The Fabulous & The Ancient Artifact

Part 1: The Lost Child

Undoubtedly, there was no one stranger on that streetcar than the hooded man. He almost seemed to be from another world.

The trolley ran along tracks on an avenue filled with sycamore trees. The odd passenger wore long, olive-green robes that occupied a good part of his seat. He had a forlorn look and was hiding his face with a huge hood.

The only thing that seemed to bother him was the chilly night wind coming in from the open window. There was something unusual on his back, though: a pair of white wings. One of them seemed to be broken, as it hung to the left. Alone in his corner of the streetcar, he was focused on reading a newspaper.

MYSTERIOUS CASTLE SEEN BY TOURISTS ON MOUNT DAYDREAM, OF THE MANTIQUEIRA MOUNTAINS, CAMPOS DO JORDÃO, SÃO PAULO. Eyewitnesses say the construction appeared out of nowhere and soon after disappeared. Specialists claim increases in tourism will result.

"Bearded Ladybugs!" exclaimed the robed man, flipping through the newspaper printed that morning, Monday, March 5, 1984. "Even a cracker newspaper is confirming the existence of the fabulous!"

As he folded the newspaper, the man reached up and closed the window above him. His only company was a wooden chest to his left, covered with a thick blanket. From time to time, he would lift part of the blanket draped over the chest and his expression would soften to an affectionate smile.

It was not long before the behavior of that strange man caught the attention of the only other people on the car: a young couple.

"What a cool costume, man! We didn't actually end up dressing up. We only wore these..." said a dark-skinned man, indicating the wizard hats he had tucked between his legs. "Were you also at the costume party on Mount Elephant?"

The hooded man nodded in agreement, not saying a word.

"We're tourists and we're on our honeymoon," continued the man with cheap wizard hats, trying to spark a conversation. "We were having so much fun at the party that we missed the cable car. Fortunately, we hitched a ride to Capivari and we caught the last streetcar."

"Leave him alone, dear," the brunette woman whispered, as she started tinkering with the camera on her lap to divert her husband's focus. "I don't think he wants to talk."

The couple left the man in peace and continued their previous conversation about the festivities, which was certainly an attempt to increase tourism in town during the off season. The peak season was always from May to July, during the winter months in the Southern Hemisphere.

The costume party took place on one of the days of Carnival and started with traditional Brazilian music at Capivari Square, near the center of the city of Campos do Jordão. It ended with a parade which continued all the way to Mount Elephant.

Due to all the parades and costumes, rumors always ran wild at that time of year; something strange was always supposedly happening. Some gossipers claimed they had seen talking rams and ewes; others would go on about winged creatures, such as angels and fairies. Not to mention the unicorns, headless mules, sacis, curupiras, and gnomes that people swear they see wandering the city.

There were also rumors of witches, but those were rare. When the gossip comes to a breaking point, mysterious rains always fall, filling the air with the sweet smell of ripe strawberries. After the most recent rain, many people had minor memory lapses, forgetting various things like appointments and what day it was.

This time though, the reason for the hysteria was the mysterious castle that had appeared—and just as quickly vanished—in recent days at the top of Mount Daydream.

The mountain, looming behind the beautiful town as a majestic backdrop, is the highest in the Mantiqueira mountain range at almost 10,000 feet tall. Well, at least, that's the estimate, as only half of it has already been thoroughly explored. The rest remains hidden by thick clouds that never seem to dissipate. However, its peak is visible, and that was the place where the residents of Campos do Jordão caught sight of the castle.