At the End of the Garden

Chapter Thirty-One

I hate spiders and bugs. Dad killed them for me. Eden killed them for me. My mum told me to grow up most of the time but sometimes she'd kill them for me just so I'd shut up. There must have been tons of bugs and spiders here. Above my head. Past my legs. In each corner. Crawling up my arm. I couldn't see anything. But every time I felt a tingling on my skin I flinched and it drew focus. It was the only thing I could focus on.

When I first woke up, I threw up. Then I laid next to it for hours not being able to move. Until I threw up again and was able to shuffle away from it. Wipe my mouth with the sleeves of my jumper and feel the bump on my forehead. Huge bump. I'd done this too myself, the worse thing about it. After everything, my big downfall was that I was clumsy? Mum always told me I never took enough notice of my surroundings.

Now I was in... a box? Huge. Freezing. Box.

I had my phone, for a while. I used the flash light to try and understand where I was, but the room was empty. There were pipes along the wall, but they were cold to touch. The door was in the corner. Not far from where I'd first woken up. It was locked. Heavy too.

Of course I shouted. It was hard at first. But I tried to scream for help.

I found cobwebs on the wall with the flashlight. I didn't see any bugs but they're there. I know they are. I used the flashlight to find the furthest spot from my vomit and sat.

Wherever I was, I had no signal. No internet. No way of crying for help. In a day. The battery was gone.

I think Victor Quinn must have put me in here. He was the last person I remember seeing. But why? Why wasn't I in a hospital? Dumb question from dumb Marie. The man was... insane? All of Eden's outbursts, I thought it was because he was trying to be like his robotic father but couldn't. Turns out, Victor Quinn wasn't so perfect either. Wasn't immune. Both of them must have repressed it so long. Didn't matter. Was going to die. Probably.

There are moments where I'm sure I'm just about to die. And then I feel something crawling up my leg and I'm alive again.

One or two of the pipes are leaking. Drip. That sound stops me from blacking out. Except when I'm really tired. I just pass out. Drip.

Drip. I wouldn't be surprised if I soon turned to ice. If the water froze into icicles, I was sure my own blood would too. My sick on the other side of the room already had. I was only in a skirt, tights and my blazer that provided no warmth. I had wrapped my coat around my legs.

At first, my teeth were chattering. Now they've stopped. Like they decided it was no use.

What was going on outside? I'd heard nothing for a long time. Except the dripping. Then suddenly, noise.

Where was I?

One moment, there was noise. It had felt like forever since I'd heard something except drip drip. Lot's of voices. Shouting? No. Like lots of people trying to be heard. Distantly...

Was I still at the school? I thought all the noise could be students? At that point, I went to try and scream again. I couldn't hear my own voice but it echoed back at me.

It was dry and weak. Barely louder than the dripping. And using it made my throat sore.

Did that mean Eden was out there? Was he okay? Victor Quinn didn't go back and hurt him too? He wouldn't. I hoped. If he hurt Eden anymore I'd kill him when I got out of here. Which felt okay to think because I was sure I wouldn't get that far.

Most of the time. I couldn't tell which way I was facing. Was my head on the floor? Was I leaning on the wall? Both were cold. And the dark invisible box was spinning. I didn't seem to know if I was sitting up either. Drip.

I hate spiders and bugs. Dad killed them for me. Eden killed them for me. My mum told me to grow up most of the time but sometimes she'd kill them for me just so I'd shut up.  There must have been tons of bugs and spiders here. Above my head. Past my legs. In each corner. Crawling up my arm. I couldn't see anything. But every time I felt a tingling on my skin I flinched and it drew focus. It was the only thing I could focus on.

I think I cried. A few times. Then I stopped all together.

Sometimes I'd open my eyes and I'd be somewhere else. I'd wake up and see my room. It was so bright. Then I'd blink and it would be gone.

Sometimes I'd open my eyes and see Victor Quinn. Leaning over me. Then there would be 'drip' and he'd be gone.

I tried to use this power. I wanted to see the garden. The garden at Eden's house. In the summer. The grass and tiny forest ahead. The conservatory. The adults behind us. Why hadn't they ever filled the garden with anything other than a few porch chairs? It was endless green until you hit the fence. Oh well. Less to remember, less to forget.

Why was the garden so big when Eden and I were the only ones who used it?

One or two of the pipes are leaking. Drip. That sound stops me from blacking out. Except when I'm really tired. I just pass out. Drip.

I wish I'd seen Sidney in the garden. It just felt like he belonged there. With us under the blue sky. The distant fences that felt like a barrier to the rest of the world.

I could imagine eating chips with Ren and Michael too. What if we also shared them with Eden? That would have been fun. Would.

I never told them what was going on. I hate that. They should know. Every things wrong and they deserve to know.

If he hurt Eden anymore I'd kill him when I got out of here. Which felt okay to think because I was sure I wouldn't get that far.

McDonalds chips sounded good right now. I bet the KFC one's are rubbish. Even though I didn't really feel hungry anymore. My tongue was dry and just kept getting drier.

When Sidney kissed me, it was like a fairy tale. Dumb stupid Marie. Should have seen it earlier. Should have read less books.

Or more books. With unhappy endings.

Luka's ghost wasn't helping me.

I didn't know it yet. But I was laying on her grave.

When I die, I'm going to haunt Victor Quinn.

I hate spiders and bugs. Dad killed them for me. Eden killed them for me. My mum told me to grow up most of the time but sometimes she'd kill them for me just so I'd shut up.  There must have been tons of bugs and spiders here. Above my head. Past my legs. In each corner. Crawling up my arm. I couldn't see anything. But every time I felt a tingling on my skin I flinched and it drew focus. It was the only thing I could focus on.