The Dream Garden
Augustus awoke with a glassy tinkling in his ears. It was so cold that there was a sparkle of fine frost over the dormitory. On his bed lay a long, elegant crystal, shimmering from within. It was his last dream, frozen solid.
Wrapping his ragged blanket around him, Augustus cradled the frigid fantasy and sneaked out. He felt sick with fear as he descended the steep, narrow staircase. His bare feet were numb and he clenched his jaw to stop his teeth chattering
He knelt by the grey stone wall at the end of the garden, rocking the glistening gem in his arms until the first beam of the rising sun fell upon it. The crystal gradually lost its luster, fading and shriveling until Augustus was left holding the body of a large lizard with glowing skin. Its diamond eyes faded in the dawn light.
Fighting back tears, he scraped a hole in the vegetable patch with his bare hands, burying the body with the others. As he crept back to bed, he prayed he would dream no more dreams, at least until it was warmer and they could find their own way to the garden.
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