1 My story

I don't know where to start. This story can actually be told by so many. But you know, I've waited a long time. It took me a long time to realize. This journey has been like a puzzle. Every piece of the story I had to be found and put together until we could finally meet. Until I finally came to understand.

And now here I am. I'm the only one who can really tell you about it. Too much time has passed since that day. Some would say that this story - my story, has been told since the beginning of time. But I don't think I've ever told it.

Let me see.

It all began on that day. I was fourteen, no fifteen. It happened the week before my birthday. I remember it like it was yesterday, the one life, the one of so many. My name was Cassandra. Cassandra Tolomei. I lived in a small suburb of Rome. That day I sat behind my brother Camillo. He was driving that bright red scooter. Each time I wrapped my little arms around his wide waist and glued with my left cheek to his back. I held on to him like a little spider monkey. The warm wind blew over my rosy cheeks. A very familiar feeling. The golden sun was tingling on my pale skin. We went to see his girlfriend. What was her name? Eva? Evelina, I think. She had that dark, heavy hair, like all those Italian girls and I envied her for it. They were beautiful and so different from me. She had this luxuriant curves and that temperament in her eyes when fire and passion melded. But only to me did she showed that tender smile.

The Roman streets were narrow and dusty, but Camillo didn't let a trifle like that stop him. He was a good driver and knew the narrow, dusty streets by heart. Again and again he made his way through the streets. He skillfully avoided the many cars and wagons that lined up behind him. We were fast. We meandered through the chaotic city traffic. Maybe too fast. But I didn't know any better. I'd never been driving otherwise.

We drove into an intersection, behind us, loud honking. It was so unexpected. The loud crash! It was almost earsplitting. I winced. My head shot to one side. I tried to follow the sound. The light above me grew darker.

Oh, yeah, I almost forgot. The eclipse, that's why we were in such a hurry. We wanted to watch it with Evelina and my brother's friends. But the moon had already started eating up the sun. Fascinatingly slowly the black disc rolled over the golden plate. Shadows hissed across the road. With horror in my face I watched the spectacle. Watching the truck, which rushed towards us in slow motion. Uncontrolled. Unstoppable.

I closed my eyes.

My lips trembled, but a last prayer would not flow over them. Not even a scene from my life that would remind me of happier times appeared before my eyes. Everything was empty, like blown away, only a dull pain reminded me that I was still alive. A pain that once again raged above my temple.

I groaned, almost forgetting the truck, but then the sound of metal hitting metal pulled me back into madness.

Before I could feel it.

I felt a huge wave of force grab me, push me aside. I let my brother go. Felt it throw me across the floor, tearing at me. I was like a doll, small and fragile. A doll that was thrown across the room by its owner.

My head fell to the side, then forward, bumping into something hard. I heard clinking. A thumping above my forehead, then something warm flowed across my face. The road shone in these beautiful golden tones before it slowly faded under dark shadows. My body was heavy. Dazed. Numb. My breaths were shallow. Somewhere in the background I heard a scream. Something dripping down my cheek. I recognized red. Red, like blood.

And all of a sudden the colors blurred before my eyes, became grayer and grayer until they faded completely and dragged me into a deep, dark hole. Where was Camillo?

And then I heard it. That song... ...softly... ... gentle... ...as if it wanted to sway me to sleep.

So strangely familiar.

I think that's when you first called me.

Do you remember?