strange heirlooms

"I'm sure she wrote some weird stuff about my destiny in that note," you say, spinning in your desk chair to look at her.

/=Mom's been crying again=/, you think, seeing her puffy red eyes. It makes sense, Aunt Alice was her only aunt, and was the only living relative on her side of the family. Or had been, anyway. Until two weeks ago, when she wandered off on New Year's Day, and hadn't been seen since.

The authorities decided that she's dead somewhere, and they want to get her property sold to real estate developers as soon as possible. Her estate is worth millions, and the town is fading fast. You think it's too soon to sell it. A member of your family has lived there for 600 years, and you thought it would always be part of your life. You can't imagine not seeing it at the top of the hill in your village.

"She was odd, but..." Mom's eyes fill. You stand and embrace her.

"I know, Mom. She was weird in a wonderful way. I loved her too. It just got really hard in the last few years." Just after you turned 12 years old, Aunt Alice started saying things about her and my destinies being entwined.

Your mom nods, "It was hard on you. I'm not upset about that, honey. I'm going to go take a rest in my room... Waiting like this is exhausting." She leaves, and shuts the door behind her.