Disclaimer: My thoughts and words are my own; the characters belong to another mind. I do not wish to sabotage or take claim to the names I do not own, so don't sabotage my imagination my suing me. Thank you.
A/N: I was inspired by my favourite movie to do this fanfic. If anyone has heard of the movie "The Secret Garden" from 1997, I highly recommend that you watch it. After watching that movie, I was inspired to write this fanfic. It may be similar in some areas, but I assure you it will be different. Please review and tell me what you think of it. Enjoy!
Chapter One
The wind gently let the blossoms of spring dance through the light air. The long grass rustled, as did the oceans of flowers that grew amidst the green. The rain had stopped earlier that day, letting the sun shine down upon his kingdom to kiss the sweet petals in her garden. The light breeze still carried the scent of rain, a tranquil, clean smell that could hang in the air longer than the coldness of any previous winter ever could. This calmed her as she sat among beds of blue forget-me-nots and pink roses.
A single, white daisy, her favourite kind, was neatly tucked behind one ear, entwined with her long golden coloured hair. Daisies were above all, the most beautiful flowers that inhabited her garden. Everyday, since the incident, she would always place a single white daisy on the tombstones that lay in the gardens as a symbol that she would not forget the ones who had fallen. For many years, she had cried at the spot where she sat, but today, she had no tears to shed. She wanted to cry, but could find no strength in herself so to let her sorrows run. This would be her last morning in the gardens. She would soon be taken away from the place she loved to an unknown and completely new country.
She sighed heavily, as she inhaled the sweet fragrances of the surrounding flowers one last time. This was the last time she would ever smell the forget-me-nots, and sit in her garden while letting her imagination run wild. Where she was going, as far as she knew, there were no comforts she could find only in her garden. There were no stone arches that protected one when it suddenly began to pour. There were no lilac or oak trees that created cool shade on hot, summer days. There was no family to visit daily. Where she was going was (in her mind at least) dull and lifeless; it was a place she wished she could run away from.
Deep in her own world of subconscious, she did not hear the man approach from behind her, who had now been watching the girl curiously.
"Sorry little miss, but it is time to go," he said, startling the girl, "The ship will be leavin' in an hour, so we must get to the harbour before it goes without you." The girl snorted at his comment, taking her eyes off of him.
"Don't scare me like that Peter. And I would rather miss the ship. I do not wish to leave." She sighed silently. "Why can't I just stay here with you and the other staff?"
Peter politely took of his cabby hat, exposing his bright red hair. "I would like you to stay miss, but since your parents have not consented me to stay with you as a guardian," He paused, nodding towards the two tombstones that lay behind her, "You must stay with the person they have stated to be your guardian. And, if we don't start moving-"
"-But I've lived here without a guardian for an entire year!" She interrupted in a plea, standing up to face the cab driver. "I don't see why I must leave to be with my godmother now!" She crossed her arms in protest, but the cab driver only smiled impatiently at her remarks. She knew there was nothing she could say to let her stay in her former home.
"It took about a year to send a letter to your godmother, translate it to Japanese, and then wait for a translated reply! Lord knows mail takes forever to be sent overseas." He watched the girl in front of him look back at the two tombstones behind her. "I'm sure your mother and father would have wanted you to be with your godmother. Why else would they choose someone so far away as she? Now come on, we best be off right about now."
The sun hid behind a menacing rain cloud as the black carriage pulled out of the stone path and onto the road. A slight mist skewed the girl's view of the castle through her window. It was a mere dot on a hill in the distance now. That castle, her home, would never be seen by her eyes again. She wished desperately for the past year to be one large dream, but it was indeed real.
"Say goodbye to Baldin Manor, miss." She heard Peter say from his seat atop of the carriage. "It is off to a new adventure for you." The girl snorted at his comment. She knew he was trying to sound encouraging for her, but it seemed that he was only taking her to a doomed life, and not an adventure.
Finally, as the castle was out of sight, she turned from her window and stared at the crimson velvet wall of the carriage. She thought of all the adventures she had had before in the gardens outside her home. She thought of the day when her parents gave her a private garden all her own. Those days of joy and merriment were most likely over. Her jungle, her haven was already sold to another wealthy family to ruin, and she would be sent to a not-so wealthy godmother in a completely different country. She had taken lessons from her housekeeper Sophia, to learn the language of her new country and was beginning to be quite fluent in it; but still, the culture shock for her would be dreadful.
"This could be a new adventure for me," she thought to herself, "But it would be much better if I didn't have to leave my garden."
The harbour slowly came into view in the misty afternoon. A large, white ship named, "The Marietta" was docked close to shore, blocking most of her view of the ocean. It was a magnificent ship, but the girl did not think a ship so beautiful could carry her to a fate so appalling.
Her carriage came to a stop close to the boarding area. Peter opened her door, and escorted the young lady out. She stood in awe for a moment, marvelling at the ship of the Marietta. Peter quickly took her luggage out of the carriage and placed the bags beside her.
The sea air was almost nauseating to the girl. It was filled with scents of salt, fish, and sea rats. She had not been accustomed to these smells before, as she had never been on a ship before.
"How long is the journey from England to Japan, Peter?" she asked the red haired man beside her.
"With the Marietta, it should be less than a week aboard the ship." He answered boastfully. "This ship here is the fastest yet. No ship I have seen had wind sails as big as the Marietta's! Under full sail, I here it can go more than twelve knots!"
"I am not fully accustomed to nautical terms Peter," she smiled, amused at his excitement. "I wish you could come with me."
"I wish I could join you as well miss, but I am only a chauffeur. My job is to drive a carriage, and that is where my life journey must be: on a road." The cab driver pulled his hat back on with a proud smile.
A man wearing a sailor's uniform walked up to the two. He carried a quill and paper in his hands.
"Would you be Miss Audrey Whiting?" He asked in a professional tone. The girl nodded shyly.
"I guess this is where I leave you," Peter told her quietly. He held his hat bashfully in his hands again, while looking down at his unpolished shoes.
"I hope we meet again soon Peter," she told him, quickly hugging him. She didn't want to let go, he had been a good friend for her since she was just a child, but the sailor pushed her to say her good byes.
"Miss Whiting, I will show you to your cabin." He said firmly, picking up her luggage. She nodded, waving one last time to Peter. Peter waved back as he walked back to the carriage.
There was no turning back now. She would soon be off to Japan, to meet her godmother, and maybe even a new adventure. It would be exciting, but it was difficult to leave on an adventure without her mother or father by her side.
A/N: Sorry to leave it at a cliff hanger, but I will update soon. I'll clear up a few things in the next chapter because it might be a little confusing right now. I hope you enjoyed it none the less. Please review and tell me what you think! Until next time!