A man was gathering mushrooms with his family in the woods and accidentally discovered a headstone bearing his childhood photo. He investigated the locals around town to figure out how it was possible and learned about a dangerous cult that lived there long ago and the tragic fate of his family he never knew.
The wind bustled through a thick grove of scarlet oak as Travis, Eve, and their 8-year-old son Robin sauntered across the woods, gathering mushrooms for dinner. It was their favorite weekend hobby since moving to Maine to escape the brutally hot and muggy Texas summers.
The recent relocation to the quiet town nestled in the picturesque hills helped Travis, 34, cope with his health issues. Doctors had advised him to move to a less hot and warm place, so Maine seemed like a perfect choice to live in and make good money when his company offered him a transfer and promotion.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
It had been three months since they moved to this part of the Pine Tree State, and that calm and breezy afternoon seemed normal until Travis decided to venture deep into the woods — somewhere they’d not set foot in before. He was just curious to explore the region, that’s all.
Walking along the gravel path, Travis realized Brandy, their Doberman, was missing from sight. “He must’ve gone to pee,” he thought but started worrying when he heard the dog barking ferociously a few yards away. Travis followed Brandy’s loud barks and saw him sniffing something in fear, crouching back, and charging again.
“What is it, boy? Phwwwt, come here,” said Travis as he pushed through the dense, tall grass and walked further, only to be stunned at finding over a hundred tombstones there. Some were still in good shape. Some covered in moss and debris were eroded with the sands of time. But one particular headstone Travis encountered moments later startled him…
“Whoa, what is this place? And 1800s cemetery or something?” Travis’s hand went over his mouth in surprise as Eve and Robin followed him.
“Honey, I think we should go back. I don’t get a good feeling about this place. Look at those antlers…and these bones…and voodoo dolls. Oh my God, let’s go. This place is giving me the creeps,” Eve panicked, hunching her shoulders against the autumn breeze.
But by then, their son Robin had already ventured deeper and a little farther away from their sight. Suddenly, they heard him scream as though he’d seen a ghost. “Daddy…Mommy…Look, I found DAD’S PHOTO…I found DAD’S PHOTO!”
“I heard the tombstones were cursed … And the children who visited them died.”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
Travis and Eve’s hearts raced in fear as they bolted to the spot, only to freeze at what they found there. Robin was pointing his finger at a crumbled grave with a slightly tilted headstone bearing his dad Travis’s childhood photo. Wide-eyed and with trembling hands, Travis dusted the debris off the ceramic picture and was stunned at seeing the date of birth etched on it. It was January 29, 1984, his very own date of birth.
“This is unbelievable! What’s my photo doing out here…on this headstone?? And I don’t remember wearing this dull yellow shirt in my childhood. I don’t remember anything, but still, this makes no sense,” Travis was alarmed. He took out his phone and quickly clicked a picture of the plaque as Eve grabbed his arm, begging him to take them home.
“Let’s go from here, honey. I don’t get a good feeling about this place. Did you see that earthenware? And bones? I’m sure something weird was going on over here. This whole place looks haunted, and I think we’re not supposed to be here. And why’s this graveyard isolated from the rest of the town? Something’s gotta be wrong. Let’s just leave,” she said.
Travis immediately took his family out of the woods and marched to his jeep. But he was still plagued by the weird headstone bearing his childhood photo with the date of birth matching his.
“Babe, I can’t drive. I’m not able to focus…Can you just…”
Travis clearly couldn’t concentrate on anything after that. Eve switched to the driver’s seat and drove home while Travis sat tensed, biting his nails, and lost in deep thought.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“Maybe I’m thinking too much…It’s just a photo, and it could be a coincidence. I heard we have at least six doppelgangers out there in the world! But…”
“But what, honey?” Eve chimed in, handing Travis a cup of hot tea as soon as they arrived home.
“This picture of this boy who looks like me,” he said, zooming into the photo of the headstone on his phone. “How did it get there? Is this little boy me? But I haven’t been to Maine all my life.”
“Babe, you’re just overthinking. You don’t remember anything about your childhood. Maybe it’s just a lookalike, as you said. Stop thinking about it and get the bacon from the fridge. I’m starving. Let’s make dinner…It’s your turn today.”
“But still, a little version of myself out in the woods on a tombstone? That’s kinda strange, don’t you think? Could this picture help me find any of my relatives…or parents who abandoned me? Is it connected to them by any chance?” Travis pondered, recalling the day he was mysteriously abandoned at a cathedral’s doorstep 31 years ago.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
Back then, on a rainy evening on March 11, 1987, Travis was found outside a church in Texas with a note in his pocket.
“This boy’s name is Travis. He was born on January 29, 1984. He’s 3 years old and needs help. Please do not send him back to where he came from.”
There was no surname or anything else mentioned on that note that could help Travis track down his origins in the later years. The priest and nun who found him were shocked at seeing his blood-stained clothes and immediately alerted the cops. But nobody could find out who the boy was and where he came from.
Travis was put in foster care and was then adopted by a Catholic couple in Downtown Texas. Growing up, the boy did have fragile memories of his birth parents, but his recollections of them faded with time. However, a strange dream of a woman running in the woods, holding a little boy, haunted him for several years through his adolescence.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
Travis kept getting this dream often, but he never gave it much thought. At some point, he even assumed it was just his mind playing tricks on him due to his thoughts about his lost parents and his fondness for trekking in the woods. He even wanted to find his family and know what had happened to them and why he was abandoned. But he never found a clue that could help him unravel the mystery.
Eventually, Travis gave up hopes of finding his family, and as time ticked away, he accepted his new life, married Eve, and moved on. But he’d never imagined his past, which he could never recall, would come back to him through a time-worn headstone and baffle him even more.
Travis tried to shake off the thought about the tombstone, but a part of him told him to investigate further. He went around town, asking people if they knew something about the deserted cemetery in the woods.
While some were frightened to even talk about it, some told him that only one person in the whole town could help him. Her name was Lois Woods, an 89-year-old widow who was the oldest resident in that neighborhood. Travis and Eve then arrived at the old lady’s doorstep to meet her the next day.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“You sure she’d know something? I hope she doesn’t throw big eyes at us and walk away after hearing ‘cemetery in the woods’ like those in the café today evening,” Eve pressed Travis’s shoulder as they stood outside Lois’s woodhouse.
“Heard she’s the oldest in this neighborhood, and I’m sure she must know something,” said Travis as he clenched his fist to knock again. But the door creaked open, and on the other side stood an old, fragile woman holding a walking stick.
“Yes, how may I help you?” said Lois, unable to talk fast due to her aging mouth and missing teeth.
“Hey there! I’m Travis, and this is my wife, Eve. We moved here three months ago. And yesterday, we were in the woods near the town…picking mushrooms. And we…we saw these old tombstones there. Do you know anything about that place? It looks like a deserted cemetery, but why is it detached from the main town? And there’s this headstone with my….”
The rose on Lois’s saggy cheeks turned pale with fright as she stared right into Travis’s eyes. She immediately asked them to get in and slammed the door shut behind them.
“My dear, you’re not supposed to go there…and do you have young children?” she asked, sounding nervous.
“Yes, a son…Robin. He’s 8 years old.”
“Oh, dear… I’m afraid you’re not supposed to go anywhere near those woods with your son… it’s not safe to take little kids to that place.”
Travis and Eve were unsettled when Lois said this.
“Oh, well, I didn’t know that. We just moved here a few months back. We don’t know much about the woods and the cemetery there. Do you know about the headstones? And why is that place deserted? And take a look at this….” Travis showed Lois the photo of the headstone bearing his childhood picture. “Do you know this kid?”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
“I haven’t seen those headstones, and I don’t think I’ve seen this boy before…but I heard the tombstones were cursed, according to old folklore locals believe in this town,” said Lois. “And the children who visited them died. Maybe it’s just a myth, but I wouldn’t tempt fate.”
“That’s strange! But why would people put up headstones to scare only children? And we saw some strange earthenware and bones there,” Eve interrupted. “Voodoo dolls and weird knives made from bones.”
Lois sighed heavily before revealing something the couple had not come prepared for.
“When I was a teen, my grandma told me about this religious cult that lived in the woods since the late 1800s. Locals believed the men and women of that secret society hosted occult ceremonies and rituals at night to please their god and seek happiness in the afterlife. They even hosted strange sacrifices to choose their leader. Some decades later, one man was chosen as their crowned leader. I heard police stormed the cult after they kidnapped and sacrificed little children to satisfy their gods. Some said a couple with twins tried to escape from this cult, and they just disappeared into the woods. Many rumors kept spreading in town after the cult was taken down.”
“Oh, my God!” Eve gasped in horror as Travis clasped her hand tight. He was equally startled by what Lois had said.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“I heard the police beat up the members of the cult and vandalized their homes and temple. Some were shot dead. Some arrested. And some fled. The cult vanished from the face of this town, but nobody knows for sure. People started avoiding going to the woods after that. Some years ago, local woodcutters came running from the forest, claiming they heard strange noises from north of the woods where you and your family visited yesterday.”
“I’m not sure how true these tales are…but there’s someone who can help you,” added Lois. “His name is Teddy…Teddy Sutton. His father was the inspector who led the team that stormed the cult and killed its last leader. For some reason, Teddy never mingles with people and keeps his life private. He lives with his cats and dogs. He is a bit cranky, so locals keep their distance from him. But you may still seek his help if you want to know the whole story. Everybody here says if there’s someone who knows that incident better, it’s Teddy. But he’s never talked about it to anyone. Still, you may try your luck.”
Travis and Eve stared into each other’s eyes, anxiety crawling up their gut. “Thanks, Mrs. Woods.”
“Miss Woods.”
“Oh, thank you, Miss Woods. It was nice meeting you. Where can we find Teddy? If you could please tell us…” Travis said.
“The last house at the end of this lane…with a broken chimney and dogs barking inside all the time…That’s Teddy’s.”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
“I don’t understand. Darling, let’s just go home. Why do you want to meet that man? He’s gonna tell us something spookier, which I don’t wanna hear, alright? Did you hear what she said? A cult and their strange rituals…And little children were killed in the woods. All this is scaring the pants off me. Please, let’s pick Robin up from his friend’s house and go home,” Eve pestered Travis.
“I know, honey…Even I’m a bit disturbed. But I need to find out what my picture is doing on that darn headstone. Did you see the date of birth below the boy’s picture? January 29, 1984…I was born on that date. So it has got to do something with me…if not me, then my parents who left me, or my family…or someone. I don’t know exactly, but I need to find out. Babe, please take the jeep and pick Robin up and go home. I’ll go meet Teddy alone.”
“No, I’m not leaving you. I’ll go with you,” Eve insisted.
The couple then arrived in front of a shabby house at the end of the lane and knocked on the door.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Getty Images
“I hate doing this. It’s getting dark, and we’re going around disturbing people. I hope this man’s kind to us like Miss Woods,” said Eve.
The door then opened, and on the other side stood an old man, probably in his late 70s, holding a Bible.
“Gosh, I think we picked the wrong time. Hope he isn’t mad at us,” Eve whispered behind Travis.
“Yes??” the man spoke in a raspy voice.
“Hey, I’m Travis, and this is my wife, Eve. We moved here from Texas a few months back and…”
“What do you want?” Teddy interrupted, a cold, grim stare gleaming his eyes as he looked at his wristwatch to see the time.
“Hey, I’m sorry for disturbing you at this time. I actually wanted to ask you about the headstones in the woods…Do you know anything about them? Miss Woods, the old lady down this street, she told us that you know…so we thought you’d tell us something about that place.”
“I don’t know anything. GET OUTTA HERE!” Teddy said rudely, stunning Travis and Eve. He was just about to slam the door shut in their faces when Travis stopped him by showing the photo of the headstone on his phone.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“Look, Mr. Sutton, only you can help us. I need to know some details about this place, particularly about the boy in this photo. Please tell me if you know something. It’s really important to me. I need to know what happened after your dad killed the cult’s leader. Please!”
Shock and fear pooled in Teddy’s eyes as he grabbed the phone from Travis’s hand and looked at the picture, zooming the little boy’s photo on the headstone.
“This picture…this boy…” Teddy stammered.
“Mr. Sutton, that’s my childhood picture, and I found it on the headstone in the woods I’ve never visited before.”
“I’m new to Maine, and this whole thing is driving me crazy. That’s why I’m here to ask you if you know something. Please help me if you do,” said Travis.
Sweat and tears rolled down an alarmed Teddy’s face as he immediately asked the couple to get in.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“Do you have any other picture of you when you were little?” Teddy asked after a momentous silence, just staring at the headstone’s photo on Travis’s phone.
“Yeah, yeah, I do… It’s on my phone..”
Travis then showed the man a picture of him with his adoptive parents when he was 3-years-old. Teddy suddenly burst into tears as he gazed at the photo and revealed the gruesome incident that shook that part of the town on March 9, 1987.
“My dad, Billy, was a cop. He told me he was investigating something ‘mysterious’ going on in the woods. It was about a cult. My dad and his team then wiped away the secret society and even gunned down its leader.”
“On the previous night before the cult was taken down, something terrible happened to the boy whose picture is on that headstone….and it’s got something to do with you, I’m afraid,” Teddy added.
“With me? I don’t understand. I haven’t been to Maine before. I find my childhood picture on a headstone here…And I keep getting this strange dream of a woman running with a little kid in her arms. It doesn’t make any sense,” exclaimed Travis.
“Well, you’ll know now!” began Teddy.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“The cult I’m talking about was something the locals in this town dreaded until the late ’80s,” said Teddy. “The men and women worshipped a deity and were part of a secret society that detached itself from the town. They were known for their strange rituals, voodoo, and midnight sacrifices, the sort of which still frighten many.”
“Miss Lois told us the cult had these rituals of human sacrifice…Did they kill young children? I heard that’s why the cops stormed and wiped the cult away.”
“They did have ceremonies and rituals, but human sacrifice was not a part of any,” added Teddy. “They lived in the forest and only visited the town to sell their handmade goods, honey, and pottery. They followed strict rules and never mingled with the locals except at the fair, which would last three days. That’s how my younger brother, Shawn, met her!”
“Met who?”
“Your mother!”
“What?? My MOTHER??”
“Yes! Your mother, Nedaara. Shawn was a photographer and was planning to go to New York to start a studio. When he heard the cult was coming to the fair in town, he wanted to click their pictures to put up in his studio. And that’s how he met Nedaara, the cult leader’s youngest daughter.”
“What happened after that?”
“Whatever happens to a young, handsome man in his 20s when he locks eyes with a beautiful, young girl! Shawn fell in love with Nedaara at first sight without knowing she was the cult’s leader’s daughter. She started sneaking out to meet him, and they dated for two months. One day, Nedaara came crying to our house, saying somebody had told her dad about Shawn and their secret meetings. Afraid of losing her, my brother braved into the woods to meet Nedaara’s father and ask for her hand in marriage. Shawn should’ve thought twice before taking this foolish step, but it was too late, and he’d called this upon himself. Maybe I should’ve not let him go,” cried Teddy.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“I waited the whole night, but my brother didn’t come home. Only I knew where he’d gone. I didn’t tell our dad. He was busy in the station. Maybe I should’ve told him. Had I done that, then maybe Shawn would’ve been with me today,” tears gushed into Teddy’s eyes when he said this.
“What happened to your brother? He never returned after that?” Travis gasped.
“He did…Shawn did come back to collect his things the next morning. He told me the girl’s father had agreed to get them married, but only if Shawn detached himself from the town and joined their cult. I wanted to stop my brother, so I told my dad everything. We tried to convince Shawn to change his mind, but love had spread in his heart and soul like venom. Dad even offered to set up a new studio for him in New York. But Shawn refused and left.”
“My brother and Nedaara then married in the forest after some weird rituals. He was not allowed to visit the town or us, but I used to sneak into the woods to meet him. He told me he wanted to come back home. He cried, telling me about the strange practices that were hosted there every other day. The cult often starved and drank animal blood. My brother was forced to do it since he was a part of them. Couples were allowed to sleep together in one hut only a few times a year if the leader permitted them. He told me his wife was pregnant, and eventually, she gave birth to twin baby boys.”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
“When the babies turned three, Shawn and Nedaara had hatched a plan to flee from the cult. They sought help from a friend, thinking he would help them. Unfortunately, he was the leader’s sidekick and spy. On the night of March 8, 1987, my brother and his wife took their kids and were about to flee from the woods, but they were caught and shot dead. One kid among the twins was killed too. Nobody knew what happened to the other kid.”
“Jesus Christ…that kid whose photo is on the headstone…” Travis cried.
“Yes, he’s your twin brother!”
“But how did I end up in a church in Texas?”
“My dad and his team stormed the cult the next day when they got a tip about Shawn’s murder. A woman who was an occultist in that cult was arrested, with a few others. She told us about Shawn and his wife and their children and even claimed she’d wrapped the other boy in a blood-stained blanket and hid him in the bush to save his life.”
“She said she’d carried the unconscious boy to the road and gave him to a driver in a passing truck, leaving a note bearing the child’s name and date of birth. She had asked the driver to leave the boy in some orphanage or church and claimed she didn’t know the truck’s final destination. We didn’t believe the woman and thought the other boy was killed too. But his body was missing.”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“I think that truck’s final destination was Texas!” said Travis tearfully, unable to process the whole truth of his origins. He cried into Teddy’s shoulders because, at this point, he understood that the old man was none other than his paternal uncle. Travis cried for a good long ten minutes when Teddy showed him his dad Shawn’s old photos. Travis held a part of his origins in his hands for the first time, his heart bleeding with pain and regret.
“Is he my dad?”
Teddy was too heartbroken to react, so he just nodded, snapping away his tears.
“Honey, I want a minute with you. Can you please come aside?” Eve whispered in Travis’s ears. She was still not convinced that Teddy could be her husband’s uncle.
“Look, different people have been telling different tales about this place and that cult. He’s old and could be having issues with his memory. You don’t even have your birth parents’ picture, and you haven’t seen them. How do you know that the man in this picture is your dad? Honey, listen, you still need to verify, alright?”
A part of Travis had already crumbled after hearing the truth from Teddy. But another part of him told him to verify the man’s claims and the depth of his truth. So a few days later, Travis and Teddy took a DNA test.
When the results arrived a few weeks later, Travis was shattered completely. Teddy Sutton, brother of the late Shawn Sutton, was indeed his paternal uncle!
“I don’t know how to process this,” Travis confided his anxiety to his wife. “I wanted to find my family all my life and know why they abandoned me. But now, I feel I shouldn’t have looked for them. The truth about their tragic fate could’ve been buried in their graves forever.”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pixabay
What can we learn from this story?
- Follow your instincts because you may never know what you might discover as an answer to all your questions. After accidentally finding his childhood picture on the headstone, Travis decided to find out why and how it was there. He met his neighbors and eventually learned that the little boy whose photo was on the headstone was his twin brother.
- There is a reason why things happen a certain way in your life. Travis relocated to Maine with his family from Texas as part of his personal and professional growth. But little did he know that he would eventually unravel the mystery of his dead parents and twin brother he’d never seen before.
Tell us what you think, and share this story with your friends. It might inspire them and brighten their day.
Meu marido comprou passagens de primeira classe para ele e sua mãe, deixando-me com as crianças na classe econômica – Minha lição para ele foi dura
Meu marido autoritário reservou a primeira classe para ele e sua mãe, me deixando na classe econômica com as crianças. Mas eu não ia ficar sentada. Eu me certifiquei de que sua experiência de “luxo” tivesse um pouco de turbulência, transformando seu voo em uma lição que ele não vai esquecer.
Eu sou Sophie e deixe-me falar sobre meu marido, Clark. Você conhece o tipo workaholic, sempre estressado, que provavelmente acha que seu trabalho é o centro do universo? Não me entenda mal, eu entendo, mas alô? Ser mãe também não é exatamente um dia de spa. De qualquer forma, ele realmente se superou dessa vez. Você está pronta para isso?
Uma mulher frustrada segurando a cabeça | Fonte: Midjourney
Certo, então deveríamos estar visitando a família dele nas férias do mês passado. O objetivo era relaxar, criar laços familiares e dar às crianças algumas memórias divertidas. Simples o suficiente, certo?
Clark se ofereceu para reservar os voos, e eu pensei: “Ótimo, uma coisa a menos para me preocupar”.
Ah, como eu era ingênuo.
Passagens aéreas em cima de uma mesa | Fonte: Pexels
“Clark, querido, onde estão nossos assentos?”, perguntei, equilibrando nossa criança pequena em um quadril e uma bolsa de fraldas no outro. O aeroporto era um labirinto de famílias estressadas e empresários correndo para seus portões.
Clark, meu querido marido de oito anos, estava ocupado digitando em seu telefone. “Oh, hum, sobre isso…” ele murmurou, nem mesmo olhando para cima.
Senti um nó se formando no meu estômago. “O que você quer dizer com ‘sobre isso’?”
Uma mulher ansiosa franzindo as sobrancelhas | Fonte: Midjourney
Ele finalmente guardou o telefone no bolso e me deu aquele sorriso envergonhado que eu temia.
“Bem, consegui um upgrade para mim e para a mamãe para a primeira classe. Você sabe como ela fica em voos longos, e eu realmente preciso de um descanso tranquilo…”
Espere. Um upgrade só para os dois? Eu o encarei, esperando a piada. Ela não veio.
“Então, deixa eu ver se entendi”, eu rebati. “Você e sua mãe estão sentados na primeira classe, enquanto eu estou preso na econômica com as duas crianças?”
Um homem sorrindo | Fonte: Pexels
Clark teve a audácia de dar de ombros. A coragem desse cara. Argh.
“Ah, vamos lá. Pare de ser uma rainha do drama! São só algumas horas, Soph. Você vai ficar bem.”
Como se fosse uma deixa, sua mãe Nadia apareceu, com malas de grife a tiracolo. “Oh, Clark! Aí está você. Estamos prontos para nosso voo luxuoso?”
Ela sorriu como se tivesse ganhado uma medalha olímpica e juro que poderia ter derretido sob seu olhar.
Uma mulher idosa sorrindo | Fonte: Pexels
Observei-os caminhando em direção ao salão de primeira classe, deixando-me com duas crianças irritadas e um desejo crescente de vingança.
“Oh, vai ser luxuoso, sim,” murmurei, um plano delicioso e mesquinho se formando na minha cabeça. “Só espere.”
Ao embarcarmos no avião, não pude deixar de notar a diferença gritante entre a primeira classe e a econômica. Clark e Nadia já estavam bebendo champanhe enquanto eu lutava para colocar nossa bagagem de mão no compartimento superior.
Um homem segurando uma taça de champanhe | Fonte: Pexels
“Mamãe, eu quero sentar com o papai!”, choramingou nossa filha de cinco anos.
Forcei um sorriso. “Não dessa vez, querida. Papai e vovó estão sentados em uma parte especial do avião.”
“Por que não podemos sentar lá também?”
“Porque o papai é um tipo especial de babaca.”
“O que foi isso, mamãe?”
“Nada, querida. Vamos te colocar o cinto de segurança.”
Retrato em tons de cinza de um menino triste | Fonte: Pixabay
Enquanto eu acomodava as crianças, vislumbrei Clark reclinado em seu assento espaçoso, parecendo muito satisfeito consigo mesmo. Foi quando me lembrei de que estava com sua carteira. Sim! Veja como!
Enquanto passávamos pelo ponto de verificação de segurança mais cedo, eu sutilmente fiquei para trás. Enquanto Clark e Nadia estavam absortos em uma conversa, eu discretamente deslizei minha mão em sua bagagem de mão. Rapidamente localizei sua carteira, coloquei-a na minha bolsa e retomei meu lugar na fila como se NADA tivesse acontecido. Inteligente, certo? Eu sei! Eu sei!
Certo, então de volta para onde paramos. Um sorriso perverso se espalhou pelo meu rosto enquanto eu observava Clark. Este voo estava prestes a ficar muito mais interessante.
Uma mulher segurando uma carteira | Fonte: Unsplash
Duas horas depois do voo, meus filhos estavam dormindo, e eu estava aproveitando a paz e o silêncio. Foi quando vi a aeromoça se aproximando da cabine de primeira classe com uma bandeja de refeições gourmet. Que delícia!
Era como ver um cachorro babando em um bife suculento enquanto eu estava preso aos pretzels do avião.
Observei Clark pedir os itens mais caros do menu, incluindo bebidas de primeira qualidade, e se deliciar com todos os luxos disponíveis.
Uma comissária de bordo segurando uma bandeja de comida | Fonte: Midjourney
“Você gostaria de alguma coisa do carrinho de lanches, senhora?”, outra comissária de bordo me perguntou.
Eu sorri. “Só água, por favor. E talvez um pouco de pipoca. Tenho a sensação de que estou prestes a assistir a um show e tanto.”
O atendente pareceu confuso, mas obedeceu.
Como esperado, cerca de trinta minutos depois, vi Clark procurando freneticamente em seus bolsos. A cor sumiu de seu rosto quando ele percebeu que sua carteira tinha sumido.
Um homem agitado segurando a cabeça | Fonte: Pexels
Eu não conseguia ouvir o que estava sendo dito, mas sua linguagem corporal me disse tudo. O comissário de bordo estava firme, com a mão estendida, esperando o pagamento.
Clark gesticulava freneticamente, sua voz subindo apenas o suficiente para que eu pudesse captar trechos.
“Mas tenho certeza que eu tinha… Não podemos simplesmente… Eu pago quando pousarmos!”
Sentei-me, mastigando minha pipoca. O entretenimento de bordo não tinha nada a ver com isso. Nossa, isso foi ÉPICO!
Uma mulher comendo pipoca | Fonte: Pexels
Finalmente, o momento que eu estava esperando chegou. Clark, parecendo um colegial repreendido, seguiu pelo corredor até a classe econômica. E para mim!
“Soph”, ele sussurrou urgentemente, agachando-se ao lado do meu assento. “Não consigo encontrar minha carteira. Por favor, me diga que você tem algum dinheiro.”
Coloquei minha cara mais preocupada. “Oh, não! Isso é terrível, querida. De quanto você precisa?”
Ele estremeceu. “Uh, cerca de US$ 1.500?”
Quase engasguei com a água. “Mil e quinhentos dólares? O que diabos você pediu? A baleia azul?!”
Um homem ansioso segurando o rosto | Fonte: Pexels
“Olha, não importa”, ele sibilou, olhando nervosamente para a primeira classe. “Você tem ou não?”
Fiz um show de vasculhar minha bolsa. “Vamos ver… Tenho cerca de US$ 200. Isso vai ajudar?”
O olhar de desespero em seu rosto não tinha preço. “É melhor que nada, eu acho. Obrigado.”
Quando ele se virou para sair, eu gritei docemente: “Ei, sua mãe não tem o cartão de crédito dela? Tenho certeza de que ela ficaria feliz em ajudar!”
Uma mulher segurando dinheiro | Fonte: Pexels
A cor sumiu do rosto de Clark quando ele percebeu que teria que pedir para sua mãe tirá-lo dali. Isso era melhor do que qualquer vingança que eu pudesse ter planejado.
O resto do voo foi deliciosamente estranho. Clark e Nadia ficaram em silêncio, sua experiência de primeira classe completamente arruinada. Enquanto isso, eu aproveitei meu assento econômico com uma alegria recém-descoberta.
Quando começamos a descer, Clark fez mais uma viagem de volta para a classe econômica.
Uma mulher olhando pela janela de um avião | Fonte: Pexels
“Soph, você viu minha carteira? Procurei em todos os lugares.”
Coloquei minha cara mais inocente. “Não, querida. Tem certeza de que não o deixou em casa?”
Ele passou as mãos pelos cabelos, frustração evidente. “Eu poderia jurar que o tinha no aeroporto. Isso é um pesadelo.”
“Bem”, eu disse, dando um tapinha em seu braço, “pelo menos você aproveitou a primeira classe, certo?”
O olhar que ele me deu poderia ter coalhado leite. “É, muito agradável.”
Um homem frustrado passando a mão pelo cabelo | Fonte: Pexels
Enquanto ele se esgueirava de volta para seu assento, não pude deixar de sentir uma pontada de satisfação. Lição aprendida!
Depois do voo, Clark estava com uma aparência tão azeda quanto um limão. Nadia sabiamente desapareceu no banheiro, provavelmente para evitar a expressão no rosto dele. Eu não podia culpá-la. Era um daqueles momentos clássicos de “se olhares pudessem matar”, e o humor de Clark não estava melhorando.
“Não acredito que perdi minha carteira”, Clark murmurou, apalpando os bolsos pela décima vez.
Um homem preocupado | Fonte: Pexels
“Tem certeza de que não o esqueceu na primeira classe?”, perguntei, fazendo o possível para manter uma cara séria.
Ele me lançou um olhar furioso. “Eu já chequei. Duas vezes.”
Mordi o lábio, segurando o sorriso que ameaçava se soltar. Isso era bom demais.
“Talvez tenha caído durante uma daquelas refeições chiques que te serviram.”
“Muito engraçado, Soph. Isso não é uma piada. Tem que haver um jeito de rastrear.”
Uma mulher sorridente | Fonte: Midjourney
Ele então soltou um suspiro pesado, seus ombros caindo. “Só espero que alguém não tenha pegado e fugido com ele. Todas as nossas cartas estão lá.”
“É, isso seria uma droga!”
Enquanto Clark continuava a resmungar sobre sua carteira perdida, eu casualmente fechei o zíper da minha bolsa, mantendo meu pequeno segredo guardado com segurança lá dentro. Eu não estava prestes a deixá-lo escapar ainda.
Além disso, havia algo estranhamente satisfatório em vê-lo se contorcer um pouco depois de nos abandonar para ir para a primeira classe.
Uma mulher segurando uma bolsa | Fonte: Pexels
Ao sairmos do aeroporto, não pude deixar de me sentir um pouco tonta. Eu manteria a carteira escondida por mais um tempo e me presentearia com algo legal com o cartão dele antes de devolvê-lo. Um pouco de justiça criativa nunca fez mal a ninguém!
Então, companheiros de viagem, lembrem-se: se seu parceiro tentar se atualizar e deixar você para trás, um pouco de justiça criativa pode ser a passagem para uma jornada mais feliz. Afinal, no voo da vida, estamos todos juntos… classe econômica ou primeira classe!
Uma mulher alegre sorrindo | Fonte: Midjourney
Aqui vai outra história : Três meses após a morte prematura do meu marido, li uma mensagem que transformou minha tristeza em algo sinistro. Os segredos que ela revelou revelaram que meu marido não era quem eu pensava que ele era.
Este trabalho é inspirado em eventos e pessoas reais, mas foi ficcionalizado para fins criativos. Nomes, personagens e detalhes foram alterados para proteger a privacidade e melhorar a narrativa. Qualquer semelhança com pessoas reais, vivas ou mortas, ou eventos reais é mera coincidência e não intencional do autor.
O autor e a editora não fazem nenhuma reivindicação quanto à precisão dos eventos ou à representação dos personagens e não são responsáveis por nenhuma interpretação errônea. Esta história é fornecida “como está”, e quaisquer opiniões expressas são as dos personagens e não refletem as opiniões do autor ou da editora.
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