1 1. Trip to Italy

"Just take parts of my soul.

They are yours to begin with.

I just kept them safe for you."

                                               - E. E. B.

EMA's point of view

For the first time in my life, I'm leaving my homeland to see quite famous country Italy. Not to be romantic, but that is a land of Romeo and Juliet, place of Verona and Venice, simply place of pure love.

But don't mind all those romantic places. I'm going to Gardaland. The best amusement, adrenaline and adventure park in whole Italy with my dad and my two years older brother Luka.

Being the only woman in the house is a hard thing to live trough, but I manage. Yes, my brother is the laziest person on planet Earth, but I still adore that bastard. Like most of siblings, we fight, but we have our moments where he is more of a best friend to me than my enemy. My dad is a hardworking man. Not often at home, but that's acceptable. He loves me more than himself. Both me and my brother. Ever since my mother passed away, we are all he had left to love. And we love him too.

Not even all adventures, but this car ride is the best part of our three-day trip. I love car rides, especially long ones. I have time to think over everything, study, enjoy music, talk with dad a bit, sleep... endless options! Every single car ride seems to be too short for my liking so I was really looking forward this one since we'll spend 11 hours in a car. We don't travel a lot. Only some school trips around my homeland Croatia, but never family trips like this one.

I made myself cozy and comfy in back seat so my brother Luka could enjoy in passenger seat, next to our dad. Dad and Luka share some kind of invisible connection and they just understand each other so well. Everything was just so perfect.

Luka and I look pretty similar. We both have dark brown hair. His is much shorter, while mine is to my shoulders. A bit longer than that. We both have similar faces and baby blue eyes like our mom. Our smiles are similar and he are both addicted to wearing hoodies. Our styles and likings are similar since we always spend a lot of time together.

Now, I think it would be pretty important for me to add that I have some kind of power. Even I don't understand it, but I have it.

First I thought I was sick since what I could do was not normal. You see... I could create hallucinations. It came out of nowhere one day, eight years ago. I was nine at the time and I knew it was not normal for me to have possibility to make people see what isn't there. I didn't pay too much attention to it, thinking that it must have been because I was going through some things at the time but it got stronger.

Every single time my mom would check my room if it was clean, I would wish she didn't notice all the mess I left on the desk – she never did. Not once. Soon, it was everywhere. When my teacher would randomly call out a kid to read out loud, my name was never called because I wished she couldn't see it.

Those things were so small and unimportant, but I've noticed the changes. Even for myself. I would come home wishing that my brother was asleep so I could go to sleep right away since we were in the same room. I would walk into my room, my brother would be sound asleep in his bed. So I turned off the lights. Then my brother, that was doing his homework on his desk, would be mad that I turned off the lights.

One thing led to another, and here am I. In dad's car with my body, on sunny beach in my mind. Not alone, of course.

My brother noticed changes on me too, only after mom died, and started to ask me questions. My mom died when I was 11 and I got my powers when I was 9, so I mastered them quite well by then.

I told him and he was surprised. He even said that I should see a doctor, but over time he fell in love with my powers too. Even if they were still weak then, he adored every detail I would create for him. He loved every single butterfly that would fly around him when he felt stressed with school. Through them we became closer. Every night we would both visit small place in the woods that we saw once we were little. We would prank people by making them think there was a wall in front of them and laugh until out tummies hurt. We became friends over them.

I never told my dad. He was way too tired all the time and I didn't want to bother him with some more stress.

I would often wonder if there are more people like me. I would google it all the time to see did anything change. Yes, there were people who would claim to be magical, but not in a way I was. They made blogs about witchcraft and sirens, but I didn't look for that. I don't know how, but I just knew I didn't look for that. I don't know how to explain it, but it was like someone told me that was not it. Except that nobody really told me anything.

I bit my lip just by thinking that I may be the only one. It annoyed me to think that I will have to deal with this power by myself. Especially now that it's getting stronger. I just want someone to relate to. I'm able to create clearer images and place a person in whole new environment when in past I could just add small detail in was already existed. Sometimes I even fear them.

Time passed way too soon and car stopped in front of huge hotel. Name read L'Altro. I have no idea what that means, but damn, this place is fancy.

"Dad, how did you afford this place?" Luka asked him. My dad smiled a bit. "Well, I saved some more money so we could have good vacation. But don't expect any trips anytime soon, okay?"

Both me and Luka nodded. We were glad dad took us here but we would be okay with sleeping in a car too. Money was never a problem to us, but we never spend it on expensive stuff.

As soon as we got into our hotel, some staff women asked us to take our bags. That was the strangest thing ever since she had no idea who we were, but okay. I'm not going to question any Italian ways and just go with the flow. Unlike me, Luka was a bit reluctant in letting his precious bags over. After dad graciously elbowed him, Luka handed over his bag with clothes but insisted that his laptop stays with him. Dad was okay with that. Luka's laptop had all his studies and it would be a shame to lose it all.

We came to reception where a very pretty woman in blue attire typed something in her computer. Dad talked with her for few minutes in Italian since he was fluent in it. Before he met my mother, he lived in Italy. He loved my mom so much that he gave up the country he grew up in just to be with her. Luka and I watched around while he spoke. This hotel had huge lobby and big door that led to dining room, I think.

"La tua stanza è il numero duecentotre. Goditi la serata!" woman spoke to my dad, smiling generously. We left with keys to our room towards big, golden – like hall. At first, there were no doors towards rooms, but as we kept walking, doors started to appear. They were all wooden, but nice kind of wooden. Ritch kind of wooden.

After walking some more and Luka complaining that our room is way too far, we reached room 203. It had golden numbers engraved so it looked super fancy and expensive. I just couldn't get used to all this glamour.

Dad unlocked our room with key we got from that pretty lady. Then it hit us. That was not a room, it was a whole apartment. Three separate rooms, a bathroom and a living room with fancy couch and big television.

"Dad, seriously, how did you afford this?" this time I asked. This all looked way too expensive for us, normal Croatian people.

"I went to College with the owner of this place and he made me a great deal. I talked to you about him. He was the one who kept like thousands pencils in his bag.", dad said and giggled like a child for a second.

"Bunara, right?" my brother said. He was way too closer with dad then I was and he listened to every single story from his school and college days, unlike me.

"Yes, Bunara. He has a daughter your age Luka. Maybe you could get us into the family?" dad said jokily. My brother just sighed since he was taken. Luka had been dating his girlfriend Katie for four years now and he is planning on proposing to her one day. Yes, he is well aware that they are very young, but four years is a long time and they are still in love very deeply. Every time I see her, I can see in her face how much she loves my brother. I do sometimes think that they will break up like most of people these days, but my brother grew up in family where two people loved each other every day. He learned how to be a good boyfriend and how to show affection to his lovely Katie. Even I gave him some tips.

I even tested her by having my personal creations coming to her and asking her on dates. I made her see boys much more handsome than my brother is. Boys with expensive clothes and jewelry. But Katie would always politely refuse and say that she has a boyfriend.

Anyway, this hotel room was gorgeous. I went to see three rooms that I still had left to see and damn... they were even better than living room. Every single room had a television, king size bed, wardrobe, a big window with view on Italy and a nightstand next to bed.

I was mesmerized by it.

It was no problem for us to decide which room will who have since they looked the same. I took the first room you see when you walk into our hotel room. Or hotel apartment. Or whatever this place was.

Our bags were waiting for us next to couch so we took them to our rooms. I didn't unpack since we are only staying for three days, but my brother did. He perfectly sorted his clothes once again and put them in big wardrobe in his room.

By this point sun already disappeared and moon took over. It was somewhere around midnight and I felt exhausted. Dad said that we are getting up early for breakfast. Plus, he wants to meet up with mister Bunara in big dining room so they could chat about old days while we eat.

I took a shower in big bathroom we got, right after Luka. After that I put on my pajama and went to my big bed. It was comfy, but too big for my likings. There was just too much empty place for me to feel content. Still, I didn't want to be picky. I hugged the extra pillow just like I used to hug my mom when I was younger. Old habits die hard, right?

I set up my alarm for six in the morning and turned on some soft, sweet music I found on YouTube.

Tomorrow is going to be a long day, I can feel it.