Short stories

Tir Na Nog

Every twenty years, onthe first day of May a woman of her family vanishes into thin air.

Today was her twentiethbirthday. Her mother had decided to organize a dinner party with therest of the family. Her mother and aunt were chatting and laughingwith Rhiannon, her cousin, about names for the soon to be born babywhile her father and uncle were in the kitchen washing the dishes.

Not seeing hergrandfather inside Danaïa decided to go outside. She found himsitting on the porch swing looking distantly into the forest. Shewalked toward him, the sound of her bare feet echoing in the nightindicating her presence. She sat down next to him, both basking inthe eery calm of the night, hearing the distant sound of the wavescrashing on the rocks.

Breaking the silenceDanaïa asked, 'Are you alright grandpa?'

He turned his headtoward her and with a sad smile said 'Don't worry about this oldman. Why are you not enjoying you party inside, it is your birthday?'

'You were not thereanymore, and I was worried. I can see something is bothering you, youknow I'm always here if you need'.

He only squeezed herhand, thanking her silently. He then reached out to take something inhis pocket.

'Here, take this,'he whispered holding in his hand what seemed to be an old ring,' Itbelonged to your grandmother, she never took it off.'

She reached out andtook the silver ring carefully examining everything single detail.

'Is it a stag?' sheasked turning toward her grandfather, 'Cernunnos right?'

'Yes, it is him,'he paused, 'You remember the legend linked to this land, don'tyou? The one that has been âss on to our time by the women of thisfamily?'

'Of course, I readGrandma's books every time I came over to your house,' sheremembered with a fond smile, 'Why?'

He didn't answerimmediately and turned his gaze toward the forest surrounding thesmall grey house he and his wife had bought when they got married.The forest where she disappeared without ever coming back to meet thegranddaughter who was so much like her, her little storm as shealways called her.

'This legend saysthat every twenty years, on Beltane, a young woman will leave themortal world leaving behind her the human life she was never destinedto keep. Beltane means the end of a life and the beginning of aneternity that was always meant to be.'

'What does it have todo with this ring and grandma?'

'Eire,your grandmother, left exactly twenty years ago, the very same nightyou were born Danaïa.'He then added, 'That night, your mother went into labourunexpectedly, she was due only a month later. Eire and I were waitingat home. She went out to get the clothes she had hang earlier her onthat day and just a few seconds after I received a call announcingyou were a very healthy baby.'

'And after that?'she asked wishing to know more.

'I ran into thebackyard to tell your grandmother, but she wasn't there. I calledher several times but only the silence answered.' he replied, 'Iwent into the forest and called for her. For hours I looked for her,but I found nothing.'

Danaïa didn't say aword and just held his hand.

'I didn't noticethe sun had risen until I heard your aunt yelling from the frontyard. She was worried because we never came to the hospital thatnight and thought something had happened to us.' He sighed lookingback at his granddaughter. 'She called everyone, and we triedlooking for Eire while your mother was still with you in thehospital. But even after days we found nothing.'

'I guess it is thereason why mom always seems so sad on my birthday?' Danaïawhispered 'She thinks I never noticed but every morning on that dayshe clutches her pendant, the one she never takes off, until herknuckles turn white. As if she was afraid it was going to disappear.'