OffSpring | ✎

Chapter XXXII

Pulling my shirt over my head, I caught a whiff of a small amount of musk coming from my underarms. Scrunching my nose I pulled the rest of my clothes off and slipped into the clothes I picked out, it was a tight fitted white shirt and a black skirt; I slipped out the closet and headed towards Abel who was waiting by the door.

"Abel, be honest with me, do I need a shower. I don't feel right going out like smelling like a dead animal."

He frowns and leans in inhaling deeply, nose flaring before he sneezed and pulled back. He waved a hand in front of his face.

"You need one but you'll be fine, it's not that bad, come on."

"Abel, what the hell?!"

He ignores me- the ever growing smile on his face telling a different story- and pulls me through the threshold and out into the hall.

•••

The halls were quiet minus the thumping of Abel's shoes and the soft pats my bare feet made against the long strip of rug.

"Where are we going?" I ask, looking around at the decorations and styles.

Everything was old fashioned and seemed to made from the eighteen-hundreds, polished and cleaned, the whole castle gave the feel as if you're really in the presence of royalty; the type of castles that are seen in movies and give you the illusion that everything is bright and happy.

Behind the veil this castle was dead, hallow and dark, there was nothing happy or light about it, everything seemed unused and untouched and the atmosphere brighter had the warmth a home is supposed to feel; but I knew that feeling all to well. My gaze travels farther from outside the castle grounds and find the same lights blinking in the distance I seen when I first woke up here.

"A little fresh air," Abel answers my earlier question, side-glancing at me.

"I thought we were going somewhere."

"We are." we reach a glass door that leads outside, small little balls of light hovering above a path and lighting it up. "We're going to the garden."

We stepped out into the night, and the scenery before me blew my breath away, in comparison to the darkness that overshadowed the outer grounds. Despite the dead feeling inside, the garden gives off such vibrant feelings as if someone poured their heart into what they were doing.

Different structures splayed across the area, the garden was set up in a circle, the outer flowers holding darker colors that lighten up the more the circle grew smaller; the walk path was cobblestone with mulch marking the outside of the path. There was an arch that lead to a small sitting air with a bench swing and a fountain, I have never seen something so beautiful in my life.

I heard Abel's chuckle from beside me as he pulled me along since I stood rooted in my spot and couldn't move, my eyes wouldn't stay on something for too long before I moved them I looked at something else.

"Wha. . who- this is. . ." I stopped trying after the third attempt, my fingers glided over flower petals that reached up my waist.

"Lost for words, huh?" Abel cracks up, "I was the same way, still am, I know you aren't the only who's felt atmosphere of this place."

I tear my eyes away from the sight and glance at him, he didn't look at me and kept his gaze ahead.

"This garden was created for the Queen back in the sixteen-hundreds, she had a thing for flowers, so the king had this made for her."