The Secret Muse (#1)

Chapter 47

It's been so long since I felt this feeling. Weightlessness and inability to have a sense of direction. Suddenly, gravity pulls me down and I fell on the grassy ground. I'm winded. It's as if someone took the air away from my lungs.

It took a few seconds to catch myself and be able to get up. When I look around, I noticed a ruined house. The woods and stones used in the house were darkened, evidence of fire and the massive hole on the roof suggest that something must have fallen from the sky.

I stood up to inspect it. The house is now far from distinction. When I turn around, I saw something familiar. I rush towards it to see if my suspicions are correct. The mailbox is filled with dust and dirt.

When I wipe it off, I saw the name Sutton on it. It's my father's house. When I look back up to the destroyed house, my heart drops to my stomach. It was once a beautiful house that my father has acquired and now it's gone.

All the memories he kept and acquired suddenly turn to ashes. I remember the photographs on his walls were filled with our faces. His piano, his library, all burnt to crisp.

A once lively home now stands broken and lifeless. If my heart would materialize, it most likely will look like this. I keep losing so much recently. I did not even manage to save anything.

The one thing my father loved about this place is that he is quite far from other residences. Now, as I walk wearing a medieval dress, I couldn't help but wish someone is living near him.

Knocking on the door from one of the residences feels silly. I don't know if they will take me seriously. I'm wearing a giornea and gamurra still and I don't know what I'll tell them if they ask.

When the door opens, Mrs. Woodsworth squints her eyes at me in confusion, Her brown hair starts to gray. "May I help you dear?" She said. As she stares at my face, I smile at her. Somehow, my smile sparks something from her that her eyes widen in recognition. "Emma!" She immediately pulled me in for a hug. "Oh my, I'm so glad to finally see you again!"

Hugging her back, I felt a tug in my heart that makes me realize that apart from Uncle Thomas, I did have someone left. "It's been a while."

"4 years is a long while!" She said before she pulled away from the hug. "Come in!" She said. She opened the door wider for me to let me in. When I get inside, I borrowed her phone to call my uncle. I tried to push on the lingering curiosity in my head.

I have lived for 9 years in 15th century Florence and yet, it's only 4 years since I got back. I couldn't help but wonder how and why.

In just a few rings, someone answers the phone, bringing me back to reality. "Hello, you've reached Mr. Sutton's office how may I help you?" A woman responded.

"Hello, this is Emma Sutton, I'm Thomas Sutton's niece. May I speak with him?" I asked. Part of me thinks that he might be busy as always but a part of me hopes he is free to talk to me.

"Just a moment." The longer I stayed, the more my hope vanishes when suddenly, I heard his voice. "Emma?"

Relief and happiness wash over my heart as soon as I hear his voice. It's been so long since I heard anything from him that my eyes began to water.

Today, I found out that it's September 7, 1946. The war has ended and the Alliance won against Axis. The victory was attained at the cost of the many lives that have fallen. I'm back in London.

I didn't know why I was transported 4 years after I left when I stayed for 9 years in Florence. Just another mystery that the stone has yet to reveal.

Uncle Thomas sits across from me as we drink tea in a restaurant. It feels odd. To be surrounded by people from my time, especially when I didn't even think about coming back here in the first place.