The Eternal Doom

CHAPTER 19 Immortal darkness sleeping on the winding paths

Ginger awoke in the dim dawn, shoving away the past of Mr. Walter. He found the flock of ravens circling over the grey sky; they were mixed up with the fog. Today he had a peculiar expression on his face. He refreshed himself with a hot bath. The fog was encompassing Ashland, the town of immortals, where the cliffs hear no sound of Asriel, but the cry of the immortals calling his name once again after a very long time. And the angels walked over the winding paths, chasing after the shadows of immortals, peeking through the windows, and saw the agony lingering inside the homes of immortals.

It was too early when Miss Rosella awoke from the sleep, and Ginger was preparing breakfast, with his thoughts on the search for a new gardener, who could attend the bushes of roses well, and save them from becoming wilted and dead again, or could make some roses bloom for once, which would bring amazing happiness to Mr. Walter. The smell of the eggs was running in the whole house, as he put them out on the old ceramic plate with roses painted on it. Then he felt something in the fog. He replaced the empty frying pan and jabbered out from the kitchen. He opened the front door, and padded out through it, with beautiful and happy thoughts in his mind, and of course, the reason that gardener will no longer come for the gardening, so Ginger doesn't have to face him again. He was taking steps in the fog, with a surmising gesture. The fog seemed less than before. He ran his eyes across the whole area, to find out if someone was really there; but then, after finding no one, he realized that it was his illusion, so he started to move back, when his vision got a glimpse of someone.

"Hello, Mr. Ginger. Do you have any garden tools?'', as I have forgotten mine. The gardener said, reaching close to him, in a very fine and normal accent.

Here Ginger was, facing him again. All his beautiful thoughts and his warm expression disappeared from his face on seeing him once again. "What are you doing here?" he asked him, in agitated curiosity, looking at him. "You were not supposed to come here again." The fog was slightly running around them both.

"I just asked if you have any garden tools?" the gardener again questioned him, not bothering to give any answer to his question. Ginger felt the change in the gardener's voice as if giving him a deprecating look.

There was a sudden pause between them. The fog was silent as well, but the ravens were talking over the heads of the hills. "Why you came back?" Now the silence was shattered from Ginger's side, as he asked again, in a demanding voice.

The gardener replied abruptly, "It's not your business. You are not the person who hired me; it was that old man, and he hasn't asked me to leave yet."

"Show some respect to Mr. Walter! Just stop mentioning him with this irreverent name, 'old man'!" Ginger said gruffly. He shot a dreadful glance at the gardener. There was a light layer of fog standing between them. Ginger stood facing the gardener for a little while, then quietly went inside without saying anything further to him this time, as he didn't find any answer to confront him with.

The old people were awake now; Ginger found Mr. Walter at the dining table, along with Miss Rosella and Mr. George Martini.

"Good morning!" Ginger said to all of them, in his usual sophisticated way, which he had never shared with the gardener until now.