The Garden

Any thought I could have had was interrupted by the sound of stone dragging behind my back.

The statue at the end of the corridor had moved, revealing a rectangular hole.

I approached slowly.

Inside, there was a stone staircase covered with moss.

The sides were also made of stone and were dark because of the lack of light.

At this point, I don’t care about anything anymore.

I went down slowly so I wouldn’t step wrong. Unlike the wind corridor, I could see a small light that faintly illuminated the steps.

My legs were a little weak.

How long had it been since the last time I ate? Or drank something?

Am I going to die?

Can I keep moving forward?

Wouldn’t it be better to give up?

Wouldn’t it be less painful?

What else would I have to face?

I smelled a fresh and slightly sweet aroma.

The light grew larger as I approached.

Until I stepped onto a floor covered in grass.

It looked like I was outside.

The air was warm.

A constant warmth.

Not hot like the sun.

I looked up.

A very blue sky.

I looked for the sun.

I didn’t find it.

I frowned.

There was no wind.

Not a single sound.

Only… silence.

Around me, an extensive lawn.

I couldn’t tell where it ended.

But it didn’t seem infinite either.

Near me, there were flower beds with colorful flowers, separated by metal fences with rounded ornaments.

The flowers were separated by color. Yellow, blue, red, and white.

Everything was very organized.

In front of me, a stone path led to a small table with a large parasol and two chairs, all made of white painted metal, with floral and rounded ornaments.

On top of the table, there was a set of white porcelain cups with saucers…

And a teapot with pink details.

Passing by the flowers, I noticed that one of the flower beds was empty, with the soil plowed and some holes dug into it.

I stared at it for a while.

For some reason, it made my heart tighten.

“It’s a shame there are no flowers.”

I remembered that I had taken that bottle with seeds.

Was it still in my pocket? I thought while patting my pocket.

It was there.

I looked at the bottle.

I hope these seeds are flowers.

I opened it and poured them evenly over the soil. It was damp.

She really liked gardening.

I covered them with my feet so I wouldn’t get my hands dirty.

“There.” I said it with a feeling of satisfaction as soon as I finished.

I turned my attention back to the table in the center.

I approached, and the first thing I checked was the teapot.

I held it in my hands and shook it.

It was empty.

A key covered in moss was on top of the table.

I found it strange.

Too easy. It’s a trap.

I looked around.

I didn’t see anything strange. I didn’t see anyone.

The number four caught my attention. Because of the moss, I could barely read the number.

Think… What does this mean?

Was it under the teapot?

Or did it appear after I planted the seeds?

Was that it?

But it can’t be just that.

The other keys were so…

There was no other option.

Slowly, I reached out my hand to touch the key.

I closed my hand and felt the plant material.

Automatically, I looked around.

Nothing.

No noise.

Nothing strange.

I sighed in relief.

Then I’m leaving.

I put it in my pocket and walked toward the exit.

“Gab…” a low and tired voice called me.

It was her.

For a tiny moment, I felt a small smile forming on my face, followed by a deep chill down my spine.

I clenched my fists hard.

“Gab, is that you?”

“No,” I whispered.

“Come here so I can see you better.”

Gabriel, walk forward.

I took a step forward.

Don’t look back. You’ll regret it.

Another step.

Keep walking.

“I’m sure it’s you, even though you’ve gotten taller.”

You already have the key.

One more step.

You don’t need to look.

“Why didn’t you come see me?”

I froze.

“Why didn’t you come see me?” she asked again.

It was the same question.

“Are you angry with me?”

I looked to the side, disappointed.

I bit my lips and clenched my fists even harder.

“No…” I answered.

“Then come closer, so I can look at your face.”

I froze. I couldn’t move forward or backward.

“What’s the problem?” she asked.

“You shouldn’t be here.”

“Why not?”

“You’re not real.”

“Of course I am.”

“Did the Room create you to torment me?”

“Gabriel…” she answered, disappointed.

“You’re supposed to be dead!” I shouted in anger.

There was silence.

“Yes, but I’m here. I don’t know how, but I am. We can talk.”

My heart beat faster.

I felt the danger.

But whatever the consequence was, I was ready to accept it.

I turned my face toward the voice.

What was I going to find?

A corpse?

A monster?

Something that would kill me as soon as I looked into its eyes?

I saw something much worse.

Something I wasn’t expecting.

Something that would destroy me inside.

My eyes blurred.

Tears fell.

In front of me, sitting in the chair, was an elderly woman with gray hair, wearing glasses and a flowered dress.

“Grandma? Is it really you?”

I approached slowly.

I analyzed her with my eyes.

She seemed harmless.

She was exactly the same as the last time I had seen her.

But after everything I had seen in that place, there was no way to say that was real.

“Of course it is. Did you forget your grandmother?” she answered me.

“Of course not.” I laughed nervously and sat slowly in the chair.

Analyzing every inch of the figure in front of me.

A gold necklace with small flowers.

Her dress was flowered and colorful. Very much the kind of clothing she liked to wear, and that was now completely out of fashion.

Everything seemed right in her image.

I was staring so much that I didn’t notice her slight movements.

“Do you want some tea?” she asked while pouring a liquid into one of the cups.

I knew it! That teapot was empty.

Am I hallucinating?

“I’d better go.”

I stood up.

“So soon? If you leave now, you’ll never be able to come back.”

Maybe I could talk just a little, at least.

Maybe the teapot was full and I hadn’t noticed.

I sat back down in the chair.

“There are cookies too, the ones you like.”

She offered a plate full of cookies.

This has to be a joke.

“Where did these cookies come from?”

“I made them.”

Of course you did.

“Come on, eat and drink. Then we can talk.”

I looked suspiciously.

“Why do you want me to eat so badly?”

“You must be thirsty and hungry.”

I really was.

“I don’t want to.”

“I’ll leave it here, if you want.”

I was tense.

But little by little…

I stopped thinking about it.

We talked about my childhood, about funny moments, about nostalgic moments. About my parents. About my school. About things in the world.

How things were… and how everything changed.

And everything seemed fine, until she asked,

“And how has your life as a doctor been?”

This can’t be my grandmother. She died before I passed the exam.

I stood up again. This time, decided, I went toward the exit.

I looked one last time before leaving that vision behind.

And I moved forward.

“Wait. Gabriel.”

I was close to the exit when I heard a strange sound.

When I looked at her, her face and body had rotten flesh, growing more and more, and she was becoming a skeleton.

I got scared.

“Grandma, are you okay?”

I ran toward her, and the flesh returned to normal.

“Yes, I am.”

“What was that?”

“If you leave, I go back.”

“Back where?”

“To where you can’t go. Not yet.”

I swallowed hard.

***

Sitting in the chair, without saying a word.

I still couldn’t trust whatever was in front of me.

“How did you know I had become a doctor? You died before that.”

She drank a little tea and smiled.

“Because I know my grandson. I knew you would manage it.”

I put my hand on my shoulder with guilt.

“Yes, Grandma. I became a doctor. But… I…” The words were hard to get out. “I gave up.”

She looked at me with sadness in her eyes.

“But it’s your dream.”

I took a deep breath.

I took a sip of the tea. It was very good, a flavor I had never tasted in my entire life.

I started telling her. The happy parts, how taking care of patients had become my happiness.

Until I got to the bad parts.

About Helena.

About my stubbornness.

Tears fell while I spoke.

“I don’t deserve to be a doctor.”

“You are a good doctor.”

“I made that woman suffer. If I had accepted her request, the Room showed me the truth.”

“You did what you thought was right.”

“What I did was wrong!” I shouted in anger.

“It wasn’t. She had a small chance to get out alive, didn’t she? And being alive is better than dying.”

I was confused. I wiped my tears and ate the cookies by impulse.

“Tell me, then. Do you think you’re better now, or dead?”

“Talking to you again is certainly a gift.”

“But what is death like?”

“Well, it is ----------, ----------- -----------.”

Her voice was replaced by a horrible and grotesque sound.

My whole body reacted to the sound.

My muscles locked.

My teeth chattered.

Everything around me seemed to darken and take on dark green tones.

My vision started fading and darkening.

I was covered in goosebumps and started breathing heavily.

“Sorry. You can’t understand. Someday, you will know.”

I breathed slowly. Little by little, the environment calmed me. I started returning to normal.

“Can you keep telling me about yourself?” she asked, curious.

I continued telling her my story, until I got to the office.

How empty it was. How my life had become dull. Without brightness.

I looked at the dark door to return to the Room.

I looked around. The garden, the flowers, my grandmother.

I smelled the perfume of the flowers.

There were also cookies and tea.

Maybe I should give up and stay here.

All the trials I had gone through until then.

Maybe the next ones will be much worse than this.

I could stay here.

There’s nothing left for me to keep fighting for.

A vague memory of Laura came to my mind.

Her smile was so beautiful.

Her voice calling me boring. I laughed.

She made that place feel less dead.

For a second, I felt angry.

Not at her.

At myself.

Because I had almost forgotten.

“Grandma, there’s something I haven’t told you.”

“I met an incredible woman. And I think she’s the one I want to spend the rest of my life with.”

“And why aren’t you with her yet?”

“I’m afraid.”

She smiled.

“Living in fear is the same as not living.”

I smiled.

“You’re right.”

I stayed silent.

I looked around one more time.

I looked at the cup.

At the cookies.

At her.

I stood up.

“It was good talking to you. I’m ready to go now,” I said as I got up.

“Are you going to be okay?”

I thought for a moment.

I only answered when I was sure.

“I will.”

I passed beside the flower bed that had been empty before.

The flowers I had planted earlier were tall.

They were camellias.

“Thank you. I promise I’ll visit you when I get out of here.”

She smiled.

I turned around.

I took a few steps.

I couldn’t help it.

I looked back.

The chair was empty.

Only the dress.

And bones.