#thebookkeeper

Everyone stood up and we hugged, praying to life to rest Vanessa's soul. We knew that wherever she was, she would always think of our adventures and the crazy things we did during the exchange. We had dinner, agreed to dress up as fairy tales, not to tell a soul about our costumes, and then went to our rooms. Tomorrow would be a new beginning for everyone, and we agreed that we would spend the day laughing and forgetting the past. Welcoming new projects and good wishes. Returning to that time when we were happy.

I went to the bathroom, brushed my teeth, took a shower, and combed my hair. Took my clothes out of my suitcase and prepared my dress for tomorrow. Everyone would be amazed by my costume; everything would be excellent. I was about to go to bed when I forgot I had to prepare something for tomorrow, maybe an activity or a little gift for everyone, but I didn't know what I could give them. I got out of bed and went to my backpack. Without realizing it, it was open, and my wallet fell on my foot. It fell and made a mess on my bedroom floor. Everything was spilled on the floor… money, candy, my headphones, my cards, my apartment keys, and… a group photo we took in Greece, the day before… what happened with Vanessa.

It was October when I arrived in Greece. After so much time locked away at boarding school, I wanted to discover new things, have adventures, make friends, study what I loved. I was so distracted thinking about what I would eat first or which museum I would visit when I bumped into Phoenix, the first person I met from the group of foreigners who would become my family.

-"Excuse me, I didn't know where I was going," she said as I bent down to pick up her books.- "It's just that I just got here, and I've seen so much culture that it's filled me with thoughts. I want to try everything and visit everything."

-"Don't worry, I'm looking for some friends for dinner. We're leaving campus and want to get something to eat."- Phoenix replied excitedly. "Are you coming to the Classical Language and Literature exchange too?"

-"Yes! I'm so excited!"- I said.

-"Do you want to join us?" she asked.

She didn't let me answer; in a second, she dragged me toward a restaurant. She had a vibe as strong as fire, full of life. She stopped, and we arrived at a table with nine people waiting to be served. They all looked at me strangely since they didn't know me, but they made me feel welcome.

-"Guys! I bumped into her, and it turns out she's also in the Classical Language and Literature course! Her name is…" She pauses.- "Oh! You're going to think I'm rude," she laughs as she introduces herself. "I'm Phoenix Samandar, I'm from Mexico. And these are…"

They interrupt her and begin introducing themselves one by one. I put my suitcase and backpack on a chair while they wait for me to introduce myself. I'd never heard so many nationalities in one place… at one table, and everyone introducing themselves to me. Long story short, we studied together, had many adventures, and enjoyed life for two long years that felt short when we graduated.

During the last six months of the program, Vanessa began to change. She was no longer a studious and polite young woman. Now she was blank-eyed, talked to herself, and became sarcastic. She argued with Jamal and Abril. She began to secretly take our things, private things: she cut a lock of Marla's hair, she stole a crystalline diamond medallion from me, and she talked about mystical things as if it were the only topic that existed. She spoke of mystical places and said we were all connected by something greater than just a simple exchange.

Her appearance changed, and her aura became somber. It felt heavy to be with her, yet we didn't leave her side; we thought we had family problems, and that was why we changed. On the last day of our graduation, Arturo took a photo to remind us that even though we're far away and separated, we'll always be a family. The 11 of us were there… but… a green flash lit up the sky and a terrible gale blew in. Vanessa screamed, wishing this would happen. We all ran, but she stood there, as if nothing had happened.

-"Come and get me! We're here! Let's all get back together!" Vanessa shouted toward the storm as if she could talk to the weather.

-"Vanessa!" I ran toward her, and everyone followed me to stop me. "Please, go inside the restaurant. We have to go to the storm shelter."

-"NO! IT'S MY DESTINY! IT'S OURS! COME, DRAGON, AND JOIN ME!"

The storm began to create a funnel. When it hit the ground, the entire place shook, and the pavement began to crack. A huge tornado started moving towards Vanessa, when Videl tried to grab Vanessa.. a black shadow came out of the tornado and tried to grab Videl, we all went to try to help and Vanessa grabbed him by the waist as he was lifted off the ground by the suction of the storm. We focused on helping and separating him from Vanessa, we saw a light emanating from us and it ejected Vanessa into the tornado. She screamed and the storm exploded.

Silence. No tornado. No storm. No gray clouds. No… Vanessa. We fell to the ground with a crash. We were all stunned. Where did the storm come from, where did that light come from… was it magic? The police arrived, they interviewed us all, we all gave our version of the story. "So a white flash?" the officer laughed. "That was lightning that blinded them, that's normal." She closed the case, or so we think. They didn't want us there anymore. She was an orphan, no one claimed her body… in fact, they never found her body. It never would have happened if we had tried to talk to her more, or ask what was going on… but she really distanced herself, wouldn't talk to us. We said goodbye and promised not to bring it up again until now… "Vanessa Crowe" I said out loud. Where have I heard that last name? Crowe… I think my aunt used to mention that name angrily.

Maybe there's something in the library about someone named Crowe. I get up from the floor, put on my robe, and walk toward the library. I leave my room and hear Frank and Diana arguing; I try not to listen, but I hear my name. I stop in front of the door. They're still arguing, and I feel a hand on my back. I turn around and see Phoenix behind me. He covers my mouth so I can't scream. She moves in next to me, and we can still hear each other at the door.

-"I'm not stupid! I know exactly how you see her! This isn't the first time I've seen you staring at her. Or did you think I didn't know about the calls you were making?" Diana shouted while throwing something, probably pillows.

-"I told you that was a thing of the past, before I started dating you, but that's why we're dating! Because I knew I didn't have a chance…" Frank replied, not realizing what he was saying. "I mean…"

-"So I'm easy prey, and you preferred to be with me than keep fighting over Aurora!"

Phoenix and I stared at each other with eyes as wide as saucers. We heard footsteps and ran to the library. The only light in the room was the moonlight. We heard Diana come out of her room, slam the door so hard it sounded like the house was going to fall apart, and run down the stairs.

-Aurora, what are you doing wandering the halls like a ghost? Phoenix asked.

-I could ask you the same thing, flamey.

-I went out because I was bored and couldn't sleep because of Vanessa. And you?

-For the same reason, I remembered what happened that day, and I think I remembered my aunt saying the last name, but in anger. Maybe there's a book about something with the last name Crowe.- I replied.

-Crowe? What does that have to do with Vanessa?- Phoenix wondered. -That was her last name, Vanessa Crowe. I remember it from when we went to the police station where they interrogated us all. Obviously, it might not be related, but I have nothing else to do, and I want to look for that book.

-I'll help you, just to do something. But anything related to Vanessa's accident scares me. How do we find it? Or rather, what are we looking for?

-A book that talks about someone with the last name Crowe. There must be a cabinet with all the information on the books, but I don't know where it is. I look up and see a desk on the second floor.- They might be there, but I don't think the elevator works.

Phoenix walks over and finds a lever near the elevator. He pulls it, and the room starts to vibrate. Dust falls from the shelves, and the power goes out. It's like if there were an earthquake in the room, a shelf would open and reveal a rather old and rickety safe.

-What did you do?- I try to speak, my mouth slightly open, trying to control my nerves.

-Nothing, I just pulled a lever… I assumed it would make the elevator move. Did you know your aunt had a safe?

-Not at all… Should we open it? -I ran to see the safe, and it was open. The only object in the center was a wooden key. "A key… thanks, Aunt! It's a one-bedroom house we're in.

-Your aunt was so strange… a wooden key… in an open safe. No, wow! What security! What a treasure! -Phoenix continued sarcastically.- Come and tell us what it opens! Show yourself, Aunt!

A cold gust wind blew down my neck, as if someone were whispering behind me. The library doors swung open with such a loud bang that it echoed through the mansion. A figure entered the room, shuffling and awkwardly raising its arms. A wail like an animal's was heard, and the head pointed toward where Phoenix and I were standing. We started to shake with nerves. That thing got closer and closer until the light came on. It was Videl.

-What the hell are you doing here?, Videl, I swear… -I yelled as I regained my composure.- You should have knocked the door! jeez, you almost scared us to death.

-Shit, I almost had a heart attack -Phoenix said, glaring at Videl.- We thought you were the aunt.

-Auntie? The dead woman… here. Don't be silly, those things don't exist -Videl commented, taking a brave stance- Besides, only idiots believe in those ghost things. Magic, fairies, and…

-WITCHES! -Marla shouted in Videl's ear. Videl fell so hard, and Marla started laughing at him.- What's everyone doing here? Are you talking about your costumes? We agreed not to talk about it. You're cheating. Besides, how much are you dragging? You're keeping me awake, with all the stuff you're throwing on the floor. I thought you couldn't get to the third floor… -Marla said, sounding tired.

We all stared at each other; no one had dragged anything. Unless I heard about the bookshelf, we definitely hadn't gone up to the third floor.

-We haven't gone up to the third floor. We tried to find a way, but we couldn't get up there -Phoenix replied.

-I have ADHD, I get distracted easily but I'm not stupid. You're up to something here, and I'm going to find out.

-Look, you're not distracted, and I'm not denying that I'm stupid. But, are you worried that we might have done it? After all, it's not your house -Videl responded rudely to Marla.

-I came to look for a book, but I can't find it, that's why Phoenix is ​​here with me. It has to do with… with… with… something my aunt wanted to talk to Phoenix about -I said, not revealing what I would do or what we were doing. I really didn't know how the others would react to finding out we were looking for something about this subject.- It's already five in the morning. Let's go to sleep, because tomorrow we have a lot to prepare and celebrate.

-Get some rest, G! -Phoenix said as she left the library.

-Good night! Clumsy -Marla grumbled as she left.

-Yes, Aurora, good night… -Videl mumbled.

-Wait, Videl, I have to ask you something. I know you know a lot about carpentry and you're the wise man among the trees. - I grabbed Videl by the arm.

-Well, I wouldn't say wise, but I do know a few things. -Videl said proudly correcting his posture.

-Well, I need help with some wood. We found an open safe with a wooden key inside. Could you tell me anything you know about this key? Is it for a door or a drawer or…

-It can't be true, it's an inverter arbor… my grandfather told me about this type of wood, but I never thought I'd see one of these again.

-An inverter arbor? -I asked, confused- I'd never heard that word before.

-Only a craftsman carpenter knows it; that wood is mythological. Inverted arbor, also known as the inverted tree, represents creation as a downward movement. The spiritual seeds of the tree are found in heaven, in the divine world, and its crown extends over the world.. -While he continued explaining about the wood, we sat on the library mat, his eyes shining like two stars approaching the earth. He admired that key so much that you could say it was like a god to Videl- This tree, according to legend, is located at the center of the world, in the Omphalos. It's the central pillar, the central column, which supports the world. The stone here indicates duration and represents reality par excellence, indestructibility, the static. It's a skeleton key or a master key, but it's shaped to open anything, as long as the object's wood is made of the same wood as the key. From there, the soul returns to heaven; the key is the soul returning to its origin. -He stopped for a second- How did it end up in your aunt's hands?

-I have no idea, but after what you told me… I don't think it's a good idea to open whatever that key can open. Is there anything else you know?

-No, that's all. I only know that it's almost impossible to find that type of wood. My grandfather had a door made of that wood, and he told me it led him to extraordinary but also dangerous worlds, depending on the person who opened it, but that's pure fiction. He already had dementia at that time. He entered a nursing home. I think his last words were… - he fell silent, his expression pale- I forgot. You know, we better get some sleep… tomorrow is your birthday, and we don't want it to be ruined by sleepiness. Get some rest, Aurora.

He got up uneasily and trotted to his room. I must keep this key. I don't know what it can open, and I don't know who could be behind it. I got up, locked the safe, returned the lever to where it was, and walked to my room. I opened the door, turned around to close it… I felt an icy wind on my neck… something wasn't right… I turned around and saw my aunt at the window…

In front of me, I see a mansion straight out of a fairy tale, a real-life castle. If only I had lived in medieval times, I would definitely be the princess in the story and my aunt would be the stepmother.

Aurora, stop thinking about that... you'd better be grateful she didn't abandon you after your parents abandoned you. She raised you for 10 long years, fed you, paid for your education, and left you a mansion. I can't be ungrateful. Besides, I'm sure if she were alive, she'd be very happy to see me again... or so I'd like to believe.

A huge cedar door at the entrance with enormous knockers bearing the family crest: a crown, a dragon, a wolf, and a phoenix protecting an open book. I knock. I know no one's inside, but maybe I did it out of respect for my aunt... I imagine if I hadn't, my aunt would come out to scold me and remind me that she paid for my education. I was about to grab the handle when the door opened..

- AUNT! PLEASE FORGIVE ME! - I lowered my head suddenly and covered my face with my hands - I didn't mean to upset you, it's not that you're a nag, but I didn't mean to be inopportune.

- I always knew you were afraid of the bitter one - a young and rough voice sounded, it definitely wasn't my aunt's.- And what were you planning to do to her? Scream until she left?

- Leave her alone, we're just arriving and you're already starting to bother her. Hello Aurora, how are you? How you been?

I lowered my hands, already knowing the gruff voice was coming from someone I knew. Leaning against the door as if I was coming to collect the rent due of her smile, it was Marla. You couldn't say she's 100 percent bitter, but she has a bipolar mood; sometimes she laughs at you, sometimes she laughs at your misery, and other times she laughs with you at some silly thing.

She's tall, fair-skinned, with brown-blond hair and a slim, athletic body. If she punched someone in the neck, I swore she'd knock them out. I can also see Jamal, that young man, as handsome as he is polite, who loves life as if there were no tomorrow. I swear I can't handle so much happiness. I'm not bitter; in fact, I smile and laugh a lot, but he wins me over. He has dark skin, is medium-tall, has a slim build, and a beard that's second to none.

- See? You already broke her... Hello!? - Jamal raised and waved his arms while trying to get my attention - EARTH CALLING AURORA! CAN YOU HEAR ME?

I come back to the present and I get nervous... Why do I spend all day remembering things? Enjoy.

- Sorry, I've been thinking about it all trip and...

- And does it hurt? - Marla interrupts me - Try not to use your head too much, or you'll get hurt.

- Ugh, don't start... - I try to breathe and not get upset.- ...but you're right. I've been thinking about my aunt and her death all morning. It's hard to go home without thinking about her, but it's a great place for the whole exchange group to fit in.

- Everyone? Really? -Jamal jumped up in excitement.- I can't wait to see April! I'm so excited!

So we are finally see each other again, that's the only thing that comes to my mind; entering the mansion with my two suitcases and my backpack. And just to celebrate my 26th birthday, everyone should arrive today, and the day after tomorrow is my birthday. My family together, my birthday, my favorite season of the year, everything will be excellent.

- And who else is here besides you? - I asked as I sat on the forearm of an orange armchair.

- Videl, Arturo and Alba went to town for something but they already left their bags in the living room. -Marla checked her phone.- Frank called me and said he's coming with Diana in the taxi. I don't know where April is.

- And Phoenix is in the bathroom... -Jamal mentioned laughing.

- Do you have to say that to everyone? -Phoenix walks down the main stairs, grumbling.- Ever since I got here, he's been telling everyone that. Can't this idiot say anything else?

Yep, that's Phoenix, the first person I met during the exchange, is a young woman with a slender body, brown eyes, long dark brown hair, and a tanned complexion. I always associated her with fire. It must be that initiative that catches on like wildfire; she seems like she could burn down an entire building with her goals.

- If you didn't spend so much time in the bathroom, I'd say "she got dizzy on the way and threw up." - Jamal winced.

- Are you pregnant? -I said mockingly.- Friend, do you have a bun in the oven?

- I told her the same thing... -Marla played along with me- but in my humble opinion... -she paused and looked toward Jamal and me-.

Marla, Jamal, and I all agreed.- ..the flower finally bloomed! -We started laughing.

We hugged each other so tightly we almost broke our backs. That strength created after so much suffering together when that accident happened. Who would have thought that would make us stronger and connect us so much more? But we didn't talk about it.

We swore not to remember, to remember her, she'll always be in our hearts, but that disaster probably wouldn't have happened if... No, you block yourself. Give time to time.

A harsh sound outside the mansion, followed by a sudden break sound. It smelled like burning tires. We ran to look, and it was a car that had crashed into the fountain in front of the house. It had climbed onto the fountain slab; for some strange reason, it wasn't coming forward, but backwards. I didn't understand what was happening there, but I saw Arturo running toward me with a cake in his hand, leaving it in my hands and returning to the car. Inside the car, I managed to see Videl with a worried face, as if someone had died.

Near the fountain, Alba and April were dying of laughter, always so cheerful no matter the circumstances. They're our little girls in the group; they're similar in so many ways you could say they're sisters: same height, straight brown hair, hazel eyes, fair skin, and they love fairy tales.

- Get out of there, they are going to run you both over. -I ran toward them- Alba, move!

- Right now, gossip is good.- Alba laughed, barely able to speak.- Videl's face is pale, as if she's seen a ghost. Right, April?

- Hmmm? Did you say something? I'm just recording Arturo falling while trying to put the brakes on the car. -Abril said, laughing like never before.

- You better help me -Arturo shouted desperately- What do I do? The lever's stuck!

In the meantime, Videl is staring into the afterlife, and Arturo can't see what's right in front of his nose. I can't believe they made it back alive. I've never been in a car with Arturo driving, and I'm sure I never will again. He's a tall, red-haired, athletic guy, and the typical sports trainer. After the exchange, he became so obsessed with losing weight that when he returned to Ireland, the first thing he did was join a gym, and he worked so hard that he lost the weight in just four months. The gym's directors couldn't believe it, so they hired him as a professional trainer.

Pretty good shot, I guess. On the other hand, Videl returned to Italy and focused on studying and working alongside her grandfather in carpentry; which didn't bother him. In fact, he's one of the best at woodworking, and he knows all kinds of trees. Whenever we had contact, he'd chat about the details of the wood he made with us in mind. Maybe he brought some from Italy... Maybe that's why you can see her distress when she sees the fountain so close; he knows that wood gets damages and swells with water.

Frank appeared out of nowhere and turned off the car. Arturo just watched him, and he was so far gone that he kept trying to stop the car.

- Next time, don't rent a car if you don't know how to drive -Frank said condescendingly.

- YES! I KNOW HOW TO DRIVE BUT IT'S A DIFFERENT CAR AND I DON'T KNOW HOW TO HANDLE IT! -Arturo shouted in defense- It was the only one they had.

- Don't be hard on yourself, mistakes just happen -said Diana getting out of the car she was in with Frank.

Frank and Diana, the couple of the group. They met during the exchange and it was love at first sight. Diana is a beautiful and lovely young woman, she's very sweet, but you have to be careful; if you make her angry is a premium ticket to hell. Unless you're not afraid of the devil and manage to end an argument with her, she might end up being your friend... just like I did.

Frank loves writing poems and stories, and that's what he won her over with. A poem about her, like a prince rescuing the princess from the tower with elaborate songs so he can take her to his castle. So much love even made me nauseous, so much sugar gives me diabetes; I don't know how they handle it so well, I couldn't handle so much cloying.

- Okay, family! - I stand in front of everyone - please come in!

We all entered the mansion. A huge foyer with an imperial staircase in front of the enormous cedar entrance door, a crystal and gold chandelier on the ceiling, to the left is the music room and the grand ballroom, on the right side are the living room and dining room.

Behind the stairs connecting the dining room and the grand ballroom is the kitchen, covering the entire rear. On the second floor are 12 bedrooms (6 on the left side and 6 on the right side). In front of the stairs is the two-story library with an elevator that connects to the third floor; you could only get to this floor via the library elevator. I never knew what was on that third floor.

In front of the mansion was a rose garden around the fountain, behind the mansion was a maze made of enormous bushes, and behind the maze was the forest. I suppose it has an attic and a basement, but I've never located them, but it's a castle or something similar... there may be some secret passageway.

- Tomorrow is Aurora's birthday, so I propose the following activity.. -Marla said as she stood in front of us all in the room.- We'll dress up as fairy tale characters, but we won't tell anyone. It's a secret, though. Keep it to yourself or Vanessa will come and scare you away! -she threatened, unaware of the mistake she had made.

- That's not funny at all, Marla. How could you say something like that after... -Videl trailed off.

- It slipped out... I swear I didn't mean to mention her. It's just that she liked to scare us; I thought it sounded good -Marla said in a sentimental tone.

I approached Marla and hugged her. The warm moment faded for a moment. No one had ever mentioned Vanessa again after what happened. It was an accident. I know we had nothing to do with it, but it seemed crazy... no one would believe us, so we decided not to say anything. We couldn't find an explanation for what happened that day. What happened to Vanessa? I refuse to believe that we caused it.

That's right, I've finally arrived, but at the very entrance of the principal road to the mansion... a cobblestone road surrounded by pine trees all the way to the mansion. If only I had a truck to get there and take a break from the agitation made by so many bumps in the road. Some vehicles can't enter because of the uneven road causes damage to the underbody of a vehicle and creates bulges in the tires that can end up bursting them.

- Oh, well.. here I go. - ugh, note for next time, don't wear boots with heels for a 15min walk through the forest. Here begins my journey, something I definitely forgot to tell my family; I can't wait to see Marla's face when she finds out she'll have to take off her heels too to walk to the mansion. I wish my giggle would help me get to my dear friend faster. I wonder how he's doing? I haven't seen him since I left, and I guess no one's been looking after him since my aunt died.

I guess he was mad at me for not saying goodbye to him, but I really had no choice... they just dragged me to the car, threw my bags in the truck, took my doll away from me, and welcome to your new reality: The Royal Institute, or as I usually call it, The Imperial Prison. I don't think I'd ever seen anything like that place. The atmosphere felt cold and damp, there were moldy growths in the corners, but it was beautifully painted on the outside... when I saw it, I reassured myself that the place wasn't so bad. It looked like a dollhouse, a peach-colored house with a white wooden fence, and the grass was beautiful with its greenish color and that freshly cut scent. It had white trim surrounding the windows and a gazebo on the right side with a table that could have been used to play dominoes or chess.

The car stopped and opened the door as if they were in a hurry. They carried me like a sack of potatoes and left me on the steps heading at the front door of the mansion. They threw down a torn red suitcase my aunt had given me and drove off. They left. They didn't even ask me if I was okay or if the my ribs were fine after mr freaky driver dropped me from his height. I would have liked to say goodbye to someone at least.

Then, a plump lady with ice-white hair came out, one might say transparent because of its sparseness. She had legs and arms like Vanna's, the largest cow in the barn. I named her that because her milk tasted like vanilla, but since I was a four-year old and couldn't speak or pronounce it properly, I said "Vanna." - Oh, Vanna - who would have thought they'd sell you to the highest bidder just because you didn't produce milk like you used to?

The last I recall hearing from her was that she returned to the mansion for Christmas. At the time, I didn't know what was going on since I didn't see her anywhere. If I think about it, the turkey stuffing had a vanilla flavor.

Probably because of my loneliness, I have "absurd thoughts unworthy of a girl of my age." Have you ever thought that you met your friends through things you like? For example, movies... the curious thing about movies is that you get together with a group of strangers who like the same things as you and they watch art at the same time without saying a word to each other. Maybe my thoughts or my points of view are strange, but I have never called myself a normal person: my tall stature, my blond hair like rays of sunshine, my lips pink like the rosebushes in a garden, my white complexion that burns in solar eclipses or in the fervent heat of summer, my long legs like a giraffe's, a family I don't know, friends I call family because they are the only love I know, a love of literature, art, and opera.

Apparently that's not normal for a lady from my background. I must be tall enough to not be taller than a man. My hair must not overshadow the older women in my house. I must not think or read because that triggers an extreme imagination... For God's sake, I live in the 21st century. I've always been treated like a little girl... and above all, like I was roy.. THUD!

I feel a hard HIT to the head that knocks me down. I fall into the dry mud, scraping my hands.. I feel dizzy from that hit. I see something huge in front of me, black with a golden hue... my ears are ringing with a thunderous sound, as if church bells were ringing for the start of a patron saint's day. If I keep thinking and hallucinating all the time, I'm going to end up killing myself at any moment. If I want to think or remember, at least sit down, Aurora. I look up and...

- Finally! After so many years of not seeing each other, but you don't look so bad. You look like you used to, my dear giant! Sorry I couldn't say goodbye properly, but you know Henrietta. Wow... I haven't heard my aunt's name in a long time, I haven't mentioned it in a long time. Hen..rie..tta, if my aunt heard me, she would've slapped me.

I arrange my bags so I can sit across from my friend, I brush off my skirt, straighten my jacket, and brush the pine twigs out of my hair.

- Now then, tell me, my dear friend. How you been doing?

A dead and cold silence..

- Are you still angry? I'm so glad to see you, to hug you even though I get stuck to you because of the icy weather. -silence- Come on, tell me one of your stories.

Not a single word was heard.

- My faithful knight, will you accept this piece? -I stood up and started dancing next to my friend.- You see, it wasn't that hard to get you to dance with me.

As I continue dancing, I hear an orchestra in the background playing my favorite piece: The Second Waltz by Dmitri Shostakovich. The volume increases, and now I hear the music and dance among the pines on the cobblestone path with my friend the Iron Giant. I no longer hear my feet crunching on the dry leaves of the trees, nor do the twigs I step on. I feel like I'm floating and remembering that time when I first met my savior, my childhood best friend.

I remember the first time I saw him, this was when I was 3. My aunt left me in the garden on the tablecloth where we were enjoying tea and strawberry tarts. She counted her roses while I walked toward the fountain. I stepped on one pebble and another until I could reach the edge of the fountain. A butterfly flew in front of me and made me follow it to a wall. It flew so high that I couldn't reach it anymore, and I found myself in one of the darkest parts of the garden.

It began to get dark, I couldn't see anyone, I couldn't see my aunt... it was then that I saw a giant dressed in iron, armor as black as night sky with golden designs on the shield. I tried to reach him but the cold froze my legs, I knew I couldn't scream because no one would hear me, I cried a lot and began to tremble. But my knight carried me in his warm arms, he cuddled me and I felt love, peace, happiness, innocence; I had never felt so protected by someone like my knight, he was definitely my guardian. Dawn broke and disappeared, I heard footsteps and it was my aunt scolding me for getting lost.

From then on, whenever I could escape my aunt, I visited my best friend. He comforted me when Vanna was sold, listened to my cries of pain when my aunt hit me, told me stories with his scars, and watched me from my bedroom window so I could sleep. The waltz volume lowered; it was my time to move on. We smiled as before, and he bowed. I followed him with a bow. It was already getting dark, and it wasn't safe to walk outside the mansion grounds without a weapon.

Many wolves existed in the area and bear sightings had been reported near roads and towns.

I grabbed my bags, walked over to my knight, and there I could see how big he was. A royal knight, 3 meters tall, with a family crest on his chest, covered in vines and rusted from enduring so many storms to always serve in his position. Without moving. Without bending. Without resting. Without sleeping. His job was to protect and defend the family without question. Since he arrived, he has done nothing else but serve my family.

- May I come in, my faithful friend? - the wind pushed the gate open allowing me to observe my aunt's mansion -

I took a few steps but decided to go back to my friend... and I said:

It's 6 a.m. My suitcases have been packed since yesterday. I wonder what it will feel like to walk through those doors. I leave the apartment very early, put the key in the mailbox while I wait for my driver.

-It's raining.. - The light rain seems to amplify the sound of my heart beating so strongly that each drop on the pavement echoes each beat. I take shelter at the bus stop in front of the apartment that Mr. Whisk so kindly arranged for me. I don't like to bother people, but it seems that even after so many years, he still cares for me. And I'm not just saying that because of the years when, as a child, I used to take care of his wife after what happened to their daughter.

I watch the raindrops trickle down the edge of my purple umbrella and I imagine myself traveling back in time. When I used to live here, but it's a masochistic feeling because I wasn't really happy; or… was I? The black car stops in front of me, the driver gets out and takes my suitcases to put them in the trunk. I get into the car and I feel nervous, but also excited. I look out the window, and I see us leaving the town and slowly entering the pine forest, with trees as tall as mountains. The fog covers the road, as if it too knows how I feel returning to this mysterious place. I wonder, how are they?

I mean, after the goodbye chat at the graduation where we met, we've only been in touch through video calls and the occasional texts. It's been a long time since we've seen each other, even talked or texted. Since what happened at graduation, we drifted apart. It wasn't easy to lose what we lost that day, and even less so that we couldn't react to it… Of course, we've also had many problems along the way, our families.

Do we really know each other anymore? I mean, spending two weeks living together will be a shock for everyone. We'll have to get to know each other again… Ugh, Aurora, you're making this sound like a melodrama. Just pretend everything will be okay!.... "pretend"? Why would I pretend? Sometimes I feel like I have two heads instead of one. Just breathe, that's not what you're worried about. It's about going in, returning to your past and healing everything that happened, but I know, or something tells me something's there.

Almost there, the anxiety is killing me, chills down my spine. I've lived in this mansion for 10 years, and the funny thing is that I never got to explore it, enjoy it to the fullest. In fact, my friends would go crazy to know that I lived in a mansion that, upon entering, transports you to a medieval style, with its tall, carved cedar doors, the coats of arms on every plate, door, and fireplace; and if I forgot to mention, those gardens where you could swear you could get lost if you wanted to.

I mean, it's not a palace but a huge cottage medieval core style.. I would've loved! to explore it sooner but there's only one reason why I never got to do that, my aunt.

My aunt was an extremely serious and strict woman, or as the gardener used to defend her, "Well, your aunt is affective in her own way." Well, what a way to be affective! I swear she loved her precious gardens more than she loved me! - BANG! -A loud bang makes me fly up to the roof of the car and I hit my head. A bump made me remember the harshness of my childhood. But it ended that day, the time she left the library door open; I managed to sneak in and saw what she had hidden there.

I had never been able to enter, since "Reading affects people's minds!" that's what my aunt used to say. I could see huge bookshelves that hid the fact that a building needed brick walls; it looked like a tower made of books, a glass elevator in the middle, one of those old-fashioned elevators from the past that helped you go up to the second floor of the library, a beautiful chandelier and a fireplace on the wall opposite the door with a huge portrait on it.

Kinda curious, because the painting was huge for only 9 people; I remember there were three couples with their respective children. At the very bottom, a plaque covered in dust and oil… my curiosity was killing me; as best I could, I grabbed a chair to lean it against the fireplace, but as the saying goes, "Curiosity killed the cat." A shrill scream, like fingernails scratching a chalkboard, came from behind me. She was a very tall, thin woman with a pointed chin, black hair always adorned with jewelry, and a comb held her hair up in a bun. You could say she was a Victorian-style lady, full of class and composure; she always kept herself away from the library, locked the door, and hid the key in her dress. I only felt her grab my hand and drag me forcefully out of the library. The impact on the floor wasn't the only thing that hurt, but also the slap my aunt calmly gave me to warn me once and for all that I wasn't allowed in that room.

I can't say whether the confusion or the slap left me speechless, I just know I didn't say anything. She sent me to my room and the next day she took me out of the mansion. She put me in a car, headed to the airport, and straight to a boarding school.

I was there for 11 years, a boarding school in Europe, full of behavioral classes, math, history, social studies. I went through junior and high school. Children came and went, holidays spent locked up in that boarding school, not even a letter from my aunt. And no literature at all, they never taught me literature… I had to sneak out at night to go to the library and read in the dark. When I turned 21 I was able to leave that prison, I applied for a university exchange program to Greece where I learned Latin and studied Classical Language and Literature. That's where I met my friends, my family as I like to call them… I had never seen so many cultures, languages, cuisines, and gatherings in one place.

We graduated, we stayed in touch until… well, it doesn't matter. I returned to Oregon, I thought about stopping by to say hello to my aunt but I wondered if it would be a pleasant encounter or not. Decidedly, I took a taxi to the mansion and I found my aunt's lawyer along with the gatekeeper. They were surprised to see me since they didn't think I would come back. My aunt had told them that I ran away because I didn't want to have anything more to do with her. Why did she do that? I didn't know she hated me that much, but if she did hate me… why did she take care of me? Wasn't it easier to just abandon me in an orphanage?

-Miss Grimm, what a joy to see you again.- said the lawyer with a fervent smile.- I remember when you were just an 8-year-old girl and you used to sit on my lap thinking I was Santa Claus.

-Good afternoon, Mr. Whisk. It's a pleasure to see you again. Tell me, how have things been? How is your wife?.

-Judith is still recovering, she has a new prescription from Dr. Shelly. And things have been the same as always until now with your aunt.

-My aunt? What's wrong with my aunt? Is she okay?- I felt a chill run down my spine- I was actually coming to see her; I haven't been able to contact her since I left…

-Excuse me for interrupting, but it seems you don't know the news- the doorman interrupted, making his way towards me. He took off the green beret he always wore and gripped it so tightly with his nervous hands that he looked like he was made of jelly - But your aunt passed away 3 months ago. Apparently, she was trying to carry a trunk into the library elevator to take it down to the first floor, but the elevator got stuck. We assume she panicked and slipped from the second floor… Since she lived alone, no one knew she had died until a few weeks ago when I found her. And you, more than anyone, knew how much she loved her gardens, and she hadn't been out in a long time; so I decided to go inside to look for her, but… -he took a deep breath, as if he were struggling to find the words- I found your aunt dead. I recognized her by her hair comb.

I felt like I was dying inside; I was shivering and couldn't stand up… Who would have thought that my only remaining relative, even though I hadn't been in touch with her, would finally be gone? I'm sure she only included me in her will because I was the only one left in the family line… The first thing I thought was: "Finally, I'll get to enter the library." My vision started to blur, and I fainted. I remember waking up a few days later in the local hospital.

Okay… stop, forget it, Aurora… stop thinking about negative things and focus on the present for once in your life.