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Tuesday, March 19, 2024

"The Forgotten Note" by Romiwa O


Once upon a time, in a small town nestled among rolling hills and whispering pines, there lived a girl named Lily. Lily was known for her quiet nature and her love for books. She spent most of her days wandering through the town's library, lost in the worlds of fiction.

She didn’t have many friends at school. Most of the kids in the town thought she was weird but this did not bother her because she found a love in  reading and believed it to be more valuable than any friendship.

One rainy afternoon, as Lily was browsing through the shelves in the town library, she stumbled upon an old leather-bound book tucked away in a corner. Its pages were yellowed with age, and the cover was adorned with intricate golden designs. Intrigued, Lily carefully opened the book and discovered that it was a collection of letters and notes written by the town's residents many years ago.

Curiosity peaked, Lily began to read. Each letter revealed a snippet of the town's history, its joys and sorrows, its secrets and mysteries. She rummaged through several of them. All the families she knew, all the people around her, and even the ones she’d wave hello to had some sort of connection to the stories. She spent hours going through the box in awe of what she was reading. But one note, in particular, caught Lily's attention. It was a small piece of parchment, hidden between the pages, its edges worn and frayed. On it were scribbled the words: "To whoever finds this, seek the truth beneath the willow tree."

Intrigued by the mysterious message, Lily decided to embark on a quest to uncover the truth behind the note. With the book clutched tightly in her hands, she set out into the heart of the town, following the winding streets to unveil the message behind the letter. She spent hours trying to find where the rest of the town's secrets lied. She was almost ready to give up until she reached the outskirts where a solitary willow tree stood tall against the gray sky. “At Last! I Found it”!

As she approached the tree, Lily noticed a faint glimmer at its base. A glimmer that would be blind to anyone unsuspecting.  Kneeling down, she brushed away the fallen leaves and discovered a hidden compartment carved into the earth. Inside, she found an old tin box, its surface rusted with age. Crafted into the box was a date aging farther back into the beginning settling of the town, With trembling hands, she pried open the lid and gasped in astonishment at its contents. She could not believe what was before her eyes.

Nestled within the box were more letters, each addressed to a different person in the town. Some of the letters were so old that Lily could tell they were written with a feathered pen and black ink. Some typed with a typewriter. These letters were from so many different time stamps in history, they showed the development of writing throughout time. There were letters of love and longing, of heartache and regret. But among them, one letter stood out—a letter addressed to Lily herself.

With trembling hands, Lily unfolded the letter and began to read:

"My dearest Lily,

If you are reading this, then you have discovered the truth that has been hidden for so long. You see, many years ago, our town was torn apart by greed and betrayal. Families were torn apart, friendships shattered, and trust was lost.

But amidst the darkness, there was still hope. Hope in the form of a promise—a promise to never forget the power of forgiveness and redemption. And so, we entrusted our stories to this book, hoping that one day, someone like you would come along and bring light to the shadows that have haunted our town for so long.

Lily, you have the power to heal the wounds of the past and pave the way for a brighter future. Remember that forgiveness is not a sign of weakness but of strength. Only by embracing the truth and letting go of the pain can we truly find peace. There is knowledge and learning and power in what you read.

With love,

Your ancestors"

Tears welled up in Lily's eyes as she realized the weight of the words written before her. With newfound determination, she knew what she had to do. Gathering the letters and the tin box, she returned to the heart of the town and began to unravel the tangled web of secrets that had plagued her ancestors for generations.

One by one, she delivered the letters to their rightful recipients, sharing the stories of love and loss, of hope and redemption. And with each letter, she felt the bonds of the past loosen their grip on the present, paving the way for a future filled with forgiveness and understanding.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a golden glow over the town, Lily stood beneath the willow tree, surrounded by the whispers of her ancestors. And in that moment, she knew that she had fulfilled her destiny, bringing light to the darkness and restoring peace to her beloved town once more.

Years later Lily had grown up. She got married, had kids, and lived in a big house where her own. She had changed the outcome of the town because of what she had been doing. However, she never felt like her work was completely done but she knew her time was reaching the end. As she was reaching the end of her days Lily planted a new box below the willow tree. A new one, for the next chosen one who would come across it. She carved the top of it with the date of that specific day, just like how it was when she found it years ago. She carved “June 24, 2019”. And she wrote her own letter that she placed inside for the next curious little girl who would be tasked to complete the work of her ancestors before her.

 

Are you wondering what the letter said?  "To whoever finds this, seek the truth beneath the willow tree."

 

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