4 .4.

Isabelle went for a stroll in the garden with her favorite book in her hand 'he laid beneath the grave'.

She had flipped over numerous pages countless times. She had read the book over and over again and you could tell from the folded pages.

Isabelle also see the garden as a quiet place. She admired the tulips,roses, purple hibiscus and the sun flower.

They also had a few trees in the garden. A pine tree, weeping willows, oak trees and  chestnut trees.

A few chestnuts had fallen to the ground, she picked up a few and saw that part of it were rotten.

'Just like the people in this world' she mumbled to her self. ' I guess there are a few good ones'. She thought and dropped the rotten chestnuts.

Isabelle found shade beneath the weeping willow. She sat on its stem and flipped a page.

'At night, the creatures of the dark crept quietly into the graveyard sitting in a circular form to perform a ritual. They spoke in a strange language only they could understand, but no human could. The full moon reached the peak of the mountain and from where they were, they saw its light and began to chant. They were performing the ritual and beneath the grave they encircled there he laid.'

The crushing of dried leaves interrupted Isabelle's reading. She looked up and saw no one.

Probably Mrs Noel again with her obsession with the rose bushes. She flipped another page.

'He was the answer they were looking for, he was the one they seek. They have awoken the dead'

Isabelle's lips curved upwards into a small smile, the story was getting better and better and yet another leave was crushed.

She averted her eyes to the oak tree where the noise had come from.

"Noel? Are you there?

No answer...

She folded the page she was reading, closed her book and stood up from the stem of the tree.

"Noel? Come out this instant!

Yet again, no answer.

Isabelle stood up and walked towards the tree.

"Noel?" She looked behind the tree but saw no one. Her eyes picked up the dried leaves scattered everywhere.

Shouldn't these leaves be raked?. I thought Noel was here this morning? Isabelle murmured heading back to the house.

She saw Clare hurrying up the stairs, Noel and Candice were waxing the wooden figurines.

Isabelle decided to do it herself. With a rake in her hand she went back to the garden and began raking the leaves.

While raking she hummed the lullaby her mom would sing to her when she was little. She felt the cool afternoon breeze on her skin and hear it whistle past her ear.

You have a beautiful voice

Who said that?;. She turned but saw no one.

When she turned back to continue raking, she saw the breeze had blown away the leaves and a wooden door was left beneath.