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Rene swallowed heavily as she got her key pendant from her necklace. Jesse helped unclasp it, then handed her over the key. It glistened in the soft sun, as the box lay expectantly in her other hand. She placed the key onto the hole, not pushing in yet.
Anticipation was building up. The air was thick with curiosity. They all wanted to see what was inside, if the box really contained those famous coins that many had died for.
Quickly, in one smooth motion, she pushed the key inside, and turned it clockwise, as if an invisible hand was guiding hers, and she opened it effortlessly. The lid popped open on its own, revealing a plush interior that seemed to defy the test of time. Shining like two golden Moons in the dark, they were looking at the legendary coins.
“My gosh!” Rene gasped.
Hyde felt his mouth suddenly get dry, while Jesse just stood there frozen in time and space. They all needed a few moments to realize what just happened. The whole Universe seemed to grow silent for one magical moment, aligning everything perfectly. This only lasted one second, and then, life as we all know it, continued.
“Is this…” Rene started, but she couldn’t finish.
“Yes,” Hyde released a sigh.
“What do we do now?” Rene suddenly felt like the box she was holding was on fire.
She wanted to get rid of it. She wasn’t looking for this kind of responsibility.
“Well, you found it, it’s yours to do with it whatever you please,” Hyde told her solemnly.
“What do you think I should do with it?” she asked, pleading for advice.
“I don’t think we should tell you what to do,” Hyde shook his head, “it’s yours. It belonged to your grandfather. The key was passed down to your mother, and then to you. Lives have ended to keep this secret safe, to keep it from falling into the wrong hands, hands like Culore’s.”
“So, you think we should hide it again?”
“Jesse?” Hyde asked him. “You’ve been silent all this time. What do you think?”
Jesse’s eyes were fixated on the coins. They were mesmerizing. Shiny and beautiful, they were the source of romance and love, but at the same time, the source of so much bloodshed and death. It was difficult to say whether the coins were a symbol of good or evil.
“So many people died to keep this secret,” Jesse finally started talking. “And, as long as they exist, as long as they are hidden somewhere, people will keep looking for them, people will keep killing for them.”
Rene looked down at the coins again. She remembered the beautiful story Hyde told her a long time ago. She remembered how she thought it was the most beautiful thing she ever heard. It took her only a second to realize what she needed to do. Smiling, she started walking towards the well.
“Where are you going?” Hyde asked.
Jesse had already guessed, and his smile was as broad as Rene’s. She walked slowly, one foot in front of the other, pressing the box against her beating heart. When she finally reached the well, she extended her arms, and held the box right above the opening of the well. Hyde and Jesse looked on.
“This box doesn’t belong to me. These coins don’t belong to me. They belong to the same person who chose to give them back, and transport two loving souls to spend eternity together. Now, I am giving them back to him.”
With those words, she dropped the box. A second later, it disappeared from her sight, right into the darkness. Rene wasn’t surprised that she didn’t hear any sound that might even resemble the box hitting the bottom.
She turned to Hyde and Jesse, her heart filled with love and hope.
“That was the right choice,” Hyde smiled, kissing her on the forehead.
“We didn’t doubt you for one second,” Jesse smirked. “Now, how about we go back to our guest house and have some more of those cabbage rolls? All this excitement’s got me hungry!”
Rene’s laughter echoed throughout the forest, and for a second, she thought she heard other voices joining in. Her entire family was laughing with her, happy that she made the right decision. Rene didn’t need those coins. They belonged to Charon, for a ride he so generously chose to gift to the two lovers.
Hand in hand, the three lovers walked back to the guest house. Finally, Rene had what she always wanted: a life worth living.
*****
THE END
