The Garden

Chapter 1

                      Landon

I run quickly through the thick trees and weeds.

"Landon! Hurry! Save me!" A voice calls.

"I'm trying! Where are you?" I ask.

"Over here!" The voice calls out.

The voice is sweet and hypnotic but panicked.

"Over where?" I call out.

The voice doesn't reply and I know it's to late. It got her. I don't know what it is but it's deadly.

"Landon!" A different voice calls.

I look around but see nothing.

"Landon! Get up!" The voice calls again.

I wake up to the pounding of my heart and my door.

"Landon! It's time to go!" My mother calls.

I watch as she tries to open the locked door. The door knob twists but won't open.

"Landon! Why is the door locked?" She asks.

"Privcy" I state.

"Landon, we don't have time for this! The plane leaves in an hour! Let's go!" She calls.

I reluctantly roll out of the sleeping bed on my floor and find some clothes. I roll the sleeping bag up and grab my phone. I unlock my door and come face to face with my very angry mother.  She glares up at me but I laugh because I'm six foot tall and she's only 5 foot nothing.

"Real funny." She says but she can't keep a straight face. I pull her into a hug and follow her down stairs.

"Grab a jacket" She says.

"Mom I'll be fine." I answer.

"Landon do as I say." She says.

"Mom seriously. The weather is literally perfect." I argue.

She sighs and shakes her head.

"I got you some donuts to take in the car. We gotta go though!" She says looking at the time on her phone.

I follow behind her and into the car. She turns the radio on and it blares. She quickly turns it down and I laugh at her startled expression. She starts the car and backs out.

I take one last look at my childhood home and something like longing clenches in my gut.

"I'll miss it too." Mom says quietly.

"Really? Then why are we leaving?" I ask sarcastically.

"Landon, we have been over this. I took this job because it will be good for both of us." She says.

"No." I argue.

"No?" She asks.

"Yes. I said no. It will be good for you not me. You get the new exciting job away from dad and I get a new school in a small town full of cows, tractors and rednecks." I say.

"This has nothing to do with your father." She says but I see her mouth tighten.

"You don't have to lie mom. He is a total loser. He cheated and he hurt you. It's okay you don't want to be around him but that has nothing to do with me." I say.

"Once again this has nothing to do with your father and I have custody of you so where I go, so do you." She says before turning the radio up.

  We arrive at the airport and put our stuff away and find our seats.

"When are the moving people coming with our stuff?" I ask to break the silence.

"Everything should already be there." She answers and then closes her eyes.

I plug my headphones in and shut my eyes until I drift off into sleep.

"Landon!" A voice calls.

"I'm over here." The voice calls again.

"Your so close to me now!" The voice says.

"Where are you?" I ask.

"Your closer! Will you save me?" The voice asks.

"Yes! Where are you?" I ask.

I wake up to my mother shaking my shoulder.

"Get up. We're here." She says.

I get out of my seat and follow her off the plane.

The car we rented is waiting for us.

"Where are we at?" I ask.

"Tulsa right now." She answers.

"Where is the house?" I ask.

"It's on the outskirts of a small town called Colcord." She answers.

"How small?" I ask.

"You'll see." She answers with a smile.

I sigh and lean back in my seat. I put my headphones in and look out the window. Soon the city part of Tulsa is gone and it's nothing but green fields of grace and cows.

Several hours later, mom pokes my arm.

"This is colcord. We have about 15 minuted left." She says with a large smile.

I look around and notice the town is old. We drive by one convinet store and a small high school. The nicest thing in the town has to be the post office. It looks so out of place compared to the other old buildings.

Soon mom's small rental car is winding through back roads that look like small paths. Both sides of the path are covered in trees. I see no other houses around.

"Are you sure this is the way?" I ask.

"I'm Postive." She reassures me.

Thunder claps from above us somewhere in the Sky.

"Sounds like it's going to rain." Mom says.

"The crops could sure use it I hear." She adds.

I laugh at the way she says crops with such a southern accent.

"Like my accent huh?" She asks.

I nod and rain starts to pour from the sky.

Ten minutes into the storm and mom points forward.

"It's just there! See the white house?" She asks excitedly.

"Where?" I ask seeing nothing through the heavy downpour.

She speeds the car up and I finally see what she's talking about. Right there in the middle of some trees only accessible by foot is a small white wooden cottage.

"We are gonna have to make a run for it" She says putting her hood over her head.

She looks over at me and bursts out into laughter.

"I told you to bring a jacket!" She says.

"Laugh it up." I say with a scowl.

She opens her car door and starts running for the cottage. I wait a few moments before I follow her.  The rain pours over me as I run for the cottage. By the time I'm on the steps waiting for mom to unlock the door I'm soaking wet. She finally unlocks the door and we both rush inside. 

"Why don't you go take a shower and then hop into bed?" She asks.

I don't argue because I'm cold, wet and tired.

I walk into the small bathroom and turn the hot water on. While I wait for the water to heat I look for my room. After opening two closets and my mother's door I find mine at the end of the hall. Boxes line the wall but my bed it there and that's all that matters. I shift through some bags and find some clothes to change into.

I take a long shower in the hot water and quickly get dressed. I put my sheets and covers on my bed and slide in. I instantly start to doze off. Just before I fall I asleep I hear "You really came."