He opened the door completely, and saw that a large garden lay beyond it. A cobblestone walk winded through it, passing rose bushes and tulips, daffodils and marigolds. He looked and saw more flowers and other plants then he couldn’t possibly name. He walked down the path, his shoes making a soft clack. He passed a large pond, deep enough to swim in, but as clear as if it were only a foot deep.
In it swam koi fish and gold fish and several smaller fish. A turtle sunned itself on a nearby rock. He walked to the end of the path before it circled around to go back to the mansion. Here he could see that a high fence surrounded the garden, slender steel poles tipped with spikes, connected by horizontal steel poles making it so even a cat would have trouble entering.
Here was also a small patch of plants. The leaves were that of an ever green, small spikes protruding from the stem. In between these leaves were small purple flowers, dozens on each plant. Then as he kept looking through the out of place patch he saw some had white flowers, other pink, some blue. He thought that these plants were in a strange place, so out of the way and not as planned it seemed as the rest. As he was about to head back to the mansion he saw that Rose stood only a short distance from him.
“Rosmarinus officinalis, Rosemary. The dew of the sea.” She said it softly, but as if with great affection. “They’re my favorite, but it seems they don’t fare well in this garden, that’s the only place they’ll grow.” She slowly walked over, then bent down and gently touched a new growing sprout. “They say that some goddess wore them when she rose out of the sea.” She looked up to Alec, who now was actually looking at her.
She quickly looked away again as she stood. “Madame Stella and Sir Viren have arrived.” She started walking down the path, he lingered slightly before following.
As they turned to start walking back to the mansion, Alec some steps behind, a sudden crash reverberated throughout the tranquil garden. As Alec was about to ask what the sound was Rose almost instantly was behind him, and before he could turn a gurgling sound signaled the death of the creature that had been only inches from his head.
He stood gawking as the gray mound of flesh crumbled to the ground, the thick green blood oozing out of 4 large gashes across its face or was it the body? It was hard to tell. Its body consisted of a large gray bumpy sphere. Plastered on this was an enormous mouth, taking up most if not all of the lower part of the body, the upper half taken by 3 circular eyes, the pupils horizontal like that of a goat. Four spindly legs, each with 4 claws like hawks talons somehow supported the beast which nearly matched Alec in height, no doubt double his weight.
“What the hell-“ He started, the putrid smell making him gag. Before regaining his composure Rose again moved at an incredible speed, slashing another beast with her nails-now 3 inch claws. She turned to Alec, but before she could say whatever it was she was about to her eyes went wide as she tried to run over to him, screaming something.
He turned around, another beast’s mouth gaped open as it ran towards him, and 3 rows of dagger teeth filled a grotesque maw. He couldn’t move, couldn’t get to the gun at his side. Just as it was almost upon him it stopped, its eyes widened before it fell limp.
The woman retracted her arm from the beast; the green coagulating blood coated it. But before she even seemed to notice she turned around and swung a kick at another blob that came for her. She was tall and slim; she looked to be in her early twenties. Her hair was jet black, falling in slight waves to her shoulders. Her nails were long and sharp, stained with the alien blood. She wore black jeans and a bright deep blue halter top decorated with golden stars. She sent her heel clad foot threw another monster, it wreathing before dying like the rest. “This can’t be real.” Alec whispered. “Dream. A dream. That’s right.” He said chuckling, his eyes wide with fear. “Can’t be real.” He grasped his head with his hands, the world spinning.
He looked again at the once beautiful garden. Now gray corpses lay strew over flowers, the green blood soaking into soil. One lay in the pond, the water turning into slime. Rose bushes where crushed, marigolds limp. “Not real.” He said again. But as he stood there one of the monsters that had been seemingly defeated twitched. He watched in horror as it rose up from the ground only feet away from him. He couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. ‘I’m gana die.’ He thought as it staggered, and then leaped at him. He closed his eyes as he felt the hot breath of it on his face; he felt a tooth start into his neck. ‘I’m gana die.’
