The Hedge Maze
By Ben Dandurand
The O'Riley mansion was one of the more lavish mansions in the country of Ireland. Located on the flowing green countryside, it cast shadows over all the acreage possessed by its owner, Ezra O'Riley III.
Ezra had one granddaughter, who lived with him in his large country estate. Beautiful Cecelia O'Riley was only the young age of 7. She, unto her father's content, was blind from birth. Her father, Seamus O'Riley, had gone away on a long venture, and Cecelia had come to stay with her grandfather. Cecelia had no mother, as she had died giving birth.
The O'Riley estate had, in its exterior, a large hedge maze grown by Ezra O'Riley Sr. himself. The maze was large and twisted, and at the center, there was a beautiful fountain carved by his wife Anna. The fountain was a statue of St. Mary and the child Christ. A pool of glistening water surrounded it.
Ezra had told Cecelia about the maze on a few occasions, but he would have rather not said anything. Cecelia, being as she was, had no clear idea of what a maze actually was. And even if she had, it wouldn't have quelled her curiosity. She wanted to venture into that maze and find the fountain that her grandfather had so many times talked about.
Cecelia decided that today would be that day. She would go into that maze and find the fountain. She carefully crept out of her room and down the curving staircases covered in soft maroon carpeting. Her right hand slid down the gold plastered railing. It was icy cold, as it was very early in the morning.
Feeling her way to the door, she managed to find the sculpted knob and open it. As the door opened a blast of chilly wind hit her like a blast from a cannon. She shivered in her silky nightgown, but even the harsh cold of an Irish morning was not enough to stop her.
Cecelia tiptoed quietly across the tiled patio in the back of the house. The maze was not far from her; she could smell the sweet aroma of flowers and the stench of grass and leaves. She held her arms out in front of her, trying carefully not to stumble into a deck chair or table.
A joyful sensation came to her as bare feet touched wet grass. The lawn had been cut early the previous morning and was still very short. The soft bristle tickled the bottoms of Cecelia's naked feet as she trudged on.
The wind blew again, making Cecelia halt. She knew the hedge would give her warmth, but she was uncertain where it was. The wind began to blow stronger; it cut through her flimsy nightgown, and even her goose-bump covered skin, and right down to her bones.
Without warning Cecelia leapt forward and bounded blindly into the yard. She only had to run a few feet before the wind ceased abruptly. She was inside the hedge maze; she knew it. She reached out her right arm and touched the rough wall of the maze. With no further intentions on waiting, Cecelia set forth into the maze.
The walls of the maze were comprised of large bushes, twined together into seemingly interconnected walls. The leaves were a nice outer coating, but thorns were also abundant in the walls, and Cecelia would occasionally scrape her finger on one. But the pain did not faze her; she continued her trek.
Cecelia traveled for about five or six minutes with out any findings, when all of a sudden her small hand graced a smooth surface in the middle of the rough one. She rubbed the material between her fingers, then bent closer to it and sniffed. A sweet fragrance filled her nostrils. This was one of the many roses that had been planted by Anna O'Riley.
Anna's favorite flower had been a rose. They had also been the favorite of Cecelia's grandmother, Dorothy O'Riley, who had passed away only a few months ago. Dorothy had a small garden in the front of the house where she grew most of her roses, but she also planted some back in the maze.
Dorothy would sometimes let Cecelia come out and help her in the garden. Cecelia loved the smell of roses, and all the other pretty flowers. Before she had died, Dorothy had told Cecelia that when a person grows old that they pass on to Heaven and when they reach Heaven, an angel plants a flower for them.
Cecelia was lost in memory. So lost that the sounds of footsteps startled her. Someone was in the maze with her. She heard a click and the growls of some large beast. If someone was in there with her, they had some kind of animal with them.
Without warning a large explosion shook her eardrums. Cecelia screamed and took off running. She dashed around the maze, trying to escape whatever made the noise. A dog barked, but it was a deep, menacing bark. The wind began to pick up again; it howled above Cecelia as she ran. She kept her right arm extended to the wall of the maze; rough thorn branches scraped her hand like demons. The peaceful maze had quickly become a Hell, and Cecelia wanted out. Fountain or not, all she wanted was to be back in her warm bed, safe from the loud bang and the ferocious dog.
Suddenly the hedge wall disappeared from her touch. Cecelia stopped and reached for it, but nothing. She stretched farther, not moving from her spot, but the wall was gone. She stretched out once more, and fell to the cold grass. Frantic with fear, Cecelia began to crawl on her hands and knees. She wandered about the ground searching for something, anything. All the while the sounds of the rabid dog, and now heavy footsteps, filled the air.
Cecelia had almost given up hope when she came to something cold and hard. It felt like stone. The fountain! She quickly sat up on her knees and began to say a prayer. The footsteps were so loud, it was as if they could get no louder, but still did. They were coming faster. Cecelia prayed as if it were her last prayer.
Through the commotion of the footsteps and the noises of the large dog, Cecelia caught a noise on the wind. It was her grandfather! He was calling her name! Cecelia began to shout back to him, but it was hard to hear anything over the noise of her predators. His voice kept coming closer and closer, but so did the footsteps.
Right as she felt that the evil thing was right over her, her grandfather swooped her up in his arms and embraced her warmly. The footsteps ceased. The dog was no longer a barking mad canine, but a whimpering pooch.
Her grandfather explained that it was very much past her bedtime, and that she shouldn't have snuck out in the night, but Cecelia no longer cared. She had come face to face with certain demise, and lived to see another day.
By Ben Dandurand
The O'Riley mansion was one of the more lavish mansions in the country of Ireland. Located on the flowing green countryside, it cast shadows over all the acreage possessed by its owner, Ezra O'Riley III.
Ezra had one granddaughter, who lived with him in his large country estate. Beautiful Cecelia O'Riley was only the young age of 7. She, unto her father's content, was blind from birth. Her father, Seamus O'Riley, had gone away on a long venture, and Cecelia had come to stay with her grandfather. Cecelia had no mother, as she had died giving birth.
The O'Riley estate had, in its exterior, a large hedge maze grown by Ezra O'Riley Sr. himself. The maze was large and twisted, and at the center, there was a beautiful fountain carved by his wife Anna. The fountain was a statue of St. Mary and the child Christ. A pool of glistening water surrounded it.
Ezra had told Cecelia about the maze on a few occasions, but he would have rather not said anything. Cecelia, being as she was, had no clear idea of what a maze actually was. And even if she had, it wouldn't have quelled her curiosity. She wanted to venture into that maze and find the fountain that her grandfather had so many times talked about.
Cecelia decided that today would be that day. She would go into that maze and find the fountain. She carefully crept out of her room and down the curving staircases covered in soft maroon carpeting. Her right hand slid down the gold plastered railing. It was icy cold, as it was very early in the morning.
Feeling her way to the door, she managed to find the sculpted knob and open it. As the door opened a blast of chilly wind hit her like a blast from a cannon. She shivered in her silky nightgown, but even the harsh cold of an Irish morning was not enough to stop her.
Cecelia tiptoed quietly across the tiled patio in the back of the house. The maze was not far from her; she could smell the sweet aroma of flowers and the stench of grass and leaves. She held her arms out in front of her, trying carefully not to stumble into a deck chair or table.
A joyful sensation came to her as bare feet touched wet grass. The lawn had been cut early the previous morning and was still very short. The soft bristle tickled the bottoms of Cecelia's naked feet as she trudged on.
The wind blew again, making Cecelia halt. She knew the hedge would give her warmth, but she was uncertain where it was. The wind began to blow stronger; it cut through her flimsy nightgown, and even her goose-bump covered skin, and right down to her bones.
Without warning Cecelia leapt forward and bounded blindly into the yard. She only had to run a few feet before the wind ceased abruptly. She was inside the hedge maze; she knew it. She reached out her right arm and touched the rough wall of the maze. With no further intentions on waiting, Cecelia set forth into the maze.
The walls of the maze were comprised of large bushes, twined together into seemingly interconnected walls. The leaves were a nice outer coating, but thorns were also abundant in the walls, and Cecelia would occasionally scrape her finger on one. But the pain did not faze her; she continued her trek.
Cecelia traveled for about five or six minutes with out any findings, when all of a sudden her small hand graced a smooth surface in the middle of the rough one. She rubbed the material between her fingers, then bent closer to it and sniffed. A sweet fragrance filled her nostrils. This was one of the many roses that had been planted by Anna O'Riley.
Anna's favorite flower had been a rose. They had also been the favorite of Cecelia's grandmother, Dorothy O'Riley, who had passed away only a few months ago. Dorothy had a small garden in the front of the house where she grew most of her roses, but she also planted some back in the maze.
Dorothy would sometimes let Cecelia come out and help her in the garden. Cecelia loved the smell of roses, and all the other pretty flowers. Before she had died, Dorothy had told Cecelia that when a person grows old that they pass on to Heaven and when they reach Heaven, an angel plants a flower for them.
Cecelia was lost in memory. So lost that the sounds of footsteps startled her. Someone was in the maze with her. She heard a click and the growls of some large beast. If someone was in there with her, they had some kind of animal with them.
Without warning a large explosion shook her eardrums. Cecelia screamed and took off running. She dashed around the maze, trying to escape whatever made the noise. A dog barked, but it was a deep, menacing bark. The wind began to pick up again; it howled above Cecelia as she ran. She kept her right arm extended to the wall of the maze; rough thorn branches scraped her hand like demons. The peaceful maze had quickly become a Hell, and Cecelia wanted out. Fountain or not, all she wanted was to be back in her warm bed, safe from the loud bang and the ferocious dog.
Suddenly the hedge wall disappeared from her touch. Cecelia stopped and reached for it, but nothing. She stretched farther, not moving from her spot, but the wall was gone. She stretched out once more, and fell to the cold grass. Frantic with fear, Cecelia began to crawl on her hands and knees. She wandered about the ground searching for something, anything. All the while the sounds of the rabid dog, and now heavy footsteps, filled the air.
Cecelia had almost given up hope when she came to something cold and hard. It felt like stone. The fountain! She quickly sat up on her knees and began to say a prayer. The footsteps were so loud, it was as if they could get no louder, but still did. They were coming faster. Cecelia prayed as if it were her last prayer.
Through the commotion of the footsteps and the noises of the large dog, Cecelia caught a noise on the wind. It was her grandfather! He was calling her name! Cecelia began to shout back to him, but it was hard to hear anything over the noise of her predators. His voice kept coming closer and closer, but so did the footsteps.
Right as she felt that the evil thing was right over her, her grandfather swooped her up in his arms and embraced her warmly. The footsteps ceased. The dog was no longer a barking mad canine, but a whimpering pooch.
Her grandfather explained that it was very much past her bedtime, and that she shouldn't have snuck out in the night, but Cecelia no longer cared. She had come face to face with certain demise, and lived to see another day.