CHAPTER TWO

“DISCOVERIES”

 

The voice repeats the same phrase: “The girl with bronze hair and emerald eyes will save the forgotten forest with the help of the girl with gold hair. Search for it and bring it back here or all will be lost by the hands of the almighty trident.”

I feel it invade my body and suddenly I get up against my will.

I head towards my bedroom door, even if I don’t want to, open it and leave. My body knows where to go on its own. I start to head towards the bus station but I don’t know why.

After some time I reach the station and that invasive presence leaves my body.

I find myself in front of an old, abandoned factory.

Then, out of nowhere, something pushes me in. I know I shouldn’t go in as clearly stated by the sign: “No entry. Building could collapse.” I’m scared and I know I’m doing something illegal but I start to hear the voice again: “The girl with bronze hair and emerald eyes will save the forgotten forest with the help of the girl with gold hair. Search for it and bring it back here or all will be lost by the hands of the almighty trident.”

I go in thinking that the voice might stop if I do so.

The old and huge building is completely empty, everything seems to have been abandoned a long time ago, the windows are broken, all the metal is rusted, all around is desolate and scary. I look around searching for a reason to be here and then I stop as I see a green-golden glow under a crane. I head towards the glow and find a set of stairs. I once again get pushed in and see something I would never imagine to see in a place like this: trees, trees that are centuries old and wonderful flowers and plants. I wonder: “Am I still in Portogruaro?” and all I want to do is stroll through this forest and find clues, hints and answers.

I’m walking through the wood when suddenly it starts to get windier and I see light coming from above my head. I turn around and don’t see anything that could originate the light.  Despite that I keep seeing the light and start to get annoyed that I can’t find where it’s coming from. I keep walking even though I’m bothered and suddenly I feel something in my hair, I put my hand on it and touch my hairpin. My hairpin is glowing!!!!

I immediately throw it on the ground and run away.

What’s happening here? What is the light, and that strange glowing? I’m scared, but I’m lost without my hairpin … I’d be better going back  and retrieve it.

Oh, boy! it’s glowing even brighter than before. I start walking around the wood and suddenly the hairpin blinds me … what’s going on?

Now I come to see and I hear a strange and mysterious voice coming from a tree: “Come my darling, we have so much to talk about”.

I cautiously look at the tree. There’s a naked woman that whispers: 

“Hello dear it’s been too long since we last talked”

I respond “Who are you?”

Well I’m your grandma, Silvia … such a beautiful name, your father chose it and I loved the choice!”

“My grandma died many years ago, at least that’s what my dad said.”

While all this is happening I’m not frightened, which is surprising. It feels almost as this woman was familiar, as if I knew her.

We start to talk and my grandma explains me everything: “My dear Silvia, don’t be scared. As you know, I’m your grandmother and I was once the lover of Apollo. Your father was a beautiful child...”

As all this is going on I think: “ I’m Apollo’s niece (yeah the Greek god that loves archery!)”. I just wanted to know one thing so I interrupt her and ask her why my hairpin started to glow. To that question she answers: “This hairpin once belonged to Artemis, your great-aunt. It was given to me as a gift for conceiving your father. When he turned 18 I thought it was time for him to have it.”

I interrupt her and say: ”So how did I  get it?”

“As I was about to tell you (she seems sort of irritated that I’ve interrupted her twice already), one day your father wanted to take you here, to this wood, so that we could meet and Know each other. Once you two got here a wild beast came out of the shrubs and was about to attack you. He instinctively shielded you from the beast’s jaws and took the blow. As he was about to die he gifted you the hairpin and said: “My love, never let go of this hairpin, it will keep you safe no matter where you are...”