INEXORABLE INFLUENCE
Five long years had passed since Blake had been working on the gardens of the luxurious mansion, yet he had never once even caught a glimpse of its mysterious owner.
The only information he had about the owner of the mansion came from the gossip of her maid, who would occasionally mention "the madam" in hushed whispers. Yet, despite his curiosity, Blake had resigned himself to the idea that he might never get to meet the enigmatic woman of the household.
Blake knew he had it good. The pay from working in the garden was more than generous and his fellow gardeners were friendly enough.
However, despite his morning shifts, which should have provided a prime opportunity to see the owner of the mansion in full view, he had never once seen so much as her face. All he ever saw was her back and a small portion of her head, as she sat in her usual spot on the balcony sipping her morning coffee. Even as she goes to work, her maids would keep being in the way of her figure.
Inside the boundaries of the luxurious mansion, gossip about the owner had already spread among the surrounding neighbourhoods. People whispered about her alleged mental instability, claiming that she had lost her mind due to the loss of her family to a deadly virus seven years ago.
At just 15 years old, she had been left as the sole survivor and had to take on the daunting task of managing the entire mansion and the family's gold mining business singlehandedly. Every night, she would stand on the same balcony, singing a haunting lullaby and dancing in a seeming ritualistic manner, as if calling out to her lost loved ones.
One thing was clear, she was harmless. Throughout the years, not once was there a whisper of her mistreating her maids. Despite being labeled as 'crazy', her kind heart shone through in how she cared for the people around her.
It all started on a warm summer afternoon, when a gardener named Blake was diligently tending to the lush, well-manicured garden of a grand mansion. As he tended to the flowers, his attention was suddenly drawn to the balcony where he caught a glimpse of a figure, an elegant and refined young woman sitting at the edge of the balcony with a glass of wine on her left hand and a cigarette on the other, her gaze fixed on the world beyond. Despite the distance and the limited view, he was captivated.
"Is that her? The.. Owner of the this mansion I mean." Blake asked one of the elders who's been working as the Whites families gardener for decades
The old gardener, surprised by Blake's sudden interest, asked, "You mean the young Miss of the Whites?"
He chuckled softly before continuing,
"Yep, that's her alright. She's a sight for sore eyes, ain't she?"
"Yup, the young Miss of the Whites family. And not just any family..." the old gardener let out a chuckle, his eyes wandering into the grand garden "The family who owns this whole damn place".
"The Whites, eh?" asked Blake. "But why don't I see her often?"
The old gardener leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a soft whisper "Well, that's 'cause she's a bit... Different."
Blake raised a brow, curiosity piqued. "Different? How so?"
The gardener took a deep breath, scratching at his stubble, "She keeps to herself like a damn ghost. Nobody really knows what she does in there all day, but I heard.... They say she sings. Yeah, ain't that crazy?"
"Sings?" Blake asked, eyebrows raised in confusion.
The gardener nodded, his wrinkles deepening, "Yeah, she sings alright. They say she does it all alone there in the dead of night. It's like... An obsession for her. Some folks say she's lost her mind... She only ever comes out when singing that lullaby of hers."
Blake's eyes widened in disbelief, "That's a bit hard to believe, don't you think?"
The gardener laughed, "You don't have to believe me, son. Some folks also reckon that she's got a weird habit of talking to herself. They say she's crazy, lost her mind after losing her family seven years ago."
The gardener added "if you're that curious, why don't you wait around till midnight? See It for yourself."
"Just stay hidden in the bushes over there," the gardener pointed to a large bush at the corner of the garden before continuing. "You should get a good view of the balcony from there. And don't fret, she won't see ya."
Blake's gaze lingered on the balcony for a moment, contemplating the suggestion. He knew it was wrong to spy, but his curiosity was piqued. He nodded slowly, "Alright, fine. I'll stay till midnight."
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Comments
Faaabb
I'm officially a fan of this author. Keep 'em coming!
2025-05-06
1