Traveler - The Price (Book 3)

I had learned that I could go on, even if I felt there was no hope left. I had heard that souls go back where they feel like home. I had learned that if I wanted to be a fighter, I had to be prepared to be hurt, and if I wanted to get back on the right road, I had to get lost on side paths.

I opened my eyes, and I was exactly where I was supposed to be, in the Underworld. The lost souls were passing by me, as usual, careless. I looked around, but I didn’t see that vengeful group from the last time. I got up, and I saw the wound from my belly was gone, and so was the one in the chest.

I started walking to the cabin that was now mine, thinking about how much time will pass in our world until I get there. I realized that every second from here could mean up there a day or even more. I started running.

“You did it!” says a familiar voice.

I stopped, and I looked to my right. There was Beatrice. She was smiling.

“What happened to you?”

“It seems that not only people around you die. I think I would have done a better thing if I would have stayed with you. I shouldn’t have said all this stuff to you. I know they bothered you. I didn’t do splendidly on my own, and a group of griffins sent me here… But I killed a lot before I got in this place, and I don’t regret it.”

“I’m sorry it happened this way…”

“Don’t be. I will move on. I have waited for a sign that everything will be back to normal. I can see things different from here. I know now that this is not the end. Something better is waiting for me.”

I looked at her sad. I hadn’t imagined that I would meet her there, but I couldn’t change anything. She smiled at me again, and she left, leaving me there to follow her with my eyes, just like the last time. When she disappeared in the horizon, I woke up and I started running again.

I rushed into the cabin. I wanted to stay a couple of more seconds in there, not to be everything so fast, but I wanted to get home soon too. I wished with all my heart to see what my friends had done if they had brought everything back to normal or not. I got out on the back door, and I ran on the path to the waterfall. I arrived in front of it breathing heavily. Before I stepped into it, the image I had seen the last time in the world up there has crossed my mind: the ones who had become my family standing around me and looking at me with hope.

Then something strange happened, something that hadn’t happened before. I woke up in the dark. I looked for an exit, but I couldn’t see one. I hoped I wasn’t stuck between the worlds, now that Deby had done the spell. I was afraid that I couldn’t get home, that I couldn’t see them again. My fear became real with every step. I was stuck between worlds. I realized that I was surrounded by something thick, so I put my hands on it, and I continued following it in the dark. Then I felt the way was on the left, so I walked that way. I saw a spark in the distance. It was just like I had always imagined the light at the end of the tunnel. I couldn’t help wondering if that was the original weapon and I was walking to the next level of my existence.

I started running to that light. I saw it closer and brighter. Finally, I arrived next to it, and I knew I had to go that way. When I walked into the light, it took all of me. The darkness was gone, and I lost the notion of reality.

Sometimes we need chaos in our lives to light the spark from inside our soul and light the flame that makes us who we are. We are made of energy, fire, and stars. We explode, we shine, we delight the people around us with our aura, then we extinguish. We leave stardust behind us. However, we always go back where we started. The question is: do we go back to what we love or to who needs us the most.

I was driving on the crowded streets, singing along with Rihanna from the bottom of my lungs. My Polaroids were slipping from my nose with every move of my head on the rhythm of the music. With one hand, I was holding the wheel and with the other the cup of lemonade. Everything was perfect. Or at least it seemed that way. I was on the streets of Vals. When the song ended, I had a moment of confusion. I shook my head.

I opened my eyes. I was inside my little Volkswagen. The sun was shining in my face in a disturbing way. I looked around, and I realized I was surrounded by bags and suitcases. On the dashboard was an owl on which was written “Paris.” I looked out the window, and I noticed I was in front of my home. It looked just how it looked after the renovation when it went on fire. Everything seemed fresh. I got down from the car, and I saw my reflection in the window. I was wearing a black dress, a red jacket, and black boots. It was pretty hot outside, or I could say it was summer. My clothes didn’t exactly fit the season, but that was the least of my concerns. My hair was cut short, a thing that terrified me.

A group of young folks passed by me. They saluted me smiling. I saluted them back, but it took a while until I remembered who they were. I realized they were ex-colleagues from my school.

“Jo! How was Paris? Did you catch some serious contracts?” asks Tina.

“Aah, it was good!” I responded trying to hide my shock.

What the hell has happened to my life? I got back into the car, and I turned on the radio. When I looked on the dashboard, I saw stupefied it was 2018. June 10th 2018. My cigarettes were lying on the right seat. It seemed like I didn’t quit that bad habit, so I lighted one. I let my seat on the back until it hit the luggage, then I closed my eyes. I felt I wasn’t ready to get inside the house just yet. I didn’t know what I was going to find in there.

The folks who saluted me earlier weren’t in the town when Eva burned it down. I remembered clearly that they were on an exchanging thing in Austria. What had happened to the rest of the people? Were they back too? Or there were only left the ones who had the luck not to be in the town when Eva had burned it down? All these questions were going to be left without an answer unless I had the courage to get my ass inside that house. What was I expecting to find in there? I didn’t know that.

A hit in my window made me jump off my seat. Deby was there, slapping the window.

“Open the door!” she shouts.

I woke up from my dreaming, and I got down. She hugged me, then she pushed me aside and started rummaging through my bags.

“Aha! I knew it! You lied to me to make me a surprise!” she said shaking a bag, from where she pulled out an office costume.

I was looking at her confused. What was I supposed to tell her? That I didn’t remember buying all these things? I was waiting for her to enlighten me.

“Thank you! I knew that you would find it! How was Paris?”

“Ahh, well…”

“Never mind. You will tell me all about it when we get inside. I was expecting you later, but I saw your car on the window. Let me help you with these.”

She took a part of the luggage, and I took another. We entered my house.

“Sorry, I didn’t have the time to clean around” she says. “Thank you again for letting me stay in here. I don’t know what would I do without your help. I can’t afford to pay rent yet. It’s so hard working at the bar… there’s not enough money. I will be staying here for a while…”

“It’s fine…” I said trying to keep up.

I wanted to ask her something, but she cut me off.

“Tonight, I will introduce you to my boyfriend. He comes from Deslo, and he’s a great man! I invited him to stay with me for a while because he wants to buy a house in this town, then I will move in with him, I hope. I told him that you have a business and I was hoping that we can get him one of those beautiful houses by the park for they are going to be ready soon.”

“Sure” I continued. “Deby… I...”

“Let’s see the pictures!” she says pulling the camera out from my purse.

She sat next to me. She looked at the photos taken in Paris, but I couldn’t remember when I had made them. There were a lot of horrible selfies, which wasn’t my style, but it was me in those photos.

“So? Was it nice? Did you sign that contract?”

“Ah, yes, it was, but I...”

“Oh, there it is! I knew that you could do business there too! Oh, I wanted to tell you when I saw you. You look cute with short hair too.”

“If only I remember when I made this decision…” I grumbled.

I didn’t understand what was doing Deby in my house, why did I go to Paris and where were the others? I was trying to process all the information and put it together.

“Ah! I want to tell you the big news! You know that you left Andy in a pretty bad shape after your breakup, but I also know that you had moved on. He finally moved on too, and he has a girlfriend now. She’s very nice. I think you will get along well with her. I invited them here to wait for you together. It doesn’t matter that you’re here earlier. They can show up anytime.”

“I think I will go to my room for a couple of minutes” I say.

“Ok! I will unpack the presents! How sweet of you to buy something for Andy too!”

“Yeah, so cute!” I grumbled, and I ran up to the stairs.

I entered my room. It was like I have always known it. Crista’s room was in front of mine, and as I could see, Deby has installed herself in there. The pictures with Crista were still there. I went back to my room, and I started looking for a clue, something that could make me understand what was happening. I found the photo album, and I looked inside. There were pictures of Crista, which I remembered clearly, but at the end of the album, I found a written page. “In the memory of Crista. We will never forget you”. Next to it, there were some photos with Crista and another three classmates, about who I knew they had died by Eva’s hand. From what I could understand from that album, they had all passed away in a car accident.

The reality was losing its shape. All that the others were living and all they knew were false memories. Where was Aaron? Where was Ivy? I heard the front door, and I imagined I had to get down there. I rushed down the stairs, but when I arrived there, I remained shocked. Andy was holding Ivy’s hand.

“Jo! It’s good to see you again!” he says hugging me.

“I’m Ivy” she says. “Andy has told me a lot about you, and I believe we will get along well.”

“Nice to meet you” I said shocked.

No one remembered anything. Deby brought tea and cupcakes and put them on the table. I still had that hysteric smile on my face. It was pretty clear that they didn’t remember anything from the past years. Or I was the problem? Could it have been all a dream? I was losing my mind.

“The bar we have opened is going very well” says Andy. “You have to pass by tomorrow to have a drink with us. Stefan left me quite an inheritance” he adds sadly.

“How sad” says Ivy. “I’m sometimes thinking how you can move on so optimistic after his disappearance.”

“I have made peace with the idea that he liked hunting and he was probably killed by some wild animal” he says.

“I heard about your sister’s accident, Jo. I’m so sorry! And about your aunt and uncle too. Did they find the animal that attacked him?” asks Ivy.

“No! Let’s talk about something else!” says Andy visibly irritated.

They didn’t know either what had truly happened. The reality had been modified. After one hour in which they talked a lot more than me, I retired back in my room under the pretext I was too tired. I turned on my laptop, and I looked for a clue for Aaron, but apparently, I couldn’t find anything about Aaron Jensen. I searched for Kate too. Something had modified their names too, or they didn’t exist in this new world. I started panicking. I had in my agenda some contacts I haven’t heard of before.

I changed my clothes, and I went downstairs. I wanted to go for a ride in the town, to see what else had changed. I bumped into Deby.

“Hey, where are you going? You’re acting weird.”

“I’m going out to take some air.”

“Come back soon! My boyfriend arrives in one hour! I want you to meet him!”

“Fine!” I said, and I went out the door.

I got into the car, and I started driving on the streets. I stopped at Jeff’s to buy a coffee, and I continued my way. The streets seemed different, and I saw a lot of new people, especially young ones. On some houses where there used to live old people, for example where Mrs. Still lived, were posters with “On sale.” I drove to the Orin Lake. I got down to enjoy my coffee. It was evening soon, and I lost track of time. I woke up in the dark, and I rushed to the car. Deby hadn’t called me yet, and I hoped she wasn’t too angry because I forgot about the big meeting.

I went down the street to the town. I drove on the main road, but I didn’t get to drive more than ten meters, and I felt hit by a car, which had got out from a narrow street.

“Damn it!” I said, and I got down.

I prepared myself to start swearing, but I knew that if I started, I wouldn’t finish too soon.

“Are you ok?” I hear an incredibly familiar voice from the other car.

I looked up, and I saw a guy, who was trying to get out on the window of his vehicle. My car wasn’t so damaged, but his vehicle was in a pretty bad shape. I approached him, but when he got out on the window, I remained stupefied. Aaron was the one who had hit me. My soul was filled with joy, and I wanted to run into his arms.

“Are you ok? Oh, God. Sorry! I don’t know what I was thinking! I swear I didn’t see you!”

He was looking at me with his blue eyes, and I realized he had no idea who I was. I felt so sad and disappointed,

“It’s the first time I come in this town, and my GPS went crazy! I will pay for all the damage” he says.

“I’m fine. Everything’s all right. It’s not a big deal!”

“What? Oh, God! Look. Here’s my number, my insurance and we will talk tomorrow if there’s a problem. I will be in Vals. You’re from here, I hope. Now, if my car starts, I have to leave. I’m already late!”

“Yeah…” I grumbled still in shock.

“Are you sure you don’t need anything now? I can postpone this thing if there’s a problem.”

“No… everything’s fine” I grumbled.

I was just staying there, with the papers in my hands, staring at him. He managed to start the car, and he left. I needed a moment. I hadn’t asked him from where he was coming and where he was going, but if he said that we would talk the next day, I wasn’t going to let him get away. I wanted to call him and make him remember. It was like the Universe had a typical way to bring us together. I was happy I had seen him again. I knew there was still hope to bring everyone’s memories back.

After about twenty minutes of deep thinking, I got into the car and I drove home. It took about twenty minutes to get back there because the car was making a weird sound and something was hanging on the right side. I parked in front of the house, and I got down. I saw the light on in the living room. I walked on the stairs, and I stepped inside. There I found Deby, who was coming downstairs from her room. She had wet hair, and she was wearing a long shirt.

“It looks like you were busy while I was gone!” I laughed.

“Well, something like that!” she says smiling. “He’s coming down in a second.”

I looked out the window at my car. Across the street, I saw Aaron’s broken car. I smiled because I saw how things were coming back together. I was wondering where he was staying. I heard footsteps on the stairs, and I turned around.

“She is Jo!” says Deby to the mysterious man who was coming down.

“Aaron, nice to meet you!”

On his face, I saw the surprise. About my face… all I can tell is that it was priceless at that moment.

“Wait a minute! We know each other!”

“How come?”

“She’s the girl I hit tonight!”

I felt the image shaking in front of my eyes. I put my hand on the window sill.

“What a coincidence!” says Deby. “Don’t worry. We will work it out. Aaron, go and put something on you, a T-shirt or something!”

“Right away” he says and runs back upstairs.

I ran into the kitchen, and I grabbed the first thing that came into my hands, meaning the bottle of whiskey. I took a big sip. I busted in tears in the next second.

“So? What do you think?” I hear Deby behind me.

“He’s very… charismatic! He looks good!” I said trying to fake a hysterical smile, to hide the tears from my eyes.

“What happened? What’s up with you?”

“The drink… I haven’t tasted whiskey for a while.”

I felt the coffee coming back in my throat, and the whiskey wasn’t making my situation easier either. I was feeling like the clown of the destiny.

“I am exhausted. We will talk more in the morning” I said and rushed upstairs.

“Yeah, I am too! My last half an hour exhausted me! I’m going back!” she says laughing.

I had an impulse to turn around and punch her in the face, but I didn’t because after all, that was no one’s fault. The Universe was mocking me. I was feeling like in a terrible comedy. I had no idea how I was supposed to live under the same roof with Aaron and Deby as lovers. Deby was visibly happy, and Aaron seemed that way too. I couldn’t tell them the truth because they would have probably thought I wanted to break them up. Not that I didn’t want that. I sighed. I threw a fake smile to Deby, and I entered my room.

After a few minutes, I decided to get out of that house. I had no idea where I wanted to be, but I found myself standing under the lamp in front of my house. I was desperate. The lights were off inside the house, so I started crying. I hit the fence with my foot.

“Why do you like to sneer at me?!” I shouted as like the Universe could hear me.

I was thinking this was the price Joana was talking about. Maybe it was just the destiny’s revenge for I had killed the Ouroboros. Maybe that was how it was supposed to be. I had no clue, but I wasn’t enjoying it. In fact, no one asks you if you like what you got served in life. It’s just like at the social canteen. You get on your plate a ladle with food, and you can’t complain because it’s free. So is the life. I couldn’t complain because I was alive. And so was him. Shortly, the Universe sent me his answer. Or maybe it was just a fault circuit because the lamp I was sitting under just turned off. I was staying in front of my house, in the dark, and my thoughts were filled with darkness. Or maybe darkness was too much to say. Anger. That was the right word, which was fitting in perfectly.

The biggest battle of one’s soul is what he knows and what he feels. Sometimes bad things happen in your life, to get you on the right path, on which you were supposed to be right from the start, but you had deviated on the process. What if when you think everything around you is going crazy, the things get into place? I knew I couldn’t forget all I had lived with them, especially with Aaron. The question was: how had he forgotten all of it? I was living a total disappointment, but I knew I had to do something to remind them of everything.