The days at Willowridge Orphanage were heavy with routine, each one bleeding into the next with an oppressive sameness. The mornings began with the sharp clang of Miss Grayson’s bell, a sound that jolted the children from their dreams and thrust them into the harsh reality of life on the hill. Breakfast was a thin porridge served in chipped bowls, eaten in silence under the watchful eye of the caretakers. Afterward, there were chores to be done—floors to be scrubbed, windows to be cleaned, and endless tasks that kept the children’s hands busy and their minds dull.57Please respect copyright.PENANAA4aY6Xqkpr
57Please respect copyright.PENANAjxquoXPwvP
Elias had always been invisible in the crowd of orphans, one more forgotten soul in a sea of lost children. But to him, invisibility was a blessing. It allowed him to slip away unnoticed, to retreat into his world of whispers and shadows. While the other children scrubbed the floors or folded the laundry, Elias would find a quiet corner, listening to the creaks of the old building or the soft hum of the wind outside.
57Please respect copyright.PENANABPr6oXBsNW
But now, there was the garden. And the stone.
57Please respect copyright.PENANAKOHuYioJ1S
Ever since that first conversation, Elias had felt an undeniable pull toward the garden, a sensation that grew stronger with each passing day. The stone had promised him something, though its words were always veiled in mystery. "Freedom," it whispered. "A life beyond this place." Elias didn’t understand how a stone could offer him such a thing, but he wanted to believe. He needed to believe.
57Please respect copyright.PENANAicMrdGtFmx
It was during one of these stolen moments of solitude that Elias found himself at the gate again, his hands wrapped around the cold iron bars. The garden seemed darker today, its tangled vines and brambles casting long shadows that danced in the breeze. The stone was waiting for him, half-buried in the soil where he had left it.
57Please respect copyright.PENANAAdiA02s2xk
"You came back," it said, its voice soft and almost pleased.
57Please respect copyright.PENANAYVAG9nERuP
"Of course, I came back," Elias replied, glancing nervously over his shoulder. The other children were inside, and Miss Grayson was busy in her office, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being watched.
57Please respect copyright.PENANAHJqcNM92bG
"You’re not like the others," the stone continued. "They don’t understand. They’re blind to the truth of this place."
57Please respect copyright.PENANABTKKEBKhMz
"What truth?" Elias asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
57Please respect copyright.PENANA4UaMy1mdz9
The stone was silent for a moment as if considering its response. "This orphanage is a prison, Elias. Not just for you, but for me as well. And for the garden."
57Please respect copyright.PENANASaJsolncwx
Elias frowned, his thin fingers gripping the bars of the gate. "How can a garden be trapped?"
57Please respect copyright.PENANAP3P3FQqXeW
"It wasn't always like this," the stone said, its voice low and mournful. "Once, this was a place of life and beauty. But something happened—something dark. The garden was cursed, bound to this place, just as I am. But you… you can help set us free."
57Please respect copyright.PENANA5vPlLXiCWi
Elias felt a shiver run down his spine. There was something about the stone’s words that both fascinated and terrified him. "How can I help?" he asked.
57Please respect copyright.PENANAZmtr2C9zB4
"Patience," the stone replied. "All will be revealed in time."
57Please respect copyright.PENANATtwEuZne4A
Later that evening, as the children gathered around the long wooden table for dinner, Elias couldn’t stop thinking about the stone’s words. The other children chattered quietly amongst themselves, their voices a soft murmur beneath the clatter of utensils against plates. Miss Grayson sat at the head of the table, her sharp eyes scanning the room like a hawk searching for prey.
57Please respect copyright.PENANAlxMtLnk4d9
"Elias," she said suddenly, her voice cutting through the noise like a knife.
57Please respect copyright.PENANAxRsxc7kgRz
Elias froze, his spoon halfway to his mouth. "Yes, Miss Grayson?"
57Please respect copyright.PENANAq9wIykEA7v
"You’ve been sneaking off again," she said, her tone deceptively calm. "Haven’t you?"
57Please respect copyright.PENANAB39CgMMIfC
The room fell silent. The other children stared at Elias, their eyes wide with a mixture of curiosity and fear. No one spoke out against Miss Grayson—not if they wanted to avoid her wrath.
57Please respect copyright.PENANAqaZRHPHOoy
"I… I was just outside, near the garden," Elias admitted, his voice trembling.
57Please respect copyright.PENANA89qQkDLPJn
"The garden," Miss Grayson repeated, her lips curling into a thin smile. "How many times have I told you to stay away from there?"
57Please respect copyright.PENANA98JIaVxs70
"I didn’t go inside," Elias said quickly. "I just… I just like being near it."
57Please respect copyright.PENANAuMJnFyxeMu
Miss Grayson’s smile vanished, replaced by a look of cold fury. "The garden is off-limits," she snapped. "Do you understand me?"
57Please respect copyright.PENANAAxJb8I7F8T
"Yes, Miss Grayson," Elias murmured, lowering his gaze to his plate.
57Please respect copyright.PENANA6x1Ncb8uTv
"Good," she said, her tone sharp and final. "Because if I catch you near it again, there will be consequences."
57Please respect copyright.PENANA4kOApZo2du
Elias nodded, his heart pounding in his chest. He knew better than to argue. Miss Grayson’s punishments were swift and severe, and he had no desire to face her anger. But even as he promised himself to stay away from the garden, he knew he wouldn’t. The stone’s whispers were too strong, its promises too alluring.
57Please respect copyright.PENANAWUt3keUuJ1
That night, as the other children slept, Elias lay awake in his narrow bed, staring up at the cracked ceiling. The whispers were louder now, filling his mind with words he didn’t fully understand. The stone had spoken of freedom, of a life beyond the orphanage. But it had also spoken of something darker—of secrets buried in the soil, of shadows that lingered just out of sight.
57Please respect copyright.PENANAiYuGQR1OlB
Elias turned onto his side, his eyes drifting toward the window. The garden lay just beyond, shrouded in darkness. It looked different at night, almost alive, as if the vines and brambles were reaching out toward the orphanage, trying to escape their confines.
57Please respect copyright.PENANA3BU4W0NzAb
"You can help," the stone’s voice echoed in his mind. "You can set us free."
57Please respect copyright.PENANA8ZLVL34iop
Elias closed his eyes, his mind racing. He didn’t understand what the stone wanted from him, but he couldn’t ignore its whispers. For the first time in his life, he felt like he had a purpose, a reason to keep going. The orphanage had always felt like a cage, a place where dreams went to die. But the stone had given him hope—however fragile it might be.
57Please respect copyright.PENANACFmKd21lC9
As sleep finally claimed him, Elias dreamed of the garden. In his dream, the vines and brambles parted, revealing a path that led deep into the heart of the tangled wilderness. At the end of the path stood a figure, shrouded in shadow, its face hidden. The figure reached out to him, its voice soft and familiar.
57Please respect copyright.PENANAp4RoqK6Rz3
"Come, Elias," it said. "The truth awaits."
57Please respect copyright.PENANAcGiHFCZpiv
When Elias woke the next morning, he couldn’t shake the image from his mind. The dream felt more real than anything he had ever experienced as if the garden itself were calling to him.
57Please respect copyright.PENANATczFYx0dH6
And he knew, deep down, that he couldn’t resist its call.
57Please respect copyright.PENANA4ZU9lCLxb8
To be continued...
ns18.191.223.195da2