Stellina

Garden of Thorns

As Luka waited by a deteriorating rose garden, a flurry of thoughts plagued him. He gazed up at the looming castle before him, which before he had viewed as an average-looking house. But today, as he waited for the girl so they could begin their first day of work, it seemed much larger.

Luka sighed, combing his fingers through his dark hair. He scarcely noticed the howling wind as he paced the soggy ground, formulating a plan in his head. Perhaps this was the place he would find it, the necklace he'd been desperately searching for. And perhaps Lina would be the one to help him finally steal it.

The widow that resided here most certainly wanted what was in that locket—she'd made that clear when she first responded to his letter weeks ago, agreeing to accept his assistance, and again when she came into the bookstore—though she hadn't the slightest idea that it was a simple necklace that contained it. It could easily be buried among her collection of pearls and golden pendants, hiding unnoticed for years, the very thing they both desired most.

Luka's heart skipped a beat as he pictured the older widow in his head. She certainly seems eccentric enough to be one of Mama's old friends, he thought, once again stopping before the rose garden. He imagined the garden to be a plethora of crimson and ivory hues in the springtime, emitting a passionate aroma into the air. A smile crossed his lips as he thought of a middle-aged woman with long flowing hair as dark as the castle itself, bending over and tending to each flower. Her eyes radiated a sparkle that Luka couldn't place, a sparkle that disappeared whenever Papa's name was mentioned.

Mama.

Yet now, the roses had slowly decayed into nothing more than stems with thorns, blacker than Mama's hair or the castle.

Luka shook his head. Where was that girl? She promised she'd be on time, yet Luka suspected her words were as flighty as her presence.

Luka gazed up at the castle, practically feeling as if he were cradling the gold locket in his hands once again. A chuckle escaped his mouth as he thought about the first time Mama showed him the locket, lecturing him on its significance. The locket itself and its family history, but more importantly, the little piece of paper nestled inside of it. "You are never to touch this locket or show it to anybody, Luka, ever. Understand?" Mama had said, then proceeded to playfully swat at his head.

"Why were you so peculiar, Mama?" he murmured. Yet deep inside, his thoughts were much less playful and reminiscent. For perhaps if you were normal, I wouldn't be in this predicament today.

Yet little did his mother know the mistake she had made.

For the man the locket was intended for had gone mad.

• • •

Lina yanked her skirt up to her knees, stumbling through a tangle of tall grasses. She huffed, wiping a bead of sweat from her forehead. When she had told Luka that she agreed to take this job, she had forgotten to inform him that she had school. And now, after promising she would be on time, she was half an hour late.

He could have at least waited for me at the bottom of the hill, she thought, groaning. As she glanced upward, she noticed a gloomy, castle-like house looming in the distance, accented by the cloudy weather. This must be that widow's house. Finally, she stumbled to the top of the hill, but not before catching her ankle on a weed and violently crashing to the earth. She groaned, giving up and resting her cheek in the mud. Her face burning hot, she glanced up at the figure shadowing above her.

"That's what happens when you're late," Luka said, flashing that lopsided smile. He stretched out an arm, yet Lina waved him off and begrudgingly pushed herself off the ground.