Hi. It has been a long time. This is the second time I post here (First Time).
My name is Sophie. I live in Bucharest, Romania, and I am a single mom. A teen mom. My daughter was born in April, a few months ago. Her name is Artanis. My little miracle. While I write this, I can not imagine how I could be without her. What I would not do for her. I wonder why her father could not just love her.
I did not expect much from a kid with ”big dreams”. I used to be like that too, until last year. But he turned back and kept ”his dreams”, while I did what I had to do. The last months have been a wreck, especially since his mom fought with me and my family like we are enemies. Treats with lawsuits, and other nasty things I feel like not giving too much detail. Then, after not seeing us without his mom, who spoke on his behalf like a lawyer paid by demons, Michael reached out to me online last month. At first, I felt anger and blocked him. Then, feeling a bit guilty and a bit hopeful, I unblocked him and talked. He wanted to meet and talk to me in private, without his monster mom. I hesitated but, after a while, I agreed.
We decided to meet in a place of my childhood, not very far from my home, at the Tei park in the north of Bucharest, on the banks of the Tei lake. I live to the south of the park, in downtown, not very far. in a house that has been for generations in my family. Michael„s family lives in the suburbs, in Mogoșoaia, just outside Bucharest, in the north west, in a new house complex. I left my daughter with my mother that day, and I proceeded to meet him.
It was an awkward moment, when we met at the gates. He had a guilty expression, not looking into my eyes too much, an expression I have seen before. Like the last time I saw him, I felt anger still, but I kept calm. We started walking close to the lake, it was late in the afternoon. At least the lake would give me some peace. I could handle what seemed to be the latent energy of the place.
You see, I am not Human, I am an Elf. I may not look like one, since I am not a mature one, just a Caterpillar Elf, who is still pretty Human, on the outside. Like Michael. Like both of our mothers. And they can have children who are born Caterpillar Elves, if their parents are so. Like my daughter. She is like a child who has two children for parents, in more ways than one (sigh). At least I know and I have accepted my Elven nature, and she will know it on her own.
I did my best not to get angry. At least he was defensive, but it all felt awkward. There were moments when I felt we could not reach any point, some when we relaxed and talked about the warm autumn night. The sun started to get to the west, while we looked at the lake. Slowly, we reached the western edge of the park, where a small part of it is unmaintained, it looks like a small patch of wilderness, like a bush with trees. Walking on the fallen leaves felt like a balm, even if we had to be careful of the thistles, from time to time.
”You know”, I said, ”all this used to be a forest, on a swampy lowlands river, with several lakes built on the river. I wonder if any Elves of old used to live here. I feel that they were. I am not sure, though.” We sat down, on the grass, not far from the lake.
Michael took a willow leaf (the sports park has many trees, including willows) and placed it in the water, letting it drift. ”There might have been…” he said, in his whispered tone. ”I think you are better at this than me.” I looked at him, at his long black hair. He was charming, as I knew him. As I started daydreaming out loud: ”An Elven family. They have time. If they become Full Elves, they live forever, until the world ends. Mother, father and child. What would it be like?” Silence. ”Even as Caterpillars, it would still be an Elven family.” He looked at me: ”I think it would be…” I felt like he wanted to say something nice, but could not bring himself to. I whispered: ”It would be beautiful.” He smiled, then looked at the water again.
Things around us were silent. I wondered why. It was getting dark, I felt like getting home soon, but I thought my mom would take care of my daughter for now and I could stay with him a bit. Perhaps it would be worth it. People were still heard in the park, but like further and further away. Bitterness and sweetness. I was longing for something. For more things. For silence.
”I think our kind is cursed to be longing. Like a whole world is underneath me, something that I can never, truly, escape. ”I think I feel you”, he whispered. A cool breeze swept through my hair. He smiled and reached his hand to my hair, ”You have a leaf on your hair”. I smiled, almost forgetting our situation. Something in me still loved him and this betrayed love made me suffer so much. I turned around to the water, with a sight. I felt like crying, but I could not bring myself to. Emptiness. This was a bad idea. I hated him. I looked at him with hate, but I could not bear it. I turned around and started crying.
Michael let me cry. He tried to touch me in comfort. I rejected him violently. It felt worse. He gave a sigh and tried to get up. I grabbed him, pulled him back and placed my head upon his chest. He caressed me. How I wished this moment shall never end!
I had to remove my glasses and wipe them a bit. It was getting dark fast. A faint mist started to be felt. At first, I thought it was just my state that made me see things. Among the reeds, a firefly. Not very close. I placed my head on his chest, trying not to think. But soon enough, Michael spoke gently: ”Fireflies! I can not believe it. So beautiful they are!” This made me raise my head and look. Indeed, there were some lights, coming in and out of the reeds and weeds.
”Those are some weird fireflies, I tell you that.” I said. The lights were moving, and looked a bit long. Some disappeared, some appeared. Sunlight was fading. We kept watching the lights unfolding. There was something about them, we stared at them. Soon, night came. On our right, somewhat distantly, the blue light of the LED lamp posts came out, but we were in the darkness of the bush, not far, yet it felt far. Behind us, on top of the cliff, LED light was also faintly visible.
”I do not think they are fireflies”, said Michael. ”Neither do I.” I replied. ”I wonder what they could be?” They had a strange beauty in their movement, it was like a dance. The lights were silver-like. After a while, they started appearing even beyond water„s edge, towards the west, in the bush. I had a little moment of truth, when I shook myself from this, although amused: ”You know, it would be really hard to avoid the thistles in the dark.” ”It seems the lights will show us the way.” replied Michael. They seemed to get into the cliff as well. A cold, sweet humming became able to be heard. Of something humming. I felt distant, for now. They moved, they danced.
I started longing for something. I am used to longing, since I am an Elf. I guess this is why I did not notice it coming upon me, upon us. We watched them in silence. Humming was getting closer now. At some point, it felt to me like I could distinguish a syllable. It sounded like ”cultu”. Then again: ”cultu”. What on Earth was happening. Michael said: ”It started to sound like pieces of words.” ”Indeed so.” I replied. The lights started all around us, but we did not stop watching them. The mist became stronger, still like a thin veil.
I remembered then. I whispered to his ear, like afraid of being heard: ”I think I know what they are.” Michael looked at me, but insisted in whispering: ”You know most of this city was a swamp, a bog. In here, there was a forest, the river bank was close. It was clearly a swamp centuries ago.” ”Indeed, it was, it still feels a bit like today.” ”And what appears in swamps at night?” He replied that I was afraid to say it out loud: ”Will-o’-wisp.”
The name made me shiver. Like, when you are a child, just saying the name of the Boogeyman makes you shiver. The lights started moving more frantically. We were surrounded. They were getting closer. ”Those were supposed gas emanations, from plant decomposition.” he said. I replied, a little irritated: ”Do gas emanations move? Do they dance? Now hush a bit!” I instinctively came to his chest, seeking protection. The silver lights came closer, and they became more clear. They were long and grey. They flicked, like candles.
”I think they are trying to say something,” added Michael. ”Yes, I feel that too. But are we allowed to listen?” Indeed, the humming started to sound like words, from time to time. Now I could hear from time to time: ”Ascultă-ne! Ascultați-ne!”, Romanian for ”Listen to us! (In singular) Listen to us! (In plural)”. I felt colder. ”No,” I said, ” Do not listen to them. Do not!” It was, most likely, a demonic manifestation, therefore we were not supposed to talk to them. No, regardless of what you may be Human, Elf or who knows what, do not talk to Demons (unless you reached a very high spiritual state, but that is very, very hard). They can influence you in ways most can not even comprehend.
We arose on our feet. There were many. Now I could hear that distant humming: ”Listen to us! Please listen to us!” Some came closer. What was this? I started praying and making the cross sign over them. Indeed, this made me feel better, and they seemed to flicker at this, but they did not turn back.
I have experienced demonic works, even harsh ones (I have no doubt some experienced much worse than me.). This was not very intense, compared to the worst of what I have been through, but this felt pretty different. And weird. Indeed, we are not to trust our feelings like this, demonic deceit can take many shapes and intensities. On the other hand, the unexpected way forces worked on me in the past made me think this could be something completely out of my mind„s reach.
Cold, yet familiar. Harsh, yet attractive. What was this? It felt like something from inside me resonated with those things, wanting to interact with them. The urge of talking to them was getting stronger. We were in the white mist veil and they came closer. It was cold, cold, and the October night could not explain this coldness. The lights had mist around them, it seemed like coming from them.
”Quick! Pray!” I said and started doing the cross sign over the lights, in any direction and sense. Michael hesitated, but followed my example. ”I think we should get into the main alleys,” he added. ”Perhaps we can repel them like this until we get there.” ”Sounds like a good idea”.
We walked slowly, we could not run and burst into them. By now, we could see their shape. They were much like candles burning a silver light. The main staircase became visible, almost at hand. But they got closer. And indeed, they seemed to be candles. White candles, floating in a silver aura emanated by their flame. So beautiful they were, yet so cold. Very much like the candles you see at night, during the wake of a dear relative who lies in the coffin. Yet, much colder.
Three of them started coming towards us, from in front of us. They faced the cross sign and came closer, perhaps they were allowed to. What are they? Lamp posts went off in their presence. We needed to get into the open space and run on the stairs, this is how it felt. But we could not. We had to stop. I tripped a bit, as I stopped, and I felt a swift, cold burn on my right arm. I looked at it and I realized I touched or almost touched one of them. I can tell you my body shook and my heart gave a few irregular beats. I felt like a giant wasp sting, but not like burning, but like freezing. Or like a frozen burn. The Candle that was closest came forward, a few centimeters from us. They blocked the way out.
The flame felt alive, albeit in a twisted, terrible way. It was waving, somehow, if it makes sense. I tried not to look at it directly. Now, the humming was clear, like voices. Faint, yet sharp voices: ”Listen to us! Listen to us! There is something you must hear! There is something you must hear!” It felt like they were forcing my mind into accepting whatever they wanted to say. I fought it, and actively did my best not to listen to any of the words.
Now, since I think it made little to no sense in hiding, I shouted to Michael: ”There, in the right! There is an old stone staircase, in the dark, older than the main one. We have a chance!” I grabbed his arm, prayed and ran towards the old staircase, hidden almost completely in the trees. It was disrepaired, we almost tripped a few times, but we ran into it. I felt the touch of the Candles a few times, like a swarm of wasps coming to us. They felt angrier and angrier. Michael came behind me, pushing me forward. It felt a bit like climbing a mountain. After tripping and hitting my knee, and getting one last ”sting” on the arm from one of those things, I managed to make the last step, then that slope ended and reached the main staircase, where lamp posts were on.
We ran as fast as we could to the exit, people around us looked abashed at us. We did not look back until we reached the exit of the park. I would have wanted to run further, but I need to take a breath. Michael realized this and stopped running as well. This is when I noticed no Candle seemed to be following us. As we were still breathing heavily, we looked back and they were not visible anymore and people in the park seemed to mind their own business. Of course, that did not stop us from running across Lacul Tei boulevard, to be as far from that place as possible. Fortunately, a dear friend lived not very far from there and we went to her house to rest. Both of us had lesions on our arms, where those things touched us.
After my mom picked us up later on, we went to the hospital and the doctor said they looked like a type of frostbite he had never encountered before, especially not so early in the cold season.
One note: It was the evening before the night of Sânmedru, the night of Saint Demetrios of Thessaloniki (25th to 26th of October) that seems to have very much in common with Celtic Samhain, from where Halloween originated being, more or less, a distant correspondent of Halloween.
From time to time, I still feel something of that night, like they are still close. Still waiting for the right occasion. But heck, trust on this, I shall not let them harm my daughter. Over my dead body. In fact, no, I feel that, even from beyond death, I shall not let them.
Update: new things have happened. Check for Part 2