18+ Hell-is-an-f-word

Chapter 1: Happy Birthday

Midnight.

All the lights were out except one. One enlivened little flame: its heat melted a pool on the candle’s brim, threatening to overflow: it did.

A waxy tear slid to the snowy icing like the petal on my cheek. Knelt on my bedroom floor, holding a small cupcake, and a breath; my eyes shut. It was my 18th birthday. 

By the time the grandfather clock in my room struck twelve, I stood up. Resting my half-eaten cupcake on the night stand, I treaded to my bedroom door. My feel quietly shuffled on the carpet, as I crept closer. Pressing my ear to the oak, I winced from the biting cold. As expected, I heard the muffled low voices, and chuckles. Their chatter felt never ending until the loud chuckles withdrew. As I pressed my ear harder to the door the muffles faded away. They faded until words became unrecognisable as the word itself.

12am was the ideal time.

As I returned to my cupcake, I picked it up by its rough casing. The cupcake’s candle melted thoroughly to the icing, it dripped and soaked my hands: it was unrecognisable. Just like the image peering through my curtains. Through the flowing sheer curtains was a tall tree. The bark was so girthy it took up a third of the view as moonlight bended past it. Placing what was left of the cupcake on the wooden dresser, it slid slightly as I left it. Shaking my hands, frosting flew onto the unmarked carpet as I crept my way to the window. As I crept closer the window the view past the dominating tree enlarged. Tearing the curtains apart I was met with a gust of wind. My body shivered, and I held myself in my jacket. Without hesitation I crept further until I was at the gushing window. Placing my hand on the windowsill I peeked my head through the darkness. I gazed over the entire garden. Incredibly large it was. Small flashes of white light around the corner wavered around the grounds and drew further from my window till they were unseen. Looking down from my window, the grass was not far, as I was only on the second floor. The base of the tree went all the up to my window and winds all the way to the roof. Reaching my hand out through the window, I stretched towards the tree, leaning my body further out the window and yet it was out of my grasp.

Leaning back into my room, I took a step back and then a few more. At that moment I was not sure what had overcome me, as I grabbed two of my trusty pocket knives from the side and clutched both in each hand. Just one step back, then another, until my back was prodded by the door handle.

Withing a second, I sprinted to the window and leapt through the curtains. Cold, and weightless. For only a second until I crashed into the tree. My body was thrashed against it, as I gutted my knives into the bark, and then slid down the tree. Breaking the outer layering of the wood causing loud cracks and rustles as the tree swayed. Strong winds rustled my hair and thrashed my body into the bark. Almost approaching the bottom, I felt the cool breeze wisp underneath me.

Just as I was about to reach the bottom, swift as a bird, I pushed off the bark and landed on to the crisp grass. Careful, I dashed lightly on my feet into the lost garden; towards the dark green maze.

Pounding softly on the black grass, through the black garden not looking back. Just when I thought I made it, eye-scorching lights from afar blinded my vision, and waved around the black grass I was standing on. Staring at the white light, I saw vague shadows of men: guards. Guards far away but becoming bigger and bigger as the lights bounced around me. I ran, despite the inescapable light, I sought out cover in the garden maze.

Burrowed holes mined over the grass. Tipping and jumping over small pits, I ran to the maze that was only a few feet away. Pounding harder on the grass, I turned back. Blinded by lights, I could squint to see dark figures bobbling, growing. I bounced back into my sprint the maze. The lights flickered around the garden. Images of the fluffy maze walls came through like a mirage as I pounded on the grass. A hole gave way underneath me. My foot dragged down, but I pulled it back up. Lunging forward, I made my way to the maze.