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** spoiler alert ** Captivating, intriguing and unique true story that reads like an urban legend. A Garden ENCLOSED is a true short story about Marlena McBride, a lady who existed for a short time and then seemed to disappear without a trace, under some very unusual circumstances. Marlena McBride had contact with other people and lived in a quaint home where she tended her beautiful garden. Before purchasing her home she had gone to college, was known by many in her community, had a floral boutique, and even practiced law. Later in her life Marlena had moved back to her home town. The sudden death of her father came only a few short weeks after her mother had passed. McBride never did have a close relationship with her parents, especially her father, although she loved them dearly. Her only remaining family now, her brother, seemed to be her only close connection. One day after an invite from an acquaintance, she decided to attend a dance where she met a man named Michael Engels. Marlena immediately seemed to connect with Michael and they soon became very close friends and even fell in love. A few months later Michael became ill and was admitted to the hospital with heart complications. On her way to see Michael the day he was admitted, Marlena stopped at a diner for a cup of coffee where she had a very strange experience. While there she met a teenage run-away who seemed to be in great distress. After speaking with, and comforting the girl, McBride seemed to lose track of time. When taking notice, it was three hours later. Marlena was on her way to drop the teen off at her home first, then head to the hospital. As Marlena was pulling out of the diner parking lot her car seemed to act strangely. Another vehicle headed in their direction ended up colliding with Marlena. This car belonged to a man who was on his way home, slightly distraught after having just lost his job. Strange things happened during and after this accident. The man who hit Marlena's vehicle reported the incident as two women in a white vehicle pulling out from a white diner parking area onto the road. However, this diner no longer existed as it had burned down some 15 years earlier. I had to go back to re-read this book a second time, as I was somewhat confused. It seemed Marlena's body was never found, however, two bodies were found at the scene of the accident. Although the woman resembled Marlena, her brother failed to identify her as his sister, due to a birthmark Marlena had behind her ear which this body did not. Also the blood type of this dead body was not a match to Marlena's. What is even stranger is that Michael, the love of her life, died in the hospital at the same exact time as Marlena's accident. Posthumous memorial services were held for the body thought to be of Marlena and the gravestone was marked unknown, died 2010. Strangely at that same cemetery there is another gravestone with the very same name, Marlena McBride. However the gravestone reads Marlena McBride born and died December 1952. Was Marlena from another dimension? Was she an angel? To this day no one knows what happened to this lady. This is the strangest story I have ever come across. I found this story very interesting and intriguing, yet it left me in limbo. If the author Cluke, had only shared a little more detail about the other witness, about what happened after the accident, or even what happened to Marlena's home after her death, it would have given more credibility to the story. Maybe this was done by Cluke on purpose, maybe not. If not, my only hope is that he may dig a little deeper into this story and write another book with new and more details.

2023-06-02 08:20