Chapter 2: The Garden of Teeth

“Undeniable Truth: As Far As the Story Began, Dreams Exist”

a blog series for A Storybook of Nightmare

“Some gardens don’t grow flowers. They grow what you bury.”

Chapter 2: 

THE GARDEN TEETH

Elora didn’t remember falling asleep.

But the wind against her face wasn’t from a fan. It was colder than anything in her room. It carried the scent of iron, ash, and something floral — like roses that had grown in the dark too long.

She stood barefoot again, this time in dirt.

A garden stretched before her.

Not neat rows. Not cultivated.

Wild. Untamed.

And wrong.

The soil pulsed, faintly glowing under a silver fog.

Petals bloomed from thick, dark vines that slithered instead of stood.

Each flower — if you could call them that — had no center.

Just rows of tiny, ivory teeth where a stamen should be.

Some chattered. Some hummed.

One snapped shut as she passed, spitting something black into the dirt.

“Elora,” a voice whispered again — this time from the garden itself.

She followed it.

Her hands brushed aside vines that recoiled from her touch.

Each step felt heavy, like the ground was remembering her footsteps.

At the center of the garden stood a stone table.

Covered in moss and something reddish.

And on it —

A leather-bound journal.

It had no title.

But she knew it was hers.

Not because she remembered writing in it.

But because the inside cover had her name carved over and over, bleeding into the paper like old wounds reopening.

She flipped to the first page.

“The story begins here. Don’t forget the way out. If you write the wrong ending, he will find you.”

The handwriting shifted between her own and something not quite human.

Page after page filled itself as she read.

One sentence stood out, scrawled over and over:

“You buried the truth here. But it still has teeth.”

Suddenly the vines tightened around her ankles.

The flowers screamed.

Elora tried to move, but the garden gripped her.

Behind her, footsteps.

Slow. Heavy.

Not human.

She turned —

And saw herself.

But not herself.

Eyes black.

Smile too wide.

Hands stained with ink.

The figure whispered:

“You shouldn’t have remembered.”

Then the journal slammed shut on its own.

The garden vanished.

And Elora woke up with dirt under her fingernails.

And a pressed petal on her pillow — soft, purple… with a single baby tooth curled in the center.

Undeniable Truth: As Far As the Story Began, Dreams Exist

“Undeniable Truth: As Far As the Story Began, Dreams Exist”

a blog series for A Storybook of Nightmare

“Dreams aren’t always kind. Some leave pieces behind when you wake up.”

CHAPTER 1

THE FIRST RETURN

Elora didn’t fall asleep. She disappeared.

One blink — and the world she knew, the bed she laid on, the nightlight humming softly in the corner — all vanished like fog in wind.

When her eyes opened again, she was standing barefoot in a hallway she had never seen before, and yet somehow… remembered.

The floor creaked, not from her weight, but like it was breathing.

The wallpaper peeled upward, curling like burned pages.

Down the hall, a flickering lightbulb swung back and forth, casting long, twitching shadows that didn’t match the rhythm of her movements.

“Elora,” a voice whispered.

Not loud. Not far.

Just… behind her ear.

She turned fast — nothing.

But the air smelled like something old and wet.

Like forgotten toys under floorboards. Like photographs buried in damp soil.

The doors on either side of the hall weren’t doors at all.

They had no knobs. No hinges.

Just smooth slabs of wood with keyholes shaped like teeth.

She didn’t try to open them.

She already knew they wouldn’t open — not yet.

As she moved forward, the floor stretched beneath her feet.

The hallway grew longer, curving slightly like the spine of something ancient.

Paintings lined the wall now. Dozens of them.

Each one was of her — but not how she looked now.

One was her as a child, standing beside a lake that didn’t exist.

Another was her, smiling with her eyes closed, while a figure loomed behind her in the fog.

And one… one showed her asleep, in her real bedroom, right now.

She stepped closer.

In the painting, her chest rose and fell in peaceful rhythm.

Her fingers were still curled in the way she always slept.

But something was wrong.

The Elora in the painting opened her eyes.

And stared back at her.

Her mouth moved — slowly — deliberately.

“Don’t forget.”

The hallway shuddered.

A wind, ice-cold and sour, blew out the flickering bulb.

And then darkness fell like a curtain.

When Elora woke up in her bed, her fingers were curled.

Her nightlight was off.

And muddy footprints led from the window to where she slept.

She was awake.

She was sure of it.

But the dream was just beginning.

A Story To Begin With

In my dreams and what I've always heard from reality life doesn't end in death. God knows, God guides, to have my will to choose what road I should walked in, falls in my decision. We have freedom, but His ways are greater mine. I talked to my discipler, she’s the wife of our pastor. I agreed to what she said, we can never feel any satisfaction or contentment in our entire life and never did even reach the peek of it (unless we're dead); that's what I felt every day and every moment. And for me life seems to be always at its end after a very long day. The hours of my sleep is like my own death there is my heaven and there is my hell "The World". We, somehow always feel the needs of more. I must say she's terribly right. I consider myself as uncontent person that I have the eagerness to do or have more. Am I against to myself? I’ve been facing many obstacles for the past few years, struggles in life to know at the point of it hey! I'm alive and still trying to be alive. That is the events I encountered in this life, my own physical & emotional survival then my spiritual survival. At any rate I shouldn't give up there some instances the three clashed and I can feel it, and then the decision I will make. The twinge is exaggerating yet overwhelming at the end.

Whenever I sit or lie down in my bed with the book in my hand and a song played at the stereo that makes an eerie feeling, I moved in it that routine or just watch a movie to kill time. There is always a sudden flash back about my life especially during the time when I was young. Well I already accept the fact that it is done and that I’ve already moved on, still I’m going to share it anyway. I’ve got lot to tell but I don’t know if I’m going to open everything up so I’ll say it in a different way.

Little by little I shared my tragedy on those people I know that I can trust with. My younger years are the most darkest events of my life. Well there’s another one but I’ll stick up to the other one and I'm telling it right now. That is my elegy and misery. I am born normal but I got sick and almost die when I was four. Thank God I’m still alive and writing this. I grow up normal, happy, playful, always painting a smile, making lots of friends, learning, opening my eyes to the world. I still remember how I enjoyed my childhood years together with my family and neighborhood-family like. I felt cared and loved by people surrounds me. Everyday they cuddle me and play with me, dolls, street games, a lot, but there's always some thing that will hurt me and break me. Like everyone says storm is always on its way. I thought I’m just illusive in these things but this terrible event really happened to me and every moment of my life I am ashamed of it, I hate it, I have that anger in my heart, because of it. A dark room was created; I build my comfort zone and hide in it, trying to be normal that nothing happened and I never cared at all, because I’m afraid, in my most inner self I am scared when things such hard to explain, tears just flow, like two trucks crashed within me. Every moment I hope for death to come. WORST and painful. I grew up with that wound.

It started to haunt me when I was in my elementary years. I felt an entire world jump on me. For years I thought it was just a dream, a nightmare, but I’m wrong. I seem to make my own different world within me, a big lie who I’m not just to be saved. Crazy it seems, but its true. And it began to break down and I can no longer continue with the lies and running. I'm helpless, depress, sad, and lost. But I continue to live, I’ve burst out and get angry with God and I let Him hear my cries. I met a friend, through her, I realize that even in the darkness someone will drag you out, then you’ll notice you're walking in the light. I am truly saved. However, it didn’t end. My nightmares, my dark past continue to hunt me till I enter college and it is worser than before. I admit I'm a bad influence and been intimidated by the world that I even used as my excuse. Much more sufferings I encounter. I forgot the brighter side, even I grief upon the name of the Lord, I thought that moment He turned away. The worst nightmare ever! How will I find the exit if in my self I’m already hindering to find it? I seek, and still believe. I chase, try to find the answer I know it was there. It takes me a lot of time to be shaken up. One by one the answer pop out of my head. I conquered my fear and try to share it with my discipler. I can see to her face that she was shocked about what I’ve been through, she share with me some things for me to cope with those events in my life. I tried to release it. But the fight is still on the process.

While I was doing this I think I just only make it in here on the age of 20 to realize that there is a big world out there and I need to discover more. I wonder what will happen next? I just need to keep moving to know. This is my story.

Dreams of Dreams

Do the lesser we think, do we started to be stupid? Or just drawn out and run from it? For me it depends, I’ve been on some situation and did different kind of things to surpass it. I didn’t get the chance to run away or hide. All I always do is go straight ahead without even thinking. So, these dreams either become my reality to go through and to be questioned the fact, an obstacle, a test paper, a pop quiz of my life, WHATEVER! Grinding my head for questions with no answers, so much for my nightmares. There is this song called Violet Skies sang by In this Moment. I want to emphasize the lines they created base in dreams to become it's realities.

Dulling from within to find a reason for it all
Lost for years
In the storm
Waiting for the rain to stop me from washing me away
I held on tight
Awaiting night

And I lay me down to sleep
And find a world where I was free

Imagine a place
Where dreams lead the way
And all of your colors fade the grey
Imagine the dream
Now close both your eyes
Fall into the violet skies

Deep inside your eyes it shows
You've been lost for too long
Out of touch
On the edge
I promise you will find a way
I found a pathway home
I'll carry you
You're not alone

Dreams that gives way, imagining things not to be lost and not to be alone. Creating a world that perfect and running away from reality is great, yet sad.

Wishful thinking that I am not here, confession of my deepest darkest secret. To be able to open in the public (front page!) what lies beneath me. A way to make my own wall that this is me. No! I want to sleep. Closing my eyes seeing darkness that impossible to erase everything. But, I never loose hope because I can face a brand new day again just like I always do when settling things in my life after a great tragedy. But according to the song imagine that leads a way. So I imagine a place where I can be free or a place where it can lead somewhere peace and no more agony that my heart drowning in too much. I’ve dreamed of my own world, a perfect world where in I create my greates escape, my feelings between the lines. I believe in that world of my own were serene conquers and tranquility spread through out in everything. It's just me and my dream world. A green grass covers the earth, field of flowers that dance in the wind, cold yet warm breeze; warm within my heart, beautiful sun and sky, tall and big trees; the sound of a river, sounds like a dream to me. A world I created for me to run.

Humans are the World's Strangest Creatures

There are indefinite things in this world that remain unexplained. No matter how wierd it is, mankind will always observe it. It will be always be so with mankind. It is the imagination and the past. Person, Mankind, People. People are world's strangest creatures. Sometimes I don't understand the way they feel in human, in things, in natures. For me it becomes random and uncertain.

I, you, them, people, person, EVERYONE! You don't belond only to yourself; there isn't anything in this world that belongs to only yourself. Everyone has connections to someone else and shared something with them through these; that is why you can never be free that is also why it is amusing, sad and dear. Giving up, saving others not for your own sake, but for others; how fascinating in sight. Is that a selfish in act? You, an important part of their life gets hurt just for their sake, just to make them feel better; but never some to realize that you hurt them by doing so throwing your own well-being out just like that. Do you think something you can throw out easily can be exchanged for something important? Even someone trying to give their best for you, trying their very hard, yet we just trhow that without a second thought. In other words the person that protect us from something you treat as trash like yourself for their sake, so you wouldn't care just make sure they're allright even you are harmed. People who think of you dearly; without even understanding that, you don't give any value to yourself. You dislike others being hurt, yet you allow yourself to be wounded; without even knowing how much it may hurt someone elese who cares for you, which is your proposition. Dreams, I dreamed more of it, somehow it's painful to watch, to see, to feel, and to realize how the world works upon living. It occurs to me that things will never work out not unless there is something for exchange.

Prophetic dreams, a dream that becomes reality, or more accurately, a dream that sees what is going to occur. Most people can buy dreams that is for good luck, I never thought of that. People who pay for nightmares are few and far between. If there are people who wish for tranquility it becomes a farewell present to the people who never breathe again.

Do you believe in destiny? Destiny refers to an event that would definitely happen. Without it nothing is impossible. From one thing, you see many other things can be imagined. Nothing in this world happened by random. For everything you desire, you have to pay an equal price in return. You can't get more nor give more... It can't be more or less. Must be in balance, or else there'll be mishaps. Whether it is a meeting by chance or a major event, every occurence will affect the future, because man's path of life is not only unstoppable but also never ending. The smalled thing, the shortest amount of time, the littliest piece of record or memory; the face that accompanies it will never disappear.

Me as someone that should not be here. Me someone should not be in people's lives. it's painful for me right now, it hurts even more inside.

What more is there be if everything is inevitable? There is meaning and purposes in everything that happens. However, is all too rare for anyone to understand the entire meaning. To find meaning in each of the unaccountable events happening everyday to every person it vexes the mind by considering it. However, even realizing that single event may have meaning in itself that alone has significance. I believe asking one self why has it's own meaning once you realize that all there circumstances leads you down a path, that knowledge sticks with you and you're unable to turn back. The next step is wherever you choose have that will to survive.

Allusions never indicates similarity nor do they indicate dissimilarity. Projecting your own emotion onto others is so very easy to do and so easy to sway. Mending there own emoting both by sympathy and empathy are higly dangerous. One might be dependent and hate others that do not do the same treatment. That's something most treasures can't even accomplish these days. Malice far more rousing that gentleness, human always define inreachable things like evil or words unseen yet spoken. As long as we that's enough. Coincident is but an illusion in this world. There is inevitability in everything. How about chances? A strange feeling...

The Feeling Is Just Absurd

I've fought with my own feelings. Fighting in the battle I don't even know if I'm going to win. The danger were I put myself into is to accomplish the dream to have someone who will protect me, love me and understand me; a person who will never let me go, living under his loving, warm arms, wiping the tears I'm shedding, mending my heart every time he bid a smile. That is my inherent to keep for my own sake. When I realize that I'm bringing the fool out of myself since the beginning, I felt the awkwardness of my selfish acts. I blame no one and I don't know if I have the right to say it's my fault. Not that I only want to loose it, but I also want everything about the feelings to vanish.

I've had enough with rejection, the sleepless night that haunts me; the feeling isn't just not normal even though it is the most wonderful thing in this world, but for me it cause only harmful feelings in my veins. I admit I become blind were in my thoughts it will change soon. I'm just helping myself to make the hurt go away, for me to feel better; the feeling is running away. But in reality it didn't, so I fell into a trap, stuck now to the feelings I thought it was real. Now, I'm the one who's in pain.

Am I relying on that? Or is just that I have that feeling of fear? Fear always taunting me. Why am I being like this? "I give up!" As far as I remember that's what I said to myself, to my heart, to my mind whenever I look at the mirror.

I never put period on it instead I choose, choose between the dream and the reality to make that dream real, choose between that someone or to never, I've got to choose choose choose!!! Since I'm standing now in the real world this is my chance to explore that world; the world I want to see, places I want to go and the adventure I want to reach out. I can't say I'm alone, there will always be friends around to knock with. I have to leave the feelings, leave what I have always left behind again and face countless opportunities in the future. So this is my hope, I might lost the battle, but I learn to stand knowing this is not my battle. Surrendering doesn't mean I'm weak is just the way of telling myself this is not my victory. There's always more battles ahead, prepare the armor and earheads in position.

This time I shouldn't let my guard down. I've become a coward and just stick to my comfort zone, AFRAID. Not anymore, when there's no way out, look up. Dreams, I am awake.

The Broad Side World

As I follow the journey of my reality in dream I've learned it can turn into what we called nightmares. From the reference of other human being and the way they live their lives. Me? I witness it all. Astonishing in my prospect. I, myself is a product of unfortunate living, born as a sinner and imperfect in every way. I am not rich or poor, I can't stand on my own feet but I shoud change the thought I can someday. That's the idealism and the fact; for me there's someone holding me to make sure I end up okay. But I wonder, when the actress said in this movie, "what will be my life in the near future? I want that life wearing a medal of achievement, a family and more... something I can gaze upon with the life I have right now from here to there.." That's not exactly what she said, but in the moment it caught me thinking maybe that is also what I want. I dreamed of a good life, but we all know disappointments are in the door. Expectations hurt, many of us say it and most us advice it. They say "don't expect too much!" am I hearing myself on this.

I am happy at the same time I'm not. It seems that the world where I'm standing and the world I'm always looking forward to see is inseperable. I made, I create, I chose within thousands of choices; decisions that leads to destruction. God knows that. I'm trying to live this life at its best, trying to cope up with changes and as much as possible learn to understand, learn to grow. Maturity, I'm always on the process and trying to progress. Immaturity in everything is my downfall. My mind is filled by thousands of questions, which sometimes fooled me a lot. During my quiet time I asked those questions to God in terms of How? When? Where? and Why? And if God is in my position what He will do? Or if other people are in my shoe what will they do?

I dreamed of I'm stuck in this large crowd and suddenly seeing myself lost in it, already trapped and can't get thru. I tried to say excuse, but no one hear me. As long as I stay there I can't leave. However, in the eyes of God I am not. I am running towards the exit and someone or something blocked along the way I gaze at the exit that seems moving far. I tried to reach it but it's too late. I hate nightmares that what I thought about a lot. That is the reason I also struggle to this life. I read a lot of books and heard a lot of stories, mottos, phrases, opinions, and comments in all my surrounding and resources. About what I think of other people because I'm affected and I have emotion. I'm not a rock or have a hardened heart in fact I'm weak when it comes to emotion. I can feel that's the problem.

There's this dream that I can feel so much in it, so much for real. I can hear people talk and laugh. And there's this dream where kids play and then one of them stumble and cried. Things turn out different in a flash I'm standing in a blissful meadow and I watch as trees dances with the wind. It was such a nice dream, a paradise.

I browse some stories that people wrote and made, I've learned that the people drives the world under the control of God everything falls into places or in line, according to "plan". The brain can't even answer most of our question like "what is the purpose of life?" The brain has its limit. It will provide information, yes! We search for facts and proofs. But for me I only get migraines when I think so much. Everything has its own limited functions and so that goes with the brain, with us. Example our heart the brain makes the heart beats. So when I quiet down myself my brain started to think, vision out, meditate on what I want to see, undergo what I want to feel, and then start to work to make it happen. Because of those hard thinking I wake up in realiy, I am fed up with my past, I can't bear and just fell asleep.

I am weak and stumble easily I can't say that all things happened to me is just a dream and thats it. When I realize some things in me good or bad I try to fix it to become better and not a burden. People die and leave you alone. I die, but I don't want to die empty inside. Living with a purpose is something all of us can achieve. Dreams can be a goal and nightmares can be a lesson. There will always be One who will never leave us nor forsake us. I maybe lost in the track but He said all the ways always leads to new one. Continuing my journey will lead me to greater things, I look forward and move forward.


note: I cut a lot of lines..