Chapter 5: The journey begins
1197 Words
The first rays of sunlight spilled through the cottage window, chasing away the darkness that had settled over the little home during the night.
Agatha stirred beneath her blanket, stretching lazily before opening her eyes. For a brief moment, everything felt ordinary. The familiar scent of fresh herbs drifted through the room, and she could hear Grandma Martha humming softly outside as she watered the vegetables.
She smiled.
Another peaceful morning.
Throwing her legs over the side of the bed, Agatha walked toward the window and pushed it open.
A cool breeze brushed against her face.
Then she noticed it.
A rolled parchment tied with a navy-blue ribbon rested neatly on the windowsill.
Her smile disappeared.
“…What?”
She frowned and picked it up.
The ribbon was expensive, unlike anything sold in the village.
Who would leave something like this here?
She glanced outside.
No one.
The yard was empty except for a few chickens pecking at the ground.
Curiosity got the better of her.
Slowly, she broke the wax seal.
A crescent moon embracing a single star was stamped into the dark blue wax.
She had never seen the symbol before.
Inside was a carefully folded letter.
Her heartbeat quickened as she began to read.
If this letter has reached you, then destiny has finally found you.
Her eyebrows knitted together.
The life you know is not the life you were born into.
She stopped breathing.
If you wish to learn the truth about your parents and the reason they disappeared from your life, follow the enclosed map. Travel alone and tell no one. Trust only the person waiting at the place marked with the crescent moon.
Her hands trembled.
There was more.
Should you choose to ignore this letter, burn it, and no one will trouble your life again.
The choice is yours.
No signature.
Only the same crescent moon surrounding a star.
Tucked inside the parchment was an old map.
A single red line stretched north through a dense forest labeled Silverwood Forest.
At the edge of the map, someone had marked a small inn with the crescent moon symbol.
Agatha stared at it in stunned silence.
“What are you looking at?”
Martha’s voice startled her.
Agatha quickly folded the letter and slipped it behind her back.
“N-Nothing.”
Martha stepped inside carrying a basket of freshly picked tomatoes.
“You’ve gone pale.”
“I’m fine.”
“You don’t look fine.”
Agatha forced a smile.
“I just woke up.”
Martha studied her granddaughter for a long moment.
Something was wrong.
She could feel it.
But before she could ask another question, Agatha hurried past her.
“I’ll make breakfast.”
Martha watched her disappear into the kitchen.
Her heart grew uneasy.
⸻
Throughout breakfast, Agatha barely touched her food.
She answered every question with short replies.
Even when Lily stopped by to invite her to the river later that afternoon, Agatha declined without explanation.
“You love the river,” Lily said.
“I know.”
“So what’s wrong?”
“I’m just tired.”
Lily wasn’t convinced.
“You’ve been acting strange since this morning.”
“I said I’m fine.”
After Lily left, Martha turned toward Agatha.
“Would you like to tell me what’s troubling you?”
Agatha looked away.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“You’ve barely smiled all day.”
Silence.
“You hardly ate.”
More silence.
Martha reached across the table.
“You know you can tell me anything.”
Guilt washed over Agatha.
She hated lying to the woman who had sacrificed everything to raise her.
But if the letter was true…
If there really was someone who knew about her parents…
What if this was her only chance?
“I…” she whispered before stopping herself.
Martha waited patiently.
Instead of speaking, Agatha simply stood.
“I think I’ll gather herbs before sunset.”
Without another word, she grabbed her basket and hurried outside.
Martha sighed.
Whatever secret Agatha was carrying…
It frightened her.
⸻
The forest was unusually quiet that afternoon.
Agatha wandered the familiar trails collecting lavender, mint, and wild chamomile, but her thoughts remained fixed on the letter hidden inside her dress pocket.
She read it again.
And again.
Each time, the words seemed heavier.
The life you know is not the life you were born into.
Could it be true?
No.
It had to be someone’s cruel joke.
Yet…
Who in the village would know she had always wondered about her parents?
Who would leave such an expensive letter?
Who would know exactly what to say?
She reached the old oak tree overlooking the valley and sat beneath its shade.
Slowly, she unfolded the map.
Her finger traced the red path through Silverwood Forest.
It wasn’t close.
The journey would take several days.
She imagined what Martha would say if she saw it.
Don’t go.
It’s dangerous.
Stay where you’re safe.
Agatha closed her eyes.
Safe.
She had been safe her entire life.
But she had never known who she truly was.
A single tear escaped before she quickly brushed it away.
“I just want answers,” she whispered.
“Is that so wrong?”
The wind carried her words away.
⸻
That evening, heavy clouds gathered above the village.
Rain tapped gently against the cottage roof while Agatha sat near the fireplace pretending to read an old storybook.
In reality, she hadn’t turned a page in nearly an hour.
Martha quietly knitted beside the fire.
Finally, she set the needles down.
“Agatha.”
“Yes?”
“Whatever decision you’re trying to make…”
Agatha’s head snapped up.
“…don’t make it alone.”
Her heart skipped.
Did Martha know?
“I don’t understand.”
“You’ve had that look before.”
“What look?”
“The look you had when you were ten and insisted on climbing the tallest apple tree.”
Agatha laughed despite herself.
“I fell.”
“You did.”
“You scolded me.”
“I hugged you first.”
Silence settled between them.
Martha smiled sadly.
“No matter how old you become…”
“…you’ll always be my little girl.”
Agatha bit her lip.
Tears threatened to spill.
She wanted to tell Martha everything.
To show her the letter.
To ask if she knew anything about her parents.
But something inside her held her back.
If the letter was telling the truth…
Whoever had written it had warned her not to tell anyone.
Not even the person she trusted most.
That secret weighed heavily on her heart.
Late that night, long after the rain had stopped, Agatha lay awake staring at the ceiling.
She reached beneath her pillow and unfolded the map once more.
The red path seemed almost to call her name.
She took a slow, trembling breath.
Then she made her decision.
Before dawn…
She would leave.
Quietly.
Without waking Martha.
She would follow the map.
And no matter what waited for her beyond Silverwood Forest…
She would finally learn the truth about the parents she had spent eighteen years wondering about.
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD