The girl stood at the end of the garden, staring at all the wondrous flowers and unique bushes that she’d never seen before.
She hummed herself a soft tune as she waited patiently, something in her mind almost knowing that someone would be showing up in her garden soon.
After a few moments she heard the sound of footsteps coming towards her and she turned to see her mother.
“Mama you’ve found me in my garden! Isn’t it so pretty?”
The girl said with a smile as she looked up at her mother. Her mother’s face spoke volumes, and yet, her most distinguished emotion was raw grief.
“Mama why are you sad? Do you not like my garden?”
Her mother kneeled down and pulled her into a tight embrace.
“Oh my sweet baby I love your garden, but oh my baby I lost you too soon.”
Her mothers voice cracked as she held onto her daughter tightly. Her daughter didn’t understand, she’d been in this garden for as long as she could remember…
“We have to jump. What don’t you understand?”
My voice was harsh and strained as I tried to get my sister to understand that we didn’t have a choice.
“Why? Why must we jump? Why can’t we go home to mama and papa where we’re loved and safe?”
Her weak voice cut through the thick tension between us like a butter knife. She was in denial of what I saw as the truth.
“Because we are adopted and cursed sister! I’m a shapeshifter and you’re a witch for hell’s sake. We have to jump.”
My voice had softened down but still held that same harshness. I reached my hand out to hers and gently grazed my fingers along the soft skin of her hand.
I carefully grabbed her hand and pulled her closer to the edge next to us. A shaky sigh left her lips as she nodded in my direction. I gave her hand a small squeeze before I pulled us over the edge.
Tears clouded my vision as we plummeted to the ocean and rocks below.
“The world will be free of curses once more…”
I heard my sister say as our bodies collided with the ocean surface.
The man had just recently moved into his new house. He didn’t think anything of it when he checked the basement but that’s when he saw a box. Perhaps the previous owners forgot to grab it?
He walked over and read the top of it.
“For the future owner.”
He raised his eyebrow but decided to open it. He saw a little girls diary, it had a unicorn on it and was covered in glitter.
“Strange…”
The man thought. He shrugged and opened up the diary, only for his eyes to widen when he saw a blood-covered knife fall from the diary. He looked down at the knife before looking at the blood covering the diary pages.
“What the hell!?”
He flipped a few pages, noticing the weird drawings and letters. It seemed normal… except for the blood of course. That’s when he saw it. On one of the last pages of the diary was a sentence that sent chills through him.
“I’m always watching and you’ll be next. :)”
Suddenly he heard the basement door slam shut. He dropped the book and ran for the stairs but something tripped him.
That’s when he felt his world go black…
The man was always shunned for how he looked, because who’d want to be friends with someone who looked straight from The Nightmare before Christmas?
He wandered up and down the alleys with his umbrella, trying to find shelter from the constant rain. He would look up at the sky and wonder why the rain would never stop. Was the sky also shunning him or perhaps crying for him? He did not know.
He’d walked down the longest alley yet and that’s when he heard it. It was quiet but he heard a pained whimper of an animal.
He hobbled over to the sound and that’s where he saw an older raccoon, one who had clearly lived its life in fear and pain.
He kneeled down next to the raccoon and propped up his umbrella to shelter the animal from the rain.
“You will never see misery again.”
He silently promised the animal.
She stood at hell’s gates for the first time, her thoughts on a speeding train, she was never able to focus on one solid thought.
As she was brought through the gates she could only imagine how bad she must’ve done in life to end up here.
What felt like an eternity to her had only been a few months, and when she got called back to the gates she seemed hesitant. She looked at the angel sent to bring her to what should’ve been her rightful place.
“No… I’d like to stay.”
She breathed out in a honey-like voice. The angel cocked its head to the side and spoke in a voice that almost sounded… mad?
“What do you mean you’d like to stay? You would be reunited with friends and family!”
She looked at the angel and nodded but stepped back slightly. If one thing was for certain…
She knew she didn’t want to be reunited with them.
Hell had made her feel content, safe, and even wanted. She was content with living in this place where she actually had a purpose, a meaning to keep going.
I reached for the flashlight that hung loosely from my belt, a pounding in my heart like no other. My thoughts were scattered and all I could hear was that repeated scraping sound…
It got closer and closer but sounded so far at the same time. Suddenly I heard it. I heard a scream, a scream so human-like I almost believed it was real, but this wasn’t the first time it’d screamed.
I switched on the flashlight and watched as it flickered and shut off yet again. Just for a second though, I saw it. I saw its red eyes staring at me. It’s teeth glistening in the dim light.
It scratched yet again and that’s when I felt its presence lurking over me. All I heard was a hushed,
“Hello… old friend…”
Before it all went black.
