THE ISLAND OF CHARON
a novel in the series
"PLAYING ANOTHER REALITY"
CHAPTER 10. DEATH, the 2nd
10.2. TRANSFORMATION OF ILLUSIONS
Already at sunset, I went down to the Ocean to find Yanis. He was standing by the overturned boat and checking his fishing nets. I took him by the wrists, covered with Athos rosaries.
“Hello, MARK…” I said.
Yanis shuddered and sighed heavily.
“Hello, Alice…” he answered.
And… he began to change his outlines in front of my eyes: he decreased in height, but increased in volume, acquired other facial features. The only thing that hadn’t changed was his look. It was the same look of apologizing Mark, a look that, ever since I had met Yanis on the Island, had always seemed strange and not particularly appropriate in our context.
I took Mark by his left hand. Having removed the rosary, I discovered some traces of cuts.
“When I came to my senses and realized what had happened,” Mark began to tell me his story, but I stopped him with a gesture.
“What did you wish on your lantern?” I asked.
“I wished you had forgiven me.”
“What a terrible irony of fate,” I whispered.
“You know, I climbed the Mountain, although being a ghost. And I even confessed to a monk, he saw and heard me…”
“Your lantern went out today at dawn,” I hugged Mark smiling. “Now we are completely free, and we can leave here!”
“I don’t want to leave!” Mark whispered, stroking my hair. “I want to live here with you! I have been waiting for you there on Earth for so long, and now we can live together, and even three of us, with Tata. I wanted to have my family and children. And you? Didn’t you want simple human happiness?”
His words made me feel pain, but I said nothing.
Tata ran up and hugged us both. For a moment my heart (do ghosts have hearts?) clenched, however…
“Shall we go for a walk?” I suggested to Mark and Tata, trying not to give away my excitement.
Tata jumped for joy, Mark smiled happily and, picking up Tata in his arms, twirled her in the air.