The Sacred Garden

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Reference:
Quad:
[x] by daniimd
[x] by Plipkat
Human:
[x] by fuzzycat

First draft. Needs editing.

There is a story around these parts of a young girl.

She could often be seen tending to her garden. Though many avoided her, they often watched her from a distance; their morbid curiosity unable to be kept under control. She had been abandoned as a child. Her mother took ill and passed not long after her birth. Her father, forever blaming the young child, left one evening and never returned.

Ever since that day, the other villagers thought her to be cursed. They'd watch her tend to her garden, waiting to see if the flowers would wilt or catch fire with her touch. They never did. She had a talent with gardening, her flowers the most vibrant in all the land. Visitors would often come to see the fabulous petals, only to be deterred by the vile rumors spread amongst the town.

She cried to herself often. A few villagers would allow her supplies, not cruel enough to let her starve to death, though they refused to take any money from her. She'd often leave a flower at their door step, only to find it trampled into dust the next day. The young, naive girl did not understand the cruelty bestowed upon her. She could not comprehend why life was so cruel. Things got worse for her when she took ill.

It started off as what seemed like a simple cough. She did not think much of it; the other villagers had also been sick recently, so it wasn't strange that she caught the same illness. However, the girl developed a strange side effect very different from the other villagers.

Spring was shifting into summer, and still her spring bug lingered. She had been bedridden for a few days now, but was determined to tend to her garden. She could not let her precious flowers die. Filling a watering pail, she glanced outside her window. Many of the petals had started to wither due to the recent drought. She would have to spend all day caring for them.

Pushing the small cottage's wooden door open, she walked around the side and began her work. Pulling weeds, replanting fallen or trampled saplings, and watering her thirsty flowers consumed much of the day. As the sun slowly set, she plucked a flower to deliver to the grocer as thanks for sending her a basket of groceries.

Just as the plant was removed from it's roots, it grew heavy. Felicity looked at flower in shock. What once was green and alive was now a solid crystal. She didn't believe her eyes, this couldn't have been the same flower. She released it from her grasp, watching it fall to the ground before shattering into a fine dust. All that remained of the crystal flower was a single petal. She picked it up from the ground and inspected it once more, before quickly returning inside.

That night, she sat at her dining room table, staring at the delicate petal. "What is this happening?" she questioned, tears welling up in her eyes. Perhaps she really was cursed. She shook her head and wiped her tears. "No, this is a gift." She nodded to herself before searching a small chest in the corner of her small home. Removing a long chain from it, she returned to the table.

Carefully, she made a small hole it the petal's base. Sliding it along the chain, she clasped the newly made necklace around her neck. "Something this beautiful could not be a curse," she said smiling to herself. Blowing out the candle that lit the small room, she retired for the evening.

The girl would continue to be bedridden for another week. Her health continued to deteriorate at an astounding speed, though no matter how weak she was, she pulled herself out of bed and made sure to care for her flowers. She could not let them die, they were all she had in this world. As the week went on, she seemed to be doing better. Her cough was slowing getting better and soon she was able to return to her normal daily life.

However, she refused to pluck another flower. The villagers began to find it odd that the young girl no longer brought them as thanks. Did she no longer appreciate them? Though her gift was cast off due to ignorance, the villagers knew she was thankful for their aid. They had done so much, "risking" their lives aiding the young girl with her illness, and for what? They villagers began to grow suspicious, even angry, and they slowly stopped supplying her.

Felicity could understand the villager's anger. It must have seemed quite rude, but she was far more frightened of herself than of them. What if someone saw one of her flowers? She had not tried to pluck another since, out of fear of watching eyes. She would have to do something, however. Her food supply was nearly diminished, and she had no where else to turn.

That evening she wrote a note to the grocer, thanking him and the others for their kindness. Once it got dark, she took a single candle out to her garden. Her hands shook as she grasped the stem of a flower, and firmly snapped it. It quickly turned to crystal. She did the same with another eleven flowers, enough for a bouquet. Quickly scanning the area, she took her bouquet and made her way into the village. Gently placing the note and flowers in front of the grocer's home, she ran back to her cottage. Though she knew they would start more rumors, she couldn't let them remain angry with her.

As she approached her home she heard a low growl emanating from behind her. Her legs froze in place and she looked over her shoulder to see a pair of glowing blue eyes staring back into her own. Their locked eyes for what felt like hours before finally, the large cat-like creature slunk off into the forest behind her home. Finally able to move again, she entered her cottage and locked it up tight. She laid in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

Before long it was morning, and she could hear footsteps outside of her front door. Peeking out of her window, she noticed a grocery basket. She smiled to herself, thankful that the villagers had forgiven her. She quickly gathered the things they left at her doorstep and went back inside, ready to start her day.

Things continued on much the same way well into the year. Her flowers slowly died off as winter's chill approached, and new ones sprouted yet again in the spring. However, while spring brought new life, it also brought illness along with it. While Felicity had been healthy through much of the remained of the past year, she once again took ill with the same symptoms. Her cough returned, and before long she was bedridden. She figured she would be well by the time summer came, but that wouldn't not be the case. Summer soon turned to fall and the young girl was still bedridden. The villagers continued to leave her food and medicine, but none ever approached or made sure she was alright. She couldn't even offer them flowers as thanks.

One day, in a feverish stupor, she went outside. Her vision waverd and her legs shook. She needed to see her flowers, she must. As she approached, she noticed something odd. They were still as vibrant as ever. She looked around before noticing a strange footprints going in and out of the garden. "A cat?" she questioned.

Following the path they made, she entered the forest that bordered her home. She wandered for some time, following the footprints that faded in and out. Eventually they led to a clearing, a small field full of flowers, much like her own garden. Felicity dizzily wandered over toward the garden before falling to her knees. Placing a hand on her head, she took a moment to regain her sense. Just as she looked up, a large feline approached. It's familiar blue eyes gazing back into her own. Felicity did not feel fear this time. Instead, she reached out, placing a hand on the cat's head. The feline purred softly as she stroked it's head.

The hours passed as she sat in the clearing with the cat. Though she did not understand, this place felt warm, almost familiar. She gazed back at the cat, staring into it's eyes, before losing consciousness in the flower patch.

She dreamt then, for the first time in ages. A soft voice spoke to her, soothing the sick girl's worries. "Hush, my child. You must rest. This world has been cruel to you, but I have seen who you truly are. Though the god's have placed a terrible fate upon you, I shall offer you a single gift." Slowly, the girl's breathing subsided. As her body fell limp on the cold ground, the flowers around her turned to crystal. "Here your mortal body shall remain," the voice spoke once more.

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The villagers eventually learned of the girl's poor fate. Though she no longer remained with them, they still left gifts at her door step; a means of repentance for their cruel behavior. They often paid visit to her garden, hoping to tend it in her place, however, every time they stopped by, the work had already been done. Rumors spread that the ghost of a young woman could often be seen tending the garden of an abandoned cottage, but as time passed, those too faded.

If you pass the abandoned cottage on your way into town, many say you can find a large cat with bright blue eyes sleeping in the garden. They say it wears a chain with a crystal petal around it's neck, and that if you gaze into it's eyes, it will show you eternal happiness.

However, those are just stories.

credits

Human art by fuzzycat
Quad art by Plipkat
Profile by User not found: rune