Author's Note: This is a small sample of the story "My Secret Garden". I will finish the story before it makes it on here, so you have a while to wait for the real deal.

Disclaimer: I own all the characters and ideas in this story.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My Secret Garden

Lindessa and Kimi had been friends for a long time, almost since they were born. Now, as adult children, their minds were full of fantasies. Many fantasies of daring adventures in far off lands.

Lindessa Perryweather was almost 9 and felt she had a little superiority over her 7 year old friend, especially with Kimi being Japanese. Her mom had always told her that the people of the east were not to be trusted and that she needed to keep distance from her. But that never stopped her.

Kimi Katoki was a shy individual and even while speaking perfect Japanese, she sill had the tongue of a white girl. Lindessa had always been so kind to her, for she had been a stranger in a new land. In these times, Foreigners weren't well thought of.

One summer day, Lindessa had asked Kimi to visit for a special tea party. Both of them were to bring their beloved dolls. Kimi began to unfold the soft floral cloth and laid it neatly at the top of the hill, underneath the grand oak tree.

This had always been their meeting place where they could get away from the high rule of the adults.

Lindessa was handling the small dishes when suddenly, one of them slipped from her hands and began to roll down the grassy hill. She quickly set the rest on the blanket and ran after it.

The meadow that overlooked her house was a wonderful sight. The grass rolled swiftly as a breeze would pass though it. Her favorite part of living in the country side was the calm peacefulness of it.

She loved the sound of the birds flitting above as they sung to each other. Some days she would come out and just lay there, watching the clouds as they passed by. With as much time as she spent in the field, you'd think she would know her own environment.

When Lindessa reached the spot where she had seen the dish stop rolling, she looked around for a minute or so and finally got on her hands and knees. The grass rose to her shoulders which made it hard to find a small peace of china; it was like finding a needle in a haystack. Feeling the warm earth, Lindessa unexpectedly came upon a large hole. The ground sunk low and fell into the depths of the earth.

"Hey!" She called, turning around abruptly and sat upright. "Come look at this Kimi!"

Kimi looked up from the arrangement she had made and began to head down the hill towards her friend. Almost skipping down the hill, Kimi made her way downward.

"What is it Miss Lindessa?"

"Look what I found." Lindessa smiled deviously and pointed at her new discovery. "I'm betting the plate fell down there." Kimi smiled also as she kneeled down to get a closer look. "You know what that means..."

Kimi looked up and nodded as her heart began to race. They had found another adventure.

Both of them bent forward, looking into the dark break in the soil.

"I wonder where it leads." Kimi said, sitting back up on her knees. Lindessa did the same, wiping some dirt off her dress, in vain. The stain was still there.

"I don't know, but," She bowed forward again. "I'm willing to find out!"

Lindessa was the first to notice it; a faint light could be seen illuminating the ground beneath.

"Hey, there seems to be light coming from somewhere." Kimi perked up and looked through the hole as well. Without another word, Lindessa began to lower herself down, with the assist of Kimi.

Feeling the soft soil smush in-between her toes Lindessa gave a smile. The smell was wonderful; a mixture of damp earth and a faint breeze could be felt. Kimi started her way down and landed beside her partner. As soon as Kimi's bare feet sunk into the soil, she took off walking. Lindessa followed, just as curious.

The trail was long and dark but an unexplained light lead the pathway. Kimi and Lindessa had never seen anything like it before. The walls of the large burrow were moist and almost dripping with water. They guessed, probably from the recent rain fall. Along the way, Lindessa and Kimi came upon many creatures, both recognizable and unfamiliar.

Soon the luminosity in the tunnel began to become a little lighter as a bright glow became noticeable ahead of them.

"Oh, Miss Lindessa!" Kimi shouted as their steps started to quicken with each second. Both were breathing hard, their hearts pounding. What would they find when they reached the light? Their hopes were high. Finally their goal was accomplished as the heat of the sunlight shone on their skin and the smell of fresh air was evident.

The light was so bright compared to the darkness of the passageway, both Lindessa and Kimi had to covered their eyes and squint for a second. When Lindessa's eyes adjusted to the light, her eyes commenced to wander.

Standing in front of them was a large metal gate, its doors wide open, almost inviting them in. The gate was old, as they could see small amounts of rust. Along and through the gate were lushes vines, climbing upward until it could ascend no more and then it fell back down to earth on the other side.

Both Kimi and Lindessa were drawn in. Just as the vines had been pulled down by gravity, they were pulled in by curiosity. Their feet moved without thought as they initiated to dream up the adventures they could have.

"Lindessa," Kimi said in a whisper, almost unheard. "This place… is like…" she trailed off as they came to a large stone, covered in vines and leaves. They began to brush the vines and leaves away and found an inscription engraved on it. With her hands, Lindessa wiped away the wet dirt as they leaned forward, reading the words aloud, together. "MY SECRET GAREDEN".