The forbidden garden’s secret
The abandoned mansion's overgrown garden had been behind a rickety fence, and it had a worn "KEEP OUT" sign serving as a scary watchtower, challenging anybody to venture through. All the children in the neighborhood had heard stories of people who entered and never came out again, rumors of evil witchcraft and curses hiding among the wildflowers. Emily had been eager about what was on the other side of that worn sign for years. When she was younger, she used to ride her bike by the estate and looked through the iron gate entrances, hoping to catch a sight of the mysterious garden. Most of it was hidden from view by thick trees and crumbling stone walls, which was only meant to fuel her imagination and the tales to come.
Emily was seventeen years old when she found herself stopped in front of the warning sign once more. The vacation from school meant a rise in ennui. She looked concerned at the nearly waist high tangle of vines and weeds obstructing the path to the entrance of the garden. A strong desire to learn about its hidden secrets possessed her. Emily took a deep breath and cautiously over the decay fence, keeping the warning on the sign in the back of her mind. She crept along the overgrown trail, brushing aside cobwebs. She eventually made it to the edge of the Garden, the abandoned building of the mansion slowly showing through the bush.
Emily turned her head towards an archway when she saw a flying movement in the corner of her eye. A aged, willowy creature crept gently between the trees, barely visible among the falling vines. Fear and confusion took hold of Emily, causing her to freeze and lock her breath in her throat. The crafty figure appeared once more, moving through the trees with ease and revealing itself to be a lady, or rather, something disguising itself as a woman. A round shape with no features, blending into extraordinarily smooth skin, took the place of her face. With concerning, slow steps, she moved towards Emily.
What she witnessed was beyond words. Mounted trees carved into imaginative topiaries surrounded a beautiful courtyard full with colourful flowerbeds and sparkling crystal waterfalls. A fresh breeze containing fragrant scents caused fruit trees, filled with ripe harvest, to sway. It seemed as though someone had captured this little piece of heaven in time, leaving the outside world to decay over many years. Emily picked a plump strawberry and enjoyed the blast of sweet flavour on her tongue as she wandered deeper inside, captivated. How this perfect paradise was still so well preserved was beyond her comprehension.
When Emily body finally responded, she turned to go, but something kicked her feet, sending her slipping backward to the ground. Icicle thorns wrapped Emily parts of the body, holding her in place as the strange woman lifeless face swelled up. A terrible horror set in as she realised she was the latest person to discover the horrific truth about this garden. She watched in silent fear, unable to scream.
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Wonderful. While it is true that the interpretation you give the prompt is rather predictable (wicked witched behind house with keep out sign), your treatment of this theme stands out. You describe the scene in a way that pulls us in. We don't need a picture. You draw the picture of the garden for us. We can see it clearly because of your writing skills.
Of course, readers know that once our character eats a strawberry, her doom is sealed. She will be ensnared.
It's a very well-written, effective story, @tommyik. Thank you for sharing it with us.
I appreciate your opinions and glad the narrative appealed to you and that it was simple to picture.
Hello @tommyik,
I'm one of the curators in the Inkwell. I've read some of your stories and enjoy your writing. You seem to take care with the pieces. I note that you decline rewards. This is of course your option, if writing is more enjoyable for you without the rewards.
It's a little frustrating for me (😇) because I like your writing and would like to show that through curation. As you get upvotes, your reputation score goes up and your wallet grows. With that you can upvote others and have some influence on Hive.
However, I am not a competitive person. I understand not wanting to work for that sort of reward. Getting feedback and writing can surely be satisfying enough. If that is the case, continue declining. Please also continue writing. If you are like me, writing in itself is a reward and a creative release.
Hope you don't mind the personal note. I try to respect each of the writers I curate. That is what I am doing here.
Hope you are enjoying your Hive journey. It can be quite a trip--it has been for me.
Regards,
AG
Thanks for your thoughtful message @agmoore. I feel glad that you enjoy my stories and your support means a lot to me.
As for the rewards, I want to keep my focus on writing for the time being and finally, I will stop declining rewards as soon as possible.
Thanks for stopping by, it really means a lot to me honestly.