Last we left on the night of her birthday celebration by the people of town of Lucian, when the incident that took place even today has many mythos surrounding it. It became such a big deal that many outsiders came banging on the doorstep of the town just to trace the celestial event that was almost hidden from the world had he stuck his landing. The forest then became a hindrance and Antony already wanted the forest gone, so by the efforts of towns people and this time government actually doing something, the forest got a clear path made in 4 years time and beyond that time the Astor family became a royalty. They were already people's royalty with the community banded together but now when the town essentially opened its doors, he was the sole importer of goods still, the goods that were rather hard to be brought in and took ton of his money and many failure now were easy to bring in meaning profits finally came by and with town's self sustaining agricultural practices, they now produced more for exporting and no doubt it was Antony Astor who got the contract thus making him thrive just about 5 times the community was thriving and with all the money in pocket, the man changed. For better, I mean he got lot of major constructions going but in the end he owns that land so there is a particular incentive behind but that is up for discussion. Point is 11 years have passed and their daughter is ever so lovely jubilee and strong.
***********************************************11 Years Later ******************************************
It was two days less than 11 exact years so pretty much on que of her day of birthday. Noelle was drumming up so much chaos across the kitchen through the lobby, up and down the corridors. The little munchkin now slightly less little and about to be 11 was just the life of party. It was after that night that the family were throwing her birthday party in house with all her neighborhood friends coming for the midnight sleepover. They had gotten the house renovated just now and it was like a palace. Rooms upon stack of rooms, corridors getting longer and longer, the decor was pretty striking too with all the chandeliers hanging on ceilings of 1st floor with no ground floor ceiling giving it the grandeur, the stairs having lights at the base that worked with sensor. It was always the game with her and Antony to see who triggers the light the most and Antony would always lose. Eliana and Nona shared the garden tea time together during the afternoons with little fancy umbrellas, toy cups, dolls and just about all the playsets she had need to be active at all times. Her mind though running at million miles all time never really translated to knowledge of the books, studies and all things writing. She had answer wonderfully, speak so fluently, even make friends quickly but when it mattered she had drop the ball, it sure did make her parents a bit frustrated but what can you say she is not even 11, still time to go
One thing that always would stand out and be the omen that she has linked to a celestial event of that magnitude so far back was her need to stargazing, it was no hobby, it was not out of childish curiosity but the sheer will it would take to make her skip a night, one time she was really ill and had to be taken to hospital a couple of years back and even then when both Antony and Eliana slept peacefully in night there she stood peering through the window just looking and looking her green intensified, the eyes just felt as if they were getting deeper and deeper in color. There was a reason there was no house party or especially a midnight party planned, even if the event was mere coincidence or to locals a fateful offering , both the parents did not really want the daughter to be affected by the rumors or the publicity because they knew it would die down, it always does, they did not want their daughter to grow up thinking this is the only reason people look at her or talk to her or have any weird thoughts in her mind. It made the locals a bit on edge since the chunk of publicity they had been missing and that made the seemingly questionable relations bit by bit hostile.
Enough of all the drama let's head towards the party, yeah its a big one. The parents having evening tea, kids playing around the house hide and seek. The party began at 9 p.m. and as the parents started to leave and Astor Estate locked its gates, The final hide and seek game had begun and Noelle chose to win this one, all she had to do was hide in the attic, the door that otherwise stays close was open during renovations and she went up hid there started messing about, when she stumbled in the closet the Lavender Sweater and as the time ticked by nobody came up, little miss Noelle got tired and the One Night had begun.
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Nona: Aahhh!!!! I just fell, wait, I JUST FELL
Strange Tall Girl: No silly you are still falling
Nona: Wait, wait, wait, who are you and why are you so tall
Tall Girl: Well falling does not wait for nobody you know
Nona: How, what, why what,????? its pitch black, is it a prank, it must be, come out guys its not funny, I know going in attic was not allowed mom, I am sorry. I mean a moment ago I was in the attic.
Tall Girl: Well silly then you must be face down still in attic, Maybe a dream, care to turn around, maybe Wake Up.....
(Minutes go by faster than expected)
Tall Girl with attitude: Hesitation in turning my dear, you know you would not stop falling
Nona: Aight aight, here nothing goes, booooomm!! The shining light, oh so bright, are those stars? Is this space, wait I am still falling.
Tall Girl with attitude: I told you, you would not stop.
Nona: I must be going crazy talking to myself, Myself? Wait are you me??
Tall Girl with attitude: Oh no. no no no no, No , I am your upgrade. You see we are different like the one you falling now and the one left behind in attic. You split two back home, now you again split two. Get it, I am you but not you.
Nona: Well clearly upgrades are not working. Seeing you talk just like me or even bitter
Tall Girl with attitude: I mean I am you intensified so
Nona: Just what am I going to do now,
Tall Girl with attitude: Did you not notice? you have been falling up.
Nona: Not helping. Why now you say that, huuuuhhhh!!, how, why, what physics? First of all its space I should not be alive. Nor should I fall upwards, I should float. Or is this space saying I am too heavy. And I definitely should not be two.
Tall Girl with attitude: Three actually.
Nona: Uuuuhhh!!! whatever, it feels like going down a spiral tube. Are those stars going round and round? Its like an illusion, I am definitely dreaming. Too many chocolates before bed, I know I shouldn't have trusted those chocolates wrapped in weird purple foil. Hey you, um Me, are you not scared, you are falling too you know.
Tall Girl with attitude: Me, hehe you, I have been falling forever you see. I am just your companion to the stars that feel like going round and round at the end of tube. I know it sounds like a sci- fi but I have already done so many times.
I started to get bored but I am happy. A younger one has appeared, first timer at that
Nona: What do you mean first timer? What do you mean young? I am practically a grown kid
I am 11, tonight is my 11th birthday.
(Suddenly she turned serious, the look all baffled, confused, nervous and excited all the same. She then gained some composure again and said)
Tall Girl with attitude: I see by now its already your 11th, here happy birthday little miss Nona.
Nona: Wait that's not, how do you know my nickname? and well thankyou, Me, no big Me, and happy birthday to you too big Me.
Tall Girl with attitude: Stop saying big Me, and my birth is not counted with yours, I am your image, a split, I am not real, maybe I am, still not clear on the rules here even after all this time.
Nona: I will cry you know, I am small kid, are you a ghost? because I am scared of them. Are you the doppelganger they say you shouldn't see or otherwise you die, (tears roll down her eyes)
Tall Girl with attitude: I, I am so sorry, no I am the one you can see, (rest will be the problem) she whispered,
Nona: No, no sorry, accept that its your birthday. Happy birthday, Me.
Tall Girl with attitude: Thankyou I guess, wait if its your 11th today. By any chance are you wearing a lavender sweater tonight with those golden laced designs across it.
Nona: Yes, its so beautiful, I always thought it was for someone else since its been there since I was one, but it came a perfect fit after I hid in the attic and went to look for clothes in closet, it just caught my eye. Why, is there a problem??
Tall Girl with attitude: Oh so you are the one that started it all, huh!! All the jumping and spelunking across the dimensions. I must say, I should have taken a hint when you came wearing those purple ribbons. Its your favourite color isn't it?
Nona: Is it not yours?
Tall Girl with attitude: No, not particularly
Nona: But you are wearing purple hoodie yourself
Tall Girl with attitude: I mean it is because of you
Nona: Wait what did you say about dimension jumping? What is that?
( all flustered she composed herself to bid the young her final bye for the while)
Tall Girl with attitude: Alright we reached quicker than I had expected, now whatever you see in that space. Its all true, its all important and its all too much for little you, but do not fret, you will understand in due time. The gates you opened today will cause ripple effects across be ready little one. And also for the love of god and your chocolates do not talk to any other you or me. I will not always be falling with you, but somedays I will. Come talk to me, seeing how nothing has gone wrong so far, you followed the rule well. Its your first time here and for long time last. Your jumps would not be this comfortable and floaty next time, so be ready. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, little me. Thanks for taking me on this adventure. Bye for now and understand that it will all be amazing.
(She had vanished seemingly in thin space from where she came from)
Nona: Stop calling me little me, gaaahhhh!! I do not understand anything but okay I will only talk to you sister Me, I will wait for you if I ever dream of it again, thanks for falling with me.
( as she closed her eyes before being surrounded by what seemed like stars to her, the moment nearing was something so out of her wildest of imaginations)
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So um, I am back but I could not listen in all that conversation. Yeah I know that makes me an unreliable narrator and what not but i would not be here always holding your hand you know but all the info I know is............
Time stopped for the briefest of moments. She was finally floating, but her eyes. They could not see it all neither could they comprehend, all the glowing 'Stars' were just like portals, screes other wonder holes just like the one she fell from, leading to many realities where she saw herself through the portals, upon reaching the all encompassing point, all of hers saw up at the same time. The shine of their eyes, the moment felt like a rift in time, a little thread not tightly knit and the thread tangling them all.
(In that moment, it felt like gates closing, someone closing a book, she had shut her eyes not to see them, and then she woke up)
Off the bed, crying, not tears of pain, sadness but sheer rile up of emotions, she remembered the cake cutting of her 11th birthday for which she was not there, as if there really was a split who was here, not understanding any of it, she went to bed, in the LAVENDER SWEATER of whose golden threads for the faintest of moment outshined the stars as the night came to pass. She was sleeping hugging her friends and all the warmth made her go back to sleep but was it real, a dream, what to believe? How to believe?
Who had thought that one night would turn into adventures of more than thousand lifetimes for someone, for her own, for others of her own. A birthday night of one in thousands much like 11 years ago. HAPPY BIRTHDAY young Nona. May the lavender and gold shine much like your eyes deeply entranced by nights like these and your world be blessed with wonders no one has ever seen before.