A field guide to the residents of the garden
Meet the Darling Nightmares
The garden is home to cats, creatures, curses, experiments, and several things that refuse to be properly identified. Most of its residents are friendly. Some are even harmless.
At least, that is what they would tell you.
Resident 01
Ollie the Killer Cat
No one remembers exactly when Ollie began arranging the garden’s little accidents. He rarely causes trouble himself. He simply places the right idea in the right head, waits patiently, and watches everything go terribly wrong.
Ollie insists this is coincidence. He has been practicing that expression of complete innocence for years.
Resident 02
Ella-Boop
Known as Ella the Elder, Keeper of the Thresholds, Ella-Boop is far more than an ordinary black cat. She is ancient, powerful, territorial, and deeply inconvenienced by nearly everyone around her.
Ella refuses to discuss her age, although she occasionally complains that certain stars were brighter when they were young. She complains about Ollie constantly, too—but would bend reality itself to protect him.
Resident 03
Sammy the Masked Slayer Squirrel
Sammy established his headquarters above the garden after deciding someone needed to monitor the bird feeder. He remains alert for enemies, conspiracies, and suspicious seed activity.
Beneath the stitched mask is a tiny squirrel with enormous confidence and absolutely no sense of proportion. Sammy desperately wants to be feared. Being taken seriously would also be acceptable.
Resident 04
Nibbles the Cannibal Rabbit
Nibbles was raised to believe that good manners matter most when circumstances become uncomfortable. As host of the Reservation Garden, he offers every guest a warm welcome, a properly prepared table, and impeccable service.
His appetite is unusual, but his manners are flawless—and he finds it rather rude when visitors dwell on the distinction.
Resident 05
Earl the Vampire Earthworm
Earl claims descent from a distinguished line of nocturnal aristocrats, although no one has successfully verified the family records. He is refined, sophisticated, and burdened with very strong opinions about proper dining etiquette.
Earl has no patience for disrespect, no interest in discussing his meals, and no reflection whatsoever.
Resident 06
Steve the Were-Chihuahua
Steve is a proud and imposing wolf burdened with a deeply humiliating curse. Whenever the full moon rises, he becomes a furious little Chihuahua. Steve refuses to explain how this happened, and those who have asked generally decide not to ask twice.
What he loses in size, he gains in volume, destruction, and determination to be taken seriously.
Resident 07
Dr. Banty
Dr. Banty showed an early gift for invention after successfully automating several ordinary barnyard chores. The resulting property damage was unrelated.
Today, he is a brilliant scientist who believes nearly everything can be measured, improved, engineered, or brought back to life. His experiments do not always behave as intended, but Banty considers explosions and mutations to be valuable data.
Resident 08
Victor the Franken-Ostrich
Victor began as Dr. Banty’s most ambitious experiment and quickly became something much more like family. He is a towering, stitched-together ostrich with the heart of a kitten: gentle, curious, affectionate, and almost entirely unaware of his own size.
Victor looks intimidating until he opens his beak and says, “Meow.”
Resident 09
Penny the Church Mouse
Penny learned to bake because she believes nearly any problem can be made a little better with something sweet. She keeps her favorite recipes in Penny’s Book of Sweets and is happiest when everyone has a place at the table.
Unfortunately, something strange happens when Penny becomes truly hungry. No one likes to mention the missing furniture afterward.
Resident 10
Gus the Garden Watcher
No one knows how long Gus has watched over the garden. Some residents believe he was its first caretaker. Others suspect he was already standing there when the garden began.
No one sees Gus arrive, leave, or move. He simply watches, remembers, and quietly records everything. Ollie can fool nearly anyone. He has never managed to fool Gus.
Resident 11
Basil the Axolotl
Basil is a refined traveler from an unusual aquatic family. Her most famous relative is her cousin, the Creature from the Black Lagoon.
Basil travels with an antique water jar whose surface remains perfectly still, even while she moves. Those who look closely may notice that the reflection in the water does not quite match the Basil standing beside it. Basil prefers that they not look closely.
Resident 12
Sweeney the Bat
Sweeney grew up in New York City, where she developed a sharp ear for conversation and an even sharper eye for presentation. She eventually discovered that her echolocation allowed her to hear imperfections others could not see.
Now known as the Precision Stylist, Sweeney travels with her oversized antique shears, offering expert corrections whether anyone requested an appointment or not. She is sincerely convinced she is helping.