Beyond (Book Two of The Whispered Tales)

Chapter 10

As Victoria's image was fading away, sorrow and despair were coming upon everyone in the room.

'I love you all,' she said. Her voice was faint, like coming from a dream.

The aunt broke down crying. Matilda, who was now in the room, tried in vain to comfort her. Paul hid his face in the palms of his hands and stayed that way in the corner where the unseen force had thrown him. The only one who remained petrified was the old woman in black. Her entire body shook like she was just coming out of a nightmare. With a hard but steady pace, she approached the mirror and touched its surface. Her hand went through the other side, without that unseen force to react in any way.

'Victoria,' she yelled at the girl, 'Go! Now!'

A roar appeared out of nowhere and muffled whispers pierced the room. The walls crackled like the entire house was struck by the most fearsome tornado. Matilda fell to her knees, praying.

'But you'll never get home!' shouted Victoria.

'I don't have much time to live,' yelled the old woman. 'But you have your whole life in front of you. Come! Please, Victoria! Come, now!'

'I just want to know one last thing about you,' pleaded the girl. 'Tell me you name. That's it. Only your name...'

The old woman smiled gently. She looked so much like her granny.

'Ecaterina is my name...' she managed to say.

When the girl touched the mirror, her wounded hand appeared through the other side. Paul caught her and pulled her vigorously. Victoria was now in his arms, weak, but in one piece. There was nothing beyond the mirror. Only the reflection of the room, like they all knew it. The old woman in black had disappeared.

⃰

They were walking holding hands in the forest lit by the sparkling dusk.

'I have to leave tomorrow,' she said in a quiet voice. 'I've been here far longer than planned. And I miss my parents... Promise me you'll visit,' she said, grasping his hand.

'I promise,' he said. 'Now that your aunt decided to adopt me, we'll be seeing each other more often. I mean, as often as you want...'

Silence had yet again fallen.

'You know, it's the best thing that could happen to a lonely woman.'

'I hope I'll be the son she never had. She has such a big heart... You know, even Matilda started to like me. She asked me what I wanted for dinner yesterday. She even smiled at me,' said the boy in one breathe.

They had reached the meadow in the middle of the forest. Fireflies sprung from nowhere, crickets sang in the grass, humming to the sound of their beating hearts... Birds of all kinds joined them. A true orchestra of the night unraveled just for them.

'It's weird,' said Victoria. 'I never thought I was going to embark on such an adventure this summer. This was better than a hundred Summer Balls put together.'

'Well, there are so many things that the mind sees without understanding them...'

'I think I've heard this before...'

'Yes, probably from the woman in black.'

'Her name is Ecaterina,' said the girl broody. 'You know that Ecaterina is also the name of my great-great-grandmother? Too bad I don't have a picture of her to show you. My aunt says we're a little alike...'

Night fell over the forest, and the two went slowly towards the house.

'She thought about everything beforehand, you know,' said the girl. 'I think she felt something. She had an instinct of her own, beyond our comprehension. That's why she left you the house on top of the hill. She was very clear about it in the letter I found hidden in the fairy book. It was written two days before the gate opened. She wants you to sell it and use the money for studying somewhere in the big city. Word around the village is that it's quite valuable. Not to mention the huge library with thousands of books. Some of them are very old. They must be very valuable. If you decide to sell, you'll become a very rich young man...'

The boy smiled.

'Rich enough to accompany you to the Ball? But beware! I'm not much of a dancer, and your feet will feel it.'

The girl looked away.

'You know, I was thinking... I don't think I'll go to the Ball. I don't see the point. I'd rather go away, somewhere far away with my parents. Somewhere to forget about everything. A place with a small house and an apple orchard. And a magical forest. And perhaps an imposing house on top of a hill. If it won't be sold until then,' she added.

The boy smiled from the bottom of his heart.

'And maybe there will be someone in that house, waiting for you, counting the seconds until he will see you again.'

His last words made them both blush.

'I'm not selling the house on the hill,' he said holding his breath. 'Can you imagine how much I have to learn from all those books? I thought about it. So anyone who wants to read or borrow a book from my library is more than welcome. I know better than anyone how hard it is to want to learn, but no one to give you a chance.'

And again, silence. With soft steps, they left behind the hill reigned by the house and went down into the village. The people they met gave them baffled smiles. Some, mostly women, crossed their hearts and pulled away in fear. Others were carefully examining them, unable to believe that such strange things could happen in their village, disrupting their quiet and simple lives. It appeared Matilda kept herself quite busy during those past few days.

When they entered the cemetery gates, curious eyes were still following them. They stopped in front of a small tomb covered in marble roses. The girl put a bouquet of field flowers on top of the hot gravestone. A single marking with winding letters could be read on the stone: "Here lies the girl who saw beyond..."

'And what are you going to do with the mirror?' asked the girl, without taking her eyes off the tomb. 'It's still yours.'

'I hid it in the attic, where no one could find it. It's too powerful for me to destroy it. Who knows what other forces I could unleash... Besides, maybe we'll see the old woman again in thirteen years. It's not that long. Time can't get to her yet... She still has something she needs to do.'

'What's that?' asked the girl.

'Go back home...'

They left the unknown girl's tomb and a sharp breeze which appeared out of nowhere scattered the multicolored flowers, taking them high into the sky.

⃰

Somewhere, in a world beyond, a blue-eyed old woman smiled as she combed her hair in a mirror framed by roses, angels, and beasts. In a house, on top of a hill.

THE END

Well, Victoria and Paul's story has come to an end. I hope you liked it :) And if you did, please share it with your friends, it would mean a lot! 

So what do you think? Did you like the genre of this story? Would you like a sequel? Because there is so much more to be told in this story. Let me know your thoughts and I will give it a serious thought :)

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