An Eternal Garden

• Isabella Buraczuk, Grade 10, Trinity Catholic College
• Short Story
• 2016

Excellence Award in the 'Top Secret 2016' competition

“Come on, we’re nearly there!” exclaimed Daniel. He said that he wanted to show me some place. I don’t know what it is, but it’s obviously important to him.
“I hope so, we’ve been walking forev-” I cut myself short as we reach the top of the hill. We find a most beautiful sight. There were flowers covering the ground in all the colours of the rainbow. Aquas and fuchsias and maroons and lilacs and every other shade imaginable. But what was really amazing was the enormous cherry blossom tree in the middle of the blooms, casting the area in cool shadow. Huge and strong, ancient and wise, I’m astounded as to how I couldn’t have noticed it.
“It’s enchanted,” Daniel answers my unspoken question, “this whole place is. You can only find it if it wants you to.”
“It’s incredible,” I sigh, “so what is this place?”
“It’s the Eternal Garden,” he replies, “I discovered it years ago, long before we met. I used to come here to think, when the madness got too much.” We stand in silence, Daniel overcome with past memories.
“Come,” he says, as we walk closer to the tree, loosely holding hands, “let’s pick some flowers.”
We spend the next few hours picking flowers, dancing and singing; skipping in merry circles. I stop as I feel faint.
“Elora, are you okay?” Daniel asks, his voice coated with concern. The world is spinning. Dropping my flowers, I fall to the ground. He drops to his knees, holding one of my hands in two of his.
“Elora...” he repeats. The spinning had stopped, but I felt weak.
“Daniel...” I whisper. I was fading, but I could see everything in complete clarity. The soft sunlight through the tree branches, the endless colour of the flowers that surrounded me.
“Daniel, I have to go...”
“No, no you can’t go,” he says, voice shaking, “you can’t leave me.” But I had to. A small laugh escaped my lips.
“It’s funny,” I whisper as I reach up to rest my hand against his cheek, his stubble prickly under my touch, “I’ll be here forever, forever in the Garden of Eternity.” A single tear runs down my cheek as my hand falls away, lying outstretched among the colours. My vision faded to white as I rise up, leaving my body behind. I perch myself on the lowest branches, surveying the scene below. It’s a beautiful sight; a beautiful sad sight. Daniel, with tears streaming down his face, leans down and presses his lips to her forehead, a silent final goodbye. A shaft of light filters through the leaves, illuminating a flower next to her fingers. It had a royal purple stem and leaves, ruby red teardrop petals, and a centre of pure gold. Wind ripples through the leaves of the cherry blossom tree, the soft pink flowers raining down, as if the tree itself was weeping. I float higher, casting a final look at him.
“Thank you Daniel,” I whisper, “and goodbye...”