Kari stood uncertainly before the tall, wrought iron gates of the old Elburke estate. Ever since she and her father moved to this town on the outskirts of Osaka eight years ago, the Victorian mansion had been largely deserted, and the vast grounds left in disarray. Now, she could clearly see the results of bustling activity as carpenters, groundskeepers and staff worked on the estate's restoration.
Who would be crazy enough to buy a rundown mansion, in this small town? The sixteen-year old mused. On top of the ridiculously extensive repairs, the upkeep of the house alone would cost a fortune!
"You must be the new assistant gardener."
Kari almost jumped. Walking towards her was a middle-aged man wearing a straw hat and rough overalls.
"Hello. I'm Miyazaki Kari," the girl said with a respectful bow.
"I'm Sato Ichiro, the head groundsman. Pleased to meet you, Kari-san," he said with a welcoming smile, opening the gate for her. "Collins-sama, the house manager, is out on an errand in town at the moment. Let me show you around the estate."
Kari nodded, walking alongside Sato as he guided her along a cobbled path, noting the grounds on either side that have been cleared and the areas that still need tending. She loved planting, weeding and all kinds of flowers just as her mother did. The small garden at her home was one of the things she was particularly proud of. Seeing the local ad about this part-time job seemed the perfect opportunity. That and the news that some rich aristocrat had finally bought this ancient landmark of town piqued her curiosity.
After Sato had given her the tour and instructions, meeting a couple of other workers on the way, Kari happily set to work on her assigned area. She raked the ground and pulled out the weeds, then her favorite—planting the flower seedlings! At her back, the forested woods gave plenty of shade from the hot afternoon sun. About a hundred paces away, the south side of the mansion loomed before her, looking forlorn with its dark, crenelated windows.
A sharp snapping sound, as of a dried branch breaking, made her turn around, half-expecting to see the groundskeeper or one of the staff. But there was no one there. As her eyes skimmed the suddenly quiet woods, she gasped.
Something big and white was moving through the trees, lightning-fast! And its eyes glittered like twin blue flames in the darkness.
YOU ARE READING
A Memory of Starfires
FantasySecrets abound within the walls of the old Elburke mansion, where 16-year-old Kari Miyazaki works as a part-time gardener, unaware of the events that would soon entwine her fate with its not-so-ordinary occupants. For nothing is what it seems with h...
