第7章 The Hunger

# Chapter 7: The Hunger Thomas tried to leave. He packed his belongings, drove to the nearest town, and booked a hotel room. But that night, he dreamed of the garden again. This time, the roses spoke to him — voices whispering from the petals, begging him to return. "Come back," they said. "We miss you. We need you." He woke screaming, his heart pounding. The next morning, he drove back to the manor against his better judgment. The garden looked different — more vibrant, more alive. The roses were blooming in colors he had never seen before — deep purples, electric blues, almost-black reds. "You came back," Mrs. Halloway said when he arrived. "I knew you would." "How did you know?" "Because the garden chose you. It always chooses its caretaker. And once chosen, you cannot leave until the garden is satisfied." Thomas felt a wave of nausea. "Satisfied how?" Mrs. Halloway's eyes gleamed. "By feeding it. As you have been doing." Thomas realized with horror that every time he had worked in the garden, he had accidentally cut himself. Small nicks from thorns, scrapes from tools. Each wound had bled into the soil, feeding the organism below. "I've been feeding it," he whispered. "Without knowing." "Without meaning to," Mrs. Halloway corrected. "But meaning doesn't matter. The garden feeds. That is its nature. And you are its caretaker. Your duty is to serve."