In The Garden

Chapter 25

Anna, Darren and Marcea had been invited to lunch at Aston Manor as special guests of Georgina Walker. They rode together in Darren's car as they pulled up to the gates they found them open and inviting. The right gate which had, had an M now was now restored to being an A. They drove up the welcoming drive with no issues. The house seemed different all of them felt but none of them could describe it. Darren parked the car in front of the house and they walked up to the double front doors. Marcea braced herself for the wave she remembered from last time. But when the doors opened to a smiling Georgina the wave didn't come only a wave of fresh flowers and pleasant smells.

"I hope you like BBQ," said Georgina.

"Of course there's nothing like Kansas City style BBQ," said Darren, "

"Soon, soon, come in," she said moving aside and beckoning them in, "I will confess that I did not prepare this feast myself but had it catered by Arthur Bryant's."

"Sounds great," said Anna.

"And I may have invited a few more people please don't be mad," said Georgina.

"Who did you invite?" asked Anna.

"Just all the remaining family members of the families my family had a part in hurting," said Georgina, " I thought it would be nice for them to have closure and to meet the people who made that possible. It won't bring back their loved ones but closure is still closure."

"That was very thoughtful of you," said Marcea.

"Come on we're out back," she said, " everyone else is already here."

"But only our car is out front," said Darren.

"Please you don't think I know how to throw a surprise?" laughed Georgina.

They walked out back to a standing ovation when the crowd saw them. They weren't expecting that and so didn't know what to do.

"Just smile and wave," encouraged Georgina.

6 Months Later...

Nurse Thomas walked down the hall of floor two of Valentine Hospital for the Mentally Ill checking on patients the hospital had been far quieter now that all the woman in 227 formerly known as Jane was no longer a resident. She past 226 and didn't see Mary and hadn't seen her on any of her rounds she stepped further into the room.

" Mary?" she called.

She checked the room's bathroom no one was there either.

"Mary," she called again.

Suddenly something grabbed her leg Nurse Thomas let out a scream and looked down to see Mary hiding under her bed.

"Mary you just scared the hell out of me," said Leah.

"That was nothing," said Mary.

"What do you mean?" asked Leah.

"To what's coming," said Mary.

"Coming? I don't follow Mary," said Leah, "come out from under there."

Mary crawled out from under her bed.

"It's found me," said Mary, " I knew it would when I saw Anna I knew it was soon but I thought I had more time."

"Who's found you Mary?" asked Leah.

"Not who," said Mary.

"Ok what's found you?" asked Leah.

"I told her when she was here you were there too you heard me," said Mary.

"Mary just tell me whats upsetting you," said Leah.

"I told her, I knew, I told her," said Mary.

"Well I don't remember so tell me," said Leah.

"I told her," said Mary.

"Told who?" asked Leah.

"Anna Matthews she's coming for her," said Mary.

"Now you're not making since you said it wasn't someone," said Leah.

"No I said someone wasn't coming after me," said Mary, "two completely different things, try to keep up."

"I'm trying but you're talking, well, you're talking..."

"Crazy," interrupted Mary.

"Not the word I would have used but ok, yes a little," said Leah, "now come on get up off the floor I have to get back to doing my rounds.

"Every fifteen minutes," said Mary.

"Exactly," said Leah and she turned to leave but Mary grabbed her arm, "Mary let me go!"

"No one ever listens to me," cried Mary.

"I'm sorry Mary," said Leah.

"You know if more people listened to me their'd be less dead people," said Mary, "fact!"

"Well I am listening now what do you have to say?" asked Leah.

"Nurse Thomas I had a dream you died," said Mary.

The End