"A Fairytale Castle" by Shelby K. Irons

It was smaller than other castles, but graceful and appealing, with a brook dancing beside the border wall. Into the wall a large scrolled gate was set, and above the gateway was an ornate arch over-run with friendly ivy. Indeed, the wildly beautiful gardens and the surrounding greenery had not been tamed by the trained hand of a gardener for many years.

Magic sparkled on every available surface like a thin layer of chalk, the golden spires of the symmetrical turrets gleaming with dulled warmth beneath the confines of the potent dust. Even abandoned, the aged bricks bearing the weight of the massive structure seemed to hum with impish delight. The castle was lonely, yearning for the spell to be broken so the empty rooms and drafty corridors would once again be filled with life and music.

Yet the unnerving silence engulfed the surrounding hillside where the castle stood elegantly against the backdrop of a radiating sunset. Not a sad place, nor happy either, a sighing breeze ruffled through the spacious halls.

Never changing, but always hoping. The castle waited.

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