The dark night of the soul

A magical world

I found myself in a dark space; nothing was around me, just darkness everywhere. All I saw was that my dress was white. What happened? Am I dead?
Suddenly, I started to hear voices.
"This is all your fault, Leslie! Why did you have to act like this with her? "- I recognized my mother's voice.
"My fault? I was not the idiot who ran away in the rain! This is all her fault! And your's, of course! You raised her like this!" - answered my stepfather harshly.
I heard the door open, and someone came in.
"Well, how is she, doctor?" - asked my mother.
"Well, I have good and bad news to share with you. - I heard him answer" - Your daughter is in a coma; that's the bad news, but the good news is that she responds very well, so there is a high chance that she will get out of this state.
"Thank God!" - answered my mother - But when?
"We don't know that! This could be hours, days, weeks, months, or even years. It's impossible to predict this! I'm sorry! Now it depends on her body!" - I heard my mother cry, but suddenly the voices started disappearing, and I saw a light coming into the darkness.
I started to follow the light in the dark until it became more radiant, and then I had to close my eyes because I couldn't see anymore. The next time when I was able to open my eyes, I was lying in a bed. I thought I woke up from the coma, but this was not a hospital bed. I was in a room with medieval walls. Next to my bed, there was a nightstand with white roses on it in a beautiful pink vase. My bed was perfectly made, even with me in it, not one crease on the beautiful white sheets. I carefully sat up; my body was still hurting a little bit. I noticed across the room, opposite my bed, a beautifully made mirror that looked like it was from the Renaissance. I decide it's time to wake up. No one is around me; no one will help me; I must do it alone. I successfully walked to the mirror and looked in it. I saw the familiar face looking at me again, but this time, something was different. I was wearing the same white dress, like in the dark room, but now I was able to see it perfectly. Beautifully made silk dress, so majestic that I could not imagine how I could wear something like this myself. My hair was wavy instead of straight, and a white floral ornament was in it. I couldn't explain how, but I thought even my face was slightly different; it had some extra glow.
I started looking around the room where I was, and I couldn't find any doors, windows, or way out.
Well, this is a bummer, - I thought. - No, windows, no doors; how can I get out of this room? I started to feel frustrated; I hate being locked in.
Suddenly, I started to notice symbols on the wall. I walked there to examine them: a moon, a star, and a sun symbol. I reached my hand out and touched them, then suddenly the wall started to shake, and a way opened to a dark tunnel with stairs.
Grate, nothing better than walking down the stairs into the darkness, - I sighted - Story of my life. - then I started to walk down the stairs since this was the only way out. As I went deeper and deeper, it became more darker and darker, reaching a point where I couldn't see again. Finally, when I arrived down, I noticed a long hallway with torches in it. At least I was able to see it again. I walked through the hallway until I reached the end with stairs going upstairs.
Seriously? What was this for? Why couldn't they make a simple door out? I don't get people! - thought it frustratedly.
When I walked up, I reached a wall at the end with the same symbols as in the room. I touched the symbols again, and the walls made a way out. As I carefully walked out of the tunnel to the free space, I couldn't believe my eyes. I have never seen anything like this before in my whole life.
The flowers were huge, at least as tall as me, and the grass and the trees were unrealistically green; I could feel that the whole forest was alive, like in a fairy tale. I could hear the voice of some kind of water, so I assumed there was a river or a lake nearby. I started to walk towards the voice. Meanwhile, I was looking around, admiring the beauty surrounding me. As I was walking in the forest, I found a pathway, which luckily led me to the source of the voice. It was a beautiful river, but the color of the water looked blue and clear, just like the sea's water. I saw that the pathway turns into tiny rocks and goes through the river. I followed the lead, and as I crossed the river, I found myself in front of a little lake with a majestic waterfall.
" Where am I?" - I asked. I never saw anything like this ever. Is this a different universe? I can feel the life in this forest, the magic; it's like one with me. I can't even explain what I think in words.
"Go and see for yourself!" - answered a voice behind me. - I jumped up, being scared, not knowing who I would find behind my back. I turned around slowly, prepared to be attacked, but there was nobody.
"Who was that?" - I asked with fear in my voice. For a second, no one answered, but I heard him again.
"Well, me, obviously!" - I was so confused that I made a complete turn, but no one was around.
" Here! In front of you!"
"But there is no one in front of me, just a tree!"
"What do you mean just a tree? Am I not beautiful enough for you?" - and this is when I noticed that the tree was talking.
"Oh my God! I'm turning crazy! I hear a tree speak to me!" - I panicked.
"You never heard a tree talking before?"
"No! This is not normal!"
"Yes, it is! Every tree and living creature talks in Mysteria!"
"Mysteria?" - I asked, realizing I was right - "Then I'm not in Hungary anymore."
-"In Hungary? Where is that? I had never heard about a kingdom like this before."
-"I guess I'm in a different universe or dimension. The last thing I remember, I got into a coma, and then I was here."
- "A coma? Like the princess?"
-"Princess? What princess?"
-"Who is this girl Oakly?" - asked a third voice. I looked in the direction of the voice, and I saw a beautiful red, furry fox.
"Oh, hi Blaze! This is.. umm..."
"My name is Colette!"
"Yes! This is Colette."
"Where are you from, girl?"
"She was in a coma!"
"Just like the princess... "- reflected Blaze
"Just like the princess!" - repeated Oakly.
"What princess?" - asked, being inpatient that no one answers
"Oh, guess what, Blaze! Colette had never heard a tree talk before!"
"Is that so? How did you get here?"
"I already told the tree! I had a car crash, I got into a coma, and I woke up in a strange room with no doors or windows!"
"Were you at that tower?" - asked the fox, pointing precisely where I came from with his nose toward a tower.
"I don't know, I guess so! "
"Wait, how did you get out if there were no windows and doors?" - asked Oakly, surprised - "Are you a witch?"
"What? No! I found an underground hallway with the symbols of the Moon, Star, and Sun." - as I said this they looked at each other.
"She can not be! She has a different name!" - said Oakly
"The legend says whoever tastes the magic smell of the Black Swan shell falls into eternal sleep, and her soul travels to unknown lands!" - answered Blaze
"It's her! She is back!" - yelled the three excitedly
"She is back!"
"What are you two talking about?"
" I will tell you, Colette, when the time has come! But now you must come with me!"
"No! I don't know you! I don't trust you! And you have secrets about me, what you don't tell!"
"Blaze!"
"Not now, Oakly!" - he said nervously - "listen, Colette! You have to come with me; you must discover something important, but only when the time has come!"
"No! Tell me what you know, and then I will decide whether to go."
"Blaze!"
"Not now!" - he yelled - "Listen, girl.."
"Blaze!"
"What?" - he looked at the tree finally.
-"She wanted to see the waterfall!"
-"The waterfall? Oh! I see you are interested in secrets too! Do you want to see the secret of the waterfall?"
" Is this some kind of joke?" - I asked frustratedly
"Not at all! Come see!" - he said, and then he led the way. He suddenly went through the falling water and disappeared. I looked at Oakly, surprised.
"What are you waiting for? Go!"
I took a deep breath, trying to overcome my fear of water, closed my eyes, and crossed. When I felt no water anymore, I opened my eyes and found myself in a beautiful cave full of crystals and minerals.
"Come with me!" - said the fox, and let me out of the cave. I saw a beautiful kingdom in the distance.
"That's Mysteria!"
"I thought we were already in it."
"Yesish! The magic kingdom doesn't belong to the people; long ago, when Mysteria was built, the people started to destroy the woods, cut the trees, and hunt the animals, so the king asked the spirit of the forest to help protect the magic. That's why there is a secret pathway. Not many know about this! Are you ready? Let's go!"
"But where? Where do you want to take me? And what secret do you keep from me? What do I have to do with that princess?"
"I have a deal for you! I tell you the story on our way there if you come with me! Trust me! No one will hurt you! You are protected!"
"Promise!" - I demanded
"I promise!"
"Now let's go! People are waiting for you!"
"Blaze! The story!" - I reminded him.
"Once upon a time a king, who fell in love with one of his subjects. The king wanted to marry the girl, so he changed the rules, to be able to get her. Before them, no royal could marry a subject. They got married, and soon they welcomed a beautiful baby girl, Kathrine, but she was known by the name Katie. They were so happy that they didn't suspect what awaited them. One day, when little Katie was just six, a Black Swan flower appeared in her room. Which is basically a poppy with black petals. It's really rare, and it only grows in the magic forest. And since not many people know about the forest and fewer know about the flower, no one ever knew who put that flower there. Anyway, the princess was curious about the flower, so she smelled it. And the black swan is deadly if you do this. You get into a coma!"
"Just like I did after the accident! That's why you said, just like the princess!" - I finally understood what they were talking about.
" Yes! No one ever woke up from a coma, like this! People say your soul is already gone, but your body is still there! Some think your soul is in different realms, living another life!"
"That would make sense! I'm in a different realm now! - I said as I was deep into my thoughts" What happened with the princess after this?
" Her parents asked the forest's spirit for help! She was locked into a tower, deep in the magical forest, where no one could reach her, and her body was preserved and nurtured so she could stay alive until her soul came back one day. The king and the queen welcomed a baby boy, too, not long ago, who is six years old now, but nothing really could bring back their joy after this. They haven't smiled for over twenty years now."
"Twenty years? But then the princess should be ..."
"Twenty-six years old..."
"Just like me... and technically her body was alive, so she should be grown up by now.."
"Exactly!" - said Blaze to me.- "You know the princess was in a similar castle like you..."
"That's not possible, Blaze! I know myself! I remember everything from my life! I'm Colette... I'm not a lost princess... I have my parents back home!"
" Tell me, Colette, did you ever feel you don't belong to your family? That you should be somewhere else?"
"But how is that even possible? This doesn't make sense.. unless it's a parallel universe..."
" Look! All I know is that the royal family's symbol is the sun, Mysteria's symbol is a star, and the magic forest's symbol is the moon.. it all fits!"
" Do you want to take me to the royal family? That's your plan?"
"Yes!"
"You just want to win something over this! I should know that! You are a fox! You want something!"
"Maybe I want respect and to make the family happy!"
" For some reason, I don't believe you!"
"Okay! I have my reasons, but that's none of your business!"
" What if you are wrong? What if I'm not the princess?"
"Well, I guess we are about to figure it out!" - he said as he pointed his nose towards the castle's entrance. - "Are you ready, princess, to get to know who you are?"
I took a deep breath. This is crazy. A few hours ago, I was just a miserable girl who suffered so much, and now I might be a princess. I might have my real family in this castle. All along, the feeling that something is not okay in the picture is about to win an explanation. Maybe I'm not who I thought I was. And I'm about to figure out who Colette really is.
"Let's do this, Blaze!" - I answer as I step inside the territory of Mysteria