Ensorcellors: The Tales of Encrest

[ETOEB1//03//] Wellhouse and the Enchanted Garden

Chapter 03

Wellhouse and The Enchanted Garden

Carter's POV:

"From now on, we'll stay here." said Mother.

Sandra was thrilled to hear it. Since it was also our first time living in the manor.

But as for me? Believe me. I'm exactly the other way around

"Why here, mother?" Isn't this manor house too big for a family like ours? I mean, since it's just the four of us!" I objected, and I made my complaint as an implicit suggestion.

"I know. Aren't you even excited to live and roam through this beautiful home that I inherited from my great-great-grandmother?"

As I gaze around, I can say that it was wide and spacious even though there were a lot of old items and sentimental objects that occupied the interior space of the room. I still didn't know why mom made the decision to move here.

The place did not satisfy my taste, even though it had all the good characteristics and qualities of one person's "general or ideal" dream house; the style and design of it, the texture of the walls and floors that were used, even though the square mass of the land was comparably bigger than our old house, I would rather not live in it.

Thus, I would settle more for living in a small town, since that is where I grew up and built up my precious memories.

I couldn't figure out where my room would be, and since this mansion is a five-story building, there were a lot of doors and vacant rooms waiting for them to be opened and discovered. Even though it's against my will to move into this scary house where my mom wanted to live.

Well, I tell you what. I miss my home.

But there's nothing I can do about it now that it's already decided, and we're already here.

Mom seemed to pick up on my face. I was unable to hide my expression. Mother approached me and said, "Don't be sad, Carter, okay?"

She then leaned down to fit my size and put her hand over my shoulder. I met Mom's face in the same proportion, and then she went on to say, "It's alright."

When she told me about it, I stared down and frowned. Mother lifted my chin and head with the body of her index finger, looking at each other attentively with eye contact.

"You'll get used to it in the long run." She tapped me on the shoulder and held me comfortably.

"But you still haven't told me why we even have to move out of our house in the first place." I asked.

I don't know if I'm going to be able to face this new house and this new life, particularly since the atmosphere here is unusual.

The place seemed a bit gloomy and depressing as there were not enough windows for even less light to illuminate the room.

She removed her hug from me, then stood up in her natural posture, back to her original position, went to a switch to open the lights up, and then walked away from me as she told us to "Take the things out of the box first, then go take a look around the house. I'll deal with it after this." - About her excuse for running away from my question.

We did what Mother told us to do. After finishing what Mom told us to do, I began to tour the house, a manor of great antiquity.

There seemed to be many ancient figurines, some of them kept and compartmentalized on their respective shelves.

The remaining shelves were slumped and covered in dust. But while I was unknowingly inhaling it, I-

"Achooo!" I sneezed.

I removed a portion of the dust from my involuntary sneeze. There were a few left behind and a few coarse spots on them. I decided to wipe them and clean them with a bit of a damp cloth.

First, I knew that I was giving a dull expression that mom left me clueless about what was going on, but as I was roaming around the place, it had gradually been replaced by curiosity.

Instead of being emotional, I inoculated myself with the idea that "I can start creating new memories here." as my positive mindset

So, as I looked at old paintings, picture frames, and sentimental objects that Lincoln valued and preserved, I noticed he was also cleaning these things that were placed inside the box.

When I attempted to approach Lincoln, my attention was suddenly drawn and shifted outward. There was this big glass sliding door at the right side of the narrow hallway where I was at, and I was illuminated by the bright sun, and I felt its warmth touching my skin.

The light that was held in my sight gradually diminished as I walked towards the sliding door, and a picture began to form just in front of my eyes.

It was an extravagant display of a beautiful and airy garden that appeared in my sight. It was fascinating to discover such a spot in the manor. I opened the sliding door and went outside to look more closely at the surrounding area.

There were a variety of unique ornaments and colorful flowers which were unknown to me. It was very mystique for my senses. They were more vibrant than the common plants I typically see, if I can describe them.

Some of the butterflies were joyfully flying around; some were sipping nectar from flowers. Sweet as an aromatic fragrance of honey, peppermint and butter.

I also noticed a large and sturdy tree standing in the middle, adding to the enthralling aesthetic design of the enchanted garden. Even the birds chirped happily, inhabiting and constructing their own nests in some of its branches.

I was even more intrigued by the overall view of the place.

It was exquisitely strange, unearthly for the first time to feel it. I mean, I'm not the kind of guy who's easy to be impressed with, but as I stand in this yard?

I guess I'll take back my word.

Well, Not for the most part.

This garden is the only exception since it has shattered my bad expectations regarding this place.

As I parted a bush, I noticed there was a secret path to where it obscured the sunlight. Only a small quantity of sunlight could pass through the tiny holes in the packets of leaves that blocked the beautiful sky. My curiosity started to rise and I followed the path without hesitation, and there I found an old well.

The galvanized steel was already chipped; mosses were growing on the paved walls. The bell was suspended under the iron, and the pigments on its exterior convex surface were rusted and wilted. Even the old rope looked severed and worn.

I attempted to look into the well. It seemed deep, as the walls of the inner concave cobblestones moving towards the end were shrouded in darkness.

"Hello?"

It was a foolish idea to call someone at the well. My voice echoed, too. I was hearing my voice rebounding from the deep well.

I took one cent out of my pocket and threw it into the well. I expected to hear a coin fall on the water or on the ground, but it did not.

Weird. How deep does this thing go? I-

"Hmm, looks like you're having some fun..." My heart almost dropped as I heard someone talking from behind.

I gasped. "You scared me! I thought I would fall into that pit out of fear!"

"I am sorry. It was not my intention to startle you." He apologized.