Z-Seasonal Garden Chapter 28

Read Table of Content | +Kyla Scurchio
======================================================================= My first catch in the Seasonal Garden, as I started calling it, sent a jolt of joy through me. Without hunting, this place was nothing but a nagging mystery. I watched from a distance as my trap came to life and tousled with the new mouse. The mouse had a glove full of seeds, he tossed the glowing balls of life at the ground near my trap and they instantly sprouted tangled plant like weeds, but the knight sidestepped them easily and took down the mouse with one swipe of his jousting pole.
I recovered the unconscious mouse and placed fresh cheese upon the trap that had returned to its still form. I breathed in deep, pulling spring air into my lungs. I was enjoying the weather after the rain gave it a rest, but that probably meant summer was coming and that was bound to be
torture.
As the day passed I began to wish I too had a journal to write in, to record my findings and draw the new mice. I’d have a page for each season because the mice clearly changed with the season. These weren’t anything like the few winter mice I had seen scampering around. One mouse actually made me feel bad for capturing it. It cowered under a leaf as my trap advanced upon it. Another mouse had the power to move water. He wore blades of grass down his back and as it took on my trap he shot little balls of water at it, but soon he too fell to the power of my trap.
The last mouse I watched approach my trap, caught my full attention. His feet looked like roots that it dug into the ground. His tail looped like a vine as it slowly moved in on my cheese. I watched as the tail looped around the cheese and my trap still hadn’t moved. When the weight of the cheese was lifted off the base finally my trap came to life. It lashed out at the mouse, who quickly dropped the cheese and let his feet dig deeper into the earth. He tried to feed his tail back under the hooves of the knight’s horse attempting another go at my bait. The knight launched himself at the mouse, tumbled a bit and then finally the mouse lay still.
I grinned and then went to my trap to investigate the mouse. It was prickly, like thorns were in its hair and on its vine like tail. I didn’t pick it up, but when I looked closer a spark of silver caught my eye. I bent down to pick up the jagged little piece of metal. There was a painted yellow flower at the very end of it. I suddenly remembered the slots on the tower door. A key!
Leaving my trap behind, I sprinted to the islands edge. I waited as the tower floated down to my level and hovered. More carefully this time, I jumped to the other end then took the stairs two at a time. I stood panting at the door before I jammed the key into the metal slot. It took half a second to realize the key was too small, and not the right shape. It wasn’t far off though. So perhaps more mice dropped keys, I pondered as I stood outside the tower. I pocketed the flower key thinking maybe more doors inside would require it. Slowly I walked back down the steps.
As I made my way to the other floating land mass, summer fell upon me. The new grass suddenly looked lush and green. The tiny leaves quickly burst forth covering the trees. The small drizzle of rain ceased and the sun beamed down on me bringing waves of scorching heat. The small puddles left over from spring were swiftly evaporating. With a sigh I headed back to gather my trap and bait and moved closer to the small pond where I hoped a bit of water would keep me cool. In five minutes I was deeply missing winter.
I stared up at the sun as it sent waves of blistering heat down upon me. Too hot to move around much I placed my trap a short distance from the pond as I tried to find some shade. I sprawled out by a thick patch of grass next to the water. There wasn’t a single breeze in the air; Just hot dry weather.
I lay there for several minutes listening as a hum in the distance grew nearer. I wasn’t as concerned by the odd noise until it seemed nearer and louder. I popped my head up above the grasses and looked around for any sign of the sound. I saw nothing, but still it grew nearer. the hum soon became a distinct buzzing. Finally, I looked up.
Just in time I saw a swarm of stingers descending upon me. I rolled out of the way as they jabbed their stingers at my body. I was helpless as they tried to swarm me. I kept dodging their stings until the scent of cheese caught their attention.
We were feet from my trap and they each simultaneously turned in the direction of my trap. They each hovered over the bait before one reached down with spare arms and snatched up the morsel. It smirked before zipping away with its fellows.
Disappointed at being robbed of my cheese I dropped fresh bait on my trap and slouched back down in the shade of the tall grasses. I let my mind drift. I wondered if Plank had discovered the secrets of the Forgotten Book. I kept my involvement with the book a secret and I deeply regretted it now that we were separated. My volume had been with my family for years. Originally all three books were in my family’s possession. They had been given to my grandfather and his two brothers, only greed for money or fame caused the second and third volume to be stolen. Once the Acolytes got wind of them, of the spells within, they too started searching.
I shook my head bringing my mind back to the present. When I opened my eyes I found myself staring into the eyes of an angry mouse. Cheese was smeared across his fur, melted down into a mushy form. So focused on its appearance I forgot to be cautious, I forgot to think of them as the enemy, that was something Plank always did. As I stared the mouse lifted a glowing torch in front of its mouth. He then blew upon it.
Scalding flames licked my skin as I lay there. I felt my flesh singe and burn, I yelled, kicking the mouse off of me. I threw up my arms to guard my already damaged flesh but they then caught fire. I rolled my way into the pond and heard my clothes sizzle and hiss as the fire was extinguished in the water. The mouse scampered away as I looked down at the damage. It was bad.