Beyond the wall

It's been a long time since I last recorded something in my diary, and not just hastily noted on whatever I had on hand. I can't even find the previous notes. Guess I’ll have to rely on my memory. A lot of stuff has happened, and I’ve experienced a lot. Things that I could not even dream about. I’ve met some very interesting people, seen countless natural wonders, and lived through some remarkable experiences, but above all, I’ve gained a lifelong friend who enabled me to embark on such an incredible adventure. Which is not so strange, considering that she is so incredible as well. Maybe it would be a good idea to start from the very beginning. I will remember our first meeting for as long as I’m alive. It took place many years ago when I was still a curious little girl, eager for games and adventures...

 

It was the morning like any other, the parents were away again. While sitting in a reed chair after the breakfast Mira left for me on the terrace, my attention was caught once again by the wall that surrounded our town. I’d never been on the other side of that wall before, and curiosity ate at me. I tried to divert my thoughts from the wall and the mysteries that it hid. I continued reading a book which I’d started yesterday evening. However, that didn't hold my attention for long, it could be said that it actually inspired me. No adventure has ever started by sitting at home and hoping that something interesting would happen. On numerous occasions, Marko and I were exchanging ideas about how we could get ourselves on the other side of the wall. However, we would always be hindered by his parents, who would order him home whenever they saw us together… That wall is nothing special. Made of ordinary red brick, overgrown with ivy, a little ram shackled in some places. It's amazing how perception can change over time. Back then, that wall seemed like a huge, insurmountable obstacle to me. I felt so tiny when I stood at its foot, and no matter how long I walked alongside it, I could never reach its end. Now, that wall doesn't seem that big. If I climbed some small ladders, I could probably peek over it. And the other side was really worth seeing. Not having any peace that day, I started my standard patrol along the wall, hoping that this time something would be different. And finally, a bit of luck was on my side. Someone left a pile of boxes lined up against the wall, just enough for me to climb on them, and with the help of a few holes made from fallen bricks, I climbed all the way to the top. The first thing I did was to turn around to make sure no one had noticed me; I didn’t want to get in trouble when I was so close to unraveling the mystery that had been bothering me for so long. The view that greeted me from the other side of the wall was irresistible, I remember sitting on it and absorbing the sight until my legs were completely numb from sitting on an uncomfortable brick. A meadow bathed in the sun lay stretched out in front of me, gently descending to the lake, which reflected the forest that surrounded it from the other side. The forest continued indefinitely, and in the distance, I could see the mountains, which were almost hidden in the clouds. Everything was radiating with pure and peaceful energy. For me, who up until then had only seen trees in the parks, and the grassy areas I knew did not cover more than a few square meters, this landscape seemed like magic. At one point, I wondered why my parents never took me with them when they went to work on the other side of the wall. They certainly had no reason to hide such beauty from me. I got the answer to this question in a few hours, but I didn't truly understand it until a few years later. After a while, I was awoken from the trance I fell into by the tingling sensation in my legs that I could no longer feel. I moved carefully to start the circulation back up and observed my immediate surroundings. I simply had to go down to the other side and feel the grass under my feet. Not far from where I was sitting, I noticed that the ground rose almost to the middle of the wall. If it was snowing, this hill would be ideal for sledding. When I’d regained some control over my legs, I crawled to that spot. I was afraid that someone would notice me if I walked along the wall, I was already very visible in the white dress that I was wearing. The descent down the wall didn't go exactly as I had hoped. The hill was steeper, and it wasn’t compromised of just the soil, rather, it was a pile of waste material from a construction site overgrown with grass. I slipped on the nylon I didn't notice and rolled all the way to the base of the hill. When I fell, the hem of my dress caught on a metal bar sticking out of the ground. Luckily, I didn't get hurt, except for a few bruises, but I was pretty scared. Even the dozens of butterflies that flew in all directions, disturbed by my fall, did not completely manage to break my fear, but they still fascinated me enough to start following them, although this time, much more carefully. Avoiding the various bars and concrete boulders that protruded from the grass here and there, I reached the edge of the clearing and the beginning of the forest. Curiosity was stronger than me, as the trees were not densely packed, the forest was quite light, and I carelessly headed into it.