Chapter 11 inspired by the songs Imaginary by Evanescence, Come Little Children from Hocus Pocus and Mada Dame Yo from Puella Magi Madoka Magica 3rd Movie Rebellion. please enjoy:
Mary, Mary Quite Contrary,
How does your garden grow?
She sat at a dainty, round table it was a beautiful piece with legs forged from iron which formed a beautiful pattern of twisting roses and other flowers, and a glass surface, the table was covered with a white and pink silken table cloth and set out carefully on it was a white, china teapot with pink petals on it and teacups and saucers to match. She could feel that her hair was pulled into a fancy bun, and she wore a pink, silk dress befitting of a princess that would not be found in her wardrobe ever, her arms were gloved up to her elbows and her feet were in pretty white and shoes with small heel were on her feet. Looking back at the table Beatrice noted the center piece was no longer the china teapot, but instead a glass vase with pink crystal roses placed inside which allowed her to observe her features more carefully. The dark circles around her eyes had vanished, her cheeks were more rounded, her body wasn't as thin and her hair wasn't stringy, dull or unkempt but brighter and well managed.
Looking around her she noticed her tea party of one was under a large tree on a slight hill. The tree was huge and towering and had green leaves with tiny pink blossoms. The more she focused her gaze on the tree she noticed the leaves were subtly changing colors from bright green, to dark green, to blue to indigo and then continuing on the rainbow spectrum of colors also the tiny pink blossoms on the tree rapidly sprouted into brilliant light and dark pink flowers before dispersing and gently floating away in the wind before they repeated the cycle again. She was in a garden. It was large and achingly beautiful, stretching on for as long as she could see from her small hill, it had no end. It had lovely marble pathways and aged statues sculpted in various animals and men as well as abstract shapes, It had little iron benches with interesting designs in many corners and a charming, crystalline pond and fountains made of silver and gold crafted just as beautifully as the statues. The time of day was constantly changing just like the tree, at one point it would be the bright sky blue of the day, at another it would be the oranges, dark blues, pinks and purples of sunset, sometimes it would be absurdly just purple but it was beautiful to look at none the less and at other times stars twinkled way above her head in the calm indigo sky. And of course the flowers, they were stunning hauntingly so, all of them vibrant and radiant, there were so many, from the easily identifiable roses, daises, water lilies, tulips and other flowers that most people with common knowledge knew to many others she's never seen or heard of to a few Tris was sure could only come from dreams.
Everything was so otherworldly, so perfect too perfect. A perfect garden, much like the one in the beginning chapters of the book she read in church and she knew a snake would be around sooner or later to tempt her to a fruit which would damn her, after all that's how all her dreams went lately.
Everything was to bright and the world around her seem to sing a familiar tune, the tune of a child's nursery rhyme about a queer lady with a magnificent garden that no one knew the secrets as to how such splendor came to be.
A dream, Tris knew she was in another dream, now if only she could wake up.
With Silver Bells and Cockle Shells
(Marigolds and Roses, Daffodils and Lilies)
So many flowers, all so bright, and giving off the most heavenly aromas Tris had been drawn from her seat under the tree to go and take a walk through the marble pathways so she could better observe the flowers. As she did so she noticed how the path way kept twisting and turning beneath her feet changing in designs each time and giving her the feeling she was continuing in one big circle. However as puzzlingly wonderful as the changes were the overall beauty of the flowers; brimming in hedges, growing on and around trees, on thick vines, in flower beds, lining pathways , floating gently on the ponds, decorating the fountains, statues and benches kept her mind off of the changing pathways and skies.
Carnations, Roses, Lilies, Marigolds, Chrysanthemums, Daffodils, Orchids, Blue bells, Irises, sunflowers, tulips and so many others, each flower unique and breath taking whether they grew singularly, in clumps or arranged neatly mixed with each other. And even with the sheer amount of flowers in the garden a few managed to stand out. Tris' walking along a cobble path ceased as she noticed a shadow that was not her own, looking up from the path, her blue eyes were met with the sight of a lone woman standing over one bed of flowers watering them or at least Tris was assuming that the figure in the shapeless, charcoal robe with a hood obscuring any facial features, was female due to the small hand from one sleeve of the robe which was gripping the water can.
The figure seemed to sense her presence and turning away from her hesitantly beckoned for her to follow with a graceful hand motion. Not dispelling the voice of worry in her head and proceeding with caution, the beautifully dressed blonde hurried after the figure that was moving at a very hurried pace down another path. Tris removed her eyes from her guide for a moment to find bewilderingly the path had changed again to marble, and was lined by towering trees which for some reason cast an unsettling feeling in her gut but Tris ignored it and recast her eyes to where the robed person should have been walking only to see no one there. Tris kept on with her walking still feeling like she was going in circles and giving a frustrated grunt she turned a corner to see a green house.
Pushing open the door she found the hooded person tending to even more plants, these plants didn't look like anything you'd see in real life; they looked better, brighter, so fake… 'Why did I think the word…fake?' Beatrice questioned herself.
The figure gave Tris a slight nod, before clapping its two sleeved hands together. And the green house faded away leaving them back in the garden.
Tris realized she was even deeper in the garden; there were no statues, no iron gates enclosing the flowers in their beds, no pathways. The flowers were merely left to grow wild around each other the brightness of each flower was enough to hurt her eyes they seemed to glow with an ethereal glow. The song of the garden was louder and more clearly heard here. The clear tune of the familiar rhyme with the ringing of bells and a few other instruments, however the melody subtly faded out and a new one began with the flowers chorusing audible words as the figure in front of began to sing in a harmonious whisper:
'Come Little Children, I'll take thee away' the figure sang
'Dear Mother Mary with you we will stay' the flowers answered her glee ringing in their song
'Into my garden where you will blossom' the figure now identified as Mother Mary continued
'You're our Protector, our Shepard, our Mother' the flowers chanted their tune becoming more solemn as though they were taking a binding vow.
'In my eternal garden of summer' Mary sang warmly
'Forever and ever, amen' the flowers finished their chorus.
The clocked figure then began to take the form of a well-developed female body as it grew a bit taller in size, the figure turned to face Tris as it's hood fell away to reveal a face, that was achingly beautiful. Her eyes were two large orbs of molten gold; blazing serenely as they stared directly at Tris, her cheeks were round and ruddy, radiant with health, her face was a perfect tear drop in shape and her hair was Rapunzel like stretching on for miles in its golden glory, floating gently around her never touching the ground.
Her entire body carried a celestial glow emphasizing her beauty which was such that angels and mortals alike would weep at the sight, which Tris bewilderingly found herself doing as she raised a hand to her moist cheeks. The best thing about Mary however would be the smile that her ruby lips were placidly stretched into. It was a smile that promised one could fall asleep in her arms yet Tris couldn't shake her gut feeling that something was very off about the smile. She wanted to wake up… she really really wanted to wake up.
'This isn't real' she tried telling herself, yet she wanted it to be real.
"Tell me child. Do you wish to stay in my garden with me?" came Mary's voice; the voice of the saints was all Tris could think of.
"You can be free, free from worries and live among the innocent flowers." The voice was closer now by her ears. Tris hadn't even registered Mary's movements as the woman lifted her chin making her stare directly into the hypnotizing pools of gold.
"Stay here with me forever, I can protect you, no one will hurt you again: no more bullies, no more rumours, just peace and bliss." so tempting the offer was so tempting. The flowers once more began their praises to their Mother Mary. Her eyes were so bright, so soothing.
'Yes I can stay here.' Tris thought, 'No worries, no bullies, just mother to love me and nurture me.' But something kept nagging her in her mind then it clicked 'but something's wrong.'
"I can be your protector my dear rose, I will comfort you, just say yes and you'll have eternal peace in my summer garden for a blissful slumber without end." came Mary's voice again.
The offer was gorgeous, it was everything she'd ever wanted, a dream come true still Tris could not quiet the nagging feeling that something was wrong. Quieting her thoughts Tris allowed the song of the flowers to full her ears.
'Dear Mother Mary, with you we will stay, you're our protector, our Shepard, our mother, forever and ever amen.' A sudden dark clarity crept on Tris as she now understood what she had earlier suspected. 'That's it.' she thought 'an oath, their saying an oath to this creature.'
Staring into Mary's eyes again Tris caught what she's missed before. For as bright and pretty as her eyes were they were flat and dull and held no true emotion, the smile was insincere; she was only surface pretty to appeal to the human weakness of admiring beautiful things. Tris thought back to the words the flowers had sung when she first realized she was in the dream garden before Mary had appeared to her, the familiar tune of a nursery rhyme.
'Mary Mary Quite Contrary'
'How does your garden grow?'
'With Silver bells and Cockle Shells'
(Marigolds, Roses, Daffodils and Lilies)
The flowers had inserted their own line into the well-known song and they had never finished the song only kept on repeating it, the song was a warning.
'Mary is a contradiction, her touch is comforting but freezing to the senses, her eyes beautiful but emotionless…soulless, her words were promising but false and her garden grew from…' Tris thought
"Come now Beatrice, Tris my dear rose it is time to make your decision." Mary said.
"No!" Tris said firmly pulling away from Mary's grasp. "I will not stay in eternal summer; I can protect myself and you. are. not. my. Mother!" Tris yelled at the woman.
Mary never stopped smiling however her young hand begun to age rapidly becoming wrinkly and talon like, her form once again morphed into a shapeless form, her smile was now much wider and showing teeth coming across as terrifying, just as her face began to melt away to reveal the muscles under her face the hood returned casting deep shadows over her face, but the peek at what was awaiting you under the hood had already engraved itself on Tris' mind, also the hood still allowed for the wide, predator grin to be seen.
Horrified Tris stumbled away from her and the petals of the flowers stuck to her slowing down her escape as shadowy hands shot up from the flower beds, keeping her in place, pulling her down under the soil to join them, thee flowers no longer appeared as bright, but dark, twisted and bloodied, the sweet smell they'd given off earlier was replaced with a rank scent of decay burning through Tris' olfactory senses like acid. And again the songs came from the flowers only now they sounded as they really were ominous, twisted and dark, first Mary sang her words of promise followed by a few of the flowers praising her while the others then sinisterly chorused the damned children's nursery rhyme Mary Mary Quite Contrary as Tris ironically remembered a time her brother had explained the origins of a few fairy tales and nursery rhymes to frighten her for his amusement, The one the flowers sang was created in remembrance of the Countess Bloody Mary who made a habit of killing people, a ruthless woman who was rumoured to bathe in the blood of her victims, back then Tris had surprised her brother by being interested in more explanations … she didn't find those facts fascinating now.
This time the flowers actually finished their song.
'Mary Mary Quite Contrary.'
Mary's body glowed like a halo, however Tris knew she was no angel, there was nothing good about her light.
'How does your garden grow?'
Tris knew the answer and the answer sickened her… 'souls…the souls of…' Tris' thoughts were cut off as she cried out in pain. The hands were ripping into her skin, their nails tearing it apart as the dug through her muscles and nerves. Her bones broke as the pulled her under the soil which itself was sinking her in, keeping her in place for Mary's advancing touch.
'Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up!' she kept chanting to herself.
'With Silver bells and Cockle shells'
Here they broke off from the nursery rhyme and added a few of their own lyrics.
'Marigolds, Daisies, Posies, Roses, Violets, Dandelions, Tulips, Sunflowers, Chrysanthemums, Orchids, Cherry-blossoms, Hibiscuses, Lilies '
'Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!' the touch was too close the soil was beginning to suffocate her as it entered her mouth and nostrils.
'And Pretty maids all in a row'
The souls of the maidens was how the garden grew, imprisoned in the neat rows of the earth forced to worship and sustain the very thing which had snatched their souls.
'Wake Up! WAKE UP! WAKE UPPPPP!' Tris screamed as the touch came closer before everything went back.
Tris bolted upright gasping, covered in sweat to a loud yell, looking wildly around, the familiar décor of her room came into view and Tris was able to identify her surroundings as she calmed herself only for a new form of panic to envelope her.
The door to her room was thrown open and her mother was over her eyes wild with fright when their eyes met. Tris could feel her own hair was matted her eyes stung, her cheeks were moist and she registered pain in her body, the pain in her cheek allowed her to realize Natalie had slapped her to wake her up, her broken Lamp and deep angry self-inflicted scratches on her wrists and arms alerted Tris to the fact she had done a lot of damage to herself.
"I'm sorry," Tris said to her mother. "So sorry…" Her voice sounded raspy and strained, and her mother merely enveloped her in a hug wordlessly lifting her up she settled her child back into her bed tucking Tris back under the covers and switching off the bedroom light, instead of leaving Tris however she then climbed back into bed switched on the lamp to low and gently ran her hand through her weeping child's hair.
The gesture calmed Tris town as she leaned her into her mother's touch. After a few minutes of this Natalie began to sing, and Tris was not at all too proud to tell her to not sing, it had been a long time since she'd last indulged in her mother's affection like this as Convent and Abnegation values dictate that after a certain age coddling is to be over less the child learn to cultivate selfish tendencies.
Natalie's voice was low and melodious the tune was one Tris remembered last hearing when she was a tiny child the lyrics were in Japanese but Natalie had taught the English lyrics to Tris, these were in the days when Natalie secretly spoiled her away from her father's eyes and ears slowly enriching Tris' knowledge as she passed on languages she had learnt in her years of travelling while helping other people.
Tris closed her eyes and listened to the song translating the Lyrics in her mind:
'Watashi wa Asa no yume wo miru.' The first line of the song was sung in a soothing tone, it was slow and sweet like molasses
'I dream of morning.' Tris' mind translated and then went on to wonder if she would last til the morning if the voices and nightmares that plagued her wouldn't tear her apart by then.
'Made dame you, Mada dame yo' the next line of the song was sung a bit faster and in a more playful tone, but with the promise the morning was coming.
'It's not time yet, It's not time yet.' Tris could feel the noises in her head dispelling not even the voice came to her, night couldn't last forever, it wasn't time yet but morning would come.
'Nani iro no asa ga kuru?' the playful lit was still there with a hint of wondering in the voice.
'What color will the morning be?' Tris thought about all the colors the morning could be, dark and stormy greys and blacks, bright and sunny yellows and sky blues or would she be able to catch the elusive pink, orange and indigo skies of sunrise?
'Mada dame yo, Made dame yo.' The song was teasing again. 'Still not time yet.' Tris wondered sleepily.
'Mada yoru wa tabekake yo.' Natalie crooned softly.
'The night is only half eaten.' Tris mind sang in her own voice in English. 'I wonder how the night does taste' she went on fighting the drowsiness creeping up on her.
'Nemuru bery ga naru doko ni iru?' Natalie almost whispered.
'Where is the child who slumbers?' Tris' mind registered in a haze 'I'm right here mom.' She leaned further into her mother's touch as Natalie finished stroking her hair and gently began to braid it.
'Saa Ohayo Nightmare.' Natalie's voice changed to a powerful tone almost as if she were banishing the nightmares with her voice alone.
'Now Good morning to you nightmare.' Tris' mind repeated, morning would come and the light it brought like her mom's voice would vanquish her nightmares.
Warui Oyume wa Korekkiri.' Natalie's voice finished on a powerful note.
'Yes.' Tris agreed 'the bad dreams would never come again.' She felt so safe. Natalie began another song but Tris closed her eyes welcoming sweet sleep.
She didn't have any more nightmares, just a sweet dream of a story her mom taught her when she was young involving a rainbow crow.
So let me know what you think. Please review.