"Winter Garden Gate" (Image and Text Copyright Wylddane Productions, LLC)
It was a cold winter morning, and Ciara's boots crunched in the fresh snow as she wandered through the quiet streets of her small village. Her breath formed tiny clouds in the crisp air, and the pale sun, barely visible through the gray clouds, made everything shimmer like a painting. The world felt still, as if it were holding its breath.
Ciara had always loved winter, but this morning, there was something different. She was on her way to visit her grandmother, but as she walked, her eyes wandered across the street to a garden gate she had never noticed before. It was old, with iron bars twisted into delicate shapes—like vines that had been frozen mid-wind.
Curious, Ciara stepped closer. She looked through the gate and gasped. All she could see was snow. The ground beyond was covered in a thick, sparkling blanket, and the trees stood bare, their branches stretching out like dark fingers against the sky. Everything was frozen and silent.
"Just a garden," Ciara murmured to herself, feeling a little disappointed.
But something tugged at her. The gate wasn’t locked, just old. The latch creaked as she pushed it open, the sound strangely loud in the stillness. She took a cautious step forward, her breath hanging in the air in tiny puffs.
And then--whoosh—the world seemed to shift.
The moment her feet crossed the threshold, the cold vanished, replaced by a warmth that wrapped around her like a soft blanket. She blinked in surprise. Before her, the garden bloomed in a riot of color. The snow was gone, replaced by lush green grass, bright flowers in every shade, and tall trees heavy with leaves. Birds flew through the sky, their songs filling the air like sweet music. The sun shone brightly, casting its golden light over everything, and a gentle breeze played with the flowers, making them dance.
Ciara stood still, not sure if she was dreaming. She turned around, but the gate was no longer there—only a long path winding through the garden, leading to a small stone bench beneath a tree.
"How can this be?" she whispered to herself, eyes wide with wonder.
She walked forward, her feet lighter than they had been in the snow. She reached out to touch the petals of a nearby flower, soft as velvet beneath her fingers. The warm sun bathed her face, and she smiled. The scents of fresh blooms filled the air—roses, lavender, daisies—and everything felt so real.
The birds flitted around her, some stopping on nearby branches to chirp happily. A butterfly fluttered past, its wings like stained glass.
For a long time, Ciara just stood there, soaking in the beauty of this secret garden. She didn’t know how it was possible, but it didn’t matter. Here, in this magical place, the world was bright and full of life.
After a while, Ciara knew it was time to go. She took one last look at the garden, feeling its warmth in her heart. As she turned to leave, the garden gate appeared once more, standing just as it had before. She stepped back through it, and the cold winter world greeted her once again. The snow, the quiet streets, the gray sky—they were all waiting for her.
But as she walked toward her grandmother’s house, a small smile played on her lips. She knew that the garden, with its flowers and birds and sunshine, was still there, just beyond the gate. And whenever she needed to find it, all she had to do was look.
The world could be full of surprises if you knew where to look.
~Wylddane
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