Eternal

Chapter Ten

Unya

I went to our local library and looked through the directory, but I couldn’t find any trace of a person named Mihaela Michaels. I kept thinking back to my dream and how she had told me to find her, so why didn’t she give me any hints as to how I was supposed to do that. I realised that her last name was probably different from my own, seeing as my grandmother had married into the Michaels name.

I tried to recall the words that she had said in her native tongue, as she had called it, and searched for the translation of Nipotina. It didn’t take long to discover that it meant Granddaughter in Italian and realised that I probably should have guessed that that was her native tongue with the word Nonna anyway.

I started looking for the name Mihaela again and discovered a Miss Mihaela Beneventi, the only problem was right next to her name was one word ‘Deceased.’

I found an obituary that was written fifty years ago, there were no loving words, just her name, the date of her death and the cemetery that her ashes were buried at. There was also a picture of her, which had me rubbing my eyes to make sure that they were clear, as the face that was staring back at me, was the exact face that had featured in my dream.

I fought myself over going to her graveside the rest of the morning, but by the time that one o’clock struck, I was in my car heading straight to the Cemetery.

It was a little out of the way and it wasn’t exactly small either. It took me nearly an hour of searching before I finally came across her gravestone.

Again, there was no loving message written, just the words ‘Here lies Mihaela Beneventi. May she Rest in Peace’

I wondered if my grave stone would have a similar message written upon it, when I finally left this sorry world, I was so lost in my own thoughts that I hadn’t even noticed that someone had approached me. It was that moment that a hand landed on my shoulder, so I spun around with my fist ready to knock whoever it was, flat on their arse.

I wasn’t expecting to come face to face with Mihaela, especially seeing as I was well and truly awake this time.

“Well done Nipotina, I had hoped that you would find me and you did.”

“You didn’t make it easy that’s for sure, but what I don’t understand is why the world thinks you are dead. I mean according to this you have been dead for the past fifty years.”

She bowed her head, before raising her eyes to meet mine.

“I promise to answer any questions that you may have, but for now please just follow me.”

She did not wait to see if I would, instead she just turned her back to me and took up a brisk pace as she began to walk away.

I weighed up my options but decided that if I really wanted to know the truth, then there really was only one true option for me. I had to follow her.

She was very fast for an old woman but luckily, I was faster and managed to keep pace with her relatively easy, I kept wondering where we were going especially after ten minutes had passed and we were still walking.

I just hoped that I could remember my way back so I could retrieve my car. I was debating whether or not to question her about our destination when she suddenly turned and walked down a narrow alley. I continued to follow after her as she passed through a gate and instructed me to close it once I was through, we then went inside a homey looking cottage.

It was beautiful, the ceiling was all wooden beams, the walls were white cobblestone with beams running up the centre as well. There was a log fire set in the wall with two arms chairs sat close by it, with a small round table in between the two.

She told me to take a seat, while she disappeared into what I guessed was the kitchen. She came back with a tray ladled with biscuits as well as two mugs and a pot.

I took the tea that was offered and then settled down, as I waited for her to become ready, to finally explain to me what the hell was going on.

“Do you have anywhere else that you need to be, as this is something that cannot be rushed.”

“No, I’m most certainly not in any rush, so just tell me why the whole world thinks you are dead.”

She inhaled rather loudly and took a long sip of her tea before she set her gaze on me.

“I was born a hundred years ago, by the time I hit fifty I stopped aging, there was no way that I could explain that rationally, so I made myself disappear. I know it sounds preposterous, but believe me, it gets a lot worse.”

She definitely had my undivided attention now and I did not dare utter a single word, in case she chose to not continue.

“I can guarantee that I am the only member of our family that you have met that shares your hair colour. The reason for that and the reason why I am legally dead is the same, for you see, me and you dear, are not entirely human. We are descendants of the Greek god Zeus and a very powerful sorceress, their distinct powers combined have made our blood line completely unique.”

Great, I was sitting in a crazy person’s house, obviously she faked her obituary as there is no way she is a hundred years old, as for what she told me. Well, I was not buying a single bit of it, it was to much. Did she really think that I was going to believe any of this bullshit?

“Listen here lady, I do not know where the hell you get off making up all that crazy arse shit, but I am definitely not buying any of what you are trying to sell.”