Today's story is weird. Today's story was also born from a dream of mine, and it was relatively one of the most logical dreams I've ever had. Maybe sometime I'll tell you about the worms that possessed our brain by hiding in tomatoes, or the time I was Robin Hood and had to steal a giant golden toilet.
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| Yay. A hole. So exciting. Woo-hoo. |
"I hope you understand."
The man's lips tightened in a thin line as he struggled to fake a smile. "Of course, my lord."
"Good. You may go."
Without bothering to remember or follow etiquette, the man turned around and stormed out of the room.
'Camilla... don't worry, my dear. He will get his lesson.'
"And this," the guide swung her arm to motion at the decaying room they were currently in "was where lord Collini's skeleton was found. A digital reconstruction of his face proved that the bones were effectively his, and resolved the mystery that for hundreds of years had been plaguing this castle. The technology of the time..."
Federica tuned out of the explanation, trying to hold back a yawn. Skeletons were probably the most exciting thing that they had seen in the entire tour, but the guide's monotone voice still sounded like it was specially programmed to induce sleepiness. Why the hell the professor had thought this would have been an interesting trip, she couldn't realize.
A few meters away, her friend Giulia was staring at a small spot restricted by a red rope. Federica elbowed her way across the sea of classmates.
"You know, this would be a lot more interesting if... woah."
What had appeared as plain ground was instead a hole, Federica realized. A hole so deep she couldn't see the end of it even at the artificial light in which the room was bathed.
The man stopped to wipe some sweat off his brow. Glancing at his work, his lips curved in a satisfied smirk. The edge was so far away he could barely reach it with his hands. Now for the acid once again.
"Yeah. Please tell me this is not where they found Collini's body." Giulia turned to the side to get an answer from her friend, but Federica was already approaching the old guide.
"Excuse me? What is the hole over there for?"
The woman blinked in surprise at being asked something. Quickly recovering, she addressed the girl in a tone that was far from the monotone voice of before.
"Lord Collini's grave. The circumstances of his death aren't very clear, but..." she stopped for a moment, as if considering whether she should tell or not. "An old legend tells that his most trusted adviser himself was the assassin.
"Lord Collini had the fame of being a greedy man. When he married a woman from another noble family, things went downhill. Giglio, his personal adviser, apparently had an affair with Collini's wife.
"The mind of the old lord was plagued by his greediness. His wife, on the contrary, was a very generous woman. Seeing his richness being spent in donations to various causes, Collini decided he would get rid of Camilla... and so he did. Giglio was devastated, and the affair slipped out. Collini didn't seem to mind, now that the woman was dead. He went on with his life, sure that his advisor would forgive quickly and move on.
"Giglio never forgot what happened. A brilliant mind, he made up an acid so strong that it dissolved the stone of this dungeon's floor - and even earth itself. Of course, this is a legend, there is no way that would have been scientifically or historically plausible, but traces of a potent acid have been inexplicably found on several layers of the grave...
"The man dug for years. And five years after Camilla's death he finished his work. Finding a way to exploit Collini's greediness, he hid his personal savings in the hole, covering every once in a while, but leaving a hole of visibility so that every time a bit of money was discovered, Collini would still be able to see further below, and he would dig deeper to reach the final treasure."
Lord Collini rubbed his chin thoughtfully "Are you sure of this information?"
A rumbling laughter echoed across the room. Straightening and holding back the last chuckles, Giglio curved his lips in a fake smile. "It's just a legend. But, if I may..."
A nod signaled him to continue, and so he did, masking the excitement that was filling his chest. "If the story about the treasure is true, and it's obviously too ridiculous to ever be... I wouldn't order a search mission. You know how commoners are, my lord, if they see the remote possibility of acquiring richness, they will do anything, including stealing the treasure for their own personal benefit." He paused for a while, savoring the lord's greedy expression.
"But it's just a legend, Giglio, isn't it?"
"Yes. Yes, of course, a similar treasure would never exist, my lord."
"Lord Collini took the bait, and without telling anyone, dug for the treasure. Finding the first part, he noticed a gleam and dug even further. It didn't take long for him to make digging a nightly habit."
The pathetic old man's giggles were audible from his god-forsaken location. Giglio let himself smile and turned to leave the dungeon before being discovered.
Just a little more.
"When he reached the final treasure, he had dug through three hundred layers - but the final amount was worth every drop of sweat, in his opinion."
The rope ladder now was the only thing visible in the darkness that engulfed the lord's future grave. The old man's mad laughter of joy could be heard from the bottom of the hole. Ironic, that a man would rejoice being in his own grave.
Giglio felt his excitement grow as he hoisted up the ladder. The laughter stopped abruptly.
"Is someone there?" the faint voice asked. The advisor didn't even bother to answer, holding instead the shovel over the hole and letting the dirt fall down. He repeated the operation again. And a third time.
Panicked screams soon filled the dungeon when Collini realized he was being buried alive.
"The lord begged for mercy and for help, but no one heard his screams. The following morning, Giglio was among the multiple men wondering where had the lord of the castle disappeared. The man wasn't found anywhere, and Giglio took his place as ruler of these lands.
"Of course, this is a silly legend. The real reason behind lord Collini's death is still subject of investigation. Now, if you will all follow me, the next room has some lovely frescos, painted by..."
Federica tuned out once again as the guide returned to her monotone explanation. She didn't even hear Giulia approach until her voice scared her half to death.
"Do you think that story's true?"
"Of course not."
"I've heard there are ghosts in this castle. Maybe one of them is Collini's."
"Let's go, the class is leaving!"
A single transparent soul watched the girls rush to their friends.
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For those who don't know me yet, hello! I'm a crazy teenage writer, inventor of the Storyteller's Challenge and overall a geek. English is my third language, so I'd love you eternally if you pointed out my grammar mistakes. As an aspiring author, I'm always up for constructive criticism. A big hug and may the Force be with you!
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