Of Fantasies And Realities (BOOK I)

Chapter 2

The Unveiling

After pouring herself a drink of water and gulping down the entire content, Eva climbed into the soft, feather-like mattress and made herself comfortable under the covers. She supported her back with the pillows on the headboard and turned on her bedside lamp. Her eyes darted towards her mother's book.

She still hadn't figured out what the book contained, whether it was a journal or a story or anything at all. For reasons best known to her, it made her feel more closer to her mother than ever because she knew her mother cherished the worn out book so much for willing it over to her, a book that she hadn't being able to pry out from the clutches of her supposed 'mentally challenged' mother's grip since the death of her father.

Eva sighed, She would try as much as possible to cherish it too, with whatever was embedded in its brown pages.

Eva grabbed the book from the nightstand and prepared herself for a night of reading, or deciphering incomprehensible words. Just then, a strange warm feeling spread from the book upon contact and onto her fingers and snaked through her veins. Goosebumps rose to the surface of her skin in the path it took.

"Ahh! What the hell?!", She screamed and flung the book away as if it scalded her.

What was that?!

Testing it again and again, Eva rested a hand on the book and scrunched her eyebrows as she felt it again. This time, a feeling of nostalgia washed through her entire being as memories of her mother clouded her thoughts, she also thought she felt her mother's touch as she too held the book to read or perhaps, write. Her throat got clogged and tears brimmed in her eyes. She blinked several times to stop the tears from falling because she promised her best friends and Aunt Flo that she wouldn't cry any more.

Mrs. Flora or Aunt Flo as she'd grown to call her was her mother's best friend and only friend and Marionna's mother whom her mother would never in the world admit that she was friends with. She was the only one who was present whenever her mother's crisis resurfaced and she began crying like a little child and calling ridiculously unrealistic names while clutching the same book. Aunt Flo was the only one who seemed to be able to pacify her mother except for the sedatives the doctors gave, of course.

These crises began when Evangeline was a little over 9 years old and in middle school. Because of her illness, Aunt Flo became like a mother figure to Evie and her own mother, like her aunt. That's how her friendship with Mari grew into sisterhood.

Flipping through the pages for the seventh time that day, Eva found that the pages were worn out and dogeared but they were still very much legible. The handwritings were cursive and neatly written and she could actually read it, unlike when she tried to open it today and she couldn't even read the title block.

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"You have being granted passage, my dear Evangeline"

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She tried to behave like she didn't just see her name on the pages of the book but went on to read it.

I mean, it couldn't be referring to me now, could it? There are a thousand and one Evangelines in the world..

Curiosity killed the cat, after all..

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I.

'Once upon a time, on a part of Earth which was not covered by oceans, or seas, or lakes, or rivers or what have you, preferably a land, there was a place called....'

The quiet night was suddenly interrupted by a loud noise that sounded like the vibrations caused by an earthquake on her nightstand, forcing Eva to flinch and almost jump out of her skin in fright. She clutched her chest in fearful shock.

Eva took deep cleansing breaths to steady her increased heart rate when she found it was only her phone ringing. She'd forgotten to change her phone's profile from vibrate mode. She remembered she specifically told them not to call her just yet, that she wanted to be by herself and rest. But no, they were still complaining that they couldn't reach her or she didn't take their calls, or perhaps she was about hanging herself or she had already reunited with her mother where ever she was.

Eva rolled her eyes and grabbed the phone from the nightstand. It was a message from an unknown number again and the message was blank. She'd being getting these text messages recently. Maybe someone was playing a prank on her.

After deleting the message, Eva turned off the phone and went back to reading the book.

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I.

Once upon a time, on a part of Earth that was not mostly covered by oceans, or seas, or lakes, or rivers or what have you, preferably a land, there was a place called Grandville. It was named so because the king of the realm and his group of councilmen preferred to think of their realm as nothing but illustrious, dignified and magnificent.

Don't get it twisted in a knot, Grandville was indeed magnificent; because of its fresher air, the greener plants, the bluer skies, the colourful flowers, the gleaming springs and all its other naturalism but it was just like any other place on earth (if it was even on earth in the first place) with living things inhabiting and living their lives. It is only that it was well hidden and could not be seen by the naked eye.

One could say Grandville was a fairytale, an enchanted kingdom located only in the minds of people who believed in Fairytales and all that it was, but it was not one of those fabled tales, I tell you.

Grandville is a land in the same dimension as earth but only on a parallel universe. Earth as you know is large and made up of many continents, countries and states but Grandville is only a portion of Earth, like a continent that is made up of four regions; East Wimbledon, West Arken, South Rockenhold and New Grandville city as its capital kingdom.

Only those who have the pass and are allowed to pass the portals can enter into its lands and unveil its secrets. But once you enter, the probability of being able to leave Grandville is like 1 to a Gazillion. Only one person has being able to accomplish that feat or so the Grandians like to believe. It has become either like a bedtime story or a warning to their upcoming generations.

Grandville experiences the same seasons as Earth, only milder. They have; spring times when the rain drizzles gently and flowers grow, summer time when holidays begin, the twin suns shine brightly but doesn't scourge (surprisingly), winter times with snows dropping from the skies like sprinkles of sugar and of course, autumn times.

The Grandians lived their lives without the knowledge of the other dimensions with living beings in the universe. It's not entirely because they're ignorant or uneducated. No. They are only aware of their world and of course, attending balls and events, purchasing expensive ball gowns and presents, entertaining callers, taking walks, attending operas, furnishing their Estates, gossiping, digging mines, riding anything, minding their businesses (as par professions or enterprises) and a host of other activities you like to indulge in.

You would think that Grandville or the people of Grandville are tall tales, the fabrication of a writer's imaginations, a fantasy....

You're most definitely, incorrigibly, unreliably wrong.

They too have their own dose of fairytales to tell, tales of love, lust, adventures, and mysteries. All just as mysterious and alluring as the land of Grandville itself.

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I hope you liked it...

Your beloved writer,
Ha1rama4naya...

The unknown messenger...

P. S. Decode the name and drop a comment when you get it, it's a secret😉....