3.4 - ... and make it double!

"This is the happiest day in my life...", Mauricio says while trying to hold some manly tears back. He holds the baby blue bundle with the snowflake print tightly in his arms.

"Well, of course, because you didn't have to squeeze them out of you!", Celestine answers with a pained smile, half-serious and half-joking.

It turned out that Mauricio was wrong after all: Celestine didn't give birth to a boy... No, she had two boys instead!

Each of them chose a name for one brother. The baby in the green blanket was named Falstad by Celestine, and his twin brother in the blue blanket got the name Muradin from Mauricio.
The boys are quite big for newborn twins and healthy. Looks like the apple diet has worked!

And so it doesn't surprise Mauricio that the mother of his children feels so tired lately and uses every opportunity to take a quick nap. Having twins is hard: whenever one starts crying, the other one wakes up as well.

But Celestine thinks there might be more to her lack of energy than that. Something feels off. She felt that way before...

It was many years ago in her childhood, but around the same time of the year, just before Snowflake Day.

This night she's having vivid dreams...

Or maybe it wasn't just a dream. As she wakes up she can see some colorful lights dancing outside through the window, so she quickly puts on her coat and runs outside. Maybe it is some kind of rare astronomical phenomenon?

Celestine looks up to the sky but whatever she had seen seconds ago is gone now. She's almost about to head back home when she suddenly hears a whisper from somewhere.
... waited 20 years ...
The voice is very quiet and hard to understand.

"Hello? Did someone say something?", Celestine yells at the empty street in front of her.
... not much power ... drained your energy ... to be able ... to talk ... 
"What? Where are you? That's not funny, show yourself!"

Celestine looks around frantically. The voice sounds like it belongs to an old woman and it sounds weak, almost like someone trying to say their last words on their deathbed.

... listen ... humans gave up their magic ... in exchange for cold logic ... return to nature ... potential in every human ... 
There is no doubt. The voice comes from inside her. It becomes even weaker, impossible to understand now. And then it stops.

Celestine is shaking. What on earth was that?!

***

During the next weeks Celestine can't stop thinking about the incident. She is scared and worried about her mental state and gets lost in her thoughts frequently, which doesn't go unnoticed by Mauricio.

"Are you sure everything is alright? Maybe we should talk to your doctor after all, just to be on the safe side. You could have PPD. It's treatable!"

"That's sweet of you but you don't have to worry about me", Celestine assures him. "The twins are just a big change in our lives, but I'm fine."

"Fine, I take your word for it. But please do tell me if there is anything on your mind. And if it helps you to go back to your old job you can do this too of course, I will stay at home and take care of the boys.", Mauricio offers. 

But everything is not alright. Celestine needs some time for herself. How could she tell Mauricio about what happened? What if she developed schizophrenia? She heard that usually happens at around her age. That would be terrible, now that she has to take care of two newborns.

Or did she, a woman who pretends to be a fortune teller, have an actual prophecy after all, just like this one crazy professor in Harry Potter?

"I'm not losing my mind. It's just been a stressful time.", she says out loud, trying to convince herself.

There's just a little bit of snow coming down still, but most of it has melted away by now and she can tell spring is approaching quickly. Soon she will be able to work in her garden again, she will go back to work, and the old routine will surely calm her mind. 
... right?

Oblivious to Celestine's thoughts, Mauricio checks back on the babies before heading to bed himself. He really loves those little bundles.

And so does Celestine. Good night, boys!

________________

If the names ring a bell for you, that's because Muradin (Bronzebeard) and Falstad (Wildhammer) are dwarf characters from WoW!

And that was totes a ghost encounter, not an alien encounter, ok?