One day earlier

"Where is that bloody ticket?" Rose cursed as she shuffled through her papers, trying to organise them into neat piles, but of course the one thing, the train ticket, remained hidden. The rain was pouring down, too cold and wet for an early autumn day, heavy droplets pattering against the window of her small living room. But Rose did not care for the weather, blocking out the frantic staccato of water against glass, when she was so at odds with her own disorganisation. It was hopeless! Her desk was a mess and it didn't help that she was under time pressure. She had checked her watch practically every five minutes in the last hour. The train would leave at five, in less than two hours. She needed to get things sorted out if she did not want to miss this chance to finally see the place her heart told her to be.

"Oh, come on, Rose, are you still holding on to that crazy plan of yours?" Melinda was sitting on the sofa across the room, shaking her head and her black locks bouncing around her face. Rose could feel her friend's reproachful glare boring into her back.

"Yes, I am. And it's not crazy at all. I have this all thought through. I have the train ticket, somewhere in this room, and I will go to that forest for a hike both relaxing and informative and on Sunday evening I will be back." She pinned a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear to avoid it from falling over her eyes as she tilted her head sideways to peer under yet another stack of miscellaneous photos and loose notes, still hunting for the elusive ticket.

"Well, you can call this whatever you want, but you cannot hide from me that this has to do with this obsession you have with that glade and those pointy eared weirdoes." Melinda rolled her eyes and took a sip from her tea-cup.

"It's not an obsession and those pointy eared weirdoes, as you like to call them, are called elves. I have been wanting to see this place since I was a kid and now that I've finally been able to figure out the map from my book, I need to see for myself if there is any truth about this ... ," Rose's voice trailed off, while she pulled out one drawer after the other, slamming them shut again in frustration.

Melinda cocked her head sideways, frowning. " This what?"

"Nevermind!" Rose said with an offhand gesture. " You would only make fun of it anyway."

"Oh, now that's not a nice thing to say! I'm your oldest friend, Rose. I just want to know what you're up to. You haven't even told me what exactly it is you are searching for. You haven't even asked me if I wanted to come with you."

"I'm sorry." Rose leaned against the desk to face Melinda. "I know that you are my oldest and best friend, but this is something that I must do by myself. You of all people should understand me. I just want to look around, feel what it's like to be there. Besides, I know how much you hate to be away from the city, so why drag you along, if you could be spending your time lounging in your favourite café? And you should finally buy that sexy black dress you have been eyeing for the last weeks!" Rose gave Melinda a mischievous smile.

"Yeah, you're probably right. I would only spoil the fun. Spending extended periods of time away from civilisation isn't really my thing." She twirled one of her locks in between her fingers. "Do you really think the dress fits me? Is it not too low cut?"

"It will fit you just fine and you know it. You're just too modest about showing your figure."

Melinda leaned back on the sofa, eyeing the tray laden with biscuits on the small table beside her. Her fingers danced atop them, and then she finally reached out for a dark chocolate cookie.

"Those are delicious," she mumbled with her mouth full.

"My mother brought them over this morning, since she always seems to think that I am starving, but I'm not taking them with me. First it's chocolate, so it will melt, second it's cookies, so there will be crumbs. And I cannot have that. You know me. So feel free to eat them."

Melinda snorted, covering her mouth to avoid the crumbs from spraying all over her clothes. "Well, at least your mom does bake, not like mine, who thinks take-out is cooking at its finest."

Melinda munched away silently, while Rose turned around again and was now staring out the window, the autumn wind whipping around dark clouds in the sky.

"I cannot really rationally explain what pulls me there. There is something inside me, has always been since I can remember, that speaks to me. I have glimpsed things, or at least fragments of things, places and people that I have never ever seen in my life, yet they still seem somehow familiar. I know that you think that I'm crazy, believing in such things, but there is something out there waiting for me, something that I need to go and find. And now is the time. I have waited long enough."

She turned to face Melinda, who had watched her with her mouth open and now closed it, her teeth chattering as she did so, swallowing the last bite of her cookie.

"I just want to get some closure, that is all. Besides, I could use a weekend all to myself, after all those extra hours I've been working this week, don't you think so?" She grinned wryly.

"Yes, yes of course. You're right. Take your weekend off and maybe it's good that you get that thing of yours sorted out. Come back with a clear mind. Just make sure you be careful out there, will you?"

"I will. You make it sound as if I were going somewhere dangerous. I'm only taking a trip to the peaceful countryside." Rose had now begun to stuff some clothes into her backpack, a pair of jeans and a sweater, quickly scanning her closet for anything else she might need.

"Forests can be dangerous too, especially at night and you're going to be all alone."

"Now you're starting to sound like my mother." Rose cocked an eyebrow at Melinda. "I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself."

"Fine, fine, you big girl, but I'm still three years older than you, so I'm allowed to be somewhat protective. I mean, what if you do encounter one of those elves?"

"What?" Rose pulled out some socks and underwear from the drawer in her closet. "Until just a few minutes ago you called them weirdoes and me crazy for believing in their existence and now you're worried that I might actually bump into one?"

"I'm just trying to cover all the corners."

"Well, if I happen to come across one, then I'll promise you that you'll be the first to hear about it."

"Fine, I'll settle for that. But you do know that you're going to miss the party over at Robert's house. And he's been dying to propose to you for ages!" Melinda crooned behind her.

"I know. That's exactly why I'm not going to be at that party and not anywhere near his house any time soon." Rose shifted around papers and books on her nightstand, work that she had brought home from her job at the library, and finally she fished out the train ticket, which she had used as bookmark, waving it in the air triumphantly.

"You know what's my opinion of Robert. He's nice enough, but he's just so full of himself, thinking that I'm going to say yes, just because he's landed that big job for himself." She huffed in indignation. "I don't know what he's thinking, but my affection cannot be bought. Wealth doesn't impress me." Her voice sounded slightly muffled from the bathroom, where she now jammed her toothbrush into a too small cosmetics bag.

"I'm sure that's not his plan," Melinda seemed slightly off-put. "Just give him a chance, will you? When you come back." She had that expectant look on her face when Rose emerged from the bathroom.

Rose tossed the cosmetics bag on top of everything else in the backpack with a drawn out sigh. "Fine, fine. But only because he's your brother. We can go for some coffee when I'm back. But don't get your hopes up."

"That's my girl." Melinda smiled brightly, emptying the last of her tea in one swig, dropping it on the saucer with a loud clang. "Shouldn't you be on your way already?"

Rose threw a glance at her watch. "Yes, you're right! Time for me to go!"

She grabbed her light coat, slid into her leather shoes, reached for her backpack and her bag, making sure once more that she had the book with her, the train ticket securely placed inside, and then she was all set. She kissed Melinda on the cheek and turned around to head for the door.

"Just let yourself out whenever you want. Oh, and you'll feed Antares like you promised? Twice a day, otherwise he'll be driving the whole neighbourhood crazy with his meowing." Rose was still lingering in the doorway, her hand on the door knob.

"Yes, of course. I'll take care of your sweetie boy. Don't you worry." Melinda shooed her away with her hands. "Now, begone already, the train isn't gonna wait for one crazy oddball like you."

"Only you get to call me crazy oddball and not have a shoe thrown at your head!" Rose said with a smirk and was gone.

"Hey, you forgot your umbrella!" Melinda called after her, but the door had already clicked shut.