CHARLOTTE

She was thirsty. She got out from the train at Covent Garden Station and walked right away to the toilet facilities to refill her water bottle. It took her 20 minutes to get there from her home in Hammersmith. Winter holidays had just started and the city was decorated with dazzling light installations. Covent Garden streets were all about Christmas and all the stores showed off their seasonal window displays. 

On her way to the British Museum, she stopped by her favorite spot in the neighbourhood, The Astrology Shop, a blue and mysterious store of magic. She looked through the window and saw books, quartz, candles, divination cards, pendulums, and essential oils all around. She was about to enter when an old man approached her. He was riding a bicycle cart full of second hand books with a huge sign hanging that said: Get a book. Free yourself.

CHARLOTTE II

‘Hello?’, a voice came from the other side…

Charlotte made a pause. The light was still too bright, and her eyes were trying to adjust. The state of confusion was thorough.

‘I am Charlotte,’ she said.

‘I know who you are… welcome, Charlotte’, the voice answered. ‘I remember my first time here. I was not able to see at first. But trust me, there is no danger here. It would be best if you came out of the elevator. It won’t get you anywhere else.’

The voice sounded familiar to Charlotte, but she was in such a state of confusion that she couldn’t pinpoint who she was talking to. She made a step forward and walked towards the door. It took her a couple of minutes to walk out of the elevator. An instant later, the vision of her eyes became more precise. At first, she was able to recognize shapes and forms. Then she recovered the ability to see colors. And her full sight’s capacity became evident when she realized she was inside a cozy wooden cabin full of plants. The pure sound of nature was all around her. The air was fresh. She felt safe. 

A man walked towards her, and Charlotte recognized him right away. It was the second-hand bookseller.

CHARLOTTE III

Someone knocked on the door of the cabin. 

‘This must be our guests asking for permission to come in. I will be right back,’ Charles said and got up energetically. 

The cabin was small, so she could hear everything from where she was at. She expected to hear loud voices, compliments, greetings, and the usual interaction between a guest and a host. However, there was perfect silence. She waited for a couple of minutes for a noise to come from the door, but it seemed as if Charles had disappeared. 

Charlotte got up and walked towards the cabin’s entrance to check what was going on. But when she entered the main door room, a bright, almost transparent woman was hugging Charles. The silence was genuine and intimidating. Charlotte started feeling a little bit dizzy, as she couldn’t stand that amount of light and brightness in such a small room. 

CHARLOTTE IV

When they got out of the cabin, Charlotte was in awe. They were in the middle of a forest. The grass, the leaves of the plants climbing everywhere, and the treetops all had different greens. Charles smiled when he saw Charlotte’s face and started to walk towards a path between the trees. 

They walked for a few hours, and every now and then, Charlotte stopped to smell the flowers that called her attention, falling in love with their perfume. 

Suddenly, they started to hear the sound of falling water. With every step they made, the sound became stronger and stronger. Charles made his way through some branches and unveiled a clearing in the middle of the forest. There was a glittering cascade with crystal water. 

‘Are these the Sacred Stones?’ Charlotte asked, and Charles smiled, admiring Charlotte’s innocence.

CHARLOTTE V:

The Sacred Stones were even more prominent than Charlotte had imagined. Strong pillars that conformed to a semi-circle facing the lagoon. 

Charles sat down on a rock and remained in silence. Charlotte was nervous, not really knowing what to expect. She walked towards the lagoon and decided to lay on the shore. 

When the sun began to hide on the horizon, the air changed. Charlotte realized that something was about to happen, so she walked back to Charles, sitting in the middle of the semi-circle. 

The plants started to move and shake, and suddenly, an enormous turtle appeared. Probably the most giant turtle existing on Earth. She had many tiny turtles hanging on her neck and walking on top of her. But she didn’t seem to bother. 

Charles smiled and made a reverence. Charlotte’s eyes couldn’t get any wider. The smile on her face was huge.