The letter arrived three days after her father's funeral yellowed parchment sealed with a wax emblem she'd only seen once, in a book no one was supposed to read. She locked her smooth wooden door, her fingers was shaking slightly and her eyes grow wider, she try to read the letter but she couldn't understand the language or the symbols was used. This is the last thing her father has given to her before he die. Until a voice calling her from the woods beyond the lake, always just put of reach. Today, something felt different. The silent held its breath, and the wind blow cold like breeze of sanity.
As a knocked on Emily's door, the sound echoes through the silence, and she was jolted back to reality. Her eyes once lost in the sea of emotions, slowly focused on the present. She gently placed the letter on the small table beside her, her fingers lingering on the warm paper as if reluctant to let go. With a soft creak, she opened the door, her gaE meeting to the girl with a hint of apology.
"Uhm, hi, sorry to disturb you but, uhm, someone is waiting for you outside" she said, trying to fill the awkward silence. Emily's brow furrowed, her eyes narrowing slightly as she asked.
"Who?" The girl hesitated, unsure of the answer itself.
"She said, she's one of your relatives" A flicker of recognition sparked in her eyes and she nodded slowly
"Oh uhm, right" She rubbed her temple, as if trying to massage away the lingering sadness
"Uhm, tell her I'm coming"
As she spoke, A faint scent of lavender wafted out of the room, mingling with the sweet aroma of old books. Emily's eyes drifted back to the letter, and for a moment, I thought she'd forgotten about the visitor. But then she straightened her shoulders, and with a quiet determination, she stepped out of the room, leaving the letter behind.
The warm sunlight caught Emily off guard as she stepped outside, her auntie's figure a stark contrast to the somber mood she'd been nursing. The scent of freshly cut grass and blooming flowers filled the air.
"Hi,uhm, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry if I didn't came to his funeral" her auntie said, her voice laced with regret.
"I was busy, and now, I took this time to came here"
Emily sight, her eyes searching for answer.
"Em, Can we talk?"
Her auntie asked softly.
She hesitated, then nodded, gesturing to the chair beside her, her auntie sat down a mix of guilt and longing on her face.
"So, how are you?"
Ger auntie asked, her eyes scanning Emily's face
"Last time I saw you, you were just 12 and now? your 22"
"I'm fine, I guess"
Emily replied, her voice neutral. The air hung with unspoken words, the only sound the distant hum of a lawnmower and the creak of the old wooden chair.
The afternoon sun cast a warm glow on Emily's face, but her eyes remained guarded, like a shield protecting a treasure trove of emotions, her auntie's words hung in the air, a gentle challenge to the walls she'd build around her heart.
"I know you didn't came here without any reason, Auntie"
Emily said, her voice a low hum, like a cello string vibrating with tension.
Her auntie sighted,the sound a whispered apology.
"Guess I can't blame you for your guarded expression" she said, her eyes pools of regret.
"Em, your father have a house in Romania" the words landed like a leaf falling on a forest floor, gentle but inevitable, Emily's gaze drifted, her minds whirlwind of emptiness.
"A house? In Romania? But he didn't bring me in there, Even if they are still together with mom, until they get divorced, he never say a single word about it"
Her auntie nod was a soft affirmation
"I know, I know and that make sense, and Emily, I've heard You're a crypto biologist" A paused, A breath, and then she continue.
"And that house, he wanted you to take that place, because it's all yours, he wanted you to go in there and he also said, that's the only thing he can give to you, Emily, You're not a teenager anymore. Please try to understand it"
Emily felt unease to her auntie's words right up
"I can't just leave in here"
"I know, but you're not belong in here Emily"
Emily's world had come to a grinding halt, leaving her suspended in a sea of uncertainty. Her aunt's words still echoed in her mind like a haunting melody
"I'll leave you for now, okay?"
The door creaked shut behind her, and Emily's gaze followed, her eyes dry, her throat constricted. No tears came, only a hollow ache that threatened to swallow her whole.
The silence was oppressive, punctuated only by the mournful whistle of wind through the trees. It was as if the very house itself was holding its breath, waiting for Emily to make her next move. Her aunt's voice lingered, a gentle echo.
"Just take a deep breath, okay?" A saccharine smile, a fleeting touch, and she was gone, leaving Emily to face the crushing weight of reality.
As Emily watched, her aunt's car slid away, devouring the distance like a predator in the night. The sound of the engine faded into the distance, leaving behind an unsettling stillness. The world outside seemed to be moving on, oblivious to the chaos that had just erupted in Emily's life.
The mirror in the hallway seemed to beckon her, its glassy surface reflecting the turmoil brewing inside. Emily's gaze drifted to it, and for a moment, she confronted the stranger staring back eyes red rimmed, skin s pallid, hair a tangled mess. She looked away, unable to bear the accusation in her own eyes.
"This is crazy," she whispered, the words barely audible, as if speaking them aloud would shatter the fragile threads holding her together. She stumbled back to her room, her legs like lead, her heart a heavy stone in her chest.
The letter lay on her bed, a cryptic message from a father who'd abandoned her. Emily's fingers trembled as she picked it up, the paper rustling like dry leaves. Her eyes scanned the symbols, but they might as well have been hieroglyphs meaningless, incomprehensible.
"What is this?" she whispered, her voice cracking.
"Dad... please don't tell me it's another problem again."
A sigh shuddered through her, and she sank onto the edge of her bed, the letter clenched in her fist.
Her gaze fell on a photo, a snapshot of happier times she and her dad, laughing, fishing on a serene lake. The memory stung like a slap, and Emily's eyes finally welled up, tears scorching her cheeks as she whispered.
"Dad, I wish you were here"
The tears flowed, a torrent of emotions she'd been holding back for so long. Emily's body shook with sobs, her heart breaking all over again. She felt lost, abandoned, and alone. The letter in her hand seemed to be a cruel joke, a reminder that she was on her own now.
As the tears finally began to subside, Emily's gaze fell on the letter again. She took a deep breath, steeling herself for what was to come. With newfound determination, she whispered,
"I'll figure it out, Dad. I'll figure out what this means, "
The words were a promise, a vow to herself to uncover the truth and piece together the shattered fragments of her life.