There was only a fraction of a moon that night, partly covered with streaks of grey clouds with the occasional star struggling to shine through them. Mimi trembled and her teeth chattered as she entered the park. She knew it wasn’t from the cold.

As she headed down the main path she saw the huge ghost gum on the rise. Its stark white trunk and branches with long spindly fingers looked like giant arms stretching out to grab any passerby. Locals called it the hanging tree.

At the south end of the park, the usual trickle of Black Grass Creek had become a raging river. Mimi skidded down through the bushes to a muddy path that ran beside the creek.

The canopy of trees above created an eerie light. Some people said they had seen ghosts of the hanged in the woods down there. But I don’t believe in ghosts, Mimi reminded herself. She set her mind on her goal – finding Gemma and the pastels.

The smell of onion weed was strong in the air and the rushing water of the creek seemed to be calling her name, Meeemeeee . . . meeeeeemeeeeeee . . .

Then she saw it, the glow of a fire on the other side of the torrent. Two dark figures moving, their long shadows dancing upon the face of the cliff.

Mimi could see why Gemma had chosen this spot. The huge rock face was like a giant TV screen. Any drawing could be seen from almost anywhere in the park.

She headed for the bridge which was about a kilometre upstream. A sudden piercing scream rose above the sound of the rushing torrent.

‘Gemma!’ Mimi yelled frantically, but her voice was carried away by the wind. Mimi knew there was no time to get to the bridge.

Where Mimi was standing, the creek widened, then cascaded over rocks in a series of rapids. Boulders, like giant bowling balls, had fallen many thousands of years ago from the cliff above. Normally, this was the perfect place to cross, but today the boulders were surrounded by a flood of raging white water. Still, Mimi knew she had to take the chance.

She walked back ten paces, then ran as fast as she could towards the water’s edge. Landing on all fours in the middle of the first boulder, she clung on to its slippery surface as white water gushed around her, splashing up and soaking her clothes. Only two to go, she told herself. But the next jump was going to be far more difficult. With no run-up, she would have to do a cat leap.

She calmed her breathing down, then pushed off. But her jump was not long enough. She landed hard on the side of the boulder and slipped down its rough surface into the water. A searing pain ripped through her knee. With all her strength, she clawed and clambered back up, then sat on top of the rock nursing her bleeding wound. The pain turned into a throbbing ache. She felt faint.

It’s impossible, Mimi thought, as she looked at the last boulder, that now seemed so far away. I’ll never make it. Then she groaned when she realised it was just as far to go back. She felt as helpless as an injured cat on a peak hour freeway.

Over the roar of the water, came another piercing scream. Suddenly she remembered why she was there – the pastels, the garden and Gemma. Come on Mimi, you wimp. Get up! You might already be too late.

Mimi stood up, the white water surging around the foot of the rock. She focused her mind on a spot in the middle of the next boulder, forgetting about the space in between. She counted to three, asked Uncle Ting for help, then took a huge leap. Her feet landed perfectly this time. Gaining her balance, Mimi jumped easily onto the bank.

There was no path this side of the creek-just a ledge sticking out from the cliff. She sidled along, her back flat against the rock until she reached a clearing. She could hear Gemma’s voice.

‘These pastels are unreal! My garden is just as good as Mimi’s.’ Gemma stood back, admiring the huge drawing she had created on the rock face.

‘I didn’t think you could draw as well as that, Gem. Let me have a go,’ came Phoebe’s impatient voice.

‘Stop!’ yelled Mimi.

‘Hey, Smells, you’re just in time to see me put the last stroke on my masterpiece. Tomorrow, when everyone comes to the park, I’ll be famous!’

The light from the fire flickered onto the cliff face. An icy finger ran across Mimi’s neck and down her spine. Gemma had drawn a dark and terrifying garden. It was like death itself.

‘Get away!’ Mimi yelled frantically. ’It will suck you in!’

‘What did you say?’ The two girls doubled over with laughter.

‘I know it’s good, but come on now.’ Gemma scoffed. ‘You’re just jealous because my garden’s better than yours.’ Gemma held the box of Empress Cassia Pastels high in the air as if it were a trophy. ‘I can draw just as well as you can, now these are mine.’

‘Hey, Gem, what do the words say?’ asked Phoebe turning her head sideways to decipher the scribbly writing on the rock.

‘It’s brilliant. Came to me in a flash. Listen.’ Gemma touched each word as she read the inscription, ‘In the Garden of Darkness all nightmares begin . . .’

Suddenly, a great mass of clouds rose out of the garden. It had the force and the sound of a gigantic whirlwind. And out of these clouds appeared repulsive serpents with whipping tongues and blood red eyes. They crawled and twisted and devoured each other.

‘Get away from it, Gemma!’ cried Mimi. But the garden had already begun sucking her into its putrid black mouth that opened and closed like a weeping sore.

Mimi grabbed Gemma by the waist and pulled. It was too late. Gemma’s head and arms were already trapped inside the Garden of Darkness.

Under the storming clouds, there was not a blink of wind, only a deathly quiet. Gemma opened her mouth to scream. A long, hoarse groan was the only sound that came out. She looked around in horror at the twisted trees and the bleak landscape. A full moon was rising above a cold, black lake but there was barely a glow. It was as though a giant web had been spun across the sky.

Gemma tried to run, but the bottom half of her body was still outside the garden. She could feel a pulling and a tugging; on the outside from Mimi and Phoebe and on the inside from a much more powerful force.

Then she saw something moving in the shadows. A hideous snake-like creature with slimy skin and evil green eyes came crawling and slithering towards her along an undulating wall. She tried to scream. But it was as though her lungs and throat were stuffed with cotton wool. Gemma was helpless.

As it came closer, she could smell its hot and fetid breath on her face like a rotting, fly-blown corpse. Then its claws gripped her shoulders, pulling and dragging her down into its jaws.

‘Quick, Phoebe, help! I’m losing my grip!’ yelled Mimi.

Phoebe fell to the ground and desperately hugged Gemma around the knees.

‘It’s too strong. I can’t hold her either,’ Phoebe yelled, as the Garden of Darkness sucked Gemma further and further into its centre.

Mimi suddenly felt a cold hand on her shoulder. She screamed.

‘It’s only me,’ shouted Josh over the tremendous noise.

‘Oh, Josh! Just in time. Quick, grab Gemma. The garden’s sucking her in.’

Josh held Gemma around the waist, Mimi took her thighs and Phoebe pulled at the ankles. It was a deadly serious tug of war.

‘We can’t let it beat us, try harder,’ screamed Mimi, suddenly feeling herself being pulled towards the garden. ‘On the count of three. Let’s do it. One . . . two . . . three . . . PULL!’

With the very last burst of strength left in them, they finally dragged Gemma free, falling backwards on the ground in an exhausted heap of bodies, arms and legs. They lay there stunned and exhausted.

‘What did you see in there?’ Phoebe whispered.

But Gemma didn’t answer. Her face was deathly pale. Mesmerised with fear, her eyes were still fixed in terror on the writhing mass that was the Garden of Darkness – the beginning of all nightmares.

Mimi felt a drop of rain on her face. Then she felt another and another. She looked up into the darkening sky. The rain fell over the park, splashing the rock face with arrows of water, destroying the garden, and cleansing the surrounding earth.

‘Let’s get outta here. This place gives me the creeps.’ Josh pulled his shirt collar up around his neck. ‘How did you find us?’ asked Mimi, gathering up the pastels.

Josh bent down to help her. ‘Eliza knew where Gemma was all the time but didn’t dare tell anyone. Finally, she confessed.’

They walked in silence along the bottom of the cliff towards the bridge that crossed the creek, further upstream. They didn’t notice the rain. Gemma was like a zombie. She hadn’t uttered a word since being inside the garden.

The creek was still swollen and flowing fast. Josh crossed the bridge first, then Phoebe, while Gemma and Mimi walked side by side.

Mimi held the box of Empress Cassia Pastels close to her body. She could feel them, warm and vibrant against her heart. She knew they belonged with her. ‘I’ll never let you out of my sight,’ she whispered. ‘My precious pastels. You’re a part of me and I am a part of you.’ She clutched them even tighter.

She didn’t see Gemma’s eyes widening into a mad stare or her sideways glance, nor her hands reaching out. It only took a split second. And by the time Mimi realised what was happening, it was too late. With the anger and fury of a violent tornado, Gemma wrenched the box out of Mimi’s hands, ran to the side of the bridge and hurled it into the water. ‘Good riddance!’ she screamed, as if she could push the pastels under with her voice. ‘You vile and evil things. Go back to where you came from.’

Mimi watched in horror as the Empress Cassia Pastels bobbed on the surface for a minute, then were gone, swallowed up by the torrent of raging water.

‘Gemma, what have you done?’ Mimi cried.

‘I’ve done everyone a favour,’ she screamed back.

‘But you can’t destroy the pastels. Don’t you know that? They’ve been around for thousands of years.’ Mimi choked on her tears. She raced back along the creek, searching the water frantically with her eyes, hoping the box would surface again or get caught between rocks. But it was no use. The pastels were lost to her forever.

Mimi walked back to join the others. Tears streamed down her face. She couldn’t even hate Gemma. There were no feelings left inside her anymore. ‘I did you a favour, Mimi.’ Gemma’s voice was quivering and her body shaking uncontrollably. ‘If you’d seen what I saw in that repulsive garden, you’d have done exactly the same thing. I’ll have nightmares for the rest of my life.’