The Petal

This was...

The sixth day.

She didn't know if they'd be in this place for a full seven days, or only six.

What she did know was...

No matter how reckless it might be, she wanted to go to the garden again.

She couldn't risk not going if she might not get another day.

The thought of that pond, and of the little flower, had become...

A strange form of comfort.

If she didn't visit the garden again, it might haunt her forever.

So, she walked quickly, quietly down the hallway.

The door to the garden opened.

Rache slipped out and hurried down the stone steps, careful not to fall.

The garden maze was just as beautiful today.

There were more flowers in bloom now, and the air smelled sweet and fragrant. A breeze stirred the branches of the trees, and she heard birds singing.