Gardens of Destruction

The day was splendid, albeit slightly breezy. Jana wished she could be as carefree as the birds in the forest. Here, tranquility reigned supreme, a peace she could no longer find among people. She was always a homebody, detesting this kind of camping with tents, campfires, and the like. Now she began to understand why people did it, for the timelessness it brought, for the absence of the stress that surrounded us in civilization. Nature didn’t revolt against the invaders; they were just another species that had settled here. Nature was indifferent.

Leaving was inevitable; they couldn’t stay in the forest, much as she wished they could. Their most pressing issue was securing food. After yesterday’s incident, she felt a panic-stricken fear of people and cities. She longed to live as a hermit.

“Shall we set off?” Mark suggested.

“I don’t want to, but we must,” Jana replied with a sorrowful voice.

Val had already settled in her spot in the back seat, alongside Fury, silent as ever. Though there was progress. It was no longer rare for her to engage in communication with her mother and Mark. Then, she would return to silence for long stretches.

“Jana, you know we need to get food from somewhere, right?”

“Yes,” she responded halfheartedly.

“We’ve run out of supplies. It’s crucial we restock today,” Mark continued to persuade her.

“Well, a bath wouldn’t be so bad either,” she daydreamed.

“I can’t promise you that,” the captain shrugged helplessly.

“I suppose I’ll have to make do,” Jana murmured unhappily.

They loaded all their belongings, and Mark took his place behind the wheel again. He was the driver most of the time, though occasionally, when he was utterly exhausted, his companion would take over.

Jana was still sleepy and not in the mood for conversation. The little girl remained in her usual state, staring out the window, clutching her strange scepter.

“Can’t you stop talking? I can’t focus!” Mark joked, but it seemed no one got the joke, as both looked at him puzzled.

“Well, I tried to lighten the mood, but it seems I failed.”

Jana finally spoke up.

“Mark, are you going to tell me where we’re going? Is there a plan, or are we just wandering the roads aimlessly?”

“We’ve already talked about this! I want to get as far away from here as possible, then we’ll try to leave the country and go somewhere still unaffected by those... beings!”

“The others are coming too, you know that!” Jana asked skeptically.

“Yes, I haven’t forgotten,” Mark replied gruffly.

Unexpectedly, the child joined the conversation.

“You can’t escape,” she declared, turning back to the window.

The young woman swallowed her anxiety and looked at the child.

“Why dear, will they chase us?”

“Not you! They want only me!”

“Why do they want you?”

“I am dangerous, as the Sh’ur said!”

“They chase you because you’re a threat to them?” Jana still looked incredulous.

“Yes!”

“But you’re just a child! How can you be a threat to all of them?”

“Because I know!” Val whispered softly.

“What do you know?”

“The Gardeners fear the Sh’ur!”

“But weren’t they captives there, or slaves to the Gardeners...”

Mark intervened in the conversation, having listened silently until now, but now seeing Jana getting nowhere fast.

“I think she’s saying that those out there fear the knowledge that these... beings have imparted to her.”

“Yes!” the child nodded in agreement.

“I see,” Jana muttered, more to herself than to the others, then continued aloud, “So, wherever you go, they’ll chase you, right?”

“Yes, Mom!”

“Wonderful, just wonderful,” she exclaimed with a note of despair and a hint of anger.

“Calm down, Jana, don’t be scared, she has protectors!”

“Yes, I see how well both of us protected her,” Jana remarked sarcastically.

“I didn’t mean us!” Mark retorted.

“I don’t understand?”

“Shall we tell Mom, Val?” he turned briefly back, seeking her permission.

“What do I need to know?” Jana angrily clenched her lips, realizing they were keeping something from her.

The child nodded affirmatively at the captain, who continued, “Do you remember how those different animals and people fought for us in the forest?”

“Yes, and?”

“And the wolves at the gas station parking lot yesterday?”

“How could I forget that sight?”

“You already knew that your daughter could somehow... telepathically communicate with them.”

“Yes, I remember that well, now stop interrogating me and just say what you mean, you’re annoying me!” Jana exploded in frustration.

“Alright, calm down. What Val and I wanted to tell you is that they haven’t left us... and more are still joining them.”

“I don’t understand?”

“Jana, they are following us! Those that Valentina can control with her mind, they’re accompanying us! Does that clarify things for you?”

The young woman fell silent for a moment, digesting the revelation just shared with her. “Are you saying that all this time, while we slept outside, they were around us?”

“Exactly!”

“Terrifying!” Jana shivered.

“Mom, they’re protecting us!” the child interjected.

“It’s unfair not to share this with me! Am I not part of this ordeal?” Jana was upset, tears of anger welling up in her eyes.

“We did it for you!” Mark tried to soothe the situation.

“Why, what would have happened if you had told me?” she persisted.

“Jana, would you have slept peacefully in the tent, knowing they were wandering around?” Mark challenged her with a stern look.

She pondered for a few seconds, seemingly understanding why they had kept it from her. “No,” she whispered barely audibly. “I don’t want to see them at all! I don’t want these... monsters in my life. They took my child... I can’t stand them!” she began to yell, her nerves no longer able to hold back.

After the ordeal of her child’s disappearance, her psyche was just waiting for the right moment to burst.

“Jana, they’re not to blame, they were forcibly made this way!” Mark tried to comfort her with the gentlest voice he could muster.

Tears streamed down her face, and she said no more, just sadly gazing out the car window.

The child waited for her mother to calm down before sharing, “Mom... it hurts them!” she said with concern in her voice.

Jana turned to her daughter, feeling more emotion in her words than ever before. “You feel them all the time, don’t you?” her mother realized suddenly.

“Yes!” the little one didn’t deny.

“Does it hurt you when they’re close?” Mark joined the questioning, seemingly onto something.

“Yes!” the child replied.

Jana sighed with worry.

“Val, I want to ask you something?” Mark continued.

“When they’re close to you, you take on their pain, right? That’s why they’re willing to follow you anywhere?” he voiced his grim suspicion.

“Yes!” the child answered quietly but firmly.

Their journey that day passed without incident. The towns they crossed were not much different from others. Chaos had taken hold everywhere, turning people’s lives into hell. Jana watched from the car as human civilization crumbled. She wanted to scream, to enlighten people, to tell them that now was not the time to become savage, that they needed to stick together until the end, but the words remained only scenes in her mind. She had no voice loud enough for them to hear. She lacked the strength to fight them; she needed her strength to care for her child.

She jolted awake. She realized she had fallen asleep, her head slumped on the seatback.

“You dozed off for a bit!” Mark stated the obvious.

“I’m sorry,” she apologized.

“No need,” Mark replied.

“But there is. You’ve been driving all day, and here I am, selfishly sleeping instead of offering to take the wheel for a bit.”

“No problem, it’s not that bad, I’m not so tired.”

“It’ll soon be dark, we haven’t found food, what do we do now? We also need to pick a spot to spend the night?”

“Don’t worry, we’ll figure something out.” Mark tried to sound optimistic, but the anxiety in his voice was palpable.

They had left the confines of yet another town, venturing into the wilderness, when suddenly Jana caught her companion’s attention.

“Look! What’s that?”

Long after they had passed the town, a large old building, resembling a manor and enclosed by a sturdy fence, peeked through the trees.

“It must be a monastery!” Mark noted, spotting a sign.

A signpost at the turnoff from the road, a hundred meters in, led to the building. It read, “The Order of St. Benedict will care for you. Come and find shelter with us, travelers and wanderers.”

“Shall we take a look?” Jana asked, a pleading tone in her voice.

“Are you now afraid to sleep in the forest? Because of them!”

“Yes,” she admitted sheepishly.

“Alright, let’s see what they have to offer.”

They quickly reached the gate. It was closed, but two men immediately emerged from inside. Armed.

“Welcome, strangers!” they greeted them, though it was uncertain if they were truly welcome. “Seeking shelter?”

“Could we stay with you for the night? We have a child,” Mark inquired.

“Yes, come in, but you’ll have to leave the car outside the gate.”

Jana and Mark exchanged glances. The soldier was not particularly keen on staying here, but he was willing to do it for her. They got out of the car and took their most important luggage; the rest remained locked inside.

“Do you carry weapons, Sir?” one of the bearded guards insisted.

“Yes,” Mark spoke the truth.

“Please hand them over, we’ll return them if you decide to leave. No one inside is armed. The Lord protects us!”

Reluctantly, the captain didn’t want to part with his weapons, but he had no choice. He had to take the risk and trust these people. He sincerely hoped they wouldn’t take the child’s scepter. Somehow, he felt safer with it than with his own gun.

They were allowed through the solid door. Inside it was clean but quite overcrowded; they weren’t the only ones seeking refuge in this sanctuary. An elderly father appeared from somewhere.

“Welcome, you’re new here, right? Come, let me show you where you can stay. You’ll have to sleep on the ground, but unfortunately, we can’t offer anything else.”

“We have sleeping bags, thank you!” Jana said kindly, earning a smile from the priest.

“Troubling times have come upon us!” he began. “The Lord is punishing us for our arrogance. Now everyone has witnessed His power and justice.”

“Have you sheltered many people?” Mark concluded, cutting off the religious tirade; he didn’t care for such discussions.

“Quite a few, but most just pass through, fleeing somewhere. I tell them there’s nowhere to go, but they don’t believe me.”

“Yes, there’s nowhere to run!” Val surprisingly said.

The father stopped and looked at the child with a smile:

“See! They know everything. Their innocent souls are closer to God than we will ever be.”

“Come, dear, let me show you your corner. There are other children here; you can play with them.” the father added, taking Valentina by the hand.

Mark tensed, knowing she didn’t let anyone touch her except her mother. But surprisingly, the child willingly followed the old father, gripping him tightly.

“Here we’ve laid carpets, and I see you’ve brought your sleeping bags, even better, we won’t have to worry about finding blankets.” he showed them a stone alcove where they could stay for the night.

They spread out their belongings and could say they felt comfortable. At least it was warm; there was no need to light a fire, though Valentina liked it very much.

“I’ll go ask the women about a bath; you stay here.” Jana commanded and quickly disappeared.

Soon she returned. Both girls went to enjoy something they had missed, scepter in tow, of course.

After a while, they returned satisfied. Valentina had found some rope and strapped her scepter to her back, walking contentedly.

“A bath, bliss.” Jana exclaimed with a smiling face.

“Thank you, Mark!” she added flirtatiously, her eyes radiating happiness.

At that moment, he couldn’t take his eyes off her; she seemed to him the most beautiful woman in the world. She noticed his special look and laughed.

“Stop staring at me; let’s find something to eat; the father said they would provide us with some.”

They found the dining hall and settled on a modest wooden bench beside a long table. Finding a spot was tough; the monastery was bursting at the seams with refugees or mere passersby. The meal was modest, yet it was better than nothing. Nevertheless, the food lifted their spirits. For the first time in a long while, a sense of calm pervaded the atmosphere. Mark had never seen Jana so relaxed and naturally witty. He realized he only knew the shattered mother who had lost her child. Now, he saw a different person – humorous, engaging, and... radiant.

“Mom, I’m going to play with the other kids!” Valentina suddenly declared.

Her mother hesitated, not ready to admit she had started to see her daughter as changed. She feared what might happen if the other children rejected her. Mark took the lead:

“Go ahead, but leave your scepter here. I don’t think you’ll need it right now; I’ll keep it safe!” he promised.

“Okay!” the child agreed without argument and vanished towards the group of children before her mother could say anything.

Jana was still taken aback by Valentina’s behavior.

“It’s good you’re here, or I might truly lose my mind. You know, I think she sees in you the father she never had. She trusts you... and wants to be a warrior like you,” Jana reflected.

“Don’t worry, children aren’t like us; they’ll accept her!” he said softly, reaching for Jana’s hand.

She tensed but didn’t pull away.

“It is just that I don’t know how to accept her now when it seems nothing in her is the same. You understand her better, don’t you?”

“Yes, because I didn’t really know Val before. This Val is the only one I know, and for me, it’s natural for her to be this way. Even if it’s magical way.”

“I don’t know what we’ll do, Mark, I’m scared!” she suddenly gripped his hand tightly.

“I understand.”

“I’m scared, do you hear me!” she repeated. “I don’t see things getting better any time soon, the whole world has gone to hell.”

Mark’s expression and demeanor hardened.

“We’ll fight, Jana, we’ll fight. She’s our strongest weapon!” he nodded towards Val.

“She’s not a weapon; she’s a child!” Jana retorted angrily, her raised voice drawing disapproving looks from nearby tables.

Mark looked in her frightened eyes.

“Don’t be mistaken, Jana, you’ve seen it yourself... she might truly be humanity’s last chance to survive!”

Mark’s gaze wandered aimlessly, occasionally settling on the group of children playing. Suddenly, he noticed Valentina pulling a peculiar object from her pocket. It resembled a cube, composed of numerous movable parts. The other children clustered around her, yet Mark could still see what was happening. Jana, absorbed in conversation, paid no heed, but Mark stopped listening and focused on the unfolding scene.

Valentina was showing the children how to arrange the cube’s elements so that a part of it could swing open like a lid. She briefly showed them the interior, then scrambled the configuration again.

“Jana, look at what’s happening!” Mark gripped her hand tightly.

“What’s going on?”

He quickly recounted what he’d seen, and now they both watched intently as the game unfolded. The children took turns trying to rearrange the cube, but none succeeded. As time passed, their interest waned.

Jana was about to leap up when Mark firmly held her back to the table.

“It’s not our place there” he whispered firmly.

Agitated, Jana didn’t respond. Valentina had pocketed the cube and was striding back to them with a look of pride.

“Val, what did you show those children?” Jana began sternly.

The child met her mother’s gaze without a flicker of apprehension.

“Sh`ur told me to,” she replied.

“Oh, those again!” Jana rolled her eyes and shook her head. “What is this cube, and what’s inside it?”

Valentina pondered for a few seconds, as if struggling to find the right words.

“It’s like a... puzzle?” she finally said.

“And where did you get it from? Let me guess – the Sh`ur gave it to you,” Jana joked.

“Yes!” the child responded, to her mother’s surprise.

“Is it something like a... toy?” Mark inquired.

“No!”

“Why give it to the other children?”

“For them to open it!” Val said with a hint of exasperation.

“Is it some kind of test for them?” Mark guessed.

“Yes!”

“And what does the one who opens it get?” he continued, curious.

“I have to give them one... I can’t say, I don’t know the word.”

“I see, so if they pass the test, you have to give them something from the inside?” Mark prodded for more information.

“Yes!”

“Why, Val? Why give it to them?”

“Sh`ur said so!” she retorted, clearly irritated.

“Val, my dear, will this thing you have to give hurt the children?” Jana asked, slightly frightened.

“No!” Val replied indignantly.

“Can you tell me why this is so important? What do Sh`ur want with these children?”

“I need to find... more of them!” - the child was a bit confused.

“More of what?”

“The Others!”

“What others, Val?” - Mark couldn’t understand.

“Those who will become... must become… must transform into warriors... like me!”