xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx j o u r n a l . e n t r y
xxxxxxxxxxxxx Meredith's Magical Discovery (the finding of the mysterious triggerfish egg)

Meredith tied her blonde hair back in a scrunchie before she began her days work. Perhaps today it would be a bit warmer, she knew that last week’s brutal cold front had made her miserable since she worked outside nearly all day. Shrugging her hands dropped to her waist, fixing the little white dress as she faced a mirror. Her appearance was decent and acceptable.

“Time for work,” she chimed, a grin replacing the rather docile expression on her face. Her small legs made quick work of the staircase in front of her house and as soon as she was in the ground she had a bucket of seeds, some tools, glove, a lunchbox, and a few other items to take with her today as she worked. No, today would be a nice day; after all it was quite warm outside with the sun shining.

Living off Bass’Ken Lake Meredith had always dreamed of having the job she now occupied, a gardener for some of the higher powers in the towns nearby. She even befriended Rina, a cute girl who had ended up teaching her a lot. Meredith smiled and looked up swaying slowly as she walked, her elegant step keeping balance as she crossed over a small bridge on the way to a neighbor’s house to work.

She was going to be gardening for someone new today, a Jonathan Lee’Chum. He was a well respect man, supposedly, in Aekea for his various inventions which helped the Barton Town housing district function as it did.

When Meredith has received the rather generous offer she’d accepted right away, having no clue what this man had in store for her to do, who honesty would have a clue? She laughed, oh how her mind wandered when she was walking. Patting the side of her dress she held the small basket in one hand and walked, picking a small flower along the way and pushing it into her hair.

As the path winded through a thicket of trees is split in various directions: to the main road, Mr. Lee’Chum’s House, and an old trail that Meredith had explored countless times on her off days. Wandering cautiously down the path to the new neighbors house she didn’t recognize anything honestly.

The trees had been allowed to grow and when she reached the gate it automatically opened before she pressed the buzzer. “So strange…” she whispered after jumping a bit. The yard in front of the house was simple, two fountains sat on either side of the front porch, and the grass grew freely swaying in the wind as it blew.

It was a miracle someone would live like her, so far off but she only smiled approaching the front door and held up her hand to knock. Taking a breath the blonde haired gardener knocked three times, softly on the large wooden doors.

Stepping back her nerves twisted uneasily as the moment she had to wait. Hopefully such a beautiful day wouldn’t be ruined by a creep. That would be just awful.

Waiting a few moments more she heard footsteps and mumbled speech on the other side and instantly she straightened up. After all Meredith didn’t want to give a bad impression. Holding her basket behind her the door opened to reveal a younger aged man, around the age as she was with a brilliantly smart face and appealing body. “I-I’m Meredith-” she stuttered.

“I know who you are.” He interrupted, stepping aside a moment later to let her in.

“Thank you,” she replied. Meredith knew her cheeks were red, she could feel the pulsing heat through them. So embarrassing, especially with a client she had never met before.

“The garden I want you to tend too is a sun garden, on the top of my house. I thought you’d enjoy working in the area. Now I know I offered you something very peculiar in the letter, and I still hold to that promise. If you’ll follow me I’ll lead you upstairs.” Jonathan instructed taking a step onto the marble spiral staircase, which seemed to go up a good five floors before it reached the top.

“Is where the staircase disappears into a hole- the garden?” Meredith asked looking up, her hair falling back to her shoulders as the scrunchie slipped loose.

“Yes Ma’am,” he smiled as he lead the way up the staircase. It was a long and powerful walk by the views out the nearly endless windows always took her breath away. How could a house this beautiful not have been seen by her before? There was no telling but as she climbed she soon entered the garden unaware.

The burst of light blinded her but when the rooftop garden came into clear view she could only help but gasp. Fountains, trees, plants, a building at the end, it was- magnificent. “Oh my dearest…” she gasped putting her hand over her mouth. The animals scurried around on the three leveled garden, and while they stood on the highest overlooking the lower roofs she could help but be in astonishment.

“When was this built?” she asked curiously.

“Who knows, but I found this garden when I went exploring, so I chose to build the house under it as a sort of support, allowing it to survive.” Jonathan commented stepping forward. His grace, his speech, every movement about him was prestige and perfect, god-like almost.

Meredith nodded and moved forward to his side and examined the plants. “Nothing looks at harm, so what would you like me to do?”

“Tend to the plants, the animals, and the lovely place here. If you accept, I ask that you only work for me, come every other day and tend to the gardens, however, never come on Sundays even if it is time.” He instructed turning to face her. His blue eyes scanned her body, her figure and her stance. He was clearly impressed by such a woman, but his status wouldn’t let him admit it. Too much of a burden she would be anyways.

“Uh-“ Meredith hesitated, how could she drop the few clients she had for one customer. She liked helping people; maybe she’d just not tell them about him. “What if I didn’t tell them?” she asked echoing the thoughts in her head.

Jonathan sighed and rubbed his forehead, “I don’t want anyone else knowing about this place, so if you can keep the secret, than do as you may.” He bit his lip after his reply and turned walking off. “You’ll find your payment at the other end of the garden as well as a way out. I’m sorry to leave you, but I have errands to be run,” he lied as he vanished back down the central staircase.

Meredith only looked puzzled after her new client and shrugged turning with a curious expression to the garden. Only one area looked un-planted so slowly she crossed the stony path, down two flights of stairs to the long patch of dirt.

It looked like it had been ripped up by someone inexperienced, and destroyed. Meredith stared and bent down feeling the damaged earth with her hands. Even built on a roof top you could tell such a place as this still hurt, and it saddened her to know that things like this happened.

Frowning she bent down over the uneven dirt and went to work. Planting, digging, mixing, and watering till the garden was finished. The sun was low on the horizon by the time her work was done in the circular ring and she only stood up and looked curiously at it, it looked somewhat healthier. Seeds were planted and the dirt cultivated, which would hopefully produce some of the fruits that she had planted.

“Maybe in a month or two, you’ll grow.” She smiled patting the final seed as she stood up and made her way curiously to the fountain at the end of the garden. On a table shining beneath lamp light was a note scribbled with her name on it. Meredith Curiously looked at the basket it sad on and opened it slowly.

Inside, was a uniquely colored egg, larger than any she’d ever seen before, and a small envelope with her payment. A note on the envelope read:

Please Take Care of It
I didn’t know what else to do
You’ll be better to her than I would though
Thank You. Your Services are No Longer Needed.
PS: Water may be helpful- or so I heard.
Jonathan.

Meredith tried to look around the garden to try to catch the man but couldn’t find him and curiously she looked back down at the egg. It looked lonely… Smiling she nodded her head, she would take her home. How she knew it was a girl, no clue, but Meredith smiled and placed the egg carefully with a cloth in her basket, leaving the envelope full of money behind as she left the house.

Now, the only question was, what would come out of this particularly random colored egg. Also, where would she keep it?

(Not the best, but I did what I could >3<...)