Let's Play in the Garden (7 page)

She said nothing. She could find no words to explain herself.

“You weren’t about to go into the workshop, now, were you, girl?” His voice was firm and frightened her.

“No, Grandpa. I would never disobey the family rules. I just wanted to know where you were and what you were doing.”

“Well, to satisfy your curiosity, I just finished watering the garden and was just putting the hose away. Okay, pretty one? Now you go play before breakfast.”

Breakfast was ready soon enough and the family gathered at the table again. As usual, Merydith rang another bell before sitting down. This one was made of pure crystal and looked like it was made out of rock candy. It was all bumpy, textured with sharp edges. It was very unique. After breakfast, the cleaning began and Simon vanished into his workshop again, most likely until dinner was called. The boys ran out again to play and Merydith putted around, lost in her own unique world.

###

“Damn it!” The woman punched the dashboard for the second time
. This could only happen to me. Casey, you are married to a real winner. I told him to fill this car up with gas yesterday. I told him, “Honey, I’m going to see my mother tomorrow. Will you please fill up the car? It’s almost empty.” It figures. I should have done it myself. He’s too busy drinking his damn beer and passing out in front of the TV. Now I’m stuck on this deserted dirt road.

She stared at the gas gage and its reading of
E
as if it would somehow change. She flung the car door open and stepped out. She glanced around at her surroundings. “Woods, nothing but woods.”

I should just follow the road and hopefully someone will stop on the road or I’ll at least find a house. I hope.

Casey pulled her pocketbook from the car before walking down the deserted road.
What a road to get stuck on, not even paved or anything. I’ll probably end up running
into a dangerous mountain man or something. God, I hope I find something before dark.
All right, don’t get jumpy, Casey. Relax, help will come soon.

She kept to the road, noises rising from the woods. Short howls, singing crickets, movement here and there. Her eyes darted around the area. The bright blue sky spanned the horizon. Dark yet lush woods crept up on both sides of the road. Her eyes then followed the road as it twisted to the left and out of her sight.

She made her way to the twist in the road, and as she came around the bend, she stopped short, taking notice of a figure in the road ahead of her. It stood there, staring her down, a face wrapped tightly in bandages, a cowboy hat on its head. It brandished a spade.

Casey’s instincts told her something wasn’t right. She felt a chill in her bones despite the sweltering August day.
Run. Run now!

She turned and bolted back the way she had come. She got herself off the roads in hopes of losing the freak behind her in the dark woods.

She looked over her shoulder but saw nothing behind her. It seemed the freak had not attempted to chase her.

She stopped to catch her breath.
Where the hell did he go?
Her eyes searched around the woods but she detected no movement.

A twig snapped behind her.

She whirled around, and suddenly he came out of nowhere, advancing quickly on her.

“Shit!”
How did he get there?

Casey hurled herself back the way she had come. The stalker continued to follow, the spade twisting in its hand as if this was all just some game. Sweat streamed off her face as her chest pounded and her legs began to cramp.

She pushed herself as hard as she could, beginning to feel the effects of her running, but she had to keep going, had to. She knew she was in a race for her life.

The killer kept good pace, stomping through the woods, destruction sweeping from under every footstep. It tossed the spade from one hand to the other playfully.

Casey looked back and saw it was almost upon her. “No!” she screamed. “Leave me alone!”

She felt her muscles ache and her feet grow heavier and heavier. There was simply no more that she could give. She was out of energy. Not a drop of stamina was left inside her. She panted and huffed, finding it difficult to breathe.

While looking back to see how far the killer had gained, she let her attention escape her and tripped over a log and went crashing down.

Her knees struck jagged rock and she screamed and tasted salt in her mouth. Her chest seized with fire as a rib or two snapped with her fall.

Blood drenched her lower lip and the tears came in torrents. Casey knew it was over. No point now.

She felt a strong grip on her ankle as it dragged her across the ground. She glared with defiance, still not wanting to give up. She thought she detected a smile beneath its twisted bandages.

With little effort, it placed a boot upon her back and drove the spade through her skull. Her body twitched beneath its boot for a moment and then went lifeless.

###

The three finished their lunch and empty dishes sat upon the Gazebo table. Merydith, Tobey, and Aaron had enjoyed another fine lunch in the garden and had decided to play in it for a spell.

Tobey set his target upon the great wall. His sister protested, telling him to bring the bow into the garden, for what if he missed and hit an animal or damaged one of the precious plants? That would be the end of everything. Grandpa would be so enraged who knows what he would do. Tobey convinced her that he was too skilled to miss and that he would be extra careful. She went along with him, reluctantly.

Aaron wandered through the garden but tried hard to stay close by. He did his best to heed his sister’s warnings. She kept a good eye on him as she too explored the mysteries of this place.

There were so many unexplored areas of the garden, and it held so much mystery. It would have taken them nearly a month to cover every part of the garden, but that was most of the fun and a bit of the fear of it
. How safe was it really in here? Something already broke in
here once, or was it still here?
The thought of it sent chills through Merydith, and that was starting to ruin things for her. The garden had never been a source of fear before.

As she walked along the paths, the huge plants and fruits folding in behind her, she thought of school. Soon she would go back. It was something she looked forward to. It was a change of scenery, a chance to meet old friends, and possibly make new ones.

Both she and Tobey would go. One thing she hated about it was that she would get sick so much during the winter that she would miss nearly two terms. She always managed to do the work at home, but it wasn’t the same as being there. She could never figure it out and it bothered her. Strangely enough, Tobey was the exact same way.

The two of them had such bad health during the fall, and especially the winter months. Thank God they were both smart enough to whisk through each grade with ease. There was no complaint from the school board. As long as they passed, they could move on.

She wondered how school must have been for her mother or her grandparents. For some reason they had never mentioned it. Grandfather was practically a genius; he must have attended school somewhere. He must have been a scientist or a biologist at one time…so why were there no report cards or pictures of the school, or even a yearbook or diploma?

Not even an “I had to walk twenty miles to school” story. School never seemed to be the greatest issue to them, yet they impressed upon Tobey and Merydith to keep with it and to excel at their education. They were just looking out for their best interests, right?

She walked on as paths separated and twisted off into different directions.

Sounds echoed and bounced off every plant and ornamental structure in the place. Birds fluttered out of their hiding places and squirrels scattered at her approach. There was magic here, and for a moment she had forgotten her fears.

I’m being watched

She felt a presence.
It’s here. I can feel it. Whoever or whatever is still here. I
just know it.
She was probably right but whatever it was would not reveal itself to her, not just yet.

Merydith continued with caution. Her eyes darted from one shrub to another and then up into the trees. The entire garden seemed to watcher her, every part of it. Many eyes were locked on her. The stranger hid. The garden protected him but watched her, studying her as if she were the stranger.

“Who’s there?” she whispered.
I’m being followed too. But who and what do they
want? Dear God, please.
I don’t want to die now
. “Aaron? Tobey? Is that you?”

No one answered. Strange silence swallowed the garden. All critter sounds vanished and nothing stirred until—

She heard movement.

A plant rustled, it wriggled. Merydith focused her attention on it and fear crawled inside her. Her stomach was a nest of spiders, her palms growing damp. She turned from the path she was on and wanted to run, pull herself back into the company of her brothers where she could feel safe and be out in the open.

In panic, she pushed herself forward and caught her foot on the root of a tree. Long, ancient roots protruded out of the earth like tentacles, gnarled and twisted. She tumbled to the ground in a heap and rolled over on her stomach. Her senses were cluttered, and she had a slight daze, like the tree root was reaching out for her. She opened her eyes, sat up, and found herself face to face with her possible follower.

The penetrating reptilian eyes of a snake stared right at her. It coiled and hissed, sounding angry, disturbed from its sun bathing. It poised itself to strike…

Merydith eased herself back an inch and the snake squirmed in return. Each time she moved, it mimicked her. It was not about to let her get up.

The Cottonmouth Moccasin stared at her with fiery intent and she sat paralyzed, unable to move. The snake lifted its head, its tongue slipping in and out, smelling her fear.

No, please…I don’t want to die.
She stared back into its eyes, matching wills with it. If she was going to die, she was going to do it with courage.

7. A Tragic Lunch

“Tobey!” Merydith let out the scream of her life and prayed her brother would hear.

The snake slithered toward her, moving closer. She thought about jumping to her feet and running for it, but she knew that would be foolish. It would strike her dead before she even stood up.

Pounding footsteps echoed through the garden. Her savior was on his way. Her dear Tobey had heard her desperate plea and was racing out of some thick foliage. His eyes shot wide with terror as he saw the predator about to bite his sister. He took aim with his bow—

The snake waited no more and opened its mouth wide, lunging for Merydith. Tobey released his grip.

The arrow soared fast and true, sailing right through the serpent’s head.

“Tobey…my God. I’m so glad you heard me! I swear I will never argue with you about that bow of yours ever again. I love you.”

They embraced as the fear hanging over them dwindled.

“It’s all right, Mery!” He comforted her with strong arms and his brotherly love. “I only did what I had to do. Everything is all right now. The snake is dead.”

She looked into his eyes as tears formed in her own. “I never knew that this beautiful place could hide such dangerous, evil things. We must be very cautious and only stay in the open area of the gazebo.”

“Mery, the snake was only following its nature. It wasn’t good or bad; it was just a snake. It can’t be evil. It’s an animal.”

“It’s a dangerous animal. We should watch what we’re doing. Speaking of danger, where’s Aaron? We have to find him before—”

Tobey took her by the hand and led her back to where he’d been shooting targets. “Don’t worry about Aaron. I left him back at the clearing of the garden, by the well. He was watching my target while I ran to your aid. He’s fine.”

The two walked back to the clearing and there was Aaron, sitting cross-legged, just staring at Tobey’s target. It was crowded with many arrows.

“Well, c’mon boys,” Merydith began. “Lunch is over. Let’s clean up and get back to the house. We’ve spent enough time in here for one day.”

They gathered up the tray, the dishes, and the basket. Tobey took down his target and the three of them walked back through the gate they’d entered. Merydith threw one last look of uncertainty at the garden—a garden she had trusted from the first day she was brought to this world—and slammed the gate behind her.

###

After entering the house and cleaning up, the three separated and went their own ways. Tobey and Merydith vowed never to mention the close call that Merydith had had. It would be their own secret to keep forever.

Simon remained as elusive as ever, hiding himself down in his workshop, concocting new formulas and experiments. Marion and Gladys challenged each other once again. The two sat bickering back and forth at the card table in the living room as games of Gin were won and lost, yet neither officially kept track of them.

The boys went out to play and Merydith filled a watering can at the kitchen sink.

“Dear Lord,” Merydith said, remembering the three plants she was taking care of in her bedroom. “They haven’t had water for a while.”

She filled the small green watering can to the top and carried it up the stairs with her. She could hear the faint voices of her mother and grandmother below. Upon entering her room, she went straight for the triple decked shelf.

“Here we go, drink up now. It’s good for you. I know it’s been a while. I’m sorry.”

She tipped the can into the fern first and watched the dry soil darken with moisture. Then she turned the can to the violet. She let it drink a bit, and then the remaining she gave to the cactus.

“Gee, the fern and violet don’t look so great. They do get plenty of light, and I try to keep up with the watering. The cactus is doing fine. I wish I had some fertilizer—that’s the only thing I don’t give them. With Grandpa’s green thumb you’d think I’d be able to get some.”