AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Not exactly the way it was meant to be.
But for now, I’ll take it.
“It’s your turn, boy.”
I shake my head.
“Fucking pussy.”
Does he mean for me to fuck her or kill her? I don’t want to do either, but I doubt I’ll have a choice either way.
He’s been putting more and more pressure on me lately. Making more demands. Taking me with him on business ‘meetings’ and ‘trips’. I’ve seen more dead bodies than I can count, and I know it’s only a matter of time before he expects me to be the one pulling the trigger.
I think I’d prefer that to…this.
I didn’t know it was possible to feel so many emotions in such a short space of time. It’s no wonder I can’t sleep.
Slipping out of bed with caution, I tiptoe across the room, guided by mere slivers of moonlight through the partially open bedroom door. The curtains are shut tight, but there must be an uncurtained window somewhere in the hallway, because the glint of moonlight is just enough to see by.
The floor creaks, but the boys in my bed remain oblivious to my departure, lost in their own deep slumber. My heart pounds with a mixture of fear and exhilaration as I take in my surroundings.
It’s too dark to make out details, but the floorboards are bare beneath my feet and strangely warm, and the bed was sumptuous and comfy. It’s hard to reconcile that with Axel’s threat of making me a prisoner. What did he tell them? To lock me in the dungeon? I hope he was joking.
Axel never jokes.
True, but clearly if he meant what he said, Kaiden and Zie not only took it upon themselves to disobey orders but to guard me all night long like faithful sentries too.
I turn for the door, needing fresh air to clear my head. Maybe a few minutes outside and I’ll be ready for slumber once more.
With every step down the winding staircase, I can feel myself shedding layers of hurt and resentment. Each creaking stair echoes in the silent space, threatening to raise the alarm, but I force my thudding heart to calm. I’m not trying to escape, just get my bearings. If anyone finds me, I can explain that. I woke up confused and I’m taking a minute for myself.
The foyer is beautiful. Moonlight streams in through large arched church-style windows, illuminating the chequered flooring that reminds me of a giant chess board. I’ve always felt like a pawn in Axel’s game, but I think it’s time I took the queen spot for myself. The game may be over when the King has no moves left, but the queen has the most power during the match.
The heavy front door opens without any resistance and the night air greets me like a long-lost lover as I find myself standing on the threshold of rebellion. If I knew where I was, I could run, but what would be the point? He’d only drag me back again. No, this freedom, this rebellion, is internal, and much more triumphant.
The moonlight casts a soft glow upon my face as I stand on the front porch, my heart beating fast with anticipation. The weight of Axel’s threat felt like a millstone tied around my neck earlier, but in this moment, I know I have the strength to challenge him. I’m not running away, just taking a breath of fresh air, I tell myself as I descend the smooth stone steps that lead away from the door.
A few paces later, I turn to look back at the grand house, the lights flickering behind me, casting an eerie glow. It’s beautiful. Gothic, spiky, intimidating to outsiders. But to me, it looks like somewhere I’d dream of calling home one day.
I listen for any hint that I might be discovered, but there’s only the distant sound of crickets and the gentle rustle of leaves in the wind.
Taking a deep breath, I make my way towards the garden in the backyard. The chessboard tiles from the entranceway of the house spill outside into a lavish patio with wrought iron furniture fit for a Wonderland-esque banquet, but soon beyond that the grass is soft and dewy beneath my bare feet, and the faint scent of peonies fills my nostrils, which is impossible because they’re not in season.
I wander further, beyond the walled garden and through a half-hidden archway with ivy growing over the door. A faint smile tugs on my lips at the memory of reading ‘The Secret Garden’ for the first time. I was obsessed with that book for a while.
An old key sits in the lock – it’s impossible not to turn it and push the door open to explore what secrets are hidden beyond.
There’s a clearing amongst the trees, a meadow almost that I can imagine filled with wildflowers in the summer. In the distance there looks to be a greenhouse, but I can only tell from the moonlight glinting off the glass. The space is beautiful. Serene.
I walk between tall trunks until I stumble upon a small bench nestled among the trees on the outskirts of the clearing, and I sit down, feeling the cool metal beneath me.
Closing my eyes, the tension in my body starts to dissipate. The world around me feels alive and vibrant, as if I’m just waking up to the reality of my own power. I don’t need Axel to control me. I am my own person, and I will make my own choices.
As I sit there, surrounded by the serenity of the midnight garden, a sense of peace washes over me. The pain and fear of yesterday seems so distant now, and I know that I’m finally ready to move forward. I have to find my own strength and be the person I know I can be.
I’m not sure how long I rest, justbeing,before I decide to explore a little further. I cross the grass and make my way towards the greenhouse. As I get closer, it becomes clear that my hunch was right, but the glass construction is so much bigger than I’d initially thought. It’s easily twenty feet long and it’s reminiscent of a Victorian pavilion glasshouse, which takes me by surprise.
There’s no lock on the door, so I slip through and I’m immediately enveloped in the familiar scent of peonies. I mustn’t have imagined it before, but nothing could prepare me for this. It’s…magical.
