It took all the willpower in every inch of Kelsee’s body to drag herself out of bed the next day. Seeing the dark sky hanging over the silent town had tempted her to fall back into oblivion. However, it was the sounds of Grandma rummaging around the kitchen that convinced her she needed to leave the warm confines of her bed. There was no way she was going to start off the day with her handicapped Grandma making her scrambled eggs.

“Good morning dear.” Grandma said as Kelsee stumbled into the kitchen. Blinking in the sudden light, Kelsee spotted a spatula in Grandma’s hand, and heard the sizzle of something coming from the stove. Her suspicions were confirmed.

“Here Grandma, let me take over.”

“It’s really no trouble dear.”

“Grandma,” Kelsee said firmly. “Let me help.”

“Very well,” Grandma sighed, handing over the spatula. She sat down as Kelsee took over at the stove.

“So, are you ready for the big day?”

“Yes. I’m excited to see what all the hype is about. I doubt that this mayor’s garden is as impressive as yours is.” She said, stirring the eggs in the pan.

Grandma smiled, with an odd glint in her eye. “You’re in for a real treat my dear.”

.............................................................................................................................................

"You cannot be serious?" Kelsee said. She was standing in front of a giant hedge that towered above her. The tightly knit wall of dark green leaves formed into a large rectangular shape, that curved around an unseen plot of land on the other side. A chain-link fence surrounded the entire enclosure.

"You're the groundskeeper for this place?!"

Grandma chuckled. Today she was wearing a pair of yellow sunglass, along with a shirt depicting a multitude of cats floating in space. "Your Grandma's pretty impressive, isn't she?" She pulled out a key from her pocket and began unlocking the gate. "You haven't seen anything yet though. Wait until you get inside."

Kelsee grinned. She hadn't know what to expect when Grandma had talked about the Solis Garden, but this certainly wasn't it. The hedge with the chainlink fence obscuring whatever was on the other side suddenly gave this garden a much more mysterious and enticing appeal. She was suddenly excited to see what was on the other side.

The gate creaked as it was swung open. Grandma gestured to Kelsee. "Go on, you can go first."

Kelsee walked inside. A part of hedge on the left extended alongside the right wall, so it acted as a leafy hall that obscured her vision of the garden. It opened up at the end. She walked down this division, feeling like the suspense was going to kill her. When she reached the end she turned the corner and stopped in her tracks.

The garden opened up before her in an explosion of color. All manner of plants were gathered in a perfectly synchronized formation. There were flowers that swirled along a stone path, blending into each other in all shades of the rainbow. Little trees that stood like silent soldiers dotted the property. A netting of vines crawled over the hedge walls, hanging over the plump shrubs that bore all manners of colorful berries. Everything seemed to be organized by color scheme and size, some on slight inclines and minor slopes, that all moved together to create a unified form of seamless perfection. It was nothing short of magical.

Kelsee could only stand there, completely stunned. She couldn't believe something so beautiful existed. And to think! Her own Grandma was the groundskeeper of this place!

Grandma brushed past her. She had quite a smug look on her face, almost as if she were gloating. "Quite a lot to take in, isn't it?"

Kelsee turned, her eyes wide. "This is incredible!"

Grandma laughed. She went to a storage box set up next to the back hedge wall. “Go ahead and take a look around Kelsee, but just remember, don’t touch anything. The mayor's very particular with his garden."

Kelsee didn't need to be told twice. She shot off down the little stone path, absorbing every petal, vine, and thorn as she went. She passed a plethora of peonies, charcoal colored roses, orchids exploding along the wall of hedges, spilling over with a rainbow of colors, along with wildflowers Kelsee had never seen before. There were also several herbs she did recognize, such as basil, rosemary, lavender, and mint, along with many others that were unfamiliar. There was a variety of mushrooms, shrubs, moss, even different patches of grass that she passed.

Despite her extensive knowledge of plants from her gardening background, she was finding that there were many plants she did not recognize. Nevertheless, this did not stop her from squatting down next to these plants, sniffing and examining them before quickly moving on to another. She wanted to experience it all.

The trees set up along the path possessed their own majestic presence. Their branches spread out wide, while keeping low to the ground. The red leaves seemed to shimmer with every breeze, creating an illusion of yellow ripples skittering across their surface.