Beyond the Gate
That Was, A Wonderful Secret
They had stopped in front of the most beautiful house Veronica had ever seen. The flowers were in full bloom, birds and ladybugs were rushing from tree to tree, and the bees buzzed happily as they collected their treasure from each of the weed-less flowerbeds.
When Veronica sat back in her seat, the man opened the carriage door, undid his umbrella and stepped out onto the road. Veronica watched him, with a puzzled expression on her face, as he made his way through the garden and into the house, keeping the umbrella over his head, as if the sunshine was rain.
Without thinking, Veronica also stepped outside, ignoring the voice of her startled mother. She felt almost hypnotized; the garden was just so attractive. The closer Veronica got, the more magical the garden appeared. The small pond seemed to shimmer with magic, and the white, picket fence, which was covered with green ivy, seemed whiter than her pink and white dress.
As Veronica stepped through the gate, she physically grew. She felt like she was at least 16, now.
Then, a boy of about 18 stepped out from behind a large tree, that cast its shadow over most of the garden. The boy also had a very pale complexion, as if his skin had never seen any light at all, with red rings around his eyes, and his ebony hair shone, even though no sunlight caressed it. On top of his head, sat a twisted, silver crown. His clothes were extremely handsome, like something only a prince would wear, and his boots were shiny and new-looking.
“Veronica,” said the boy, reaching out to her, his voice sounding distant and dreamy, “Veronica, come with me. I’m alone –” At this point, the strange man from the carriage appeared in one of the windows, “– so alone, Veronica. Come with me. Please. I’m so alone…” his distant voice drowned to a whisper, and he advanced towards Veronica, his misty, hazel eyes swimming with unshed tears. When he got beside the pond, he stopped and beckoned to Veronica. In the water, there was no reflection.
Veronica walked, as if in a trance, to the boy and entwined her fingers into his, whispering, “I will! I will be your friend,”
A few moments after, Veronica’s mother stopped yelling. Her gaze darted fearfully from the boy, to Veronica. The boy stood still for a while, then whispered, “Veronica, I have a secret. Would you like to know my secret?”
Biting her trembling lips, she nodded. “Oh, yes.”
He leaned forward slowly, towards her right ear. The man in the window smirked, and Veronica’s mother hurried out of the carriage, “Veronica!” she yelled, “Come here, now!”
Without an upward glance, the boy unexpectedly dropped down from Veronica’s ear to her neck and sunk his teeth into her flesh. Veronica’s eyes rolled upwards, her skin paled, her teeth mutated into points, and her body slackened.
“Oh,” she gasped faintly, throwing her arms around his neck, sticky, crimson blood running down her own, “That was – a wonderful secret.”
When Veronica sat back in her seat, the man opened the carriage door, undid his umbrella and stepped out onto the road. Veronica watched him, with a puzzled expression on her face, as he made his way through the garden and into the house, keeping the umbrella over his head, as if the sunshine was rain.
Without thinking, Veronica also stepped outside, ignoring the voice of her startled mother. She felt almost hypnotized; the garden was just so attractive. The closer Veronica got, the more magical the garden appeared. The small pond seemed to shimmer with magic, and the white, picket fence, which was covered with green ivy, seemed whiter than her pink and white dress.
As Veronica stepped through the gate, she physically grew. She felt like she was at least 16, now.
Then, a boy of about 18 stepped out from behind a large tree, that cast its shadow over most of the garden. The boy also had a very pale complexion, as if his skin had never seen any light at all, with red rings around his eyes, and his ebony hair shone, even though no sunlight caressed it. On top of his head, sat a twisted, silver crown. His clothes were extremely handsome, like something only a prince would wear, and his boots were shiny and new-looking.
“Veronica,” said the boy, reaching out to her, his voice sounding distant and dreamy, “Veronica, come with me. I’m alone –” At this point, the strange man from the carriage appeared in one of the windows, “– so alone, Veronica. Come with me. Please. I’m so alone…” his distant voice drowned to a whisper, and he advanced towards Veronica, his misty, hazel eyes swimming with unshed tears. When he got beside the pond, he stopped and beckoned to Veronica. In the water, there was no reflection.
Veronica walked, as if in a trance, to the boy and entwined her fingers into his, whispering, “I will! I will be your friend,”
A few moments after, Veronica’s mother stopped yelling. Her gaze darted fearfully from the boy, to Veronica. The boy stood still for a while, then whispered, “Veronica, I have a secret. Would you like to know my secret?”
Biting her trembling lips, she nodded. “Oh, yes.”
He leaned forward slowly, towards her right ear. The man in the window smirked, and Veronica’s mother hurried out of the carriage, “Veronica!” she yelled, “Come here, now!”
Without an upward glance, the boy unexpectedly dropped down from Veronica’s ear to her neck and sunk his teeth into her flesh. Veronica’s eyes rolled upwards, her skin paled, her teeth mutated into points, and her body slackened.
“Oh,” she gasped faintly, throwing her arms around his neck, sticky, crimson blood running down her own, “That was – a wonderful secret.”