Emma

Chapter 7

sorry this chapter is so short, ill make it up for chapter 8. Please vote! and leave any comments that you might have.

                                                              - Lily

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"could you lead me...oh you don't speak English....well then i'm just talking to myself then aren't I" James walked the streets of Italy, his bag slung across his shoulder looking for someone to lead him in the right direction. "This was possibly a stupid idea" he says to himself. "Yeah go to Italy, search for the love of your life..if that doesn't sound like a Nicholas Sparks novel I don't know what will"

"Love Nicholas Sparks" said some Italian lady looking at a magazine stand.

"If you tell me where Emma is, then i'll tell you all about my Nicholas Story"

"Who Emma" her Italian accent showing while she gives a confused look.

He scoffs "figures" he continues walking down the streets saying Emma all the way down hoping someone will listen to him. Or possibly the odds will be in his favor and he'll run into her. It becomes nightfall quickly and he retires his hopeless act of finding her this way, and heads back up to where he's staying. He wanted to save money so he found the cheapest place that would allow pets to reside in the room with him. When he walks in, Captain greets him with purring and soft whimpers. "No luck today, but we'll try again tomorrow" Taking off his shoes he lays on the bed and takes the journal from the nightstand. "What is..today's entry" he flips to the page he left off on. "May 7th 1637" the bed creaks when Captain jumps onto it, the old mattress springs making uncomfortable sounds. "This Gabriel guy seems like a nut....what do you think" She looks at James tilting her head. He laughs "Oh yeah..you're a cat" he ponders for a bit while reading Emma's journal entry. She never mentioned a Gabriel before, she only ever told him about Lily, and when he asked about Lily's father she would silence herself and said that he was not an issue. "I can't even begin to understand the 1600s" he lays the journal back onto the nightstand and prepares himself for bed. "Goodnight Captain" the light turns off and he falls softly into sleep.

*

The streets were littered with men and women all holding either bags or books in their hands. Maybe its his eyes or Italy itself but everyone looked exactly the same in his view. "Does anyone speak English....English....do you speak English" he walked around every block searching for anyone that could speak his language.

"I speak English" James whips his head around so fast he's sure he has whiplash.

"You speak English!" he hugs the random stranger reaching down to hug her small frame. She pats his back awkwardly, clearly uncomfortable with his sudden interaction with her. "Thank god you speak English, i've been in Italy for two weeks now wondering the streets like a wild monkey searching for someone"

"Who is it that you are looking for?" she questions

"Her name is Emma, Emma Montgomery" his eyes hopeful that this woman might know who he's talking about. It's really unlikely that anyone here would know her since she hasn't been back here since 1638, but he's trying to stay positive.

"I have never met a Emma Montgomery, but I have read that name in a book"

"What book?" his eyes again hopeful

"It was called when the witches rised....it's a history book from the Verona library" James doesn't wait a moment longer and runs to the library he remembers walking past so many times in the past two weeks. The stairs were white and long that seemed to go on forever as he glides up them two at a time. He reaches the door, flinging it open with both hands then walking slowly into the room, to not cause any attention to him. "I only sort of regret running all the way here" he whispers. He reaches the front desk part of this gigantic library, the women wearing her glasses low on her face, with a very evident bored expression. "Hi, could you tell me where the history books would be?" she pops the gum in her mouth

"giù che navata, poi a destra e la sua intenzione di essere giù per la fine di quel corridoio"

"And you don't speak English"

"ho capito inglese ma non posso parlo" James tilts his head to the side clearly confused.

"I'm going to find it for myself....thanks" he scans the aisles most of them in a different language but some you were able to infer what the book was by the cover. He looks up the book title in italian and continues to search. "This would be a lot easier if I knew the author" about twenty minutes later he finds the novel in the history section of the library. "Yes!'

"Silenzioso" Someone whisper yells at him. He turns and give her a thumbs up, even though he has no idea what she said. He takes the book off the shelf and flips through it with fast nimble hands. Once he reads a familiar name he stops. "Emma" the words were smaller than a whisper, a mere ghost of a sound. The page showed a picture of a women burning at the stake, a little girl crying beneath the flames. He pulls the journal out of his backpack flipping through the dates to see if hers matches up with books. "Oh dear god" the journal dates October 13, 1638. "They thought you were a witch" he stumbles to his feet, leaving the book on the ground. Once he's outside he takes a deep breath. "What am I getting myself into"