Where the Hellebores Bloom

The Twilight Hotel

The cold wind in my face makes me shiver, but Seth looks perfectly comfortable in his thin coat. We walk through the frozen ground, and I watch my steps as carefully as possible. There is no way I'm falling on my face in this ice. I don't even want to picture how embarrassing it would be.

Esme and Seth walk ahead of me along the front wall of the house, going around it, where a giant metal and glass structure raises from the middle of what looks like their backyard. Still, without any fences around the house, it seems like an extension of the forest growing behind the giant castle of glass thing.

—Awesome! Seth sounds very excited and rushes towards the structure.

When I finally reach Esme, I ask her what that place is.

—A greenhouse. She says, following Seth inside. I remember her talking about a greenhouse the other night, but I had no idea it was that... big.

When I open the door, it's spring inside the castle. The smell of flowers fills the air, and I feel hot under that coat. Beautiful flowers and plants are growing everywhere, a few even hanging from the ceiling after growing their branches by grabbing onto the metal and climbing the walls. The place is impressive.

—What do you think? Did I do a good job? Esme asks a very excited Seth that can't keep still.

—It's perfect! How did you get these flowers? Seth looks at the flowers closely, his big brown eyes shining like a child looking at a new toy. He seems fascinated by the color and shapes of each of them.

—It wasn't easy, but I have my methods. Esme sounds very proud of the place she created —I wanted to show you first.

They start to talk about the flowers, and I know they are speaking English, but I can't understand a word of what they say, so I just observe how happy they look.

Esme comes over to my side and starts talking about the flowers Seth is looking at. He has a big smile as he touches what I think is one of the flowers, but he goes for something on the ground. He looks at me and runs in my direction with something in his hands.

—Look what I found! He puts his hand right in front of my face and opens them to reveal the most disgusting thing I've ever seen in my entire life.

—A frog!! I scream and hide behind Esme.

I can hear her laughing loudly at my reaction. —It's just a little frog, Anne. He must have jumped inside to hide from the cold.

It's not just a frog! It's the most disgusting thing I've ever seen in my life!

—I don't like frogs, ok? Can we leave now? Esme is laughing way too much, in my opinion.

—I can't believe you jumped like that because of a tiny frog. She's still laughing so hard she's out of breath.

—I'll wait outside. I say, angry and embarrassed of my reaction. I walk out of the greenhouse fast and back into the cold wind.

—I'm sorry I... I can hear Seth apologizing, but I just need to get out of there.

I cross the backyard and find a dry little rock on the ground to sit down. If I had fallen face down on the ice, it would've been less humiliating than this. I'm so... argh! I can feel my face red from the anger, and I don't notice Esme until she's right next to me.

—Sorry for laughing so much, but you have to admit, it was funny. I can tell she's holding in her laugh, so I don't stand up and keep a serious look on my face, holding on to any dignity I have left. —Anyway, this is good, right? It's like you remembered something, huh?