Chapter One: The Arrival
The earliest memory Emma could recall from her childhood was sitting outside her grandmother´s porch, laying on the outdoor wood swing with blue cushions. She remembers the warmth of the summer sun glazing her bare feet, the smell of the ocean breeze mixing with the pungent smell of her sunscreen and the taste of the watermelon popsicles her grandmother made for her that morning.
That's what Emma would respond to anyone who asked such question, that's what she replied to her sixth-grade teacher in her writing assignment last month. Because only teachers ask silly questions to children. Questions about childhood memories and other nonsense, like –"How many rocks does Tom carry in his pocket if he picked 10, took out five and added two more?"
Emma hated math.
She also hated that last writing assignment because she had to redo it three times. The first time because she was supposed to write it with blue ink and not red. The second time because she ran out of blue ink and accidently tear the sheet of paper and the third because when she thought about it a second time, she concluded that was not her earliest memory.
Her earliest memory was a ghost memory, one that mixed with her barely formed memories of spending the summer with her grandmother when she was younger and her memories of dreams. It was more of a memory of a dream than a real event, but she once saw in a movie that dreams are memories from other life. The dream always goes like this:
She is walking in a beach different from her childhood memory, the sand is pink, and she is nervously grabbing at the lacey texture of her grandmother's dress. The dress is big and elegant like those dresses in period movies her mother likes to watch. Emma is wearing one too, the fabric makes her neck itchy, and she is small, too small like she is in her beach memories.
"Grandma can we go now?"- Little Emma asks in her dream. She walks shyly behind her grandmothers. The older woman hard as she tried, could not convince her granddaughter, the mask people were harmless.
"Do not Fear them Emma"-Her grandmother assures. -"They are the same people as before, they are only wearing masks"
"Like Halloween?"-She asks
"Yes, just like Halloween. Now hurry there is someone I want you to meet."
Emma´s mother looks at her daughter through rear-view mirror. Her tense hands do not leave the drive wheel once the traffic light turns red and she stops the car. Her daughter has not spoken a word in most of the drive. Every attempt Diana makes to chat with her. Is quickly met with apathetic yes or no answers or snappy comments.
Diana knows twelve is a tough age to begin with. Emma was having a hard time already when she entered Middle School and finding out her parents are divorcing through badly hidden papers did not made things better. Diana sighs at the memory. She was prepared for her daughter's hormonal changes, from wanting to spend less time with her parents, to wanting to wear her own taste of clothes, to coming back crying after not being invited to a certain birthday party; but nothing would prepare Diana for what came after her daughter finding about the divorce.
A month after and the memory is still fresh, the tears, the screams, the hurtful words and the awkward talks. Her husband incompetence to console her daughter only to be match by her own attempts to make the process for Emma easier. Emma´s father had already left the house a month ago, only seeing Emma when he picked her up from school. Leaving Diana to deal with the hormonal, emotional mess of herself and her daughter.
After days of screaming matches, hurtful words, followed by regrets and silent treatments, Diana decides to call her mother after seven years and ask for help. After a long talk over the phone with her mother and two with her husbands it was decided for Emma to spend the summer at her grandmother house at Buena Vista Beach, enough time to figure the divorce, for her husband to move out his things and for Emma to adjust. Of course, none of this was ever consulted with the young girl and she was still mad about it. But to be fair deep-down Emma knows she would rather be anywhere else but her own house.
"So, Emma, are you excited about spending summer again with your grandma?"- Diana asks cautiously.
"It's hard to be excited about something I was not consult about"-Emma replies not looking from her music player. Diana flinches and is tempted to nag her about not using the tone, however she decides to be patient and ignore it.
"But Emma you used to be so excited about going to your grandma´s house, when you were little"
"I barely remember to be honest?"- The answer is more relaxed and Diana smiles as she realizes her daughter removed the earbuds.
"But you remember your grandma, right?"
"Well yeah she came to my birthday when I was 10"-Emma scratches the back of her ear. - "But all memories from when I go to the beach are foggy. I remember playing at the beach and the mask festival"
"Mask festival? What festival?"- Diane inquires.
"The one during summer? They still do those, right?"
"No they don't Emma"- Her mother replies.-"You must be confusing it with when your grandmother took you trick or treating"
"Oh!"- Emma looks at the window.-"I guess that makes sense then. Why did she stopped going to my birthdays?"
"Her doctor says is best for health, for her avoid travel and stay by the coat"
"Ah. Then why did you stopped sending me to her beach house?"
"Well when we moved upstate, do to your dads job … it became difficult to send you to Buena Vista Beach."
"Sooo does that mean after the divorce we will move back to our hometown?"-Emma inquires, Diana tenses.
"I don't know"- Her mother admits, and Emma rolls her eyes.
"Is there anything you do know?"- the girl mutters but is loud enough for her mother to snap.
"Don't speak that way! Emma this is just as hard for me as it is for you"
"It always is"- Emma retorts before putting back her earphones and blasting the music to drown her mother's calls.
"Emma! Emma take those off I am not done talking to you!.
ooo
Gabriella, waits for her daughter and granddaughter as they step out of the car, she waves at them and even from above she can sense both girls tension. Gabriella guesses another mother-daughter fight took place during the drive. Oh does it bring memories of when her daughter Diana and her were younger.
She waves at them once more and walks down the stairs ready to receive them.
Emma watches as the older woman walks down the stairs gracefully and smoothly. The colorful cardigan flows in motion with her steps and her gray hair below her shoulder's swings delicately, making her grandmother look more like a graceful aging queen than a grandmother. It was no wonder why her oldest memory was a dream of she and her attending to a masquerade.
"Emma, Diana! - Diana returns her mother´s hug although less enthusiastically. She really did admire her mother's way to act like nothing had happened between them.
Emma hugs her grandmother more enthusiastically and full of fondness. A pang of jealously came to Diana. Children always seem to prefer their grandparents. Not that Diana would know since she never met her own.
"You are going to love it here Emma, I prepare your old bedroom just for you"- Gabriella states joyfully.
"My old bedroom?"-The child inquires, and her grandmother shakes her head.
"No, that has become my new tailor studio"-The older woman laughs. -"But I arranged the other for you! Go ahead and check it yourself is the one upstairs with a white door."
"Thanks!"- Emma beams and runs quickly inside. Leaving the two adult women to talk about her wellbeing and the divorce. As the girl walk up the stairs with each creek of wood, memories come flowing to her. She reached the top of the front porch. The swing was still there, as well as the green table and the absolute stunning view of the beach. Everything seemed just like before.
Perhaps this summer would not be as bad as she thought.
She slides the glass door and steps inside. Quickly, she finds her way towards her own room upstairs. Behind the white door she finds a lovely small room, there was a twin size bed with blue blankets, a chest, a desk, and the best of all, a balcony.
Excitedly she slides the door open and is mesmerized by the full view of the ocean. It was perfect you could see the coast, the seagulls flying over the sea the small isles in front. It was perfect. Her eyes fall in a small islet just a short boat trip away. A faint memory of her and her grandma having a picnic comes to her mind.
Ready to meet the king?
"Amazing right?"- Emma jumps out her thoughts and turns to look at her grandma.
"Grandma! You scared me!"- Her grandma laughs and stands beside her admiring the same view as her.
"I´ve always been light on my feet."
"I love the view grandma! Thank you."
"The best for my favorite and only grandchild"
"The small islet over there"- Emma points. -"We used to have picnics over there, right?"
A beaming smile comes to her grandmother's face.
"I am surprised you remember!"-She beamed. -"You were so little back then!"
Diana walks to her daughter Emma already rekindling with her mother much better than Diana has. She clears her throat.
"Emma"- She speaks, Gabriella exchanges a look with her daughter and takes it as her cue to leave.
"I will be checking on the stove"- Emma´s grandmother leaves her and her mother alone. There is pause and a few glances before Diana is the first to speak.
"Do you like your bedroom?"-Her mother´s tone is calmer, less stern, Emma understands is her way of making peace.
"Yes! Its mint green"-Emma replies.
"I told your grandma to paint it that color because I knew it was your favorite"- Diana tries, this make the twelve-year-old look at her.
"Really?"
"It was your aunt´s favorite too"- Emma´s eyes spark with curiosity and fails to notice the longing eyes in her mother´s eyes.
"Aunt Julia?"
"Yes. This used to be her bedroom."
Diana could not blame her daughter´s enthusiasm and curiosity over her aunt. Emma only knew about Aunt Julia through pictures and stories. She never met her. She was told her aunt died in an accident before she was born. Emma was always curious about her and used to ask a lot about her, but her mother always seemed so sad when answering. Her dad told her not to ask about her anymore, because it upset her mom. The young girl stopped and eventually just collected any piece of information that slipped out from her mother or other family member from time to time.
All she knew was that she was close to her mother, that she liked to dance and was very liked by the people.
"Really?"- Emma asks, hoping for more information to come.
"Well mine and hers"-Diana give a small smile.-"Until I asked for a separate room. She used to wake me up in the middle of the night when she opened the window to sneak out with her friends. It used to give your grandmother a headache.
"She sounded fun"- Her daughter adds softly.
"Yeah she was a wild spirit. Kind of like you."- Emma looks at her mother as her eyes drift to distant memories, before closing her eyes and look at her. –"Emma, I know it's been difficult this last month, and I know I am not the best at dealing with it too, but please don't doubt that me or your father love you okey?"
"Will I be able to still see him?"-Emma´s voice breaks a little and Diana is quick to pull her in an embrace. -"Yes you will, okay? I promise. Just let us adjust and I promise everything will be okey."
"We are not moving right?"- Emma pulls from the hug, tears already threatening to spill.
"No of course not!"
"Because I really want to go to Joyce´s and Brenda´s birthday party next October."- The girl´s voice breaks more as she is overwhelmed by her own emotions. -"It will be Halloween themed and I really want to go."
"Yes you will I promise okay?"- Diana puts her hands on her daughter´s shoulder making her look at her.-"I promise"
"Okay"- Emma pulls a small smile, feeling better at the promise of not everything changing when she goes back to her house.
"I love you"-She hears her mother say.
"Me too"
"I will be back soon.
Emma follows her mother and grandmother to the door, where her mother embraces her one last time before heading back to her car. Gabriella follows her daughter outside. The short journey to the car is quick and silent, the older woman doesn't expect much.
"Please take care of her mother"- Diana says sternly.
"I will Diana"- Gabriella watches her daughter´s eye turn cold towards her as she delivers her last words before leaving.
"And mother, do not take her to the cave."
Emma looks at the sunset and leaves lets her body fall in the soft bed, the sound of the waves and the exhaustion of the long car drive, take over her body. She lets the sound of ocean lure her back to dreamland. And with the new found familiarity her mind goes back to the beach of pink sands and the night where everybody dresses up.
ooo
Loki follows close behind Birger, the summer´s residence keeper, as he showed him where were had the library relocated. If he recalled well it used to be in the lower level, but after some years of reconstructions and remodeling it was moved to a few floors up. The young prince could still hear Thor´s loud steps rampaged the delicate exquisite marble floors of the palace as he called for her his annoying to friends to follow him around.
Ugh
If there was something the young prince of Asgard despise more than family vacations, it was family vacations along with Thor`s Friends. It was not like Loki always hated vacations with his family, in fact, his yearly trips to the warm coasts of Aslaug Island for the summer festivities was one of the things he always look forward to, or at least he did when it was just his Father, Mother and Brother and few trusted servants.
There was always something so mystical and captivating of the pink sands and golden sunsets that always adorn the island this time of the year in the realm of Valheim. The midsummer festivities meant a month full of games, delicious food, music, fun and him and Thor exploring the mystical forest inside the island. Or at least that was until Thor started to spend too much time with Frandal, Sif and Volstagg and of course Hogun. Loki hated them and hated how Thor seem oblivious about his friend´s distaste towards him. Whenever Loki tagged along, Sif and Fradal did little to conceal their annoyance. If Loki suggested to go somewhere the suggestion was either decline or completely ignored until Thor brought it up again. He arrived no more than two days ago an Thor already had broken his promise to go with him to the forest. So Loki silently vowed not to spend the day with them and instead enjoy the beautiful sunsets from the library´s balcony and ignore Thor and his awful friends until night arrives and his mother forces him to join them at the festival.
Aslaug Island was in did huge and a well seek spot for the Midsommar celebrations. His mother says is one of the few places left on Vanaheim were there is untap raw magic. The locals of the island protect its energy at all costs and during the summer festivities remind visitors to abstain from using Asgardian, Vanaheim or any other type of technology.
However, magic is highly welcome.
Loki liked the energy of this island, in fact when he was younger, his mother would spend the day with him teaching him new spells and charms. The younger prince would then later amuse Thor with his new learned abilities. But Loki could only dream of doing any of that now. With his brother too busy with his friends and his mother too busy helping with the festivities. But it was fine, he didn't need his mother, nor his brother nor his brother´s dumb friends and he would make it his mission to have the best summer yet without there help, even if he had to spend it alone.
"There you go prince Loki"-Biger says as he brings the prince to the library.
"Thanks, Biger."- The slender blonde hair men nods and smiles courtley. He was fond of the quieter of the royal brothers and appreciate his silent hobbies and lack of pre-adolescence need to destroy everything he touch. It did make his job to keep the summer palace in good condition. He leaves the young prince to his activities.
Loki marveled at the work done in the studio. Sure, it was not as big or imponent as his royal library back in Asgard, but it carried various books that in his younger years he was too immature to understand. And all of them were Vanaheim so he was sure to find various new novels he had yet to read.
There was a stained-glass window of a geometrical formations representing the old folk Goddess of the Island, Aslaug. Legend said she was the one to pull the island from the ocean to give her children a place to live before returning to live under the sea. The multicolored crystals reflecting the sunlight made the room look cozy and warm.
Loki notices the balcony and walks outside of it. He is marveled by the view of pink sands and golden skies. The prince saw as the many locals already setting up the stands, games and other arrangements for tonight. There ocean waves and breeze appease his heart. From his balcony he had a complete view of the coast as it stretched and took its curve shape he saw in the maps. He was also able to see the cape formation where the pink of the sand mixes with the emerald green of the forest, turning more rocky around the coastal cove where Thor and Loki explored a cave once.
The prince sighed with melancholy. A few months ago he was so sure he and his brother were going to engage in another adventure exploring the caves, but from the looks of it that was not going to happen this summer.
Loki, however, decides maybe he should try exploring it alone this time, to prove himself to be braver than Thor, or Frandal or Sif or any other. Why wouldn`t he? The books had maps! he could easily find his way through them. He read there was a statue of the Island Goddess somewhere inside, one to be said could grant wishes.
With newfound excitement the prince goes back inside to grab one the books.
"Legends and Tales of Aslaug Island"- He reads at loud as he makes his way back to the balcony. He opens the first page and reads the first chapter.
The Cave and the Weeping maiden