The Garden

July 9th, 2004

I had stood enchanted as I stared at the neglected garden and was touched by its despair. I could feel the misery of the juniper trees around me. The garden stretched up into town, winding like a black river through the bright party towers and houses. I wasn’t allowed there. I had snuck out of my room once the sun had disappeared from the sky. I still hadn’t met any of the other children besides Four and I had only seen so much of the Academy. I had grown restless and was yearning to see more. The garden had caught my eye before, though I hadn’t had much of a look at it yet. I was disappointed and even somewhat hurt to see it in such bad shape. I remember that evening as my wake up call. I had always known about my powers but had never imagined them to be this strong. That evening I realized my true potential. I realized why Sage had taken me under his wing. I had had intensive training and learned a lot about myself in a very short time. That evening, I decided to put it all to the test. 

It started as a tingling sensation in my lower abdomen. The same you’d feel when going down a hill really fast. That sensation spread further until it reached the tips of my fingers and toes. It felt as if my entire body was trembling. I had so much energy build up inside me and it was desperate to break free. I opened myself up to the world around me. I felt a soft breeze lift my hair and smelled the scent of the neglected primroses carried around by the wind. I listened to the sound of the squirrels that had sought refuge in some of the last living trees. I felt a wave of warmth spread through me originating from the same spot the tingling sensation had. It reached my fingertips and I let it burst out of me with great violence. I completely lost track of time or anything else for that matter as my powers flowed from my body. I felt great satisfaction and pride as I opened my eyes and witnessed what I had created.

I felt the cold drops of rain touch my skin and wash away the warmth still racing through my body. The garden was a shade brighter, even in the rain. It was as if the gift of the skies wasn’t water, but liquid magic, washing our world to show what was there all along, nature in her humble brilliance. The buttercups became gold, the grass the shade of every dreamer's meadow, roots quenched, soil renewed. And after the patter of the rain came bursts of birdsong, their hearts rejoicing the occasion of the rain. 

There I stood, among my friends of root and wand, amid each green leaf and delicate petal, there were the dancing birds and the squirrels that darted. It was as if the song, the scurries and the subtle movements of flora were their voice, the song of the garden for those who listen with more than their ears. 

In that idyllic, solitary place, I told myself, nothing base or cruel could ever happen: the harmony of the landscape softened the spirit, resolved conflict, relieved the soul. I was standing against the backdrop of a sea of colors being darkened by dusk and ran my fingers through my hair. I smiled contently at what I already considered my new abode.  

“Well done, Number Six,” Master Lucius said unexpectedly. He had apparently been watching me. 

“Thank you, sir,” I said. I wasn’t sure what to expect from Master Lucius. It was late and I wasn’t supposed to be in the garden. He didn’t seem angry though. He actually seemed to be impressed as he turned his eyes from one colorful flower to the next. 

“Am I in trouble?” I asked. 

“Should you be in trouble?” he counter questioned me. 

“I broke the rules by being here this late.”

“That is not an answer to my question,” he said firmly.

“No,” I answered after I had thought about my actions. “I shouldn’t be in trouble. I did not cause any harm. In fact, I did something good.”

“True,” Master Lucius grinned, “However, life is unfair. Some rules can be broken without consequences, but not in this house. I shall-”

“Come on, Lucius! Don’t be such a buzzkill!” A young girl not much older than me walked in and glanced around the garden. I had met her before but only very briefly. I immediately wondered what her powers could be. She didn’t look too special. Master Lucius looked at her with furrowed eyebrows. 

“You should not be here Number Five. Return to your room at once!” he spoke. 

“Come on,” she said almost beggingly, “There's whispers in the wind that-” Master Lucius eyes turned grey and glassy as if he wasn’t really there anymore, but before Five could finish her sentence she was interrupted.

“Five!” Another girl came to check what all the fuss was about. She was a bit older and handled herself with care. I remembered she introduced herself to me as One. “Don’t you dare use your powers against Master Lucius!”

“Come on, One. You’re all such party poopers!”

“Are you okay?” One asked Master Lucius. His eyes seemed to have returned to normal. He did seem to be a little weak on the knees and wasn’t entirely sure what had happened. 

“Y-yes,” he stuttered as he regained his senses, “You should all return to your rooms at once!”

By now the whole Academy was awake. The lights turned on and three boys followed each other into the garden. One of them I had already met. The others were around the same age as One. It was quite a sight, an irritated and somewhat overworked adult made some desperate attempts to send a bunch of hard hearing children back to bed. Any regular parent would have enough trouble with that as it was already. 

The three boys were looking around in amazement. Four’s puppy eyes lit up and he ran around to see if everything was even real. Another, who wore a hoodie over his pajamas and hid his face from me as if there was something he didn’t want me to see, looked around as well. His name was Two and he had tried to hide from me the first time we had met as well. He was much better able to control his emotions and remained much of a mystery to me. The third didn’t look at the garden once. Instead, he stared at me with his piercing eyes like he had last time. 

“What the devil is going on here!” Sage stormed into the garden. None of the children moved a muscle or dared to look at him. 

“It was me, sir,” I said. “I’m sorry I’ve gone wandering around.” Even though Sage’s tone of voice shook me to the bones I felt more pride than I did fear.