Freak of Time, History's Game ( I Medici Masters Of Florence)

Chapter 19

Florence

Present

Elena woke up jumping on the bed. She was heavy breathing and cold sweating.
Those dreams again. And she couldn't forget them, nor run away from them.

It was the day. She was leaving.
She packed like she was going camping, then went to have breakfast to her best friend's bar.
Elena couldn't explain much to her. She always confided anything to her, except that stuff about Vittoria de Medici. It was too unbelievable. She was scared of being called crazy and pushed to meet some psychiatrists.
Anyway Silvia believed it was Marco's fault "I have always told you he was too young for you".
"He's one year younger than me" Elena reminded.
"Still too young" the other girl insisted "Boys grow up slowlier than girls, it's a fact".
Elena sighed finishing her bitter coffee "It's not Marco. It's me. I just need a little holiday. I'll call you when I'll be back".
"Alright. Have fun" the two hugged. Elena had the feeling like she was sacrificing everything for an illusion.
That would have brought her straight into an asylum.

She decided to take a ferryboat on the river Arno. Maybe she would get some inspiration to how to move on such an odd situation.
She wanted to win over the ghost of Vittoria.
She wasn't Vittoria. Elena had her own story, quite ordinary. Nothing weird or supernatural ever happened in her family.
The girl  was atheist and never thought about reincarnation nor eternal love.
She just wanted to live the present.

Tourists were already so many and it was easy for her to get lost into them.
She looked down to the waves of the river. She would have left those waves to carry her away. She thought of Ophelia, from Shakespeare's Hamlet. She always loved the painting by sir John Everett Millais and now she understood why.
If it was true, Vittoria died drowning into those dark waters. Elena never wanted to go to swim there, but she thought that she could say a prayer for Vittoria's soul, so maybe that lady would have stopped haunting her and got the peace she deserved.

Elena was so lost into her thoughts she wasn't paying any attention to her surroundings except for the water of the river. Till she bumped into a young man who was drinking from a plastic glass.
"Oh God, I'm sorry!" She screamed like she suddenly woke up.
He looked down to his glass, saying with a clear Florentine accent "It's fine! My fault actually. I was distracted. Can I help you?".
"I didn't spill it, right?" She pointed to the glass.
"No, luckily it's half empty. If you can take it... Drink it all. I'm not thirsty anymore" he handed it to her. She obeyed leaving him dealing with her bags.
"I'm fine, thanks".
"I insist. You make me a favor if you finish it for me. Otherwise I may spill it into the river".
"Alright" she took a sip "Hmm, orange juice. Thanks. For all".
He dragged the bags out of the way  "Don't mind it. It's my job".
"You take baggages?".
"I help the tourists who navigate the river".
"Cool! I'm a tourist guide here in Florence. So we can say we're coworkers" she said excited.
"Seriourly? Where?".
"In the old city, mainly in the old palace and the Medici's places".
He laughed surprised "Awesome. You have a familiar face, but I thought you were a tourist. Are you leaving?".
"Yeah, for a while" her enthusiasm faded.
"Can I ask where you're going?".
She raised her shoulders "I don't even know. I just need to leave this city for some days".
"Something bad happened?".
"Weird more than bad. But I don't want to talk about that".
"Sure, sorry".
"It's alright" she looked at the river to recompose herself.
He followed her gaze "It's a wonderful view right? I'll never get tired of this river and this city".
"Yeah same. Isn't our job the best in the world?" She giggled.
He smirked "It is. By the way, I'm Alex".
She shook the hand he lent "Nice to meet you. I'm Elena".
"Elena! What a lovely name".
"Thanks" usually it wasn't that easy for her to feel empathy towards strangers.
But Alex was different. She felt it deep inside her and couldn't explain it.
He was quick at understanding her, he was a mystery she wanted to know.

She accepted his offer to stay on the boat till his gap hours and eventually helped him to deal with foreigner tourists.
Later in the afternoon they landed out from the city  and went to join some festivals in a rural town.
Elena enjoyed that simplicity, away from televisions and technologies and deafening city parties.
Sitting near a bonfire and listening to old people narrating their stories gave her the peace she was looking for.
Alex led her to the solution she and her friends couldn't find out. He was leading her to freedom.