After the phantasm that gave him the shivers disappeared, Ferry flew straight to May's balcony. It was quiet. The night was still as if nothing happened. Ferry looked inside. He saw May sleeping peacefully in her bed, a slight smile in the corner of her mouth. He decided to spend the night on her balcony and guard her from — From what was he trying to guard her? Banshee was a fairy who foretold death. And death could come in many forms.

He sat in a corner of the balcony, his chin resting on his knees. He stood there, his thoughts wandering away until the first snippets of light drove away from the darkness of the night. He took another look inside. May slept just as peacefully, her face bright as a sunny day. Ferry left the balcony; it would have been difficult to justify his presence there in front of May's parents. At Lavender's house, he snuck in the parlor and carefully took the Book of Fairies out of the old chest's drawer. He heard a creak behind him and found Lavender in her chair by the fireplace.

"May I know where you've been?" she said in a harsh voice that Ferry had never heard before.

"I-- I was just wandering around ..." Ferry replied. He didn't want to talk about what she had seen for fear Lavender would consider it too dangerous for him to leave the house.

"Parsley and I were worried sick about you," she scolded him, ignoring his answer. "You know we can't get out of here. You know we can't search for you, especially Parsley. And I am too old to cross the town or the forest high and low in search of you!"

"I'm sorry ... I didn't mean to--"

"Listen, Ferry, I was once young, too," she said, and her voice softened a little. "I know what it's like to have feelings for someone. I know what it's like to always think about that person and want to see that person every day. But understand that things that happen in this town can be dangerous for all of us, but especially for you."

Ferry nodded, "I understand, Miss Lavender. I'll try to be more careful."

"Now tell me why you need the Book of Fairies," she asked without taking her eyes off him.

"Well ... I was thinking of flipping through it a little before it's time to go to school," he lied.

"You don't have to sneak in for that," Lavender smiled. "I'm glad you're finally interested in discovering your nature," she smiled.

Ferry also smiled and retreated to his room. He locked the door behind him, then began flipping through the thin, yellow pages that smelled of forest, mould, and berry jam. He found the pages that referred to the Solitary Fairies, of which Banshee, the herald of death, was also a part of. He began to read about the old whining fairy that only brought suffering with her. Each line gave him shiver down his spine.He found out that if Banshee moaned in front of a house for three days in a row, it meant someone would die in that house. Humans could not see or hear her, only the fairies.

When he finished reading, he closed the book and shivered like a dreadful dream. She didn't want May or her parents to suffer. May had been his friend for years, and although nothing had happened between them, he cared much for her. He was the most altruistic person he had ever known.

When the clock stroke seven in the morning, Ferry changed for school, threw some books and notebooks in his schoolbag, and hurried out. He arrived at May's house and watched the flower shop behind a thick tree across the road. He stayed in front of the house until May appeared. In her school uniform, May looked much younger than her real age. The girl smiled, slightly surprised when she saw him.

"Ferry, what are you doing here?" she asked.

"I was thinking of going to school together if you don't mind," he said.

"Of course I don't mind," she smiled.

They walked side by side for a while without saying a word, that sunny, warm morning.

"Is everything alright home?" he finally asked.

"Everything's fine. Dad has a lot of orders now that the wedding is coming, so it's a lot of work at the flower shop."

"I'm glad to hear that," Ferry said. "How are you?"

"Me? I haven't felt so good in a long, long time," she said, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye.

Ferry stopped walking and took a deep breath, "Listen, May, why don't you come to stay at Lavender's for a few days? We could talk, and you can help Parsley gardening. You could sleep in my room. I wouldn't mind sleeping on the couch ..."

May frowned, "Why would I do that? I can't, Ferry. It's a lot of work at the shop. I can't leave my parents all by themselves now. And you have your job at the mansion. But you can come and see me as often as you like. I've waited for you so many times on the balcony..." she softly said.

"I will be there. Tonight. I promise," he said.

"I can't wait," she said, her eyes smiling.

They had already arrived at school. They parted ways in front of her class. Ferry promised to wait for her after school to take her home. Several girls elbowed each other, whispering that Ferry and May made the cutest couple in school.

*

At work, he could barely concentrate. He had a strange feeling. The day was clear and warm, and the summer so close. Yet Ferry felt black clouds huddle above him. He couldn't see them, but he felt them, heavy and stifling, making the air around hard to breathe.

Ol' Joseph gave him the task of trimming the bushes of the maze. They had grown tall,l like the walls of a fortress that had only the sky as a ceiling. They all had to be at the same height: ten feet. Ferry, though tall, needed a ladder for that. Even though he had learned the map of the maze by heart, that place still made him shiver. After a few hours of working, he felt a terrible thirst burning his throat. He decided to take a break. He got out of the maze and headed to the kitchen. His mother was already looking for him with a large glass of lemonade.

"I think I should talk to Ol' Joseph to lend you one of his hats," she said, shaking her head. 

"It's so hot, darling. I don't want you to feel sick in that place. Even if you shouted from there, no one would hear you."

Ferry took the glass from his mother's hand and drank it in one sip.

"Mum, I'd look ridiculous with that hat on my head," he said.

"You? Never. You're so handsome," she said, wiping a stain from his face.

"Mum, stop," he said, looking around. "I'm not a child anymore."

His mother wrapped him in a warm look, "I know you're not, sweetheart," she smiled, gently stroking his cheek. "Let's find a place with some shade," she said, walking ahead of him down the alley to the back of the mansion.

They sat on their bench where they always sat when the weather was fine. His mother seemed preoccupied with something. She was constantly wringing her hands, looking in the distance.

"Mum, is something wrong?" Ferry asked. "Is everything alright home?"

His mother forced herself to smile, "Yes, everything's fine, don't worry. It's just that--"

"What?"

"I saw someone lurking around here..."

"What do you mean?" said Ferry, feeling restless all of a sudden. "What does it look like?"

"I couldn't see its face very well. Only a silhouette. Wearing a hood. And he had a funny walk ..." she said, shivering. "As if he limped ..."

"He?"

"Yes. It looked like a man. A tall man."

Ferry was getting more and more anxious. "Where did you see him?"

"Here, behind the kitchen ... Then on our street. Then by the grocery store. Always in the evening. Always hiding in the dark ... Sometimes, I feel like--"

"Like what?" Ferry asked, shivering.

"I don't know ... So much has happened lately ... My return home, Andrew's departure, Bianca's disappearance, Mr. Pride's return ... Sometimes, you wish you didn't see the things you saw ... You didn't know the things you knew ..."

"Mr. Pride is back?" Ferry asked.

"Yes. I think he has to prepare everything for the Quest."

"I know. We've already started preparing the maze for that... gathering."

"That and ... the preparations for Mr. Pride's guest. He's coming for the Quest. Every time the Quest takes place, he's always here."

"What does this Quest really mean, Mum? Why is it so important to Mr. Pride?"

"I don't know ... Employees are free during that time. Everything is guarded. Everything is a secret. As if the fate of this town depended on it ..."

Ferry gave it a thought. A black crow croaked in the tree next to them, and Ferry shivered.

"This town and its people ..." he said. "So many lies. So many secrets. Nothing is what it seems."

His mother looked at him and tried to put some order in his hair full of leaves and branches. "That's why I want you to come home, darling. I would be more at ease if I knew you at home. You would be much safer at home with everything that happens in this town."

"I'll come home, Mum. I promise. I just have to take care of some things until then. It will only take a few days. Then I'll be home."

*

That day, Ferry was doing some extra hours at the Pride Mansion. After working in the maze, he had to arrange the lawn and the rose beds in front of the terrace. He was alone. Ol' Joseph had to retreat to his cottage, complaining of rheumatism preventing him from standing too long.

The lights went out one by one, and the mansion was soon plunged into darkness. In the moonlight, Ferry noticed a shadow creeping past the walls of the house. Kian. He wore the same dark cloak that covered him completely. Ferry let go of his tools and started quietly behind him. Kian reached the terrace where Billy was looking at the sky as usual. This time, Kian no longer stood hidden. He climbed the hanging plants on the walls and jump on the balcony. Billy startled at the sight of him. But Kian remained in the shadows in the corner of the balcony.

"Andrew ..." Billy whispered. "What are you doing here?"

"I had to see you ..."

Billy wanted to get closer to him, but Kian took a step back, remaining in the shadows.

"I came to say goodbye ..."

"You're leaving ..." Billy said in a faint voice. "Why?" he asked. "Where? Do you have anything to do with the disappearance of that girl? Bianca Knight?"

"No..."

"Do you know anything about her disappearance?"

Kian didn't answer.

"Don't think I didn't realize it," Billy continued. "Strange things are happening in this town, and somehow, they have to do with the Quest. Every time someone disappears without a trace and no longer appears, the Quest takes place. When Danny disappeared seven years ago and then reappeared, the Quest didn't take place. If Bianca doesn't show up by then, it means that this year's Quest will happen. I feel like my parents know more about this. I feel like you know more about this ... Why can't you tell me, Andrew? Tell me ... Please ..." he softly begged him.

Kian shook his head no. "You'd better not know, Billy. It's better to stay away from all this..."

"I can't. This year I'm going to take part in the Quest for the first time. This year marks my initiation."

At the sound of his words, Kian came closer and shook him by the shoulders, "Don't be a part of this, Billy! You hear me?" he said, barely breathing. "Don't take part in this! Promise me!"

Billy shook his head. "Dad is making me do it. I have to."

"No, you don't have to! You are not like them. Don't let them put that stain on your soul! Because once you start, you won't be able to stop."

"What are you talking about?" Billy asked, trying to keep his voice down. "You always say so many things when you don't really tell me anything," he raised his voice. Why aren't you talking to me? Why don't you trust me?"

"That's not true, Billy," Kian replied and his voice broke. "I trust you more than anyone else. It's just— I'm not really the best person around here ... If you knew I was completely different than you always thought I was, would you still love me?"

"Of course I'd still love you," Billy said, getting even closer. Kian didn't walk away this time. "You say you're not good. But I saw the good in you. You helped me discover what's best in me. And see the good in others. Only someone with a kind soul can do that."

Kian shook his head, "Our story must end. It's better for both of us ..."

"No, it's not!" said Billy, putting his hand on Kian's shoulder and gently stroking it. "How can we be better off without each other when it brings us so much suffering? Let me come with you," he begged. "We can leave this bloody place. We can be happy together."

"We can't, Billy ..." Kian said softly. "They-- they won't let us. They'll find us wherever we go. We'll be forced to hide our entire lives. This is not the life you deserve ..."

"I don't care!" Billy shouted. "I don't care as long as I'm with you. Take me with you. Please..."

Kian touched his cheek and wiped away the tear dripping down his chin.

"Don't cry, my love," he softly said. "You should be happy that we both lived through this. I know I am. A love like ours, so pure, so whole, appears so rarely in this world and in many others beyond ... It's like a ray of light breaching through the darkness of the deepest cave..."

Billy didn't answer. He buried his face in Kian's shoulder and cried. Kian held him in his arms for a while. Then he slowly detached from Billy's embrace and took a few steps away from him. He gave him one last look, then jumped off the terrace and lost himself in the dark, dragging his body as if a burden. Billy stood there, looking behind him, tears falling down his cheeks. Then he went inside, taking his sadness with him.

Ferry waited under the terrace for a while, not knowing what to think. Was Andrew the ghost that lurked around the town and its surroundings that his mother had seen? The night's cloak descended over the garden. In the moonlight, a drop of silver shone in the black grass.

*

He flew like lightning to May's house. He had promised Lavender he would be back early that night. May's room was lit. She was waiting for him.

"I knew you'd come," she told him as soon as she saw him.

"I promised you, didn't I?" he said.

May smiled. She took him by the hand and gently pulled him to the bench on her flowered balcony. Ferry sat down. His back was stiff, and he looked straight ahead of him. May sat next to him and rested her head on his shoulder. The strong scent of petunias and the sweet tobacco filled the night's air, making it difficult to breathe.

"I wish we could stay this way forever," she said softly, and Ferry felt a shadow of sadness in her voice. "I wish there was no tomorrow ..."

Ferry's back was just as straight and stiff. He thought about how much May's gesture would have meant to him just two months ago. And now ... Now he wished he was in Lavender's garden, eating cherries with Matilda under the caress of the moon, and playing who spat the seeds as far as possible; tell one of his bad jokes; she would laugh, not because the joke was good, but because how bad it was. She once decided Ferry didn't have a sense of humor and did not understand people's jokes; not even the fairy jokes, for that matter. And he wasn't the sharpest tool in the toolbox, either ... But it didn't bother him. She always spoke the truth, anytime, to anyone ...

"I may not have to go to the Big City this summer," May interrupted his dream. "My aunt is feeling better."

"I'm glad to hear that," Ferry said because he didn't know what else to say.

May held his hand and adjusted her head on his shoulder. Ferry didn't budge, barely breathing. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her smiling, her eyes closed. He hoped with all his heart that May would fall asleep and that he would be able to watch over her in a more comfortable position. His neck was stiff, too, and began to hurt.

He was about to ask May to show him the flower he had given when the silence of the night was interrupted by a distant sound. A clapping. He startled. May felt his uneasiness.

"Ferry, what is it?"

He got up from the bench and listened carefully.

"May, go inside and don't come out, whatever happens," he said, barely breathing. "I'm coming tomorrow to pick you up for school. Go! Now!"

May read the despair in his eyes. She went inside, locking the door behind her. Ferry jumped off the balcony and hid behind the tree near May's house.

The clapping was now closer. And soon, it was accompanied by the long wailing that made the air around tremble. At the corner of the street, the Banshee appeared, blacker than darkness. She floated above the streets like a cloud of ashes, ever bigger, ever threatening. And, to Ferry's despair, she stopped in front of May's house again. She took her head in her hands and began to whimper, crouching on the ground. The black, undefined matter, crouched in front of May's house, gave Ferry shivers. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't take his eyes off her. After finishing her wailing song, the phantasms scattered before his eyes, leaving behind a vague smell of rotten flowers.

*

Ferry accompanied May to school the next day, too. He greeted her briefly, then walked beside her without saying a word.

"Ferry, what's going on?" she asked after a while. "Don't get me wrong. I like spending time with you. I like to see you every day. I've been waiting for you on the balcony for two months, every night ... And you didn't come ... But I don't blame you for that. I know you've had a lot on your mind lately. But why now?"

Her questions confused him. Ferry had always liked May's company. Her presence had always brought him peace like sunshine on the gloomiest day. Her friendship was important to him. It probably always had been. And even though his feelings for her changed, he didn't want anything bad to happen to her. But he couldn't tell her. He would only make her worried. And she didn't know how to defend herself from what was going to happen.

He sighed heavily before answering, "I don't know, May ... It's just this feeling that keeps coming over me. That something bad is going to happen ..."

They had already arrived at the school and stopped for a while in the schoolyard before everyone went to class.

"Didn't enough happen?" she asked. "I mean, Bianca hasn't returned yet. Nor our friends."

Ferry shook his head, "That's not it. There's something else. Something about this town. Something that can't be seen, but that floats in the air over this place ... Something old and threatening ... And I don't want anything bad to happen to the people I care about," he said, looking away.

"You're so kind, Ferry. And so sweet when you care," May said, and softly kissed him on the cheek, very close to the corner of his mouth. Her lips waited for a moment in the corner of his lips. Ferry made no move. He just stood there, with May's kiss so close to his kiss, but somehow not the same one. May's lips slowly parted from his cheek, and she walked away. She turned before going inside the school and smiled at him.

Ferry stood there, motionless. Around him, the other students glared at him, some laughing, others giggling. Matilda, who just entered the school's gate and saw the whole scene, seemed less than pleased. She passed by Ferry without looking at him. Ferry felt the fresh scent of her hair as she walked him by. He followed her inside.

"Matt, wait," he shouted behind her.

But she didn't stop. On the contrary, she walked even faster. Ferry had to run to catch up, bumping into several students on his way. Matilda finally stopped in front of her locker.

"What do you want, Ferry?" she said with a sigh.

"I wanted to see how you were doing," he said, catching his breath.

"I'm fine, thank you," she said, looking at him through squinted eyes. "Not that you care too much, anyway. If you cared, you would have come to see me. I haven't got a sign from you since Sage left. But now I see you had other ... concerns."

"Matt, it's not what you think ... I wanted to come and see you so many times. Before and after Sage left. It's just--"

"Just what?" she asked, her arms crossed.

Ferry didn't answer. He couldn't tell her about his deal with Sage.

"You know what, Ferry?" she said, looking him straight in the eye, "you can do whatever you want. You can be with whoever you want. I'm tired of chasing the wind. If you want to be with May, just be with her already! I shouldn't care, anyway!"

"Matt, that's not it, I swear," he told her, trying to hold her hand.

But she pulled it away. "No. I'm tired of this game," she softly said, trying to hold back the tears. "It's not your fault. It's my fault, mine alone. Because I'm a fool thinking, you might feel something for me," she said, slamming the locker's door and walking away like a storm.

Ben and Celia saw the whole scene. Matilda didn't even see them as she passed them by. Celia exchanged glances with Ben and headed for her class, not before giving Ferry a disapproving look. 

Ben came closer to his friend who leaned against Matilda's locker, still looking behind her."Ferry, what's going on? Are you chasing May again?"

Ferry shook his head no. He took Ben to a more secluded spot at the end of the corridor, away from prying eyes and ears.

"I saw a Banshee in front of May's house," he whispered.

Ben turned pale, "This means that--"

"Someone in that house is going to die," Ferry said. "That's what happened the last time I saw a Banshee in front of Matilda's house. Her grandmother died. And ... I don't want May to die, Ben. She's my friend and I care about her. I want to protect her. That's why I follow her everywhere."

"Are you absolutely sure it was a Banshee?" Ben asked.

"Yes, Ben. I looked in Lavender's fairy book. If she cries three days in a row in front of a house, someone in that house will die," Ferry said in a faded voice. "She has already cried for two days in a row."

Ben scratched the back of his neck. "Will someone in that house die or will someone die in that house?" he asked.

"What's the difference?" Ferry wondered.

"The difference is that if someone dies in that house, it can be anyone who enters that house. Not necessarily someone from May's family."

*

The coming of a wedding always brought joy and uproar in the small town guarded by hills. All the local people were happy to help with whatever they could to prepare for the big event. Some were helping in the kitchen. Others with the cleaning. Some to decorate the garden where the wedding ceremony and party took place. Others accompanied the groom shopping or tailoring. In the days before the wedding, it engulfed the whole town in a contagious rumor. So contagious, that most locals forget that a girl had disappeared from among them as if the earth had swallowed her.

Ferry could not enjoy the enthusiasm he met everywhere, in the town, at school, or at the mansion. All that everyone talked about was the wedding. Bianca's disappearance, Ben's sadness, the departure of his guards, Matilda's stubbornness, and now the danger that awaited May had completely robbed him of his peace. He could no longer focus on anything, whether it was school, work, or training. He couldn't eat anymore. He couldn't sleep anymore. He felt a weight in his chest like a claw that would not let him breathe.

That day with clear skies, Ol' Joseph caught him staring blankly, a hoe in his hand.

"Those flowers won't plant by themselves," he scolded him. Ferry winced and began to dig hard. But after a few minutes, his enthusiasm faded again.

"Leave those flowers," said Ol' Joseph. "Better take these pots of petunia seedlings to the florist. Basil Flower said he has some mixes to make them grow faster until the wedding. As if a florist knows better than a gardener," he muttered. "But if the Master says he's good--" he said, gesturing.

Ferry quickly dropped his tools and headed for the flowerpots stroller, fearing Ol' Joseph would change his mind. That way he would have the opportunity to better protect May.

He arrived sooner than he thought, even though he had to pull the carts behind him. He abandoned them in the backyard, then entered the flower shop. He started calling May's name as he entered. Her parents, behind the counter, exchanged some curious glances when they saw him. But Ferry didn't have time for that.

May stepped out of the back storage room upon hearing his shouts.

"Ferry, something happened?" she asked.

"No," he said, catching his breath. "I just wanted to know how you were."

"I'm fine, Ferry," she said, caressing his cheek. "I was with the girls in the back. We have to decide what the corsages and buttonners of the guests will look like."

Ferry saw several faces, including Celia's, studying him. The girls elbowed and giggled at the sight of him. He smiled at them, feeling a bit awkward. Suddenly, the flower shop had become extremely crowded.

"Ferry, would you be kind to take the cart to the greenhouse?" May's mother asked.

"Sure, Mrs. Flower" Ferry said, glad to get rid of the girls' inquisitive eyes.

He didn't even get out the door, he could already hear them laughing and giggling behind his back.

"You have to admit, May, Ferry is mad about you," said one of them. He's always been. Why don't you give him a chance? You make such a nice couple ..."

Ferry went out before he could hear May's answer. In the greenhouse, he found his mother taking some marigolds out of the nurseries. Bella, Ben's sister, helped her.

"Mum, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, Ferry, darling," she said, and her face lit up at his sight. "Mary, the bride's mother, asked me to take these seedlings to her garden. Bella was nice to help me."

Ferry greeted the girl. Bella blushed to the tip of her ears and looked away, pretending to be preoccupied with the flowers.

"Why are there so many people in the flower shop?" he asked his mother.

"Sweetheart, I think everyone is happy to help. This is how they keep their mind away from the trouble that fell over this town. This wedding comes as a break for everyone. You don't have to judge them ..."

"I don't judge them," Ferry said. "I just don't understand how some can be so relaxed as if nothing happened while others can't sleep or eat because they don't know what's going on with their missing girl."

"I know that, darling ... But we can't change people ... Some things never change, and we have to accept that," she said in a tone that made Ferry wonder. "Let's go now, Ol' Joseph is probably waiting for you."

Ferry followed his mother when Danny Stevens suddenly appeared at the door of the greenhouse. Bella, who had so far removed the flower seedlings, looked up and her eyes smiled at Danny's sight.

"Can I talk to you?" he asked Ferry.

"I have to go, darling," said his mother. "Take care of yourself, okay?" she told him, cupping his face before she left.

Ferry nodded. Danny came closer. He avoided his gaze."I wanted to ask you something ..." he hesitated. "I wanted to know if you know if Matt has a partner for the wedding. Now that you're with May ... Maybe— Maybe she'd like to go with me ..."

Ferry felt a wave of heat taking him over, "I don't think weddings are Matt's favorite ways of spending time," he said dryly. "And May and I are just friends," he felt the need to add.

"Yes, sure ..." Danny laughed. "You've been chasing May for years. I saw how close you became the last few days."

Ferry wanted to punch him. But it was not the time or the place.

"I say you're asking Matt in vain," he said instead. "I don't think she's going to this wedding. Not with you, nor with anyone else," he said and left the greenhouse because the air had become too heavy.

Danny followed him. "It doesn't hurt to ask, anyway," he said, hitting Ferry's arm with his shoulder on the way out.

Bella, who watched the whole scene, stepped closer to Ferry. "Matilda is a lucky girl. Danny is a good boy. He's good at football and so handsome," she said dreamily. Then, realizing that she said too much, she added, "It must be nice to have two of the most popular boys in school following you ..."

Ferry wanted to tell her that any boy would be lucky to have a girl like Matilda by his side. But a clapping sound made him stop.

He ran out of the back garden of May's house, slipped among the people coming in and out of the flower shop, and out into the street. The sun was about to set, rolling like a ball of fire on the horizon. The soft afternoon light fell over the street, making houses and people look like they had been taken from a story with golden characters. The voices scattered, the silhouettes of the people faded. Ferry was barely walking slowly as if dreaming. Time seemed to slow down endlessly.

Then he saw her, crouching by the tree across the road. He slowly walked toward her. So slow, that the road seemed like an eternity. It was quiet. A heavy silence broke only by the longest and most frightening whimper than. He was now in front of her. He could see her in the warm light. He kneeled in front of her. Her long hair flowed over her shoulders, tangled and yellowed by the time. She wore a gray cloak over her green dress and a black veil covered her face. But what terrified him most were her eyes. Empty, haunting, red eyes from the endless crying. Ferry looked straight at her. But she didn't seem to see him, looking at the house behind him. May's house.

Ferry felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Ben.

"Ferry, are you okay?" he asked.

Ferry did not move. "Ben, can you see her?" he whispered without taking his eyes off the ghost in front of his eyes.

Ben approached and fell to his knees, just like him. "What do you see?" he asked."It's her. The Banshee," he said softly as if he was afraid he would bother her. "It's just ... she's different from the one I saw in front of Matilda's house when I was a child."

"I can't see her, Ferr ..." Ben said. "Maybe you're tired. Maybe you're just imagining."

Ferry shook his head, "She's real ..."

Then the old hag took her head in her hands and a long and deafening scream came out of her throat. Ferry covered his ears with his hands and kept his eyes shut. He only opened them after hearing the clapping. Clap! The phantasm was gone.

Ben helped him stand up, seeing him so devastated.

"Why don't you go home, Ferr? You don't look too good. You need to rest."

"I can't, Ben," Ferry said softly. "I can't when I know someone is going to die." Then, turning to him, "Why are you here?"

"Celia told me to meet at May's to help with the wedding preparations."

Ferry shook his head stubbornly, "Don't go into that house, Ben! Too many have already entered that house ... Not you, too ..."

Ben frowned, "I can't help it, Ferr ..." he said softly. "Celia is there ... If anything happens to her, I— I wouldn't want to live without her ..."

Then he forced a smile and went into the flower shop.

*

The sky was clear that day, at the end of spring. It was warm and quiet. Only the many voices of the wind whispered in the leaves. Ferry refreshed the rows of bushes on the edge of the terrace. He worked hard, without stopping. He hadn't slept all night. He could feel a vein pounding on his neck. He was waiting. What was he waiting for? He didn't know. But he knew for sure something was to happen. The feeling had become so strong, he felt his head explode.

On the lawn in front of the terrace, there was no one but him. It was hot and everyone had found work inside or in the shade of the trees. He didn't want that. He wanted to absorb all the heat, and allow it to suffocate him. Maybe the pain that would follow would be easier to bear. He heard voices behind him; voices that turned ever louder, ever closer. He could hear rushed footsteps and heavy breathing. He got up. He wasn't ready. But he couldn't stop the tangled threads of fatality pulling him into the abyss.

"Ferry ..." he heard behind him, almost a whisper.

He turned and found Ben. He could barely breathe. He was pale and his clothes were soaked in sweat.

"You have to go to May's house," he said in a faded voice. "Something happened..."

Ferry didn't wait any longer. He rushed like the wind, his heart racing to break his chest. He didn't know how he got to May's house. People were crowding in front of the flower shop. They made room for him to pass. He didn't recognize any of them. Or maybe his mind was too tormented to recognize them.

He went into the flower shop. Other faces. Other torments.

"May! May!" he shouted.

"Ferry, in the greenhouse," someone told him.

Ferry went out into the backyard and ran to the greenhouse. He had the impression that his legs were tangled and could fall at every step. It felt like a nightmare. It had to be a nightmare. In front of the greenhouse, other people. They all turned to him and made way for him to enter. He found May at the entrance. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She hugged him.

"May, what's going on?" he asked in a voice that did not sound his own.

May let go of the hug. And then he saw her. His mother. Lying on the ground, among pieces of broken flowerpots, dirt, tender plants, and fresh, shiny flowers. He fell to his knees beside her and took her hand in his.

"Mum..."

"Ferry, my dear," she whispered, "you came ... I knew you'd come..."

"Mum ..." he repeated, feeling tears burning on his face.

She raised a trembling hand and motioned for him to come closer. He brought his ear to her dry lips.

"Beware of ... the hooded man..." she said, breathing hard.

"Mum, please ... Somebody call a doctor!" he shouted at the people around him.

She squeezed his hand harder, "I want you... to me promise me something ..."

"No, Mum," he said through tears, "don't say that. You can't--"

"Promise me you'll find your father's lost son ... Promise me, Ferry! ..."

"I promise, Mum," he said between sobs.

"And promise me that you will follow your own path ... and you will be happy..."

"I will, Mum," he whispered, placing her hand on his wet cheek. "I promise ... Please ... You can't leave. I want to tell you... Tell you that I'm not... I'm—"

Her eyes sank into tears, and he reflected himself in the love inside them. "You don't have to tell me anything, my dearest. I know..."

"Mum ... Don't go... Don't leave me ..." he cried.

"I'll never leave you. I will always be with you. Always, my sweet, sweet boy..." she smiled.

She then caressed his face one last time, wrapped him in the endless love of her eyes, and left.

Ferry held her, pressing his tears to her forehead. He rocked her, holding her tightly in his arms. And he cried like he never cried before. The tears he cried before were not tears. The sadness he felt before was not sadness. The void in which he thought he had sunk was not a void. And nothing could fill the new, endless one.

Around him, he only saw silhouettes moving. He didn't recognize any. They were all just faceless shadows.

He only recognized Matilda's warm arms, for which he had longed for so long, wrapped around him, holding him so hard, he could feel her heart beating inside his body; but not even she could bring him comfort. Not even her soft touch, nor her tears that mingled with his, could fill the void that was growing inside him, ever deeper...

"Mum..."