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-Then I said, to hell with that, are you really challenging me? and the guy looked at me as if I owed him something...stop that, the girl I liked seemed delighted with that demonstration, but in the end I realised she was laughing at me, not with me, she ended up going out with the usual idiot, so my fight with the teacher was for nothing.

-At least you didn't get spanked for talking to your senior like that right? but I understand about women, they always want the dirty poet who wastes their time, those troubadours who walk all over the province selling lies...I really understand you!!!!

Two voices mingled and bounced against the black walls; in a crypt full of humidity the 3 men who remained there, condemned, spoke to calm their situation a little.

-That's because you don't understand them, boy!

-Eh? You're talking old man, that's unusual, but it never hurts to have some pearl of wisdom... tell us, how did you manage to find yours, your girl with whom you formed your family and whose heart you broke while you were here...

"I also want to hear, I should have asked Martha's husband how he got someone like that, I guess, when you get to a certain age, and you have the same person, that means you knew how to choose, right?"

From my nostalgia, for my home, for the people I knew, even, as ridiculous as it sounds, for my time, born that thought, and stopping talking, I put all my attention on the old man in front; I can't define his features, but I manage to differentiate a bushy and grey beard, also, bathed by the scarce blast of the torches I deduce that he is bony and few hairs are left...he is definitely the stereotype of a homeless man fallen in disgrace, but I want to hear it.

-Actually, I never got married... I don't have any children either.

-Ahhh!

I let out an almost vomiting squawk and try to penetrate the darkness to get a good look at this old man's face, I wouldn't be surprised if he's laughing with that answer too.

-B-but old man, if you say you don't have children, who's that sweet girl that usually comes around, don't tell me that...?

-W-what, you know? don't say anything, the cows can hear you, and the rats won't come to gnaw the chains, if you don't keep your secrets they'll gnaw your heart out... nobody comes, they've never come, you're crazy....

As he shouts nonsense, the man's senile soul leaks out of his eyes; twisting them like a chameleon the old man lunges at the other prisoner to seal his lips, at the same time shaking his head in all directions hoping not to see a guard.

"I really...I want to go home, that guy is scary, and the other one is stupid."

I can't help it, I've been trying to look serene and wake up, or for something to happen, but it's been about 4 days now, I'm scared to think it's more, where terror was turning into anger and gradually into despair, now I guess I'm accepting it...wait...I'm not accepting it, I want to get out of here, please...some deity, thing, whatever brought me here, could you at least try?

-Aghh...don't do that old man, I don't understand what you're saying, but that girl that used to come, if she's not your daughter you force me to think the worst....

-I don't know what you're talking about, but the darkness makes me itch, see you later good sirs, I must sleep....

"Hey, so early? wait how do I know it's early? Oh I'm losing my mind too...cruel fate, you've forgotten me and I'll end up like these madmen."

Unavoidable tears sprang to my cheeks and I decided to lie down on this cold rock... sleep? I haven't done it since I arrived, more like periods, at the beginning the fear kept me awake and when I was starting to close my eyes a rat passed between my feet, that has kept me awake since then...

-You're crazy man...but he who keeps quiet is exposed, I'll think whatever I want, you heard me; by the way, boy, I wanted to ask you, if you say that you usually take classes with others of your age, does that mean that your master let you go to his children's classes? Or was he a patron? Do you have any talent in that case?

"Hell...a few hours ago I started talking to this guy about my bitter memories of high school...without much context he got carried away with what I was saying, but now he's asking...what should I do, I guess it's wise to keep quiet and not look like a crazy person?"

-The truth is that I come from a time in the future, where humans got to the moon and prisons aren't so horrible... eh?

"What the hell is wrong with you? Because you tell the truth! Damn brain...I must, tell some lies fast!"

-And there are more sexy girls too, and there are planes and light all the time."A complete failure, that's what you are Calimac, a failure."

-Hahahaha...hey kid, if you keep spouting stuff like that I'll stop believing you completely, first with your dreams and now with that...you're not one of those dirty minstrels I was talking about?

"All right...I'll take advantage of this and laugh, I'll say it's all a joke."

-I-I...yes...haha.

-Disbelief makes men beasts Arimacus, or did you see when they brought him in? I believe you son...

"W-why are you talking normal...you give me the worst feeling now."

-Wow...weren't you asleep? Besides, I never thought you'd use my name since I told you.

The dungeon was suddenly filled with human silence and only the squeaks of small animals, here and there, together with the constant dripping of the walls could be heard; maybe the old man was right, just now the darkness emerges from my insides and the sleep gets heavier...soon I....

"-Calimac you must go...it's not about grades, not about expectations, you must do it for you.....

-Cghh...if it's not about grades, then why am I going in the first place? There everyone expects to make fun of me, they're all friends with each other, except me....Ahh...it's a dream...mixed with a not so old memory...I think it was the second time I changed high schools and Martha was furious, she expected someone perfect, but she only got me, someone who abuses her goodwill....

-But son...if they're making fun, why didn't you tell me...I'm going to....

Here it comes...this is the part of these discussions that I don't like to repeat...because I said so...because I told her:

-Why are you calling me your son? I'm not...you picked me up, like a stray dog, and you give me your pity, but I let them down every time...excuse me Martha, excuse me for not being the perfect boy you expected, but it's your fault for making the wrong choice...and

Suddenly my face swells up, it wasn't out of shame or anger with which I spat all that rubbish, it was a direct hit...loaded with softness, with sorrow, I even felt sadness; my adoptive mother stopped my damned words with a slap in the face.

-Don't tell you dog!!!...you are...above all things...you are special, my son...you don't know how much...how much my life changed when you came, I love you very much...forgive me for that.....

Between sentences her voice breaks, tears are held back with all the strength she has and with every word she says, he is closer to tears.

I wanted to cry too, not because of the blow, that was so well deserved that it even seems little to me, rather it was my unconscious way of treating this sweet woman and how difficult it was to understand me, that irritates even me; I explode so easily and say things I don't mean, as if a vengeful spirit took possession and wanted to make me look like an idiot; I understand that humans want to explore first the galaxies so far away that they are almost mythical, to sacrifice the oceans that are just a step away, that's this race, always trying to get away from the obvious, from the simple...

"Why don't you just let yourself be loved? ...what do you need?"I say it to myself so loud and so many times, maybe sometime I can hear it...Ah...looks like the dream is about to end....

"I can hear...it's...K...kid....kid...." - Hey kid...I want you to keep telling me about that world, about "the future".

-Hey...w-what? ....who...

Fighting my stupor, I look up, only to find an unfamiliar face invading my personal space.

-What...you...why are you coming so...?

A hand full of calluses and hard to the touch like a body imprisons my lips; it is the old man who is crazy, being close I can notice his features, I expected him to be different, but in reality he is a common face, like any old man, full of dust on his cheeks and with bulging eyes, bulging and blue like a freshly polished sapphire, like a diamond blessed with the colour of the sky... Somehow that colour soothed my soul, I hate to admit it, but if those eyes were on a girl, I could say without fear of contradiction, that she would be the most beautiful woman on earth...

"Ahhh...why am I praising an old man? What the hell..."

-Shhh...I want to hear more stories about that world, I don't think you're crazy, so I want to listen to you, but tonight I'm going out of here, do you want to come?

"Wh-what? .... this and the other thing...I...I, what the hell?"

So many things to say, so many that thoughts are not enough, feeling that way my body starts to tremble; the old man confronts me with those intense and beautiful eyes while, with a quick movement he moves his fingers away from my face...such an action proves that I must give a quick answer.

"I suppose I should start by accepting what he says, if I can get out of here...but if it's a trap...how would it be a trap? He's in the same situation...wait, even if it's not a trap, what happens when we fail and get caught, how did the Romans punish people?"

Instantly I have powerful memories, images of brutal punishments, and of course crosses and whips, definitely the Romans knew how to impose fear...after thousands of years I fear them, something that is not inexplicable...they will crucify us or worse, but ....

-My niece is waiting, I have prepared everything to flee tonight...it is the feast of the sun, today Saturn walks through the fields and all the citizens get drunk until they almost lose their minds and they indulge in rituals with magic of all kinds...there is no limit tonight.

"Hey...he's talking about that again...a few days ago he said about magic and his flying combat, with the bible guy, I remember, but it all seemed like a bad joke."

I didn't ask for proof at the time, as the old man was just talking nonsense, like the reason for his confinement was the invasion of some sacred fields, in the hills of rome, that were exclusive for the people of the roman aristocracy and not only that, he had also been seen with a preacher of a religion that the empire didn't like...but in his words:

-I decided to come here, to wait for the opportunity....

"It will be now?...he meant this?...that I should...but wait a moment...he said niece?"He had already said that the reason for so many school changes was because of rejections? Well...I seem to have an easy tendency to get into such trouble; there was also the fact of magic, if it was true, there might be a reason for me to be here, if magic works as I think it does surely I was brought here for a reason, and the opportunity to learn from this old man, who claims to be a wizard, while I can get out of here and meet his niece, are enough reasons for me...

-Is she pretty?

-What?

-I mean... its's all right...

-Hm...now then get ready boy...the cows can hear you....With a gesture, the old man points to the bars of the dungeon, implying that he means the guards and suddenly....

-Hey! Wh-what's that?...

Powerful explosions thunder outside the walls and I can hear voices mingled with anger and unbridled...

-Here they are... the rats are here... -Here they are... the rats are here...

-Eh....what...what!!!!

Literally many rodents started to come out of the walls and rounded up the old man and me, among them, a brown furred rat jumped near the old man with something between his teeth, something that glowed.

-Well... I paid a lot for this so we can't miss the opportunity.Saying those words with haughty dignity he removed a key from the animal's jaws, with which he unlocked its heavy shackles.

-Now you.

-Ah... yes.With a leap I throw myself against the old man and his master key...I am free, now I am free; could hands be so light ?I value so much not having chains, in fact, no human should have them, ever.

-Thank you grandfather...I...this was magic?

-Yes...although I had to pay for it, but it was necessary...well boy, now the complicated part will come.

-Y-yes...

-Then let's move... -Hey! Arimacus, move, we're getting out of here...

-Hey... what-what's going on... Ah!!!! They're rats!!!!

-Shut up! The cows will hear us!!!...you want to get out of here too don't you, you should go and get to know the women better and their three asses....

-W-what?

Wow...I don't know whether to believe you or not, at this point the world is so random that I wouldn't be surprised to leave here on a broom or giant robot knocking down the walls....

-There's no time, we're leaving....

-Hold on, old man...

Stepping forward, the older man crosses the lintel, hunching his back, but before he crosses:

-By the way, stop calling me old man...my name is Simon, nice to meet you boy, what's your name?

-Hey...that's your name...wait old man what's going on?While the other guy was talking fast, that little dialogue, so simple, but at the same time so civilized let me trust the old man, who looked like a kind of superhero with a loincloth and in the bones...definitely that profile wouldn't sell, but that's what heroes look like in reality I suppose...

-I'm Calimac... thanks for helping me grandpa Simon...

In this way I begin the escape from a prison that I have no idea where it is, in fact, I have no idea where I will find it if I manage to get out; I guess something will come up then.

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