Gears (NaNoWriMo 2017) (#1 Below the Machines)

Chapter 10

Finally, deciding to move when she remembered she had her meeting to attend to, she hauled herself up, and started to tromp through the grass, trying her best to follow the small cobblestone path that eventually made its appearance agains the grass. She suddenly felt like a child again, even though she was supposed to be considered one as of current. A strong wave of nostalgia washed over her.

How she missed her past.

Shoving away those memories, she looked up ahead of her path, searching for the familiar structure of the glasshouse. It was quite easy, thankfully to spot it — it really still hadn't lost its ability to be easily identified, except the only change was that it was a bit more... overgrown than that of usual.Or at least, based on whens he last saw it.

Walking up to her final door, she placed her hand on the rusted handle, and pressed down, hoping that it would open, but it remained stuck. After giving it an extra shove, it finally grizzled open, the rust making the effort all the more harder. When she finally dragged it unlatched (the door was far heavier than it looked), she couldn't be bothered to close it, and therefore went straight in side, reminding herself to shut it later — on her way out.

She took in a deep breath upon entrance, letting the sweet fragrance of the roses overwhelm her. Feeling almost dizzy from the ecstasy, she forced herself to keep herself alert, and instead, studied the environment around her. Roses grew everywhere, forming thorny tangles and climbing wildly up the walls and ceilings, their roots digging deep into the ground after years and years of free growth. Once upon a time, this would've been a truly magnificent garden, but now, it was equally beautiful, but in a completely different way.

In her view, Maid 27 found that the unkempt vines that twirled around beams and glass created gorgeous patterns, and certain areas held such a rugged mess of perfection, it couldn't have been made any other way, and was so organic, it couldn't have possibly been mimicked by synthetic handling.

She found it mysterious, bold, and wild. Maid 27 let a small smile onto her face.

"Enjoying yourself?" A voice called out from the shadows.

Maid 27 jumped from the shock, her heart almost leaping out of her throat. "Rowan!" She shouted in annoyance, looking around her, trying to piece out where her friend was.

"Having trouble finding me?"

Maid 27 rolled her eyes. "I'm really not in the mood for your games Rowan! I thought you had something important to tell me!"

A laugh was her only response, then, "Well, you're right, but if you want to know so badly, then you have to find me first!"

"Rowan!" Maid 27 groaned, then peered harder in the direction of his voice — coming from a particularly messy bunch of thorns. "How on earth do I get to you?"

"Underneath the yellow rose! Use your eyes!"

Sighing in exasperation, she decided to play along with him, not bothering to hid the smirk that formed on her lips as she found a single, yellow, rose amongst all the other pink ones. Underneath, she found that there was a small hole, a part where the yellow rose obviously grew no thorns, keeping the way to wherever Rowan was clear.

Shaking her head in bewilderment, she bit her lip and risked getting the dirt on her uniform — at least she had two in her wardrobe, which meant that she could just get this one washed out by tomorrow. She crawled through the hole, getting on her hand and her knees.

It was actually easier than it had looked after the initial squeeze, the hedges cleared into a larger, spacier tunnel, and eventually ride upwards so much that Maid 27 could almost stand up in it. It was also quite short, and within no time, she reached the other side.