"What are you doing?" Azalea whispered. She stared at me. I felt my face burn.

"I-I-I was about to-to go to my- my breakfast!! Yeah! See, I woke up about ten minutes ago. I got dressed and went down to the breakfast but no one was there so I came back here. Yeah." That worked. Cool.

"Uh-huh. What may I ask is "breakfast"? You don't mean the morning meal, do you?"

"Um, yes. The morning meal. We call it breakfast where I'm from."

"Goodness, you are different. And not in a good way either."

"Whatever." She scowled at me and rolled over.

I sneaked out again that night. And the next.

Every night, after everyone else was asleep, I'd creep out into the garden.

One sunset, I decided to visit the garden and study the flowers in the daylight.

Ever since I started sneaking out, I hadn't visited the garden but in the dark. Wow, did I just say that? I really am turning in to a finished woman. It's like they're brainwashing me... and succeeding. I don't have half the energy or spirit I had before I came here.

Anyway, I walked out the door. I had no reason to go in secret, so perhaps it was out of habit that my heart beat ever so loudly on the path to the garden. I saw no one about, but rather, I felt extremely vulnerable. I felt exposed, being out on a clear path in daylight.

Then I heard the voices.

"What else would stop you?" asked a voice rather urgently. It seemed oddly familiar.

"Nothing," came the answer. Hattie. My curiosity got the better of me.

As I crept forward I heard this:

"What orders do you plan to give me?" Orders... Ella!

"I don't plan."

"Why do you hate me?"

"You never admired me."

"Do you admire me?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"You're pretty. And brave."

How was Ella getting Hattie to admit all that? I peered through the bushes at them. Hattie held a bouquet of flowers. Her face was oddly blank and Ella was staring at her hard.

"What do you fear?" Ella asked.

"Ogres. Bandits. Drowning. Becoming ill. Climbing mountains. Mice. Dogs. Cats. Birds. Horses. Spiders. Worms. Tunnels. Poi-"

"What do you want most in the world?" Ella interrupted. Wow. Hattie was afraid of EVERYTHING!!

"To be Queen."

Her eyes started to come back into focus as Ella threw in, "What are your secrets?"

She didn't answer Ella. Rather, she just pulled on Ella's hair.

"Why am I standing here?" She asked Ella.

She looked at her flowers.

"Oh yes. What a good lady-in-waiting to bring me such a beautiful bouquet. But one scent is not sweet. Take it out."

Ella took a flower out of the bouquet and stomped on it.

I pulled out of the bush I'd been peering through and sat down on the hard earth.

I heard/saw Hattie leave first. She practicly galloped out of the garden. Ella followed, rather folornly.

I slipped around the bush and picked up the remains of the flower that Ella had thrown out.

I examined it. It was a very beautiful flower, to be sure. It was a light violet with white around the edges. There was six petals, and they fanned out and curled at the tips. I smelled it.

It smelled beautiful.

...

I felt a fuzzy feeling come over me.

...

I felt all warm inside.

...

I binked. I was standing in the garden. Why? Oh yes, I was smelling this flower. I held it up. The center of the petals was nothing but a black dot, yet it finished beautifying the flower itself.

The stem was the richest and darkest green I had ever seen. It was connected to the flower's petals by round marble-size and shape of stem. It was very pretty. I didn't smell it again though, because it smelled nausiating. I threw it down and proceeded to my little expedition.

The garden was even more beautiful during the daytime. The whole air quivered with color. Blooms of unique design bore the colors of violet, blue, white, yellow, orange, green, red, pink, magenta, and many others. I examined all the flowers. The only two I knew were daisies and roses.

They reminded me of home.

I

wish

I

was

home!!

Author's Note: PLEASE review!!