One Minute Till Tomorrow

Chapter Five

My mother used to be very church friendly. She’d drag my father and me to church with her. Then, when my hell started, she stopped going to church. A few of her church friends came to the door, making sure she was okay. She told them she was and that was that.

Even after my dad got arrested, she never returned to church. I still heard her pray, though. Late at night when I should be asleep…

When I woke up Monday morning—glad we had school off—my mother was on the phone, sleep heavy in her voice. She only muttered her words, in hopes I wouldn’t hear. I didn’t. I only hear the tone of her voice, an even mix of drowsiness and anxiousness. However that’d work.

I went into my kitchen and finished unpacking. It felt nice to finally have the kitchen unpacked, leaving only two other major rooms to unpack; my mom’s and the living room.

My mom hung up the phone and put her head in her hands. I didn’t say anything like I might’ve a month ago. Instead I just walked up the white carpeted stairs to my room.

I sat down on my bed and opened up a new word document.

One thing you have to know about me is that I may not have a book idea, but I will still write whatever is going through my head, even if there is no real plot or point to what the dialog is.

So, I started typing.

I sat down my bags, hoping that this new home, new place, could be the new start I hoped for. Of course, I was most likely wrong with my hopes. But that didn’t stop me from looking at this big house with a new perspective.

The house was silent as I walked through the long corridors, looking for a person or my room.

At the end of one hall, there was a huge window. Big curtains draping either side. The window over looked a huge garden where a few people tended, cutting shrubs or picking various fruits from various trees. In the center of the garden shrubs made up a good sized maze. The shrubs were so tall that if you were standing in the maze, you wouldn’t see any other paths.

I took in this scene, finding a curtain fondness of the mysterious garden.

I had to know more.

My phone buzzed on my end table, tearing me away from my writing. I looked at the caller ID: Caleb. I answered.

“Hello?”

“Gwen, have you been outside yet? Have you even looked outside yet?”

I sat aside my laptop. “No…”

“Okay, good. Gwen, get dressed. Put on your coat and jeans and gloves and whatever else a Gwen would need to go outside. I’ll be at your place in like, five-ish minutes.” Caleb hung up.

“Well then…” I rolled my eyes and put on a pair of skinny jeans. I put on a long sleeve and put on my boots, gloves and hat. Just as I started walking down my stairs, Caleb called again.

“Oh!” He began without me even saying anything. “I forgot, don’t look outside.” He hung up.

I sat on the bottom step of my stairs, waiting for Caleb, ignoring my curiosity to look outside. After a minute, Caleb opened my front door. “Really?” I said. “You’re not even going to knock anymore?”

Caleb shook his head. “Close your eyes and trust me.”

“Caleb, what do you have planned?” I asked, standing up and trying to see out of my door around him.

“Just, Gwen, close your eyes, please.”

I closed my eyes and Caleb took my hand. Something crunched under my feet as I walked around outside. It’d be so easy to open my eyes… I thought. But I didn’t open them, not wanting to ruin Caleb’s surprise.