Only A Memory

Chapter Two: Whispers Of Destiny

It had been ten years of life living here. My questions always remained unanswered, and my grandma used to know many things before. She used to be able to walk, but now she can barely stand without falling over. She tells me exciting things, but it comes and goes. Sometimes she'll slip something randomly, and then she'll say, 'What the heck are you talking about? I haven't said that!' She doesn't say those words exactly, but those words are pretty close. I don't know if something is wrong with her memory of events that have to do with me. Or if it is something else completely, something very sinister.

I'll have to say that I'm glad that she does not know about me. What if there is something dangerous about me? Maybe what I would not want to know about—something that no one would like to know about. I always wondered about that, but I needed to find my grandma's notebook. It apparently had family secrets. I saw it in a memory that I had. It was the key to everything.

"Belaflora, I have a gift for you. I just remembered that I did not give it to you." Nonna Margherita said. She went over to the counter and came back over to me. She was placing a private school admission paper on my lap. I was confused by this since I had been home-schooled all my life. The thought of going to a real school never even crossed my mind. Actually, I'm lying. There have been many instances when I have wanted to go, but my grandma said that it was unsafe outside of the forest. There were hazardous beings in every corner of the world far from the cosiness and safeness of our home. She told me those things about the dangers of humans. Not only humans but also people who can use magic. Dark and evil magic, magic that could steal someone else's.

"Nonna Margherita, you are not serious, right? You've told me about the outside world. About how dangerous it is and that I shouldn't leave because of that." I exclaimed, but I couldn't show her my excitement.

She giggled and said, "When I am not serious. I saw you that one day and many other days travelling at night. I may be wrong, but you do try to leave me. So you can find and go to your parent's home. Where your parents come from? Hoping that you will see them again. I also know you made human friends."

"I'm sorry. I never wanted to hurt you. I especially don't want to leave you alone. Ever. Sometimes I wonder if I could find my parents and tell them. That I didn't do anything wrong, I thought I could convince them. Then they would listen to my apology and forgive me." I told her.

"Hold on. How do you know this? No matter how I cannot lie to you. It's true, and I won't deny it." I sighed, ashamed of what I had done for not listening to my grandma and hiding it.

"I'm friends with the forest and the creatures in it. It tells me everything. It tells me what goes on in it as well." Nonna declared.

"Well, I'm so sorry. I'll not do it again. I will follow your rules and never go out again. Please do not be mad." I murmured.

"Bela, there is simply nothing for you to be sorry about. I am not mad. I'm just a bit surprised that you had the bravery to go out like that at night. So who am I to stop you from being outside." She reassured me.

"Wow, thank you. Why this sudden change of me being outside?" I asked.

"I'll tell you there are reasons why, one. There's a cute boy you meet every now and then he seems like a good kid. Second, I trust that you can behave on your own, you know things from right and wrong. The most important reason is that I never wanted you to feel like you were trapped here. That you could not go anywhere to meet anyone because I've spent all my life feeling that way. I chose to stay separate from people, but I can't force that on you." Nonna explained and she was carrying guilt in her voice.

"Nonna, I'm completely fine with you. I never feel like I'm alone, not when I have you." I was lying about not ever wanting to leave, but I was telling the truth about wanting to stay with my grandmother. I couldn't possibly leave her alone.