Frozen 3

Epilogue

I never thought I'd come back and yet I do. I swore I wouldn't go to Ahtohallan anymore, she only keeps the past and I have to move on. But I couldn't help it, there's one more thing I'm not sure about. So I walk through the long ice corridor that leads to the center of the glacier. The night has fallen outside, I don't have much time, I have to hurry before being caught by the cold and not being able to return. I have something in my hand. A piece of cloth. I've kept it all this time. There's a sentence written on it:

CLOSE YOUR EYES AND THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION WILL APPEAR IN YOUR HEART

That's what I did, I closed my eyes and I felt her presence. The closer I get, the more I feel her. She's there somewhere. The heart of the glacier opens up to me. All my mother's visions and memories are still there. Everything is exactly as I left it. I turn in all directions and desperately look for her.

"Silja! Silja, are you here ?"

No answer. She's got to be somewhere, she can only be here, I'm sure. My heart can't fool me. I look up at the huge ice wall in the back. My mother's face is still there. Her eyes and smile reflect sadness. I know that she would have wanted to accompany me as far as possible to have the opportunity to finally know what was going to happen in my life. It was never possible, Silja did it for her. I suddenly notice that my mother is not looking at me, it's something else she's staring at. Something behind me. I turn around and immediately see what it is.

"Silja..."

It was just a whisper, I couldn't say it louder. The old woman is no longer in my world, she's forever embedded in the ice. She was just a memory, too. I put my finger on the frozen surface on which her silhouette is printed. Her face seems tense and her eyes are closed.

"You know," I said, "my mother tried to come back to see you. She missed you, the enchanted forest too. But she never got there. It wasn't her fault, all she wanted was peace. She loved you, you know, she loved you very much, like any child loves her mother. You must not blame her, you must blame the war that separated you..."

I feel an icy wind rushing into the interior of the small island. A snowstorm may soon rise. I need to get out of here as soon as possible before I get stuck on Ahtohallan.

"I love you grandma..."

I take a few steps towards the exit and turn around to give her one last look. She smiles and has her eyes open. They are blue. Like my mother's, like mine.

***

I turn to the opposite side of the bed, still lost in my thoughts. It's early. The sun is not quite up yet but the sky is already clear enough to let me see clearly each of the objects of the room in which I am. The little desk in front of the big bed, the closet to my left, the mirror at the back... I rise slightly in the hope of seeing the hands of the little clock on the desk. Five fifty. I let myself fall back into bed, burying my head in my pillow. No noise disturbs this sweet moment of silence. I look at the ceiling and the wooden walls for a long time. I gently put my hand against the one behind my head. I like the roughness of the boards under my fingers. I look down and smile as I contemplate Honeymaren's mass of brown hair a few inches from my face.

Suddenly, a heartbreaking cry breaks the silence. A plaintive cry, mixed with tears. I get up quickly and run towards the source of the noise. No sooner have I pushed the door separating me than everything stops, making the place fall back into calm. Only a small chirp escapes from the cradle in the center of the small room. I stop in the entrance and look out the window in front of me. The first rays of the Sun enter the room. They named him from birth, he is their new descendant. I smile. A new day begins.

THE END

Thanks to those who took the time to read this story :)