The Moonlight Gardener
Rossie, a senior at Haul Academy is restless and torn between her crush on Michael and the pressures of exams.
Unable to sleep, she wanders the campus at night and discovers a hidden, magical garden glowing with moonflowers and jasmine tended by the enigmatic Midnight Gardener.
This mysterious figure, cloaked in a long coat and hat, teases out Rossie’s secret feelings for Michael, offering her a moonflower that pulses with light and thrives on truths.
The Gardener’s cryptic advice and the garden’s strange allure pull Rossie into a web of self-discovery.
Driven by rumors, Rossie visits the old library to confront a cursed mirror said to reveal one’s destined love or greatest loss.
To her shock, the mirror first shows the Gardener’s face, then Michael with her rival, Angela, fueling her fears of rejection and inadequacy tied to her parents’ divorce.
Returning to the garden, the Gardener suggests the mirror reflects her fears and not fate, urging her to face her truths without anxiety.
Emboldened, Rossie confesses her feelings to Michael in the courtyard, learning he likes her too, though rumors and Angela’s influence complicate things. Their playful banter sparks hope for a deeper connection.
However, during a literature class, Rossie is haunted by the Gardener’s spectral presence, visible only to her and a chilling message on the chalkboard: “The garden’s watching.”
Her outburst in class draws attention, but the Gardener vanishes, leaving Rossie questioning reality.
As she grapples with the Gardener’s cryptic influence and her own insecurities, Rossie realizes she must confront her fears to pursue her feelings for Michael.
The story blends magical realism with a coming-of-age narrative, exploring themes of love, self-doubt, and the courage to face one’s truth.
