Between memories, love and legends, not everything that remains is visible.
It was a unique Friday afternoon in Landscape Brown, one of those days when the sky seems to play with our perception. At that moment, it was pink, casting a charming and picturesque air for anyone passing by.
Alessandro was walking absentmindedly when he spotted a young red-haired girl with long hair in Republic Square. He immediately noticed her… He approached; she was sitting on one of the cement benches.
“Hi, good afternoon!” Alessandro started without hesitation.
“Good afternoon, Alessandro. I’m Lucélia. How are you?”
She said my name. Am I that famous?
“I’m fine, dear, and you? Alone here?”
“I really like this place, you know? I love the aura it carries.”
“I also feel this place has a different aura… Do you come here often, Lucélia?”
She smiled, looking at the pink sky.
“Almost every afternoon. I like watching people go by, imagining their stories. And you, Alessandro? Why do you always come back here?”
He hesitated for a second, surprised by her precision.
“I guess… it’s just the way between work and home. Or maybe I just enjoy the silence of this square, even when it seems crowded. Do you like these stories?”
Lucélia looked away, her eyes shining in the evening light.
“Oh, I do… But some stories are better left for time to tell.”
Alessandro insisted, curious:
“That Colônia Cemetery had a pretty wild story not long ago… too creepy to even mention.”
She took a deep breath, lowered her voice:
“I know it well… Farbs and Joanna were found hanging by thick chains, wrapped around their necks and legs. There was a rusty iron device forcing their mouths into a wide smile… a grotesque, misshapen grin, as if mocking both life and death.”
Alessandro shivered on the spot.
“Wow, the way you tell it, you gave me chills, girl.”
Lucélia smiled softly, a bit melancholic.
“Some departures are truly, horrifically surreal.”
“It’s nice to know you come here often,” Alessandro blurted out.
“Really?” Lucélia replied, surprised.
“Yes, I’ll come as often as I can now.”
“I’ll hold you to that!” Lucélia smiled, relaxed, but there was something strange in her eyes.
“Scout’s honor.” Alessandro smiled too…
The mood between the two grew warmer. Alessandro thought of getting closer to Lucélia, but something inexplicable held him back.
Suddenly, he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. Startled, he answered:
“Mom?”
“Son, what’s going on? Do you have any idea what time it is?”
Alessandro glanced at the phone’s screen—03:03.
“Sorry, Mom, I’m already on my way.”
“Please, I’ll be waiting.”
“Okay, I’ll be home in a minute.”
Alessandro hung up, a bit embarrassed.
“My beautiful angel, I really have to go…”
“Oh, it was so nice… It’s so rare to find someone you connect with, like we did today.”
“I felt it too, Lucélia. I’m going, but… I’m taking you with me, okay?”
He felt like he saw a tear rolling down her cheek. Feeling awkward, he stood up, noticed the air felt colder, rubbed his arms.
“Aren’t you going home too?” he asked.
“I will. If you’re going, I’ll go too. But remember, Alessandro…”
Lucélia paused, her gaze distant.
“Sometimes, certain presences stay longer than we imagine.”
Alessandro felt like kissing Lucélia, looked into her eyes, and once again, for no reason, hesitated…
“So, I’m off. I’ll be back tomorrow at the same time,” Alessandro affirmed.
“I’ll be waiting. Don’t forget me, okay?”
Lucélia smiled with a strange sweetness, lowered her head, marking that moment in Alessandro’s heart and mind as he turned and walked away.
Walking home, Alessandro turned back after about twenty steps—the square was completely empty. He felt uneasy and quickened his pace.
At home:
Alessandro pushed open his mother’s bedroom door:
“Mom, I’m home.”
She got up and questioned:
“What was that, love? You were gone all day, didn’t call, nothing, Alê!”
“Mom, it’s just because I was nearby…”
“Where, Alessandro?”
“At the little square, Mom, here close by.”
“The Skull Square, near Colônia Cemetery?!”
“Skull Square? What’s that, Mom?”
“Son, that square has stories. Be careful there.” Dulce frowned. “There’s a lot of weird stuff. They say even today people see a red-haired girl wandering there… Haven’t you heard?”
Alessandro felt uneasy, thought of Lucélia, his heart already filled with love. Tomorrow, he’d have to go back to see that red-haired angel.
“Okay, Mom, I won’t go there anymore…” Alessandro went to her, kissed her cheek, then went to his room.
He undressed, grabbed his pajamas, and went for a shower.
Afterwards, he lay in bed, notebook in his lap. His mother’s words about the girl found dead kept echoing in his mind.
He typed: “Republic Square, Landscape Brown, red-haired girl found dead.” Hit enter…
The result sent a chill through him. On the screen, an old photo of Lucélia—red-haired, smiling for the camera.
The caption:
“Young Lucélia Bastos Zanine, found dead at Skull Square, Landscape Brown, 1997.”
Time stopped. Alessandro felt his heart shrink, his head spin, and the tears flowed freely.
In the silence of the room, he could almost hear her voice:
“I’ll be waiting… Don’t forget me, okay?”
The end 🌸
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