaron.”

She watched as the birdbath filled with blood. Her mouth gaped, her eyes bugged out, and she watched as the blood flowed out of the birdbath and rose into a geyser that sprayed into the air.

“Tobey!” Merydith screamed. “Tobey! Help me! Come…hurry!”

She shook her head and covered her eyes. She muffled a scream behind her lips so as not to attract attention and waited for her brother to rescue her once again. Strong hands took hold of her shoulders and shook her hard.

“Mery!” Tobey yelled at her. “Mery, I’m here. What is it? Open your eyes.”

She uncovered her eyes and she saw the birdbath filled with water again.

“Tobey I saw it…I heard it. It was Aaron’s voice and blood started spraying out of the birdbath and…Oh, Tobey, I know I saw it. I did. I’m not crazy.”

“I know, Mery, I know, but it’s gone now. It’s just the damn garden doing it to you. Nothing more. Come, let’s go on.”

“Wait.” Merydith turned to look at the pear tree across the trail from them. “I want to do something I’ve always wanted to do. We came here to learn and find things out, right? Well, I’m going to pick a fruit off that tree.” There was defiance in her voice. It burned in her eyes. Suddenly, Tobey was very afraid. “I’m going to find out why we can’t pick the fruit and vegetables here.”

Tobey watched, dumbstruck with fear, as she walked slowly up to the tree and eased her hand around one of the fruits. Merydith took firm hold of the pear, and with all of her strength, ripped it from its branch.

The entire garden screamed…

All of it, every leaf, every branch, every flower, every petal, every seed, every root, every tree, every plant wailed in torment. The garden shook violently and called with ear-piercing shrieks.

Merydith dropped the pear and backed away from the tree, terror crawling all over her. In the distance, even the beast roared with hideous pain.

The children grabbed each other and took flight, covering their ears as they ran, unable to withstand anymore. Their eyes filled with tears. High-pitched shrieks continued as every living plant cried out for vengeance.

The adults heard the hideous screams and knew exactly what had happened. They raced into the garden with all of hell’s speed. Upon entering, they discovered, to their ultimate horror, everything shaking and writhing in agonizing pain.

Simon screamed with rage, “No! Who has done this? Who would dare?”

They ran down the path where the most intense screaming originated. There they met the horrified faces of Tobey and Merydith, hovering together and holding one another.

“My God, what have you done? You wicked children, you have deliberately tried to destroy the most beautiful thing in this world!” Simon screamed, his face red, the veins on his neck throbbing. Marion and Gladys stood mute with horror and fear. They could only imagine what Simon’s wrath would be.

Simon bent down and gently picked up the pear Merydith had picked. Tears streamed down his cheeks. The garden continued to moan. As he cradled the pear in his hands, it turned brown and shriveled into dust before his eyes. The remains blew away.

Simon looked at the garden, the trees, the plants. “Easy, my beauty, easy. It’s all right now. I’m here. They did not understand. I know a part of you has died, but I know they are sorry for what they’ve done. They did not understand.”

The moaning quieted and the shaking began to settle. Gladys and Marion gently stroked the pear tree as if it were a weeping child.

“Who has done this?” Simon turned, his eyes on Merydith, something sinister flaring in them, something cold and without emotion.

Merydith swallowed, stood up straight, and defiantly stepped in front of Simon. “I did it!” she spat. “You’ve kept this place’s secrets from us for too long. We demanded to know!”

“You demand nothing!” His hand lashed out across her face with such force it sent her reeling to the ground. A red welt burned on the side of her face. She lay in a momentary daze but did not cry. She simply wiped her face and got back up, hatred in her eyes.

Tobey rushed toward Simon in a frenzy. “Don’t you ever hit my sister!” he cried. He curled both hands into fists and attempted to attack his grandfather. Simon just sidestepped him and sent him into Marion’s strong arms, where she restrained him.

“You two were forbidden to ever enter the garden for your own safety. The very first and most sacred rule was to never pick anything from the garden. That was for the garden’s safety, you selfish children. Can’t you see and hear what you’ve done? This is not just any garden. It’s alive, all of it, a collective, one living entity. An entity that has provided everything to us…and you. You have defiled it. Now that pear tree may die and upset the entire balance of the garden. Why have you done this to us?”

“Why have we done this to you?” Merydith replied. The anger inside her burned deep. “It’s this garden you praise that took Aaron from us. This garden has caused me and Tobey all our grief. We know much more than you think. We know that you’re not our family. You’re not related to us. Damn it, we don’t even know who we are. Our lives have been a lie. You’re all deceivers and captors. You hold us prisoner here and command us to obey all your strange rules and ways. Tobey and I want no part of it. We will not serve you or this garden, and we demand to know who we really are!”

“All right.” Simon turned and glanced at Gladys and Marion. “It’s time anyway. We’ll tell you who you really are. The time draws near for the awakening. It should have been upon you already. You should have been feeling it.” He looked around the garden and then at the sky. Simon drew in his breath, released it, and then looked down at the children. “Merydith, Tobey, come to the house.” He turned to their mother. “Marion, you will explain to your children who they are. We knew this day would come. They’ll find out eventually anyway.”

There was a sudden eerie silence as they all turned from the garden and left. Simon sealed the gate up behind them. Merydith said nothing as Tobey joined her in her excited and fearful silence. What she’d so long been waiting for was about to be revealed, but suddenly she was having second thoughts. The truth for the first time would be the most frightening thing in her life. Tobey shared her fear as they were escorted back to the house like criminals, the adults keeping keen watch over them.

They all stood in the living room. Merydith shook with anticipation. Tobey left his mother’s side and went to Merydith. They all stood for a moment, in silence, staring at one another. Marion stood in front of the children. Behind her, Gladys and Simon waited. Marion turned and looked at Simon. “Simon?” she said softly.

“It’s all right, Marion, go on,” he answered firmly.

“Yes, Mother, go on!” Merydith cried out, some of her anger still surging. “Tell us. I know we were never given birth to.” She pulled up her shirt. “No belly button, no umbilical cord. Neither of us have one, and neither do you.”

“You are right, Merydith,” Marion answered, clearly nervous. “Such a smart child. Simon, as you know, created the garden, down in his workshop. A miracle. Well, he also created something else. Me. He created me. I’m what science would call a hybrid, an experiment. I’m half human and half plant. Simon took a part of his own human cells and DNA and combined them with plant cells and plant DNA. With certain compounds, elements, chemicals and some surgery, I was born to him as a babe. The first half human, half plant female in the world.”

Marion caught her breath and went on. The children stood in shock, their mouths agape, eyes wide with disbelief. “He did not stop there. You, Tobey and Aaron are also his creations. You were never given natural birth to. You’re all hybrids—part human and part plant. Your blood runs with chlorophyll. You were fashioned in the workshop and brought out of it as infants. You are brilliant, miraculous and rebellious creations.”

“I don’t believe you,” Merydith muttered. Horror collided with rage and hatred. Disgust twisted her face as her eyes narrowed. She looked upon her creator and then back to her so-called mother. “I don’t believe you!” she screamed. “You’re lying again! You’re all nothing but deceivers trying to trick us.” She turned to her brother. “Tobey, do not believe them!”

“Mery, I don’t know what to believe…help me!” Tobey froze, tears filling his eyes.

“Tobey, don’t be afraid. Come with me. We’re leaving here forever!”

“No!” Marion screamed and grabbed Merydith by the arm with all the strength she could muster. “You cannot leave, there is no place for you. The world shuns us. They won’t accept you. You’re a hybrid, a creation. You’re not normal. You wanted the truth, well, now you have it.” Her mother’s voice was cold and harsh.

“Stop it!” Merydith cried out as she winced in pain. “Let go, you’re hurting me!”

“Merydith, listen to me. You are a part of the garden, just like every other tree and plant out there. The cold and snow are poison to you. That’s why you get sick every winter. Most plants die or hibernate during the winter and are reborn in the spring when the sun is at its strongest. Sunlight makes you thrive; sunlight is your life force like your blood…”

“You lie, like you always have! Let me go!”

“Not this time, Merydith. You have your truth at last, you rebellious, thankless child. Simon gave you life and you have done nothing but to try to destroy all his work. You want proof, daughter? You shall have your proof.”

Marion tightened her grip like a vice. Her grip was like nothing Merydith had ever felt. The strength was inhuman and the intense pain caused Merydith to drop to her knees. “Mother!” Merydith called out ironically. This was not the truth she’d sought. “Please, stop, you’re hurting me!”

“You should be ready, Merydith. The awakening is now upon you. You have come of age. You should be ready for the change. I went through it when I was your age, and Tobey will go through it when he comes of age. See, Merydith, what you really are.”

Marion took one of Merydith’s hands and grabbed the flesh on her arm. She pulled it taut and ripped the skin right from her arm.

Merydith nearly passed out when she saw that the layer underneath her skin was green and moss-infested. Her
real
flesh crawled with vines and leaves. An entirely new skin of plant, leaf and vine twisted together in one mass that excreted dew and chlorophyll.

Screams of horrific agony filled the house. Merydith’s eyes gawked at the green, fleshy plant under her own other skin. Her mouth was wide open, but words would not come out. She watched her other flesh wither in Marion’s hand.

“I have told you the truth, Merydith,” Marion said.

“No!” Merydith screamed at last, closing her eyes tightly and dropping from Marion’s grip to the floor. Tears came at last. She opened her eyes, hoping she had dreamt it, hoping it was an illusion, but she knew it was not. The plant remained as vivid as ever, the aroma clogging her nose, the feel of it moist and rubbery to the touch. She felt movement under all her skin, throughout her entire body. She eased a trembling hand to her face and felt the skin peeling away at the mere touch of it. “Oh no!” Merydith shrieked as she ran to the nearest mirror.

As she stood in front of it, she raised her hand up and grabbed the skin on her face. She tore it off piece by piece and watched in horror as green glared through the flesh, leaves and vines forming a mask of grotesque ugliness under what once was her pretty face. Merydith ripped furiously until all the flesh was on the floor and what remained was her wet, wriggling new skin.

“It’s a metamorphosis,” Marion said to her. “It’s only temporary, Merydith. The skin must change in order to become stronger and one with your body. You shed your old skin like a snake, exposing a new skin of plant that will fill you with precious fluids and nutrients. In thirty-six hours, your new skin will return and replace the plant. You will be as good as new, and immune to all normal sickness. You’ll be able to deal with the winters from now on as I have been able to. You will adapt.”

Merydith reached up and smashed the mirror. With her face in her hands, she ran from the living room and up the stairs. She slammed and locked the door to her bedroom. Her puzzle caught her eye on the table and she instantly ran to it, smashing it in rage, scattering the pieces all over her floor. Both of her hands curled into fist and came down on the table with full force.

“No! No!
No!
” she screamed and threw herself onto her bed, crying more than she ever had in her life.
It’s all true
.
All of it.
I’m a freak!
We’re all freaks. I’m a thing, a monster, an ugly, slimy, filthy plant-thing! I’m not a normal person and I never will be. I’m a sick, twisted man’s creation. God help me!