The English Tea Garden

• Iluka Watts-Deuchar, Grade 9
• Poetry
• 2011

We tiptoed cautiously into the English tea garden across the road, watching out for the caretaker. Everyone said he was loopy, but to us he was intriguing, and we wanted to know more. His name was Fredrich Richery, and the old tea garden was used for posh parties or weddings. My younger sister and I always crept in to watch weddings, but this one was different.
The bride was majestic and seemed to walk on air as she glided down the aisle. All eyes were upon her as she fell, screaming. Her groom ran swiftly towards her as her belly ripped open. The white dress was smeared with blood and upon it was a petrifying sight. The bride gave a sigh as she breathed her last breath, and the demon child was like a laugh in a sea of sadness. His gaze demolished everything he looked at, including guests at the now deathly wedding. I froze, and watched the now livid groom running aggressively towards the child who sat and feasted upon the dead brides’ body. The child looked up and the groom turned to ash.
I crawled back further into the bushes, trying to hide from the demon child’s gaze. I watched as he disappeared in a bang.
A wind as rough as the sea sprung out of thin air, and scattered the ashes of all the people the demon child had killed.
I ran out towards the brides’ body holding my sisters’ hand tight. Upon the brides body was a piece of blood-smeared paper with faint writing on it. I picked it up. ‘This bride and groom sold me their souls, and promised 50 more. They sacrificed themselves and 50 others to save your world.’
I dropped the piece of paper and bolted with my sister following in my footsteps. We never did hear anything else about the demon or the wedding that we had witnessed.