Travel Into My Past

~ 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 2 ~

As everyone were gathering to listen to my dad's speech that I heard countless times, I took the occasion to explore my grandparents old house. It was more like a small castle than a house and I was eager to discover that part of the building my grandparents had always forbidden me to enter since my childhood. It was a tower with a one-meter golden angel statue on the top, hardly recognisable through the dirt. I walked all-through the vast garden to join the building. I arrived in front of the door when I realized how dumb I was not to have noticed that a key was needed. I still tried to open, we never know, but it was closed. I gave up and was about to join the party again when I heard a key-click sound. I slowly turned my head to see the door that was closed opening itself. My body froze. "Hello, is anybody here?" I asked. Nobody.

My mind was telling me not to go, but my curiosity won. Curiosity, how vile is it? I walked toward the door and reminded myself that I was in my grandparents' house, that it was their property and that obviously they knew everything inside so I should not be in any danger. I followed the unbalanced stairs which led me to another door. This time, it wasn't locked, so I just opened it and discovered a dusty room. What I was walking on seemed to be a red carpet, but it was too dirty to notice. There were many boxes filled with antique goods and some shelves with clothes from different eras. Suddenly, I stopped. On each wall of the room were painted many faces, including my 12-year-old face. I grinned as I thought the face did not looked like mine at all. Here was represented the Kinghead family in a big family tree painted on the walls. I enjoyed staring at all the painting while giggling and laughing at some very old names, but I stopped when I found 2 names that were barely unreadable. It looked like someone tried to rip the wallpaper. "Iv......... ......ie K............." I read. The 3rd word was Kinghead, obviously, but the two first names really looked like mine, according to the space the letters were supposed to take. Ivyleen and Rosie could fit. I suppose the person was a girl, as a part of the painted blue dress was left. Next to her was another name that was impossible to read, but the top of the face remained. It was a man with green eyes. Those green eyes, I've seen them before and I knew it wasn't a long time ago, but I couldn't remember at all. I looked at my watch "Oh my, it's been an hour, gotta go back!". I was about to leave when I noticed a sparkling ring on the floor. It was a beautiful golden ring with a small blue sapphire gem. I took it in my hand to put it in safety when I started to feel dizzy. I recalled the man with green eyes from my dreams when everything became blurred and I felt weightless.

______________________________________________________________________________

I opened my eyes, but I could not see any room. In fact, I was in a forest. Panic invaded me. "Mom, Dad, Grandmother, Grandfather! I am here!" I continued crying out. "Anybody? It's Ivy I'm here!". No one. I took my phone from my purse and started dialling my mom's number. But the numbers on the screen started to disappear one by one. I could not believe it, it was like in a movie, but happening in my life and it wasn't fun at all. What could rely I on except my phone? I tried again. Unfortunately, my phone soon died with its 82% remaining battery. My knees fell on the ground. I looked around; what did I do? Perhaps someone found me in the room, hit me or gave me some drug that made me lose consciousness and I arrived here. I was really scared, and tears started to roll over my cheeks. I looked at my hands and saw a ring on one of my fingers. The same golden ring with blue sapphire I took in my hand when I was in the old room. I don't remember putting it on my finger. I tried to take it off, but it was too tight and stuck on my finger. At least I wouldn't lose it, but I didn't care at this point. I gathered myself, determined to find my way and walked. Even though it takes hours, there is no way I won't find anyone right?

I walked for a whole hour when I recognised a golden angel from afar. I knew I was near my grandparents' house! I ran as fast as I could but when I arrived, I could not believe it. The tower was the same, I had no doubt. But the same house wasn't here. A group of workers with ripped clothes were building what looked like an old mansion or a fort. I left my mouth open. For how long was I sleeping for my grandparents' house to be destroyed? My whole family must be looking for me, or maybe they think that I am dead already?

- hum, yeng lady may'I help'ya?

I turned to see who was talking to me. A man who looked like a worker was eyeing me.

- Oh, hello sir, you have no idea how happy I am to see you, I said full of hope. My name is Ivy, I was probably kidnapped and when I woke up I was in a forest. Please help me contact my family sir, I would be sooo grateful, I finished holding his shoulders.

- Ya... ya... askin'me to marry ya? Thank you, dear lord, for sending me the most beautiful wife, He said pleasantly surprised to see my hands on his shoulders. I am Tom. I don't hav much coal but ya'll be my most precious jewel and I'll tak car'of ya, he added before taking my hands in his and staring at me.

- What? I said louder than I thought, instantly throwing my arms back. No, I am asking for help, look, my grandparents were the owner of this property, who bought it?

But it was useless. The man started to gather the other workers, but he was soon very busy trying to keep them away from me when somebody threw a piece of newspaper on them, shouting "Back to work, dirty scoundrels, back to work!". I looked at the round-shaped man holding a paper and a feather as a pen. He was wearing old-fashioned clothes with tights. He looked at me, obviously shocked.

- H H H Howww daaarreee a woman of your kind steps on the land of my future masterpiece? He said angrily.

- No no sir, please sir, before she was lost, a man wanted with her a kid and a nap but she chose me and asked me, now she is my wif- started Tom before being stopped

- You can't even talk properly you fool, shut up and get out of the way before I cut your neck, shouted the greasy man. You, woman, talk.

Tom told me to wait until he finishes his work before leaving me to go back to the construction site. What the heck was wrong with everyone? I paused for a moment and a flash memory came back in my mind. When I was 12 years old, my grandmother told me that the first Kinghead bought the property in the mid-18th century, but the original mansion was destroyed after a fire of unknown cause. I looked around: Old-fashioned clothes, tights, weird dialect, workers in terrible conditions, horses and donkeys pulling carts, old style of writing and in-construction site.

The possibility of traveling back in time seemed impossible, but I knew I was definitely not in the 21st century...