Chapter 8: The Garden

Anise attempts to talk to and befriend the nymph living in the garden.

I could get used to waking up to the smell of homemade pancakes and bacon in the morning. It was another late morning, sunlight streaming into my bedroom with full force. The other night must've really wiped me out since I ended up sleeping in so late. There was no one knocking on my door though to wake me up. So, no one must've minded. It wasn't like I had classes to attend to. All of the classes I will be taking for my college year would be online anyways. I had plenty of time to spend however I wished.

Except for the time I had already decided to leave up to my roommates. Unless it was an emergency, I didn't want to take back those times. They scheduled it all themselves after all. It would be rude. Thinking about the schedule reminded me that I should probably take a look at it. With a yawn, I got out of bed, got dressed, and left my room. My hair was worked into a side braid as I descended the stairs, the smell of sweet pancakes getting stronger.

The table was mostly empty of monsters, a place set just for me. I must've slept in more than I thought. I didn't even know what time it was. Zamuel poked his head out from the kitchen and came in with a plate of breakfast. "Good morning, Ms. Devane. Blueberry pancakes, maple syrup, and fresh bacon for brunch. Allow me to fill your mug with a cup of coffee and I can prepare some tea. Or perhaps you would prefer to wait for tea?"

I took a seat and looked down at the plate that was prepared. Everything was gorgeous, almost Iron Chef worthy. It made me wonder how Zam got so good at cooking. He must've been a butler for a long time, but to be a chef on top of that, it made me curious of his past life. What was his life like before being cursed and turning into a zombie?

"Coffee will be nice. Thank you very much, Zamuel. Could you hand me the schedule as well? I would like to look at it and make sure I'm well-prepared before the dates and times." I kindly requested. My mug was filled with hot coffee and creamer, Zam almost reading my mind in how I usually liked my coffee. He left for a moment to fetch the schedule and returned. Looking down at the schedule, I noticed the two new names. Danton and Endrian. A small smile formed on my face. It seemed that I finally got through to those two.

I enjoyed my breakfast and thought about what I should do for the day. I could practice my magic. However, I didn't have a chance to inspect the garden yet. Surely, it wouldn't be too overrun by weeds. My grandmother must've put a magical spell in place that helped maintain it all. I expected that it was still filled with all the flowers and herbs I remembered seeing when I was younger.

My plate was cleaned and I brought it to the kitchen myself. Zamuel took it up to place in the dishwasher and handed me a cup of tea with a matching saucer. With a thanks and a nod, I took it out to the garden with me. Just as I remembered, the garden was beautiful, flourishing, and filled with all sorts of colors. While it was great to see that it was still maintained, it did concern me.

Even the most powerful gardening spell wouldn't have been able to keep this garden looking perfect. It was a lot of ground to cover. Brick walls with lovely ivy and lilacs, lush bushes that showed off hydrangeas, various trees that had full branches that swayed lightly with the breeze. It was my grandfather that actually dedicated his time to the garden. Grandma helped, but this was considered to be his space. There was a lovely gazebo with fairy lights hanging around it and everything since he also liked to be rather whimsical.

That just raised the question on who was maintaining it all? I heard the sound of someone humming and the familiar sound of someone clipping branches. My head turned and my feet began to follow that sound until I saw Mystis in the distance. She was standing near a bush, trimming the access branches and shaping it nicely. And so my question was answered. Mystis was the one that must've maintained the garden.

I began to approach her and at the same time, she turned around. Her bright eyes seemed to be filled with joy from working and seeing me. "Ah, Anise. Good morning! Did you sleep well? I heard that you went into town last night. How was that?"

"Good morning, Mystis. I slept well, but I slept a lot longer than I intended to. Thank you for asking though. I went into town to check on Endrian and see if I could help fix the tension between us that I had sensed during our first interactions. Even though it meant staying up later, I think it was worth it since our talk seemed to work." I explained, taking a seat on a white bench near where she was working. The teacup and saucer were balanced in my lap as I sat and relaxed. Mystis took a seat next to me and sighed in relief.

"That's good. Endrian has a tendency to push people away and give some attitude. I'm glad that you two have seemed to fix things. You may even be a good influence on him and convince him to change. Before the passing of your grandparents, he was pretty rude though not terrible. Afterwards, it got worse. I'm just glad that he seems to lighten up around someone, even if it is just a little bit." She explained.

It seemed that she really cared about Endrian. Now that I thought about it, she seemed to care about everyone. On top of that, she seemed to be in-tune with everyone as well. I felt that kind of energy radiating from her and there was evidence that suggested that she tended to pay attention to small details. She had the gift of Observance. It may have been something bestowed upon her or naturally came from being a nymph.

"I see. I hope that Endrian can change for the better as well. If I may ask, how close were you to my grandparents? Everyone here seemed to have been pretty close to them. This place wasn't just like a hotel to you all." I questioned, half expecting her to refrain from answering. If she was close with them, talking about them may have been painful like it was painful for Endrian.

Mystis didn't flinch or back away from the question. She actually gave a gentle smile as she answered. "I was closer to your grandfather since he worked on the garden far more often. My curse doesn't allow me to leave the garden too much. I can control some of the vines to help lift me up towards the windows. From there I can enjoy some of the activities indoors, but stepping into the house is not an option for me. Your grandmother would keep me company by the window sometimes though."

"Your grandfather and I would talk mostly about gardening and I would help him with the work given that I am a natural at it. Occasionally, we would talk about other things. His experiences and past, my own past, and updates on the world. He gifted me a radio that way I would be able to listen to music and listen to the news since I can't go into the house or anywhere that isn't the garden to figure out what was going on in the world." She explained. I listened carefully and sipped my tea.

After swallowing, I asked another question. "What happens when you try to go into the house?"

At that, Mystis gave a small shrug and a little giggle. "I don't know. I haven't tried defying the energy that confines me to the backyard. There's just this energy I feel when approaching the house that prevents me. It doesn't hurt or anything, just strong. It's almost like there is an invisible force field that I can push just a little like it was elastic, but ultimately unbreakable."

"I don't mind though. There's my sunflower house, my radio, furniture that's weather resistant, and much more. It is beautiful and peaceful out here. Certainly keeps me away from the chaos that happens inside. Zamuel is considerate and kind enough to bring me treats. He even keeps me company sometimes as well as Beo. Though, he tends to run around too much and tramples over flowers." She continued to describe, a smile still on her face.

Even though she talked about having so much and seemingly content out here, I couldn't help but feel sorry for her. Sure, she was a nymph, making her naturally acclimated to nature. Though, she was still missing quite a bit on the outside. If I had to guess, Mystis had probably never even seen the town. I felt a small sense of sadness from her as well. She did want to be able to see what the rest of the house was like. Probably the town too.

"I see. Thank you for answering my questions. No wonder our first date is written down as taking place in the garden." I nervously laughed. Mentioning our future date out loud brought a faint blush to my cheeks. I cleared my throat and tried to play it off, bringing the cup of tea to my lips again.

"It's the best I can do and for that I apologize. I do plan on making sure that everything is perfect for it though. I don't want to spoil the surprise, but I was planning on taking your breath away. This is my first date. Everything must be perfect." She admitted. Learning that made me feel a bit more at ease. It seemed that she was quite nervous in making sure she was a good date.

I put the now empty tea cup back in the saucer and tried to keep the conversation going, even reassuring her a bit. "I'm sure it will be lovely. I'm just glad that I'll be spending more time with you and getting to know you better. Almost everyone has been kind to me since meeting me, but you have shown me the most patience and politeness. Thank you for that."

Mystis actually blinked her sunflower eyes, a little pink spreading across her cheeks. She then let out a sweet laugh and flipped her pink hair over her shoulder. "Of course, Darling! I can imagine what it may be like to be in your shoes right now. It must be a very anxious and confusing time for you. I should thank you for putting up with all of us since this is your home."

Sitting outside with Mystis was really nice. The way she laughed and smiled at me was honestly cute enough to make my heart skip a beat. Just a small one. She was a nymph, so she was naturally beautiful. Regardless how our relationship goes, I would be happy with just knowing her and seeing her smile.

I stood up from the bench and set my teacup down. While it was probably a good idea that I brought it inside to wash, I wasn't ready to head inside yet. I didn't want to head inside and end up getting wrapped in something either. I wanted to see the garden some more. "Grandma would be very disappointed in me if I tried to just ignore all of you. Besides, I genuinely want to try to help you guys too. The way that I can is unorthodox, however, I do want to give it a try. Anyways, do you mind giving me a tour of the garden? It's been a while since I've explored it and I want you to explain the work you've done."

Mystis gasped and jumped up from the bench, clearly excited and eager. "Why yes! If you would just follow me, I can show you the sunflower house, the herbal garden, and much more."

I ended up following her around the garden for a while, listening to her happily talk about all the flowerbeds she has worked on, her visions in redecorating the gazebo, and even the flowers she wanted to start growing in the spare space. She even talked about building a swing to hand down from one of the strong branches of the maple tree. Listening to how motivated she was made me want to help her. It wasn't like I had a lot of things to do. I could get the supplies at the local hardware store. I could find a nearby nursery to get the particular seeds and plants she wanted.

The garden was her home. Mystis should have it anyway she liked.

Eventually, I decided to bring the teacup inside to wash and figure out what I should work on. Mystis confessed that she wanted to rest in her sunflower house for a moment. I gave a small goodbye, wished her a good nap, and headed inside. After dropping off my teacup in the kitchen, I headed to the Witch Room. There was some stuff I should study. Practicing some magic would also be a good idea. Before that though, I couldn't help but grab a piece of paper and write down all the things I would need to pick up from the hardware store.

I really wanted to give Mystis all the things that would make her home perfect. It was the least I could do since she was stuck there. She deserved those things too.