THE CRYSTAL CUP - Chapter Fifty Four

THE CRYSTAL CUP

Chapter Fifty Four

Helena was walking through a place totally unknown to her. The green grass as far as the eye could see, mixed with some colored spots due to the flowers that appeared from time to time, gave the place an air of certain tranquility... but, from time to time, she felt certain shivers, as if she sensed that something was wrong. something really bad could happen... and that would break all the enchantment that such a landscape could have on her... how long had she been walking there? She wouldn't know exactly... in fact, she didn't even remember how she ended up in that place. She didn't know how she got there... the only thing she could say for sure is that she was alone... some force had drawn her to that place. And all she could do was obey the call...

After walking for some time, she noticed a certain change in the landscape... it wasn't as pleasant as before. The sea in front of her wasn't so green anymore... the leaves of the grasses had a brownish tone now... and long ago she stopped seeing the flowers in the field. Even the perfume that a few moments ago dominated the entire environment had long since given way to an unpleasant odor, a mix of sulfur and urea... and the further she went, the stronger that unpleasant perfume became. Ah, yes... the sky, which until recently was blue, suddenly turned gray, leaving the feeling of abandonment much stronger than she would have liked...

But what was she even doing there? She couldn't find the answer. But she knew it was something of the utmost importance... the path ahead of her became dirty and stony. Dry leaves lined its entire length, and she could have sworn she saw snakes hiding among the foliage... well, that was an animal she really feared... but despite the dread she felt, she continued on her walk. In front of it began a forest of trees withered by time, giving the place a gloomy air....

- All it takes is an owl to start singing in the branches of the trees...

She thought, and soon after, the sad cry of an owl was heard somewhere in that gloomy forest in which she had wandered. In the distance, crows cawing could be heard. It didn't take long and some of these birds started to accompany her, along with some vultures. Her body froze. Dread gripped her soul. But she felt that her path was far from over, she had to continue her journey towards the unknown... something important was about to happen, and she had to know what it was... if only she had someone by her side to talk to. .. the walk would not be so lonely and sad, like this... and there went Helena, slow steps, but firm and determined to meet her destiny...

After some more walking time a river appeared in front of her. To cross it, there was a bridge... made of bones. If before she was scared, the dread increased, and a lot. But she couldn't back down... she had to move forward. And, due to the sense of urgency that she felt throughout her being, she closed her eyes and started the crossing. But closed eyes weren't enough to lessen the fear she felt...in fact, it only magnified them. She suddenly began to see ghostly specters dancing around her... it wasn't a pleasant feeling. To try to mitigate the bad feeling he felt, he began to unravel the entire list of prayers he knew... it was then that he remembered his father's words... "a prayer of protection against evil spirits must come from your soul... it's no use using a pre-conceived formula! The words have to be born from your soul, understand?"... and then she started to make a request from the bottom of her heart... she asked for those manifestations to leave her at peace, and opened his eyes. She continued to walk across the bridge of bones, but that irrational fear she had felt a few moments earlier was no longer so strong….

The bridge and river were long behind them... the obstacles only increased as their trek progressed. Now it wasn't just stones scattered along her path... there were several holes, several depressions along the journey... Helena was already starting to feel tired, tiredness was starting to dominate her... so, not far away , she saw a wall... her journey was coming to an end... but why had she been induced to go to this place? Well, she would soon find out...

When she finally arrived at the place, her feeling of uneasiness only increased, because she discovered that she was at the door of a Necropolis... but, in God's name, what was she doing there, in that place? And why did she feel compelled to enter that place? She avoided going to cemeteries as much as possible... and yet... it was as if she had no choice. She felt that she should enter, because something important was kept inside... it was something she didn't want to see, but she had to... and so, even hesitating, she crossed the gates of Hades... .

She followed the main alley, until she reached a mausoleum... the sad angel that adorned the door of the same left her even more depressed than she already felt... but she knew she had no choice, and entered the enclosure... she hoped through a tangle of cobwebs, but surprisingly everything was clean and shiny. The altar of offerings boasted a white linen tablecloth, but so white that it dazzled the eye. The vases of flowers brought them fresh and fragrant, as if they had just been plucked... yes, despite the unusual place, one could not say that it was dismal... no, it was definitely not a sinister place...

The girl was lost in her thoughts when she felt someone's hand resting on her shoulder. She slowly turned around and was not surprised to see a familiar and dear face again... it was Oscar, long since gone...

- Shall we sit down, Helena?

- Come on... you wanted to talk to me...

- No... it wasn't me who summoned your soul... actually, it was the opposite... you called me back to this plane...

- I called you?! And where are we?

- We are in limbo, also known as Purgatory... I left this place a long time ago... I only returned because you called me...

- I... I swear I didn't...

- Your calling came from your heart, Helena. Anyway, I have to tell you something... I won't be able to help you...

- Help me? Like this?

- You came to me because you have a problem and you want to solve it... but fate has already determined how everything will happen... and there is no way to change the course of life...

- I don't understand...

- Unfortunately, I can't do anything... what is written will come true...

- But... what about free will?

- There are things you can do... and there are things that are out of your control...

Helena felt a shock hearing those words... everything started to spin around her... a cry of despair came out of her throat...

- Helena... Helena... what happened? Another nightmare?

She sat up in bed, still not quite understanding where she was. Then, little by little, she found her way... she was in her room. She just nodded… Cecilia watched her, worried…