Ten minutes before midnight but here I am lying on my comfy bed, staring at the ceiling of my unlighted room with my eyes wide open. How many times did I try to close my eyes and let myself fall asleep? I don't know. I've already lost count. The deafening silence of the night was suddenly interrupted when I heard a loud howl coming from our grandfathers' clock located in the foyer. I almost jumped out of my bed when I heard it. It's peculiar that it is making a sound today, considering it's not working anymore for almost a decade.
Due to my curiosity, I went out of my room and started to walk from the dark and deserted hallway of our manor, with only light coming from the moon which passes from every palladian window. I walk to the staircase that leads me down to the entrance hall. As I'm getting nearer to where the grandfather's clock was located, the more it howled loudly.
Then I finally saw this peculiar clock that has been quiet for a long time, and now making so much noise that I think my eardrums would explode in any minute. I also noticed that my parents didn't even waken by this sound. "Am I the only one who can hear this?" I whispered to myself. Then all of a sudden, when the clock strikes at 12 midnight, the noise disappeared. I felt a cold breeze that passed through to my chiffon dress that send shivers down my spine.
"Why does it suddenly become cold?" I said, as I rub my shoulders that are clad with thin long sleeves. I observed my surroundings looking if there's an open window, but to my surprise the furniture that were properly arranged here earlier are nowhere to be found. Instead, it was replaced by different furnishings which can be seen in the 17th century. Only the grandfather's clock was left unchanged. "My eyes are deceiving me, this can't be true! I'm still here in our manor but it feels I'm not." When I decided to go to my parents' chamber to wake them up, someone called my name with a tone of longingness that made me stop in my tracks.
"Camila..."
When I heard his deep voice calling me, my heart shattered into pieces for no reason. I look back to see who that person is, and I saw a man with a shriveled poet shirt that emphasized his well-built body, and that messy jet-black hair that reached his shoulders indicates that he just came up from bed. His dark eyes that stand out the most are looking to me intently, like a person who was lost in the darkness and then found the light that he was searching for a long time. When our eyes met, he hurriedly came to me and in a split second, his arms were already wrapped around me like a child who was afraid to be left alone again. "You're here, you came back to me. Oh darling, don't ever leave me alone again, please." He cried, while hugging me tightly. With those words he uttered to me, memories of the past that's almost forgotten came rushing to my head.
He's my dearest husband from my past life, and we were a family living the fullest deep in the woods. Because I possess the blood of a witch, we need to hide from the eyes of the people. The kingdom we live abhor the progenitors of the ancient witches. For they believe witches are a living curse, bringing catastrophe and plague to every town they tread. These false allegations that the crown imbues to the mind of the people they rule, makes their soul rotten with greed. They are afraid from the tremendous power that every witch holds, that we may consider using it to threaten the crown. This contradicts what we really are. Every witch doesn't have any interest in those things for we believe you will be sitting in a throne of lies. Even though my husband knows I bear the blood of a witch, he refuses to believe in those false accusations.
"Mother, can you sing me a lullaby one last time before I go to sleep?" My child pleaded to me. "Of course, come here." He nodded and then he closed his eyes happily.
"Let me sing a lullaby
As you close your eyes
And as you're drifting off to sleep
How I hope that the dreams that you find
Are bright."
My voice is cracking, while I sing my last lullaby to him. When I finished, I saw he's sleeping soundly. "I will always love you, Luis." I whispered before I left him alone in his room. I found my husband standing on the entrance door of our manor, with his eyes telling me not to go, that we can run away from this chaos together. But I refused; I told him we cannot escape from this anymore, because our child would be in danger if I ran away. Then he fall on his knees in front of me, while his eyes were bathing with tears. It tortures me seeing my husband in that situation and all I can do was to cry with him. I badly wanted to tell him that I'm so scared that I want to ran away with him along with our son and hide forever. But I can't, I need to surrender myself to them or else they will kill my family. I don't have any other choice. If only we could meet again in another life, where no witches being hunted and no royals who are hungry for power. If only our love would be given another chance.
Tied in a sturdy pole; eyes full of malice on every corner of the plaza, the smell of gasoline around my body, and the falling of a match stick. That's all I can remember before the fire took my own life in front of everyone.
"Elias, I'm sorry. I'm sorry if I left you and Luis alone." I mumbled to him, as I hugged him too. We stayed there for a minute until he released me from his embrace, when we heard a small voice calling me. "Mother? Mother is that you? I thought you're already...gone." There I saw my sweet little child with confusion in his eyes. I kneel down; I touched his cheek, and gave him a kiss on his forehead. "Yes my child, I'm now here." I embraced him tightly. Then he smiled to me innocently, and asked if I'll be staying with them forever. This question stopped me for a bit. "I...I don't know. I came from the future, and you're in the past." Even though Luis look confused, he patted me on my shoulder, with a reassuring smile. "Don't worry mother, father and I will find you there. And we will live happily again! Am I right, father?" He said those with enthusiasm, and Elias smiled.
The sun started to shine in the horizon, slowly revealing how beautiful and peaceful it becomes after the long night. Chirping of the birds can be heard and the scent of a morning fog can be smelled. Then I look back at them with a bright smile on my face. "I think this will be my farewell, Elias, Luis. I'll wait to the both of you in the future." Tears started to fall on my cheeks, as I feel I'm slowly vanishing in front of them. My son hugged my legs, and Elias gave me one last heartfelt kiss. "I promise, we will find you. I love you, Camila." That's the last thing I heard before I woke up on my bed.
"Love, can we meet again soon in the bluest of skies?
Where a tomorrow waits for you and I
So hold me tight one more time, but don't kiss me goodbye
'Cause I know that I'll see you on the other side."
It's been 7 years already after that unexpected night, and I'm still dreaming of them along with the promise we make. Whenever I remember my past; my heart aches so much, and my eyes keep on shedding tears, that I feel I can't stand up on my bed anymore. Even though it gives me melancholy, I'm thankful that I will never forget them again and someday we will meet soon.
When I'm going to walk to the pedestrian lane to cross the road, the traffic light suddenly turns to red. I groaned when I saw on my wristwatch that I only have ten minutes before I'll be late for work. As I'm patiently waiting for the go signal, someone caught my attention on the other side of the road. Though I can't see clearly who it is, because it is too far and there's so many vehicles passing on the highway. When the go signal is displayed on the traffic light, I walk quickly to where that person is. When I'm already close, I saw him there patiently waiting for me. He's so fine wearing that corporate attire that emphasize his tall figure and those jet-black hairs that are well-groomed which highlights his manly face. He smiled and came closer to me.
"I will think of our song when the nights are too long
I'll dream of you for that's where I belong
Love, can we meet again soon in the bluest of skies
Only, in my dreams, do we meet again."
"Finally found you, Camila..."
The End
