THE GARDEN
The rain dripped gently on the leaves turned gray by the storm. Droplets fell amid the flowers of muted reds, yellows, blues and violets. The vines covered the red-gray walls. The entire garden was overflowing, as if trying to escape the four walls enclosing it.
The gate opened with a rusty screech and a boy ran into the garden. He slammed the gate shut behind him and looked around wildly. "I can't go back in there," he whispered under his breath. "I can't and I won't." Lightening flashed against the dark sky, illuminating the boy's wild face. He glances around the garden as if seeing it for the first time. Thunder boomed across the sky and the rain picked up heavier then it was before. The boy lowered himself to the ground, with his back to the wall, to collect was little warmth was left from the afternoon sun.
The gate opened again with another screech. "Taithan!" a voice called. "Come back in now!" Another boy came into view. 'Where are you, Taith?"
"I'm right here Andrew. Where I always am," Taithan replied, reluctantly standing and leaving the warmth of the wall.
The lightening flashed again revealing the similarities between the two boys. The rain fell even harder, obscuring Taithan's view of his brother.
"Won't you come inside?" Andrew asked. "It's wet out here."
Taithan shook his head, knowing full well that the action couldn't be seen. "I can't."
"Can't or won't?" Andrew asked with the insight typical to him but not his age.
"Can't, won't. It's the same thing to me right now."
"But he's waiting inside," Andrew said. "He wants you to apologize."
"I won't apologize. It won't help. It'll seem batter for a while, but a week from now the argument will start up again. If not about this particular thing, then about another just a pointless," Taithan replied with a sigh.
"What're you going to do?" Andrew asked. "You're not going to run away are you?"
Taith shrugged. The thought hadn't occurred to him before. "I might," he replied.
"Don't!" Andrew pleaded.
"You better go inside before he comes out here looking for you."
"Can't you at least try to get along?" Andrew asked, sounding upset. Then he turned and left, the gate screeching shut behind him.
Taithan wandered around the garden aimlessly. "If only he knew how much I tried. Everything I do seems to be wrong though. I really do try. It's not my fault."
Taithan stopped and stared around at his garden. It hadn't been cultivated. It had been left to grow as it would, much like Taithan had. As a result, it was wild, untamed, but it fit and blended with the walls. It adapted to its prison and flourished inside it, despite of it. The garden conformed to the walls but still grew wildly within those bounds.
Taithan sighed and sat by the wall, hugging his legs to his chest. He knew what he had to do now; he just had to find the guts to do it. He turned his face up to the rain. The rain slicked his hair back and dampened his face. It was a cold, icy rain that left everything it touched feeling numb.
"But it isn't my fault," Taithan tried to convince himself. "I try to get along." But deep in his heart, he knew he could try harder. Taithan sighed and closed his eyes, resting his head against the wall.
The rain lessened and gradually subsided leaving its fresh, rain-washed scent behind. Taithan uncurled himself slowly and walked to the gate. He opened it and turned for one last look at the garden. It remained as wild as before, barely conforming to the restrictions placed upon it.
Taith let the gate shut with a clang, locking the garden and its wildness behind him with a determination that that was where it would stay.
The rain dripped gently on the leaves turned gray by the storm. Droplets fell amid the flowers of muted reds, yellows, blues and violets. The vines covered the red-gray walls. The entire garden was overflowing, as if trying to escape the four walls enclosing it.
The gate opened with a rusty screech and a boy ran into the garden. He slammed the gate shut behind him and looked around wildly. "I can't go back in there," he whispered under his breath. "I can't and I won't." Lightening flashed against the dark sky, illuminating the boy's wild face. He glances around the garden as if seeing it for the first time. Thunder boomed across the sky and the rain picked up heavier then it was before. The boy lowered himself to the ground, with his back to the wall, to collect was little warmth was left from the afternoon sun.
The gate opened again with another screech. "Taithan!" a voice called. "Come back in now!" Another boy came into view. 'Where are you, Taith?"
"I'm right here Andrew. Where I always am," Taithan replied, reluctantly standing and leaving the warmth of the wall.
The lightening flashed again revealing the similarities between the two boys. The rain fell even harder, obscuring Taithan's view of his brother.
"Won't you come inside?" Andrew asked. "It's wet out here."
Taithan shook his head, knowing full well that the action couldn't be seen. "I can't."
"Can't or won't?" Andrew asked with the insight typical to him but not his age.
"Can't, won't. It's the same thing to me right now."
"But he's waiting inside," Andrew said. "He wants you to apologize."
"I won't apologize. It won't help. It'll seem batter for a while, but a week from now the argument will start up again. If not about this particular thing, then about another just a pointless," Taithan replied with a sigh.
"What're you going to do?" Andrew asked. "You're not going to run away are you?"
Taith shrugged. The thought hadn't occurred to him before. "I might," he replied.
"Don't!" Andrew pleaded.
"You better go inside before he comes out here looking for you."
"Can't you at least try to get along?" Andrew asked, sounding upset. Then he turned and left, the gate screeching shut behind him.
Taithan wandered around the garden aimlessly. "If only he knew how much I tried. Everything I do seems to be wrong though. I really do try. It's not my fault."
Taithan stopped and stared around at his garden. It hadn't been cultivated. It had been left to grow as it would, much like Taithan had. As a result, it was wild, untamed, but it fit and blended with the walls. It adapted to its prison and flourished inside it, despite of it. The garden conformed to the walls but still grew wildly within those bounds.
Taithan sighed and sat by the wall, hugging his legs to his chest. He knew what he had to do now; he just had to find the guts to do it. He turned his face up to the rain. The rain slicked his hair back and dampened his face. It was a cold, icy rain that left everything it touched feeling numb.
"But it isn't my fault," Taithan tried to convince himself. "I try to get along." But deep in his heart, he knew he could try harder. Taithan sighed and closed his eyes, resting his head against the wall.
The rain lessened and gradually subsided leaving its fresh, rain-washed scent behind. Taithan uncurled himself slowly and walked to the gate. He opened it and turned for one last look at the garden. It remained as wild as before, barely conforming to the restrictions placed upon it.
Taith let the gate shut with a clang, locking the garden and its wildness behind him with a determination that that was where it would stay.