Chapter VIII: After Midnight
The moonlight glinted off his blades as he plunged them into the earth, tearing a weed up from its roots. Dirt crumbled off it as he held the little plant up, and looked at it. Its dark green leaves, and dirty roots surrounded by shiny metal blades. He felt bad for it; to have to remove the plant just so his flowers could live. It didn't belong there, amongst the pretty blossoms. He frowned as he tossed it on the ground next to him.
It had been a few sad and lonely days since he last went to her house. He was able to will his body not to walk there, but he wasn't able to stop his mind from wandering. He wondered how long he would be haunted by thoughts of her. He could even hear her voice in the wind, singing. He shut his eyes and tried to quiet his mind.
Her voice just kept getting louder, and clearer. He could now make out actual words. She was singing about being lonesome, and wondering if someone was out there searching for her. Her voice was right outside the gate to the inner wall, when she abruptly stopped singing.
He stood up, bewildered, and quickly hid behind the first large hedge he could find. He peeked out from behind it, and looked at the gate to the inner wall. His heart raced as he tried to figure out whether he should try to run inside, or stay where he was. He didn't know what he should do, but he did know how badly he wanted to meet her. Maybe I should introduce myself to her. She seems like she would be nice. What if she does end up being nice?...The man she is with may not be.
While he stood motionless, wondering what to do, there was a rusty squeak from the gate. He watched it intently; feeling comforted by the fact he was far enough away, and it was dark. She wouldn't be able to see him, but he would be able to see her. His eyes were accustomed to darkness.
He watched as she emerged in the open gate, and tentatively step through into his garden. She gasped, and looked around in wide eyed wonder. She looked like she was frozen in place, much like how he was frozen as he watched her. Only her eyes moved.
She came out of the trance, and walked forward; going deeper into the garden. She reached over to touch a flower, a smile growing on her lips. She slowly spun around in a circle; looking at the whole garden. She closed her eyes and swayed a little, as if she were dancing. She slowly opened her eyes, and said aloud, "This place doesn't feel haunted at all. Enchanted is more like it."
She set down whatever she was carrying, and propped it up on the ground. She opened the bag that hung from her shoulder and rested against her hip. She took a device out, and attached it to the stand. He thought it looked a little bit like a camera. She pushed a button on it, and her face was then lit up by a bluish white light.
He was prepared for the blinding white light that a camera produced, but this one didn't. Maybe it wasn't a camera after all. It never made any flashing lights, even after a couple of minutes of her pushing buttons, and it making beeping noises.
She looked up, towards his house, and breathed, "Wow." She gazed at it for a while, then pulled herself away from the view. He was thankful that she didn't seem to be frightened by it. Most people looked at his house with fear in their eyes, but she looked fascinated by it.
She walked away from the device, and followed some of the crooked paths through the garden; getting closer to where his hiding spot was. He started to feel nervous that she would walk right up to him, but then she stopped at the hedge sea serpent. She raised a hand and stroked the side of its neck, and quietly uttered, "Amazing." She looked all around with a big smile. He felt himself smile too, proud that she liked his work.
She walked back to the camera-looking device, and picked it up including its stand. She went back to the sea serpent and set it there. She then proceeded to push the beeping buttons again, while turning it slightly. This was repeated until she had made a full circle with the camera.
He intently watched as she picked the camera up, off of its stand, and looked at it. She pushed some more buttons while her face glowed in the light. Seeing her face, and having her there...actually at his home, made him want to talk to her even more. It was too late though, if he introduced himself now, after hiding all this time, she would surely scream and run away. Never to return. He would just stay right where he was, and not make a sound.
She gasped and looked up right in his direction. He ducked his head behind the hedge. His hands twitched despite his best efforts to control them. He could hear her walking closer to him. She paused in the area that he had just been weeding.
She quietly said, "Hello?"