Beyond: Snillotia Trilogy Book One by Donna Wagner (books you have to read TXT) 📕

told a story about Ronnoc and Tim’s mom when they were very young that even Ronnoc didn’t remember. Everyone was enjoying themselves by the end of the meal. Suddenly the silence returned. Ronnoc cleared his throat and began to talk. “Tim, I know you’re trying to decide if you can trust me. I am hoping, after you hear what I have to say, you decide you can. Things were never supposed to end up like this,” he paused and looked at his parents apologetically, “When I disappeared, I did so on purpose. In my youth, I was very angry. I really had no need to be. Sometimes, things are just meant to be- fate, as they say.”

He looked at his parents and addressed them directly. “When Nelle was born, I was excited. I loved my baby sister, with all my heart. I felt important. You made me feel important. I was the Big Brother. I thought I would always be able to protect her,” he glanced at everyone else and turned back to his parents, “Do they know about her third year?”

Grandma Aras gasped and Grandpa Cire shook his head. Grandma Aras turned to everyone and said, “I think I better explain what happen. Ronnoc, you were only in your eleventh year. What you remember may not be absolutely correct. I, on the other hand, can never forget.”

Ronnoc nodded at her to continue. “When Nelle was in her third year, she got very sick. The healers could not help her. I could not help her. They told me she was going to-,” her voice caught, “to die.”

Everyone around the table was completely silent. Tim didn’t want to push his grandmother, but he didn’t understand. “Grandma Aras, I know that must have been scary, but everything turned out okay. She grew up! I wouldn’t be here if she hadn’t!”

Grandma Aras smiled at Tim and reached for his hand and gave it a slight squeeze. “You’re right, Tim, but there’s more that happened first,” she took a deep breath and then continued, “I couldn’t let my child die. I decided I’d do anything- trust anyone, in order to save her. I took her to see the Old Woman E.”

Everyone who grew up in Snillotia, even Ronnoc, looked shocked. Only Tim and Anna were left wondering who that was and why it was so surprising. “Who’s the Old Woman E?” Anna finally asked.

No one spoke at first. Grandma An was finally the one who answered. “The Old Woman E is a fairytale; a scary story told to children. She was the witch in the woods we were all afraid would steal and eat us if we were bad,” She looked at Grandma Aras, “She’s not real.”

Grandpa Cire spoke next. “I didn’t believe her either. It was a very bad time for us. My baby daughter was dying, my wife was losing her mind, and my son-,” he looked at Ronnoc, “My son was just a child and afraid for his little sister, so I decided I was going to focus on him, instead of what I was losing.”

Grandma Aras took Grandpa Cire’s hand as he continued, “I took Ronnoc and I left. I left my wife and my dying child, to try to keep the living one safe.”

“I thought you were taking me away because I was bad! I thought you knew it was my fault!”

Both of Ronnoc’s parents looked at him, in shock. “That what was your fault?”

Ronnoc shook his head. “Nelle was sick because of me. I couldn’t protect her.”

“Oh Ronnoc, you could not have controlled what happened. There was no way you could have made her sick. The healers said what she had was genetic. I know it must have been scary for you as a little boy. I know I was focused on trying to make your sister well. I should have realized what you were thinking. I would have if I had been a better mother!” Grandma Aras started crying.

Grandpa Cire put his arm around her shoulder. He looked at his son. “Why did you think you made Nelle sick?”

“I- She wouldn’t stop following me around! I was with my friends, Cin and De, and they were making fun of me for having a “little girl shadow”. I know as an adult, it sounds stupid and childish, but I was very upset back then. I told her that if she wanted to play with us, she had to do whatever we told her to. I didn’t think anything bad would happen, but Cin told her to eat these berries we found and she did, even when I told her not to! Then a few days later she got sick!”

“Oh, son, it wasn’t because of any berries she ate. There was something wrong with her blood,” Grandpa Cire explained.

The blood drained from Ronnoc’s face. Tim watched as he quickly shook off whatever had bothered him. “So, what happened, next? How did you find the Old Woman E? How did my mom get better?”

“After Cire and Ronnoc were gone, I felt even more desperate. I thought I could get Cire to listen to me when I told him I wanted to find the Old Woman E. He didn’t let me explain myself- not then, anyway. I thought there were more to the stories. You see,” she said to Tim, “the power your mother had was not a first for my family. Others had it as well. In most cases, it only presented in fictional writings. We know that wasn’t the case with your mother-”

“Really? How interesting!” Ronnoc interjected.

Grandma Aras continued, without interruption, “But it had happened once before, a very long time ago. One of my many great grandmothers also had the power and she recorded everything in her life. I used to read her diaries from time to time as a child. It was there that I found clues that made me think the stories about the Old Woman E, might actually be true.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE