"I...what the f-"
A small flowerpot, with the basil plant growing out of it appeared on your doorstep
—
This all started when you first noticed a lush, flower bed growing on your lawn. You were horrified as the flowerbed was obviously constructed by a human.
New bricks were placed in the shape of a 6 x 6 feet square, a few decorative elements such as miniature wooden benches were placed in appropriate places.
It was impossible that the flowers grew on its own, it seems to be transplanted into your lawn by hand.
"Who would just come to my lawn and build...this? And how did they do it in a span of a few hours?"
You thought to yourself. It appeared overnight.
As any rational person would do, you asked around. Hoping to find clues on who is this 'mystery' gardener is.
To your disbelief, no one had a clue. No one saw or heard anything suspicious in the middle of the night.
Unbelievable! You knew you have neighbors that would stay up at ungodly hours just to gamble on their patio, how did they not see anything suspicious?
It was very unnerving, you finally muster up all the courage to report it to the police.
It was ridiculous, you were reporting that someone was tresspassing on your property just to build a flowerbed overnight.
You remember explaining that to an old, balding officer. He was trying to stifle his laugh. God, you were embarrassed.
It then went to the newspapers, your face heat up when you read the headline:
"LOCAL RESIDENT SHOCKED TO FIND THEIR GARDEN FINALLY CARED FOR BY A MYSTERY GARDENER."
You felt like they were making a fool out of you and your situation.
Soon, the flowerbed started to expand. Bricks were displaced and added to cover more area.
Now its not only flowers, but various vegetables and fruits too.
Friends and family teased you about it however you found nothing comical about this.
You had a gut feeling that this wasn't going to end very well.
And you were right.
You didn't feel right eating the fruits and vegetables, so you gave them all away to your neighbours.
They all commented on how healthy and fresh they were.
A neighbourhood watch was set up, however the efforts were futile.
Cameras conveniently 'lost signal' at 2 in the morning, volunteers 'fell asleep', microphones had 'static' and so on.
This was treated as a laughing stock until you decided to reclaim some of the space by removing the bricks and uprooting the carnations.
Once you pushed your shovel into the dirt, you felt like you hit something hard. It couldn't be the pipes, right?
You unearthed whatever was buried,
Then you screamed.
Scream, scream and scream until you passed out.
The next thing you know, you were in an interrogation room. Bleak, cold and unforgiving, surveilance cameras were placed in the top corners and a digital voice recorder was in front of you.
You truly felt like a criminal in those freezing, slightly rusted handcuffs. You are innocent!
"I told you! It wasn't me! It was that goddamn mystery gardener! That bastard was puttin' all those b-bodies in my yard!"
Now everyone knew why the vegetables and fruits were so succulent.
There were at least seven decomposing bodies and a stray spine. Their clothes were removed beforehand, hence the challenge in identifying them.
You were held in your holding cell for a few nights , awaiting your trial.
"H-how the hell did they...seven bodies in a few hours? And the construction of the flowerbeds too? No way this was done by a single person... hey! Why were there no witnesses?"
You were counting on your lawyer to prove you innocent, though, now you were alienated as everyone thought you were a serial killer.
Until...
"(Y/n)(l/n)?"
You looked up to see a police officer.
"T-that's me, yes."
You stammered, is your trial so soon?
He pursed his lips and unlocked the cell door. He motioned you to come forward.
You gulped and hesitantly took a few steps.
"You're free to go."
He removed your handcuffs.
"W-what?"
You rubbed your sore wrists.
"New evidence has come ta' light, and it proved that, ah, yeh ain't no murderer. Come on naw, fill up some paperworks and we'll fill yeh in."
You were placed into a witness protection programme.
Turns out, two days after your home was covered in police tape, the officer who originally arrested you was found dead, on your now barren yard.
Cause of death? asphyxiation.
His cadaver was also doused in a special mixture of which speeds up the rate of decomposition.
Sandy Loam soil was filled in every hole in the corpse, including nostrils, mouth, eyes, ears, anus etc. The mouth, was open and a whole tomato stem was rooted in there.
The roots were already coiling around his decaying tongue.
His naked, dead body had wordings burnt onto it, looks like it was done by a hot, iron rod.
"DON'T GIVE (y/n)(l/n) CREDIT FOR MY HARD WORK."
That was burnt onto his back.
You were given a brand new identity. You also moved out of town without letting anyone else know. Its like you blipped out of existence.
Back to the present day, you found a potted, basil plant on the doorstep of your new home.
An envelope was placed next to the pot.
A chill was sent down your spine. You fished out your phone and was about to call the police.
But wait,
"I-it can't be a d-dead man in that puny ass pot.. r-right?"
You gulped.
"Maybe it's just a g-gift from a neighbour... yeah I'm just overthinking. No way can a dead body fit into that tiny pot."
You inhaled.
You couldn't help but tremble as you slowly reach out to the envelope.
You let out a shaky breath as your eyes scan over the note.
It says:
"(Y/n), my darling rose.
I apologize for the trouble I had put you through last year. I learn from my mistakes and I promise that I will not take up as much space as before.
I hope you will feel comfortable eating the fresh produce I grew in your backyard. Please do not fret, I learned that powdered remains work better than the fresh body.
Do you know how hard it was to find where you live? Well, that does not matter anymore. All that matters is that you are protected, loved and cared for again.
What have you done to yourself? You look emaciated and weak. Do not think you could hide the dark circles around your eyes.
Please be mindful of your wellbeing, eat well and stay away from trashy, inorganic, toxic, junk 'foods.' Sleep at a regular, healthy schedule, your life does not revolve only on your work and please do not starve yourself.
Or I will step in and take care of you myself.
Goodbye for now,
Love— "
A dried, red petal was stuck below 'love'.
You flipped the paper to the back.
"P.S. Basil leaves are the perfect herb for any pasta. Remember to wash them before using them!"
You felt like the sky was moving rapidly.
This is because you were falling backwards, fainting on the spot.
-
"...hello...? Young man/lady...?—"
You felt something poking your ribs.
You reopened your eyes to see an old woman, poking her wooden cane at you.
You groan as you got up and rubbed the back of your head.
"Young man/lady, do you need an ambulance?"
You quickly shook your head, no! Calling them costs you an arm and a leg!
"T-thank you ma'am, how long was I unconscious?"
You asked the lady as you stretched your back.
"Ah... I saw you fainting after reading the letter your lover left on your doorstep. Hmm, I would say five minutes, since that was the time it took little ol' me to git here."
She giggled.
"Was his romatic words too intense for you to handle?"
"Huh, I have been fainting a lot these days. Maybe that sick bastard was right, I'm not taking care of myself. I surely don't want them to 'take care' of me— wait... did that old fart just say my...lover?"
"'Scuse me ma'am, did you just say my lover... left... this?"
You were starting to feel dread in your stomach. Yet a bit of excitement since you have a lead.
"Ah, I miss my youth. Where all the burning flames of passionate love never seem to be extinguished. He was a charming fella too, what a lucky guy/gal you are to snag him."
Your face paled, all of those murders and the flowerbeds were really done by ONE person?
The old woman took notice of this.
"Is there anything-"
"Ma'am, please, with the best of your abilities. Please recall your interaction with my 'lover'. How does he look like? What is car plate number? What was his name?"
She was taken aback by your line of questioning.
"W-well, he called himself Carnation, and he said that you were together for years now. He is such a sweetheart, a gentle giant, I would say. He helped me crossed the road and had a wonderful chat together. He was worried that you have self-destructing tendencies, like not eating well, not sleeping and all sorts. He traveled by bus and brought various gardening equipment with him."
The lady paused to recall further information.
"His looks, oh heavens he was gorgeous. A natural redhead, he knows how to pamper his luscious hair. It was long enough to reach his waist. You'll know it's him when you see him."
She had a dreamy look in her eyes.
"Height? Eye colour? Approximate age? What was he wearing?"
The lady frowned a bit, but continued to answer.
"A tall man, maybe twice or thrice my height. Beautiful emerald eyes and he was wearing a simple, white blouse, long black pants and black, working shoes."
You nodded and thanked her.
She curiously looked at you as you dialed a number on your phone.
"Young man/lady, who are you calling?"
With fearful eyes, you looked at her.
"The police."
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Hi a rewrite of red carnations
Please vote
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Uwu thanks