She had been fifteen years old… from a poor family in Venice, Italy… employed as a kitchen maid in an establishment along the canals at the time of the last event.
Finally, seventy-five years ago, she had been released from limbo into a different time and place.
Her soul had replaced that of a young woman who – ironically – had just died in a swimming accident… but, as the transfer took place in the ocean, no one was aware of what had happened, except her.
The body she now occupied had been someone new in town… a relative stranger… so a slight
personality change would not be noticed.
She awoke with all the deceased woman’s knowledge and memories… but no one believed her… and she stopped talking about it.
While settling into her new life, she realized that she had – miraculously – retained all the knowledge from her previous life… something she sensed was not supposed to happen.
And she knew it had happened for a reason… that somehow she was supposed to stop the next event from happening… but, the question was- how?
So far she had not the slightest idea how she could do that.
She had tried to drum up some interest in the coming event by telling several residents of the town what was coming… some had smiled and politely said they were too busy with the festival preparations.
Others had simply laughed and walked away, shaking their heads…they all thought she was crazy… and maybe they were right.
Up to now, she had lived a solitary life.
That might explain why her appeal for help had failed… leaving her to face the coming threat alone… and so that is what she would do.
She thought it would probably come at the height of the festival… when the majority of the people would be on the beach… observing the planned fireworks display.
Nobody would notice the rising, surging wave at first… and when they did notice… it would be too late.
They would be mesmerized by the sight… standing transfixed until they were swept out to sea and swallowed into the dark limbo of timelessness.
She knew exactly how they would feel… she had felt it many times… but she could not let it happen again… for this time she knew she was too old to return from it again.
Then someone gently took her arm and said “It’s time to come home now.”
She nodded and turned to go with the speaker… it was getting cold out here now… and her slippers were wet.
A hint of a smile touched her wrinkled face… it would be warmer watching the fireworks from inside… and she would be safe again… for a while…
