the garden

this post is for the first challenge in the fourth platform building campaign. my piece satisfies all the requirements (it's exactly 200 words, the beginning and ending phrases were used, it contains the word "orange," and it's written in my normal genre), but i'll be posting it with capital letters, mainly because it's being judged and i don't want to cause any confusion for judges who may not follow this blog. so...enjoy!

Shadows crept across the wall of the garden. Alani saw them in her peripheral vision and cursed. Without the moon, a torch was necessary in the black shroud of night. But if the shadows caught her eye, they would surely draw the attention of anyone who glanced into the garden. The torch had to go.
                Alani gave her eyes a few moments to adjust to the dim starlight before heaving herself up and over the stone wall. She landed with a soft thud, rose to her feet, and surveyed the garden.
                The orange tree stood in the center, its leaves rustling in the breeze. It seemed to be whispering to her. Alani wasn’t sure what was so special about these particular oranges, but the man in the tavern had promised a rich reward if she could pilfer a few.
                As she crept closer to the tree, the sweet scent of citrus gripped her. The aroma was intoxicating, and she quickened her pace, desperate to reach the fruit. She snatched an orange from a lower bough. Her fingernails shredded the peel, baring the juicy flesh within. Alani lifted the fruit to her mouth. As the orange touched her tongue, everything faded.

if you enjoyed my piece, you can "like" it here. i'm number 120. :)

j 

ps: i found this song on an old mix cd the other day, and have fallen in love with it all over again. don't you love it when that happens? happy listening!