Greenhouse

The woman paused for a moment and lifted her face up against the sky as she embraced the sunlight that pierced through the trees. “Oh, how I love the warmth on my face,” she thought. She proceeded to stroll down a roughly paved pathway through the park. Every step required stability as she adjusted the sharp gravel beneath her feet. She always attempted to remove herself from the restlessness that the world had to offer. She headed in the direction of a familiar greenhouse furnished with exotic plants and vibrant glass sculptures. This place was attractive to her because it was rarely occupied by anyone. As she reached the door, she breathed in a sweet fragrance of endless flowers that she could not name. “How lovely,” she said. The plants captivated the light that gave them life through the glass paneled ceiling. She approached a lonely wooden bench set in the corner of the greenhouse. Her heart sank as the bench reminded her that she was alone. She sighed softly taking a deep breath, and sat down. “How much longer?” she wondered. She began to peruse a book that a friend handed her a couple days earlier. Her intention was to escape for a moment but as she started to read, she discovered her own life on each page. She was astonished as it put her life in perspective and unraveled the passion and sorrow held deep within her. Recognizing right away that a transformation was taking place, she reached for a strength that she had not yet known. “O Lord, fill me,” she said. Suddenly, a veil lifted from her eyes and joy came upon her. She jumped from the bench, held the book against her heart, and ran out the greenhouse door with endless appreciation.

The Garden

The young girl crashed through the doors and flew down the stairs as the tears rolled down her cheeks like a rushing flood. Her heart was broken as she thought of the loss of her friend. She ran to the garden, hid herself and fell to the ground weeping. Her hands clenched up as if she held something precious in them. She was swept off her feet as the pain shook her to the bone. “Why must I lose you?” she cried. As she sat up and looked around at the beautiful garden, she couldn’t help but think of how he helped her pull the weeds and plant the seeds. She slowly opened her hand and looked at a small precious seed. “You are just like me,” she thought. “I will plant you so you can grow tall and bear much fruit.” She planted the seed as her tears landed in the soil. She rested in the garden and waited for the sun to come out. As the sun broke through the clouds, she heard a voice say, “Now that I’ve planted you in my garden, you will grow.” She stood up, wiped the tears from her face and smiled.

Prologue

The young girl sat on the roughly edged cement stairs with her chin resting on her knees. She held the tips of her shoes in place as she rocked herself back and forth. "I don't want the night to come again," she thought, lifting her face towards the sky. Hedya enjoyed the warmth of the sun on her back as she imagined a large set of arms wrapped around her shoulders. A chilling and familiar voice yelled her name loudly as she shrieked with fear. Immediately, she flew from her pleasantly absorbed moment of release, up the stairs and through the dreaded door.

The night sky came quickly as the apple tree forcefully crashed against the bedroom window. Hedya trembled in her bed as she gazed into a blackness with no end. The dreams came and she saw herself walking through what looked like an alley way. The sky-scraping walls encircled her and the sky was the only home that appeared reachable. Flashes of her life consumed her thoughts with people, places and what felt like a flame burned inside of her. The knowledge became heavy without reason as she carried forward. She soon found herself hovering through the sky with voices speaking and the noise of what sounded like a war...

Heartland

The girl looked out the window as she embraced confidence. The rolling drops of dew assembled upon the lens she searched through. She turned her face away from the glass filled frame that barely stood in place. Her eyes combed the dark filled empty space that hovered below the white rocky ceiling. She glanced at each corner and questioned the strength of the structure that surrounded her. She looked in a painting that stared back at her with a single eye that peered halfway through a single pain window. She watched the earth turn to dust as it filled up the glass time keeper. The stars shined in the distance as they lit up the waters beneath it. The river forced itself upward through each crevice of the earth’s foundation until a fountain reached the sky. The life overflowed onto the hills that held the faces with sleeping eyes. The colorful pictures of her scattered life hung on the wall, hidden behind the door. Her dreams held captive in an old worn black guitar case in a corner of the room. An empty suitcase, boxes of colors, hidden drawings, and old pictures filled the closet floor. The dresser trapped years of writings that absorbed salty rain drops. Her heart collected faces that surrounded the reflection of her face in the mirror. The candles burned in the darkness as the incense danced with her thoughts. She wore a heart shaped badge on her chest bound behind a shiny piece of glass. She laid her head upon her hands as she effortlessly shut her eyes. The music notes stretched well passed the earth’s borders and returned back to her through the key shaped hole that led to her castle. Her identity found upon the shelf of her dream filled wooden headboard.