The Road of Life Read online

  TheRoadofLife

  LorenaFranco

  TranslatedbyGeorgiaLouiseSnelgrove

  “TheRoadofLife”

  WrittenByLorenaFranco

  Copyright©2017LorenaFranco

  Allrightsreserved

  DistributedbyBabelcube,Inc.

  www.babelcube.com

  TranslatedbyGeorgiaLouiseSnelgrove

  “BabelcubeBooks”and“Babelcube”aretrademarksofBabelcubeInc.

  TableofContents

  TitlePage

  CopyrightPage

  THEROADOFLIFE|LorenaFranco|Translateby:GeorgiaLouisSnelgrove

  PROLOGUE

  PARTTWO

  PARTTHREE

  PARTFOUR

  PARTFIVE

  THEROADOFLIFE

  LorenaFranco

  Translateby:GeorgiaLouisSnelgrove

  Copyright©2016LorenaFranco

  AllRightsReserved

  ©THEROADOFLIFE

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying,recording,orotherelectronicormechanicalmethods,withoutthepriorwrittenpermissionofthepublisher,except inthecaseofbriefquotationsembodiedincriticalreviewsandcertainothernon-commercialusespermittedbycopyrightlaw.

  (Art.270andfollowingoftheCriminalcode).

  PROLOGUE

  (Source:MysteryoftheOrder)

  Theideathatotheruniversesexistand,therefore,otherparallelworldsortimelines,hasbeen supported by many different scientists throughout the years, with Theoretical Physicist and WinneroftheNobelPrizein1979,StevenWeinbergamongthese;whocomparedthetheoryof multiple universes with radio signals. All around us, there are hundreds of different radio wavesthatareemittedfromantennasinourcars,ourhomesorourworkplace,whicharefull of these radio waves. But one single radio is capable of receiving one frequency at a time, while the rest of the frequencies stand by until they are synchronized. Each antenna has differentenergyandfrequenciesandourradioisonlycapableofsynchronizingoneoftheseat atime.Thus,inouruniverse,weare"synchronized"inthefrequencythatcorrespondstoour physical reality. And however, there are an infinite number of parallel realities that coexist with us in the same room, but we cannot synchronize them. Even though they may be worlds thatareverysimilartoourown,eachonehasadifferentenergybecauseeachworldismade up of billions of atoms. This means that the difference between energies is enormous. The frequencyofthesewavesisproportionatetoitsenergyand,therefore,thewavesofeachworld vibrateatdifferentfrequenciesandcannotinteractwithoneanother.

  Andso,ifthetheoryofparalleluniversesisindeedtrue,thequestionthatweshouldallbe askingis:Whatrealitydowesee?Whatareourliveslikeintheotherdimensions?Generally, parallel universes are divided into two classifications. The first can be called a "divergent universe", where two versions of the earth share a common history up until the point of divergence.Atthispoint,theresultofsomeofthestoriesmayhappendifferentlyonthetwo Earthsand,astimecontinuesfromthispoint,theybecomeevenmoredifferent.

  Thetruthisthatweonlylivealifewithinthemanydifferentpossibilitiesthatwehave.The people we choose, our romantic partners, the subjects we choose to study, the job that we have,goodandbadhabits,theplacewherewelive...Allofthesedecisionssetabeforeand after in our lives. Even the smallest decision, that which seems completely insignificant, can determine the course of our existence. But... what would happen if, suddenly, we found ourselveslivingalifewedidnotchoose?Thatwhichwethoughtcouldhavebeenbutthat,for somereason,weruledoutofourlives?Decisionsandcoincidences.Causeandeffect.Dowe alwayshavecontroloverthesituation?Doesfatehaveaninfluenceanddoesitguideus?Or likethatsongfromJoanManuelSerratsaid: Thereisnothingmorebeautifulthanthatwhich Ihavenothad,nothingmorelovedthatthatwhichIhavelost... Dothelivesthatwedon't livealsoaffectthelivesthatwedolive?

  Welcometothisstory.WelcometoTHEROADOFLIFE.

  PARTONE

  NOVEMBER7th2012

  THESPELL

  BonnieLarsonwasthetypeofwomanthatnobodyeversaw.Invisibletosociety,shewas used to living in the background. The humiliation she had suffered at school had helped to forgeherintrovertedandharshpersonalitythat,mixedwithanunfortunatephysique,didn'thelp hertolivelifelikeothersdid.Shechosetheeasypath.Closingherselfupinsidethefourwalls of her dreary apartment and only ever leaving to go to work. He job was her life and, even though her colleagues didn't pay her the attention that she silently begged for, she adapted herselftoacomfortableroutinethatmadeherdifficultexistencejustalittlebiteasier.Bonnie was a simple worker in a large production chain for an important and innovative pharmaceuticalcompanyinthecityofNewYork.But,onacoldseventhofNovember,aday thathadstartedouttobenormal,apieceofnewsfortheworkerswasabouttochangeherlife forever.

  The imposing executive vice-president of the company, Nora Clayton, spoke to them all fromthetopofthestaircasewheretheostentatiousofficesofthebigbosseswerelocatedand fromwheretheycouldenjoyaprivilegedviewofalloftheirworkers.Thatday,sheseemed tallerthanusual,withherdarkbluesuitandhighheelsthatstylizedherthinfigure.Shehadher darkhairpulledbackinahighbun,hermake-upwasperfect,asalways,andmadeherlarge, prettyblueeyesstandoutevenmore.Herthinandperfectfacewasalwaysinconstanttension andshehadnoproblemshowingthatbypursingherfulllips.Withadrygreeting,shecalled fortheattentionofthetwentythousandpeoplewhowereworkinghardontheproductionchain.

  IncludingBonnie,wholookedupwithherlargedarkeyesbehindthethickglassesthatcovered mostofherboneyface.

  "I'msorrytoinformyouthattenthousandofthepeoplewhoarecurrentlyworkinghereon theproductionchainwillbefiredinfifteendays’time.Throughoutthisweek,youwillreceive yournoticeslips.Thankyouforyourattention."

  ThosewordsresonatedinBonnie'smindlikeadrillonawall.Shebegantofeelill,just like the rest of the workers who had begun to whisper among themselves, agitated and very angrily.Shedidn'tunderstand.Thecompanymadebillionsofdollarsayear,butwhattheystill didn't know was that sophisticated, high-tech machines were going to substitute the ten thousand people who were going to be fired and who were much more expensive for the company. Cost reduction. Nothing more, nothing less, it wasn't personal. Nora Clayton returnedtoherofficewithanairofsuperiorityabouther,Bonniecouldseeinherlighteyes that she didn't care about the ten thousand people who were suddenly without a job and a paycheck to live on. Nobody walked over to Bonnie. Nobody spoke the words she so desperatelyneededtohear...

  "I'msuretheywon'tfireyouBonnie.You'rethemostefficientworkerhere."

  But nobody approached her. Nobody said a word to her. And, just like always, nobody lookedather.

  Halfanhourlater,Bonnietookadvantageofherbreaktobuilduphercourageandwalkup to the vice-president's office. She had ever done that before, not her or anyone else. Nora Clayton was inaccessible, as cold as ice and not really a people person. Qualities that her superiorstookintohighregardwhentheygavehertheexecutivevice-presidentpo
sitionfive yearsbefore.

  SheopenedthedoorthatledtothereceptionroomofNora'ssecretary,awomanofaround fiftyyearsofage,stuck-upandarrogant,calledVirginiaBrown.

  "Whatdoyouwant?"Virginiagreetedher,nottakinghereyesoffofthecomputerscreenin frontofher.

  Bonnie took advantage and ran towards the door that had a little golden plaque on it, indicating that it was the office of Nora Clayton, Executive Vice-president. She opened the door as she felt Virginia's hot breath on the back of her neck and was faced with Nora's attentive eyes, sitting on her comfortable white leather chair behind a desk full of piled up papers.Bonnieonlymanagedtostammeranincomprehensible“Goodmorning”.

  "Who gave you permission to interrupt me?" Nora asked defiantly. "Virginia, what am I payingyoufor?"

  "I'm sorry Mrs. Clayton. I'll..." Virginia replied, looking like a lamb about to be slaughteredinsteadofherusualsnottyandarrogantself.

  "No, it doesn't matter, forget about it." Nora interrupted. "After all this time, you have finally confirmed to be that you're completely useless. Get out." She continued talking to Virginiawho,lookingatBonniehatefully,walkedoutoftheoffice.“Andwhatdoyouwant?"

  "No...excuseme...I...I'mverysorry;IjustwantedtoknowifIwasoneofthepeoplewho aregoingtobefired."Bonniereplied,lookingdownatthefloor.

  “Isthisreallyhappening?"Noralaughedasshetypedonhercomputer."Whydowehave theguysdownatadmin?"Shesighedasshelookedattheshortandthinworkerinfrontofher outofthecornerofhereye.“Yourname?"

  "Bonnie,BonnieLarson."

  "Larson... Right... Yes, you're fired." Nora replied, forcing a half-smile that infuriated Bonnie.

  "But,but..."

  "Leave my office immediately." Nora said, walking slowly over to Bonnie. "Didn't you hearme?"Sheasked,raisinghervoiceasshestoodinfrontofheremployee,whowasmuch shorterthanshewas.Bonnielookedupand,withaquickmovement,pulledafewhairsoutof Nora'sbrownhair.

  "Whatthehelldoyouthinkyou'redoing?"

  Bonnie ran as fast as she could and, instead of going back to the production chain, she stopped by at her locker to pick up her things and left to never return. Nobody would care though,nobodywouldrealizeshehadleftandtheguysatadminwouldnotnoticeherabsence when the time came for them to pay her what she was owed. In the ten years she had been there,nobodyhadseenher,noneofhercolleagueshadtakentheslightestbitofnoticeinher apparentlyfrailpresence.Theywouldnotmissheratall.

  Noraforgotcompletelyaboutthestrangesituationthroughoutthecourseoftheday.Shehad toomuchworktodotohavetimetothinkaboutsomeoneasinsignificantasBonnie,whoshe hadnotevenknownhadexisteduntilthatday.

  Bornintoalonglinageofwitches,Bonnieheadeddirectlybacktoherapartmentlocatedina dangerous backstreet of the Bronx that she did not fear at all. Although she had been approachedonmanyoccasionswiththeintentionofbeingmugged,asimplelookwouldmake thepettythievesrunawayfromherandmanyofthemevendecidedtoendtheirownlivesby throwing themselves off of the nearest bridge. Bonnie's power had no limits. Although the majority of her ancestors had used their magic to do evil, Bonnie had always resisted the temptation,exceptonacertainamountofoccasions.Assheopenedthedoortoherapartment, she remembered the time she had left her arch enemy, the popular Claudia Robinson, completely bald. The stunning blonde cheerleader who would throw drinks over her, who broke three pairs of her glasses, who insulted her for no reason in front of the entire high school,whofilledherlockerwithworms...theicingonthecakethathadledBonnietocastthe spellthathadputanendtoherbeautifullonghair,occurredonthedaythat,aftergymclass, theyhadleftherwithnoclotheswhileshewasintheshower.Bonniehadhadtorundownthe corridorsinherbirthdaysuit,untilshereachedtheprincipal'sofficeaskingforhelp.Bonnie's motherlecturedherbecauseofit.Thepowerfulwitch,ElisabethLarson,waswhohadgiven her the idea of leaving the problematic teen bald. From that moment on, she never bullied Bonnie again, having to put up with the taunts of the other students herself and automatically losing her position as the most popular girl in school. It was a bad time for poor Claudia Robinsonwho,tothisday,attheageofthirty-five,isstillcompletelybald.Buttheywerenot good times for Bonnie either. From that moment on, everybody called her Witch and nobody dared to go near her. She had become invisible even for her teachers who, not wanting any trouble, made her pass all of her classes, even if it was with a C, which Bonnie was happy with.Shehadalwaysbeenafreak.Butthatdidn'tbotherheranymore.

  Sheranovertothebookofspellsandenchantmentsthatshehadinheritedfromhermother whenshediedofabrainhemorrhage.Yes,evenwitchescandieandinthemostabsurdways.

  Elisabeth Larson had suffered from a vein exploding in her head when she was practicing blackmagicwithhercousinsfromBrooklyn.Thestrengthwithwhichshehadsaideachand every one of the words that would put an end to the man who had cheated on her cousin Cassandra,causedhertosufferasuddendeath.

  Bonnie opened the large book to page seventy-two. She picked up the two hairs she had pulled from the imposing Nora Clayton's head, turned off the soft light in the lounge, lit four

  blackcandles,closedhereyesandranherfingersacrosseverywordthathadbeenwrittenin themanualcenturiesbefore.

  “Bonnieinvokesyou.BonnieLarsonordersyou.BonnieLarsonsendsyoubacktothelifethatyoudidn'tchoose.Fromtoday, youwillnolongerbeyou.Thepeopleyoulovewillnotknowyou.Thepossessionsyouhavewillnotbelongtoyou.Youwill returntowhereyoucamefrom.Youwillnolongerbeyouandyouwillbecomewhoyouchosenottobe.Theworstpersonon thefaceoftheearthwilldisappear.

  BonnieLarsoninvokesyou.BonnieLarsonordersyou.Asfromtoday,NoraClaytonwillbethepersonshechosenottobe.A parallelworldwillopenbeforeher,thepathnotchosenwillbethebeginningofastorywithoutahappyending.BonnieLarson invokesyou.BonnieLarsonordersyou.BonnieLarsonwillfinallybequeen”.

  Thecandleswentout.NoraClayton'stwohairsburned.Bonniewassweatingandpanting, exhaustedfromshoutingeachandeveryoneofthewordsthatshehadmadeherown.Thebook shonewithanintensegreenlight,asitalwaysdidwhenaspellwasdonecorrectlyandthenit closed suddenly. Bonnie smiled, satisfied, and decided to take a shower. Hours later, everythingwouldhavechanged.

  IMPORTANTDECISIONS

  SeventhofNovember,2012.Justlikeanyothermorning,althoughIknewthatIwouldhaveto givebadnewstothecompanythatday.Oneofthemostimportantpharmaceuticalcompaniesin the United States. Five years before, I had been promoted to Executive Vice-President and, although I missed the days in which I was a simple reporter for a fashion magazine, I had grown used to living a comfortable life full of luxuries that any thirty six year old woman wouldlovetohave.

  “Goodmorning,sweetheart.”Ikissedmyhusband,Stuart,onthecheek.Hewasn’treallya morning person, always staying in bed in bed for endless minutes... a waste of time, in my opinion.

  “JustafewmoreminutesNora...please...”

  “No,Stuart,youhavetogetup.”Isaidfirmly.“Matt’smostprobablyalreadyupandit’s yourturntotakehimtoschool.”

  Mattisourson.Asixyearolddevilwhowasidenticaltohisfatherandwholovedearly mornings... especially on weekends, which was really annoying. It was six thirty
in the morning, the sun was shyly peaking over the skyscrapers in New York and the hands on the clockseemedtopassbyfast.Istillhadtogetready,putmymake-upon,makethecoffee,and maketheboys’breakfastandMatt’slunchthathewouldtaketoschool.AndifIaddedallof thepaperworkthatIstillhadtoorganizetoeverythingelse,aswellastheNewYorktrafficin themorning,IcouldsaywithcertaintythatIwasgoingtobelate.

  TheguiltIfeltforhavingtofiretenthousandworkersfromtheproductionchainhadbeen themaincauseofmenotbeingabletosleepatnight.Ihadboughtthreemiracleworkinganti-darkeyesbarinthepasttwoweeks.Three.Threearealot.Weweregoingtosubstituteten thousandpeoplewhoweregoingtoendupwithoutajobandaridiculousseverancepackage that had already been agreed by the top dogs, for sophisticated, top of the art machines that woulddotheworkforthem.Theywouldbecheaperandwouldworkmuchquicker.Abargain fortheBoardofDirectors.GreatforStuart,myboss’sson,who,fromthatmomenton,would havelessworktodointheadministrationdepartment.

  IhadmetStuarttwelveyearsbefore.Hehadbeenamodel,oneofthebestandbestpaidof thetime.Oneday,hehadgonetothemagazinetoletmyfriendPatriciainterviewhim.Shefell deeply in love with him and they went out for dinner on several occasions. But one day, he went to meet her and saw me behind my computer screen. I didn’t even notice him but he offeredtotakemeoutforcoffee.Iaccepted,ofcourse.Ahandsome,popular,stylish,talland strongman...HowcouldIhaveresisted?Afterthatfirstcoffee,thereweremanymore.Aswell asinformallunches,elegantdinners,parties...Fourmonthslater,wewerelivingtogetherina formidableapartmentontheUpperEastSide,aneighborhoodwehadstayedin;althoughina

  different home that was much larger and much more ostentatious. Patricia of course, was no longermyfriend.Ithinkthat,evennow,whereversheis,shestillhatesmeandhopesthatIend upbald,blindandlimp.