It was a summer night; no wind and no noise, only the chirping of cicadas and the chirping of crickets could be heard. The sky was clear and starry, with a moon so bright that it totally lit up the Mountain; the use of the lamp was hardly necessary.
The girl looked around for fireflies, but for some reason, there were none. With a large shovel in her left hand resting on her shoulder, a lamp in her right hand and a backpack on her back, the girl walked along the steep, narrow mountain path.
Her purple dress with some embellishments and colorful symbolic designs contrasted with her battered old black boot. Around her face was a white scarf that tied a knot in the front.
– There's something special about summer nights. she muttered.
– It's like my soul is free to roam around. Said the girl with a cynical smile towards the moon.
Going up the mountain, with no signs of tiredness or enthusiasm; She finally saw the silhouette of a chapel a few meters away.
It was a simple church, made of wood. Its structure indicated it was abandoned, but inside it was reasonably preserved. Upon entering the small church, she dropped all her luggage in a corner near the entrance, took her rosary out of her dress and went to say a prayer near the altar.
*
Not so far from there a small village covered in a thin mist started to taking shape. With her lamp in hands, the girl wandered from house to house.
– Heeeey! Is anybody home? Can someone give me a place to sleep? She screamed from home to home, knocking violently with her shovel on the door of the poor residences.
And then, finally one of the houses lit up its interior and the door opened. Standing in the doorway was a tall, blond-haired, rosy-cheeked woman with a strong build; wearing a big green and white dress. When looking at that slender girl with delicate features carrying a heavy shovel on her shoulders, a maternal feeling seemed to show in her eyes.
– My, my! A girl wondering alone in the mountains, where are your parents, young lady?
I live down the mountains, miss. I disobeyed my parents to play in the mountains and I lost track of time. I was so scared to go back that I ended up staying overnight...
The woman looked from top to bottom to that strange girl carrying a shovel and a lamp; she thought about something to say but ended up letting out a long sigh.
– My goodness, children these days... Come in; I will not leave a child alone at night. With a scolding tone, the kind lady invited the girl inside.
– Never disobey your parents again, you hear me?
– Yes ma'am!
Entering the house, a pleasant smell of home cooking wandered across the room.
Since the house was small, the kitchen was next to the entrance; at the table sat a middle aged man with a big mustache reading a newspaper. He also possessed a strong build along with a large belly, with his suspenders giving a cartoonish tone to his appearance. Running around the table were two children, a boy and a girl, about 7 or 8 years old, both wearing clothes very similar to their parents.
– Erich! Frederica! I told you to stop running around the house! Behave yourselves, we have a guest!
– The children stopped running in an instant and faced towards the door. The father lowered the newspaper and expressed a confused reaction.
– Umm... Nice to meet you, I'm Madalena; Lena for short... I beg you full pardon for my intrusion." Covering her face a little with her scarf, Lena politely made her introduction.
A few seconds after the initial surprise, the patriarch gives a friendly smile and says:
– Well, if my wife invited you then make yourself at home!
The curious children went closer to the unusual guest.
– Miss, miss who are you? I've never seen you around here. She spoke to the girl staring at her closely.
– Wooah, what a weird dress, it's full of drawings. Said the boy touching her dress.
Before he could kill his innocent curiosity, his mother slapped him right in the face.
– Is that how you treat a lady!? How many times will I have to teach you proper manners?
The boy then begins to cry and runs to his father's side, in which he makes a tired expression as if this is not the first time he has gone through an embarrassing situation. The sister laughed at her brother's disgrace while the mother apologized profusely to Lena.
– D-don't worry I don't care; she said extremely awkward.
After the initial confusion, they sat at the table. Through the window it could be seen the mist starting to get thicker and thicker.
– I almost forgot the manners. My name is Olga, make yourself at home Lena.
– Fritz Shmidt. The man spoke with pride
– Erich! Said the boy with a toothless smile.
– Frederica. Said the girl hugging her rag doll.
Again, Madalena made her introductions and the family continued to chat. Simple and common chats; Fritz, like his wife and everyone in that village, descended from an ancient people who had migrated to the kingdom of Altarusia over a century ago. The village where they live is more or less communal, both perform their duties on plantations and farms, although their own cultivation and the exercise of other works were common.
And for a long time the conversation continued; There was something cozy about that place: the lights, the smell of the food, the family gathered at the table... Lena felt as if she could stay there forever, forever...
*
Auch! The girl violently wakes up and puts her hands around her neck. She starts feeling a terrible burning sensation, followed by an uncontrollable dry cough.
– D-damn. she whispered, pulling the rosary from around her neck.
Upon removing the rosary, the pain and coughing stopped. The rosary shone scarlet red until it slowly faded.
The room was dark and emanating a heavy aura. There wasn't much furniture, just a bed, a small table and a simple wardrobe, all dusty and cobwebbed, as if they had been abandoned for a long time.
Sitting on the bed was Madalena still breathing rapidly. After a few more sighs, she got up and went to the bedroom window. Outside the mist was intense, everything was so white that nothing could be seen; until little lights appeared on the horizon and seemed to walk in perfect sync.
(It is time)
Her things were next to the wardrobe. Madalena then lit the lamp, took her shovel and her bag and promptly left the room. The air was heavy. Walking down the small hallway, she was in the kitchen in an instant. That kitchen was familiar, it was the same kitchen she'd been in a short time ago; however, she was in the same condition as she had found the room. Abandoned to moths. She put the Lamp on the ground and took a pack of colored candles from her backpack and lit one. She slowly started to approach the table and as the light hit the place she was noticed something up there.
Human bones. A femur on the right side, a skull on the tip, a humerus on the left, and other bones on top and under the chairs.
Three candles were lit, each placed on the floor near the table; Madalena was calmly reciting a prayer. The air began to stir and the candle fire to wave. After the prayer, she opened her backpack and took out four black bags and began to put the bones inside.
– What are you doing with us!!? Echoed a voice that resemble a child's one
– Taking you back. She said without looking back.
– This is our home, you can't!
The air began to get heavier and heavier, the two candles at the extremities went out. Only the middle one remained lit.
Madalena slowly turned around. An inconsistently shaped figure with spiral-shaped black eyes stared at her. Behind her were three more figures of different sizes.
– You have no right. YOU HAVE NO RIGHT! She yelled and pointed toward Lena.
Lena began to feel short of breath, as if an invisible hand was squeezing her neck.
– Urgh... Y-you... N-need to...... With a pressure far greater than that felt when waking up in the bedroom, his consciousness quickly began to falter.
– Frederica, that's enough. Said one of the figures.
– NO! She has to pay! The being yelled, squeezing Lena's neck even tighter.
– I SAID ENOUGH!
The scream caused the heavy air to dissipate within seconds and the frightened entity began to slowly take on the shape of what appeared to be a girl.
– B-but, I don't want to go... I-I'm scared... The spirit then hugs the crying entity next to him who had taken the silhouette of a man.
– You're here for us aren't you? Please do what has to be done... And don't worry about separating our bones, after all, we are no longer in this world.
Before Lena could catch her breath, the entities disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Without much ado, Madalena resumed her morbid duty.
*
In the dense fog that covered the village, several silhouettes wandered towards a single place; the top where the chapel was. Following the procession of souls, conversations, laughter, sadness and singing could be heard. The memories lost and forgotten by time again expressed themselves. So alive!, but at the same time, so dead!
On top of the church a young woman with a crown of candles recited a prayer as souls gathered around her. She was all in white, long red curly hair. As beautiful as her face was, it didn't convey any positive impression.
(I didn't expect so many souls)
Madalena walked between the souls
– Attention my faithful followers! The promised time has come when everyone will go to paradise!
The souls around the church started to aggitate.
– However! I believe there are infidels among us... Therefore, it will not be possible to open the door to paradise without everyone agreeing.
Furious, the spirits began to emanate negative energies, the white mist turned dark gray.
– Son of a... I think It's for me to get out. She whispered to herself as she cautiously escapes.
– You there, girl carrying a shovel, where are you going?
The spirits then quickly gathered around her. With tension and adrenaline spreading in the air.
– Say, my child, who are you? she said in an passive-agressive voice.
Madalena slowly turned and faced the woman.
– I think... you already know the answer.
The beautiful girl opens her eyes. The sclera from her eyes were black, there was no iris or pupil, just pure darkness.
– Indeed, my dear.
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