The Secret Garden of Love

Ch. 1 Secrets of Mistleswate

April of 1860

   I'm on my way to a new place in England  place I have never been. I may have been born somewhere here but when I had been months old my parents took me to India. India is all I know. Its a bit scary but I'm sure not going to admit that. Especially not to this Mrs. Medlock the maid that is taking me to my guardian Lord Craven. He became my guardian because he had been good friends with my parents, my father mostly. And when he heard of their death he believed it to be his duty to take me in. Its strange  to think that my parents died and  I can't feel a thing. Mrs. Medlock thinks I'm a beastly child for not mourning for my parents, for not crying. But I haven't cried for years. Its like I can't. Besides its like they were only parents by name. They didn't raise me they never wanted me around. My father ignored my existence. And my mother tried but when she couldn't she would scream at me even hit me. She would sometimes take her riding crop and hit me with it again and again. The first time it was because I had come downstairs and interrupted her party. She threw me in my room. Slapped me then got her riding crop and hit me with it again and again. I was only 4. But I would keep trying to get her love. But she wouldn't give it to me.  Not long after that event when I was four I stopped being able to cry. But I learned to scream. And I learned that if I stayed quiet in my room at certain times my parents literally would buy me everything I could ever want. And they would tell my Ayahs had to listen to my every whim. I loved the power over people I was given. But I had anger burning inside of me aimed at my parents. Why couldn't they love me??!!

   " Lord Craven isn't around much because his wife died. You know that right?" "No I didn't." I say crossly. "How strange with how close Lady Craven was with your mother. Didn't your mother ever tell you about her friendship with Abigail?" "No." I am getting cross for real now being reminded that my mother told me nothing about her life. The same with my father." " Completely strange that Anna wouldn't tell her own daughter about her dear friend." "My mother didn't have the time to tell me stories." "I have heard how Anna loved her husband and was really into her parties.." I wish she would just stop talking about my parents. She is going to evoke so much anger in me at my parents I am going to be glad that they are dead. And I can't be if anything is a sin that has got to be a big sin. "There is Mistleswate you see it there." She says pointing and I see the biggest manor estate I have ever seen I can even compare it to the Majar ragor palace. And that is saying something. We soon pull up and though it is the middle of the night we have staff open our carriage door. Another staff gets my luggage, while yet another attends to Mrs. Medlock. Mrs. Medlock is stating her orders as we walk through the door. Its strange to see a servant with any sort of power like this. "Miss Mary come this way I will take you to your room." She says and I follow her up four flights of stairs and I see that the stairs keep going. I wonder how many floors there are. She takes me down a corridor then another and then opens a door. "This suite is yours, you can have it set to your liking later. Your bath and water closet is through their and your sleeping quarters are through their." She says and then leaves. Another maid comes in. " Can you help me into my nightgown?" I ask her though I expect her to do it regardless. She says something about me being exhausted from the journey and then helps me out of all my clothes save for my undergarments then puts my nightgown on me and then tucks me into bed.

Later

I am awaken by the noise of someone in my room. "Well good morning Miss Mary. I am Martha I have brought you your breakfast wont you come and eat it?" "Will you be dressing me before or after I eat?" I say and she gives me a confused look. "Can't you dress yourself?" "Of course not my Ayaha always dressed me." "Sorry but that is ridiculous how old are you?" "I'm ten." I say a bit cross. "A girl your age should dress herself. We start learning how when we are toddlers. Didn't your mum teach you about dressing yourself or about girly things?"  For some reason this makes me so angry because of course my mother didn't. I jump up off the bed and scream at her. "You don't know anything about anything!! You are a stupid maid you should keep your mouth shut about things you know nothing!!" I scream as I slap her hard across the face. Then I run around and start pounding on the wall still screaming for some reason I just couldn't stop. I just can't.
Later

I am outside now because Martha has other duties. I wonder why she was assigned to me when she obviously has other things to attend to. Why do I get a part time servant.  Then I run into a old man that seems grouchy he introduces me to his bird friend a Robin. And for the first time I have a friend. I've never had a friend before. It may be a bird but I don't care I have a friend. Ben also lets it slip that there is a locked garden somewhere. He locks up his lips and walks away. I don't really care I start looking for the locked garden.
A few weeks later
I wake up in the middle of the night confused. Then I hear it someone crying. Its not the first time I've heard it. No I often hear it at night. Sometimes I hear it during the day too. When I am not screaming over something that someone says to set me off. Mostly its Mrs. Medlock that sets me off. And she doesn't care. She has held me down and slapped me before. She makes me think of my mother. Martha sets me off sometimes but she doesn't mean to and she feels bad about it. Sometimes when I start to lose energy she holds me and tries to comfort me. Earlier today when it happened she said I reminded her of him. I asked her who she meant and she says one of her little brother but her reply was too rushed like she is hiding something from me. I'm going to confront her about it one of these days. But I wonder who is crying could it be a ghost?
....-------------------------------------------------------------------....
I've had an awful night of sleep. Its horrendous not being able to get up and do things on your own. Last night I woke up from a nightmare and my sheets were all twisted. And last night was my nurse's first night on vacation and Mrs. Medlock was the one on duty for me last night. Usually Martha watches me when my nurse is away. Imagine my surprise and horror when Mrs. Agatha Medlock came in after I had been crying for a long time. Or 45 whole minutes as she would tell me as she walks in. She tells me my mother shouldn't have been sitting on that tree branch when she was that far along with me because that accident is what caused me to be so helpless nearly Eleven years later. And with that she roughly picked me up and dropped me on my hard floor. She fixes my bed for me. I am still crying because it hurts alot when I landed on the floor. "You baby you are no master of mine. The true master of this house has left again on a trip and who knows when he will return. You can't even stand up for your self. And I mean that literally and metaphorically. You are a pathetic baby that I have to take care of and hide from the world. Your father doesn't even want the world to know about you because he is ashamed of you!" She yells then she throws me into my wooden headboard that doesn't break but hurts something fierce. "You and that pathetic monster of a girl would make quite a pair. You both cry. You both scream when you can't handle things as they are! And now she is asking too many questions. I hate it when children ask questions about things they aren't supposed to know about!" And I stupidity ask,"There is a girl here?" "A ghastly  ghost of a girl!" She yells smacking me hard.  "Mistleswate holds many secrets Colin including their far share of ghosts! There are also those that wouldn't be afraid to hurt you Colin. So I would watch yourself Colin." She tells me. Then she tells me a creepy story about the girl who was raised like a princess in India. Then her parents sold her into servant hood. She had trouble adjusting she was often whipped for not doing as she was told. Then she discovered one of the strange secrets that surrounded Mistleswate and she as all stupid people do went investigating. And then she went missing. A week later she had been found. She was stabbed multiple times and then strangled. They say she must have cried out for help she must of screamed for hours and no one heard her. No one came to her rescue.