Mara:Between Two Worlds

Fall

Mara was under the weeping willow, her eyes closed, listening to the wind, drawing the fresh scent of the leaves into her lungs. It felt as if she was trapping the spirit of spring inside her.

There was at least half an hour before Elina arrived. Like they did every other day, they would drink their coffees and eat their cookies under the weeping willow. They had grown up in the orphanage together. After leaving the orphanage, they had rented a house with a garden in a remote village. The house was next to Vetita Forest. The forest was covered with dense trees, clusters of trees stretching all the way to the distant hill. Right at the edge of the forest stood Mara and Elina’s weeping willow, and behind the willow there was a narrow stream. They were living the life they had always dreamed of.

Mara looked at the forest for a long time. She took in the forest air.

“No, we’re not going there.”

Elina placed a plate with coconut cookie balls in the middle of them.

While Mara was pouring coffee into two cups from the thermos, she said:

“We’ve been here for three years, El, why don’t we go for a short walk?”

Elina took a calm sip of her coffee.

“Because, dear Mara, insects, snakes, scorpions, bears, pigs... should I go on?”

Mara, with her mouth full of cookie and coffee:

“There are no bears or pigs here.”

“The fact that they haven’t been seen doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Also, didn’t they tell you not to talk with your mouth full?”

Mara stopped chewing and, pretending to be offended, looked at Elina. Suddenly she straightened her back and said:

“PAAARDON!”

And threw cookie pieces toward Elina.

Elina giggled.

“Disgusting brat.”

Mara laughed too.

They had lived their childhoods, teenage years, illnesses, and punishments together within the cold walls of the orphanage. They weren’t like sisters, they had already become sisters.

For a while, they talked about village gossip and the handsome guy at the café where Elina worked.

Elina wiped the cookie crumbs from her lips with her hand and started packing her things.

“I’m off, my love. You can waste some more time. If you’re very curious about the forest, you can walk around a little without going too far. I’m not going in there. But don’t die.”

Mara huffed.

Elina continued as if she hadn’t heard her.

“And if you see Tarzan, definitely bring him home.” She smirked, moving her eyebrows up and down.

“You know what I mean.”

Mara stood up too, drank water from her flask, and put it in her bag.

“One day your libido is going to be a problem for us.”

“Maybe your libido too.”

Mara stopped and whimpered, bending her neck.

“El... ple-”

“Okay okay, I’m joking.”

Elina held Mara’s hand, looked into her eyes, and smiled with motherly affection.

“But don’t you think you need to give yourself a chance in life now?”

Mara didn’t like talking about these things. She touched her necklace. She was upset; remembering it always made Mara sad. But Mara would not admit it.

“I’m not sad. I’m just angry at myself; for trusting someone other than you.”

......

“Live your life, Mara.

You don’t know how to give up, I know.

But this time you have to learn.

Because I was never someone you were supposed to hold on to.”

While walking toward the entrance of the forest, these sentences echoed in Mara’s mind.

Eranric’s breakup note...

Mara had been left with a single note.

The love that started on a rainy morning ended on a sunny morning.

Wasn’t it supposed to be the opposite?

Mara had felt like this for the first time. After Elina, she had trusted someone for the first time. And Elina was the one who had told her it was love.

They had lived their love crazily. Without taking any responsibility, without thinking about the end.

Love...

Happiness...

Passion...

They had lived it to the fullest.

Despite that, she had been left with a single note.

Despite that love...

With a four-line short note...

She had been abandoned.

And Mara considered this betrayal.

A betrayal of what she felt.

A betrayal of her own being.

Mara did not throw that note away. She hid it in a necklace she bought from an antique shop. She wore it around her neck so it would remind her not to trust anyone ever again. That’s what Mara told herself.

But the truth was different.

It was the only proof that Eranric had been real. The only thing left from Eranric.

Mara, of course, would not accept this.

She put on her earphones and played a random song from her phone to silence her mind. After a while, she realized even the songs were useless.

She took off her earphones and lay down. The grass was tickling Mara’s cheek. She inhaled the fresh scent of the forest. For a while, Mara closed her eyes and thought of nothing. She left herself to the mercy of the forest.

She started listening to the forest. First a bird chirped. Another bird answered it. Mara somehow thought they were arguing.

She heard the sound of a stream from far away.

The sound of tree leaves, and an old tree cracking while resisting the wind.

The buzzing of bees, and a crawling sound nearby...

A crawling sound nearby?

Mara suddenly sat up. She listened more carefully. Yes, there was the sound of something crawling through the grass. Mara held her breath and slowly stood up. She scanned the grass in front of her with her eyes. About two meters away, she saw a viper shining under the sun. She slowly bent down and picked up her bag from the ground. She took a step back. She didn’t want to disturb the snake. The moment Mara took another step, the snake raised its head. Mara stayed still. She was scared. If only she had listened to El. The snake stuck its tongue out toward Mara. Mara stepped back once more and started running. She was running without even looking back. She jumped over a bush and...

“Aaaaaa!”

Mara fell into the void with a scream. She was sliding over a rocky, earthy place. Dry branches were scratching her entire body.

When she hit a hard surface, her breath was taken away. Her head, hands, knees were hurting. She frowned and opened her eyes. Mara pushed herself up with her hands. She touched the painful part of her head. Luckily there was no swelling or bleeding.

It was a cave.

The light coming from above was slightly illuminating the entrance of the cave. The cave was large. From where Mara was sitting, it continued like a wide tunnel. The light was disappearing inside the cave.

She looked up. There was no chance of climbing out. She had fallen from a very high place. The tree branches and soft soil must have slowed her fall, because considering where she landed, it was a miracle she only had a few scratches.

“Fuck.”

Leaning her back against the cave wall, after resting for a few seconds, she remembered the phone in her bag. She dialed Elina’s number. Elina answered on the third ring, speaking through clenched teeth.

“Mara, whatever you’re going to say had better be important. If it’s not important, start liking your tombstone. Because you just made me lose a handsome customer.”

Mara quickly explained everything in one breath.

“El, after we separated, I went for a walk in the forest. Then I saw a viper, I ran from it and fell into a hole. I mean, into a cave. But I’m fine, don’t worry. I just can’t get out. I need help. A rope, something like that.”

Elina took a deep breath and spoke calmly.

“Mara, are you really okay? Are you injured?”

“El, I’m really fine, I’m okay, I just need to get out before it gets dark.”

Elina was out of breath from walking and talking at the same time.

“Okay, I’m already on my way. I’ll buy a rope from the corner market and come right away. When I get home, I’ll beat you with that same rope.”

“First save me, we’ll deal with the rest later.”

After Mara hung up the phone, she leaned her head against the cave wall and took a deep breath. She had already informed Elina. No matter what, Elina would get her out of there.

Just like they always protected each other...

As the sky slowly lost its brightness, Mara saw a dim, flickering light in the cave. She immediately looked away. She closed her eyes tightly and opened them again. The light was growing, slowly illuminating the darkness. And now there were footsteps too. Mara held her breath so tightly she didn’t even breathe. If she weren’t afraid to move, she would have checked her pants; she might have wet herself.

The light grew stronger and Mara first saw that it was a candle, then that the one holding it was a hunched, thin old woman wearing an old, patched shawl. The candle lit the right side of the woman’s face. She stood a few steps in front of Mara. She examined Mara for a long time. Mara met her gaze. Even though it lasted only a few seconds, it felt like hours to Mara. Mara wanted to say “hello” or smile, but she was too scared to move a single muscle. The old woman took over that role. Despite her appearance, she smiled warmly and said in a soft, gentle voice: “What happened, dear, did you fall?”

Mara found her voice and answered: “Y-yes, ma’am.”

“Are you injured?”

“I’m not injured. I... just have a few minor scratches, that’s all.”

There was a short silence between them. Mara cleared her throat.

“Ma’am, does the direction you came from lead to the exit of the forest? Toward the forest gate?”

The old woman slowly, slightly limping, came closer to Mara. She stood next to her. She looked up at where Mara had fallen. She shook her head thoughtfully and gently rubbed Mara’s shoulder. She spoke in a calm, soothing voice.

“You got off lightly, my dear. But from where I came, there is no way up. The only exit is the place you fell from. And it will close soon.”

The old woman said this so calmly that Mara first nodded as if saying “I understand.” But a few seconds later, she had processed what she heard.

It will close soon?

No exit from where you came?

Mara frowned and looked at the woman’s face. The moment she was about to speak, the old woman blew the dust in her palm into Mara’s face.

That was the last thing Mara saw.