The Secret Garden of Ravenwood

Chapter 2: Under Lock and Key

Avery pointed to the shed that was just visible from his yard, "Do you think you could help me get the shed open? It's locked and I need to get inside."

Leo raised an eyebrow at her, "You want to break into the shed?"

"It's not breaking in if we have permission," Avery said with a grin. She watched him to wait for his decision.

Leo laughed. "Alright, let's see what we can do." He made his way over with Avery to Grandma Jane's Victorian house, leading Leo to the old shed. He went to the door of it and tugged a bit on the lock, examining it. The lock creaked a bit when he tugged, so he grabbed a screwdriver out of his pocket, "Let's see."

Avery laughed a little bit, "Do you always keep a screwdriver in your pocket?"

Leo laughed a little bit, "No, but I was doing some work on the fence surrounding our garden and I needed a screwdriver. Just luck that I had it today, I guess." He wiggled the screwdriver a bit into the lock which caused it to pop off.

Avery grinned excitedly and pushed the door open. The walls of the shed were lined with tools and gardening equipment. Closer inspection showed that all of the tools were covered in a thick layer of dust as if they hadn't been touched for years. Avery made her way inside, searching for a pair of bolt clippers while Leo curiously looked around.

Avery started to get a bit frustrated when she couldn't find anything that she would be able to use to get inside. "Avery, come take a look at this," called Leo from the front of the shed. He was holding a small yellow journal.

Avery took the journal into her hands and started to flip through the pages. They were all filled with notes and different sketches of a beautiful garden filled with so many different plants and flowers. The main garden was surrounded by a layer of trees, right before the wall that locked the garden off from the house and the backyard.

Avery grinned, "This is amazing, look at all of the plants and flowers that grew here." A rush of excitement went through her as she kept reading through the pages, "I don't know if we are going to be able to use this to get inside. I can use this though to restore the garden once we get inside."

Leo grinned and nodded, "The book can be a great blueprint for us to be able to restore your grandma's garden."

"We?" asked Avery.

Leo grinned, "Well I do know a lot about gardening, and that garden in your backyard is pretty huge. I figured you would like some help."

Avery felt herself smile, grateful that she already had a friend, "I would like that."

The two of them spent the next hour going through every page of the notebook, reading all about the different plants that inhabited the garden as well as any other little notes that were written down.

Leo soon got bored, shaking the notebook, "Cant this give us anything useful?" He fell silent as a little key fell out of the back, clattering on the ground.

Avery slowly bent down and picked up the key, examining it, "I think this might be the key to the garden!"

Leo grinned, "Let's give it a try," His interest was piqued again, making his way out of the shed with her. Together, they made their way back to the garden gate. Avery slowly inserted the key and turned it, anticipation running through her as she waited to see if the key turned. With a loud click, the lock popped open.

Avery slowly pushed the gate open with a loud creak. Avery and Leo exchanged a look of triumph and walked into the garden. As they entered the abandoned garden, Avery was immediately struck by the sense of neglect and abandonment that the garden had faced.

She could tell that the garden once must have been beautiful, but now it was desolate and forgotten.

They both made their way further inside, stepping past the wall of trees and into the main part of the garden. The lawns were overgrown with weeds and tall grass. The flower beds were choked with dead leaves and the withered remains of plants that once were tended to with care. The garden paths, once lined with carefully laid stones, were now cracked and broken, covered in moss and weeds.

Avery and Leo made their way past the flower beds, glancing up at the trees that were dying, their branches twisted and gnarled. The wooden benches that sat just outside of the path were rotted and collapsing from years of rain and weather damage. The fountains at the very center of the garden were covered in moss and grime, the surface dulled by time and neglect.

Avery stood in the center of the garden and slowly spun, taking it all in. Despite the decay and overgrowth, the garden was still beautiful. Avery didn't know what to think, but she knew that she wanted to know about the garden's history and what events led to its ultimate demise. She glanced at Leo, "Ready to rebuild and explore?"

Leo grinned back at her, "Let's get to the bottom of your family'ssecret garden."