The Cromwell Garden was the best place to work in the area. The pay was decent and the family was always in need of new workers for their large greenhouse. For me, it was the best chance to support myself considering how hard it was to even find jobs nowadays.

I buttoned up my white shirt, smoothed out my black slacks, tied my hair up and turned to Ms. Merryweather Cromwell. Her face was stern, her eyes a bit sunken in, and her face tilted in a snobbish way as she gave me a once-over. Her gaze stood on my leather boots — some old ones she'd given me to go with my uniform.

Without a thought, I bent down to tie the laces into nice neat bows. And prayed that they'd look better than the hastily tied ones on my tennis shoes.

As I stood, she gave a satisfied humph before making her way out of the room with me following after her. "Starting today, you will tend to the plants in the very back of the garden," the elder woman said.

When we passed the foyer and walked into another hall, neither of us spoke. The only noise in the whole mansion was the click of her boots against the wood floors and her humming. A welcome distraction to the hall which was filled with old portraits of people with scowls plastered across their faces.

"Oh, do mind the flower that whispers... it has a penchant for telling lies."

I choked back my laughter as the woman looked back to me with that same angry scowl.

"But, ma'am, flowers don't talk."

The woman nodded as we reached the door leading into the garden. "Yes, flowers don't talk. But, my family has a special fondness for a flower known to cause hallucinations — it was a gift from my sister, you see. Often those I send to tend to the flower are... sensitive to its effect and begin hearing strange things. I thought it best to warn you."

With that, the woman opened the door and bid me farewell.

The inside of the greenhouse looked like it was double the size it appeared on the outside. Plants of various sizes, shapes and colors grouped together in large clusters. With trees that barely reached up to touch the glass. Large colorful birds perched in the higher trees, while humming birds danced from flower to flower and butterflies flitted around like little fairies.

Down one of the dirt paths, a group of six women walked. Most dressed in the white shirt typical for the women's uniform, a long blue or grey skirt, and leather boots. While two of them wore trousers instead.

After a moment, a short brunette looked my way and sauntered up to me. A smile settling onto her features. "Welcome!" she greeted. "Where are you working? I can lead you to the area, give you a little guidance."

"I'm supposed to tend to the plants in the back."

The woman's smile dropped into a frown as she turned around. "Oh, well, I can lead you back. Did Ms. Cromwell tell you about the flower?"

"Yeah, it's hallucinogenic or something."

As she led me through the front, the scent of the various flowers mixed together nearly made me sick. Yet, the nausea slowly waned as we approached the center of the greenhouse.

"This is the Tree Hollow, where we store all the tools," she explained as she led me inside the dimly lit tree. Off in the corner, an oil lamp burned, providing light for the man using the water pump.

Man, this whole place is straight outta the olden days, I thought to myself, not even a hose... which means I'll be carrying buckets from here to the plants... Remember, this is your only option.

The woman pointed out the various tools settled on the tables or against the walls of the tree-room. "Go grab one of the pails, and we can fill it up before I take you back."

With my pail full, we walked out the Hollow and down another worn footpath until we reached a larger cobblestone path.

The woman stopped. "Well, this is as far as I go," she murmured. As soon as the words had fallen from her mouth, she turned and left. Her pace quicker compared to her more leisurely one from before.

"Wonder what's so off-putting about this area..." I mused, lugging the bucket of water past a large wooden barrel, where a tall plant with a trumpet-like flower bobbed up and down like it was nodding at me. Why was there even a plant sitting in the middle of a walkway like this... Unless it's that one.

I shook off the thought of the flower's abilities and went on with my day, tending to the plants and taking trip after trip to the water pump. And after a few hours of doing this, my legs were shaky and my lungs burned, but as I made my last trip to the Hollow, the flower had come to mind. "I forgot to water it!"

With a sigh, I filled my pail up for the final time that day and wandered back to the plant, the trumpet flower bobbed still, but it was no longer an off-white, but something of a dark blue. "Hello! Can you hear me?"

I blinked a few times.

"Listen to me, you can't stay here."

For some reason, I decided to look around me to ensure no one was there. And when I found no one, I stepped a bit closer to the plant. "What do you mean? Why can't I stay here?"

"How do you think you get talking flowers! The Cromwell's turned us"— A familiar hum reached my ears —"Throw some water on me."

Just as the flower had bade me, I poured the water at the base of the stem and turned around. Ms. Cromwell walked up to me. She had a thin, unpleasant smile as she looked from me to the plant. "You seem to have taken a liking to this one. You know, it's the hallucinogenic flower, right?"

"Really, I must be immune to them then. Haven't heard anything."

It was late Friday night, five of us were working, mostly in the front or the middle of the garden. But, like normal, I was supposed to work in the back.

As soon as I reached the road the plant spoke. "You can't seriously be here! You idiot, now they'll turn you for sure." The flower flared a bright crimson. "All the people we take in are special — they have a stronger life force that makes the garden more powerful."

"And why would a garden need to be powerful?"

"We're... They're witches. Their potions come from ingredients in here and people like you make all of them ten times more powerful."

I turned back as screams began to fill the air. The whole greenhouse was completely dark, as if it'd been swallowed up by it, and the screams quickly died off into silence. And then, out of the darkness came Ms. Cromwell.

"Well, I had intended on adding you to the rest of the plants here, but that would simply be a waste of my best worker." She looked to the flower, a small smile playing across her features. "Besides, I need someone to take care of my dear, foolish, little sister. Lest our mother decides to do away with her for costing us our flowers again."

"When will you all just stop this!"

"You know that isn't up to me, dear." The woman's gaze shifted back to me. "So, will you stay and protect my sister and the other plants or will we have to do away with you both?"

"You're seriously thinking about this?"

I didn't want to think about it, but was there even an option available to me? It didn't seem like I'd get lucky, and they'd try to silence me like they did to her... Who knew what they meant by "do away with us". I sighed as I looked back to the flower. If they'd turned her into a flower to stop her, they aren't unwilling to do what needs to be done to keep this quiet and keep their garden flourishing.

I've got no choice at all, really.

I shifted towards my employer and bowed my head. "I'll do what you wish..."