Hey guys. This is the Part 2 of "The Lost City".

If you haven't read the part 1, here is the link: The Lost City (Part 1)

Part 2: The Invitation

"Maria, they are waiting for you", and she finally realized how she got called by her name.

She got confused to why this lady knew her name. She just shrugged her shoulders for she was startled at where she really was. She followed the lady, which is Carolina, and joined the whole squad.

She was amazed at how good looking they were. She was really amazed at their beauties, even men has good looking features. In her mind, she's like she was in a fantasy world. Everything her eyes landed on was a description of perfection.

"Uhm, Carolina, may I know where are we going?", asked by Maria while she was still looking at the place.

Everyone was looking at her. They were all smiling to her, she was overwhelmed with their welcome. It seems they were not used of having visitors.

She was still following the steps of Carolina. She was silent while observing that all women wore long white dresses, matching with their long hair.

They entered a big house, I mean you would not consider it as big house, it was huge, like a mansion. She was in owe seeing how beautiful the inside was. The outside was beautiful, but the inside was way more beautiful.

It was full of golden furnitures. All of it was made of gold and for a second she thought it wasn't real but it was. She was greeted by delicious foods. The smell of it was very luring, she couldn't control her hunger.

And since she's very hungry, she instantly nodded when Carolina invited her to eat. Even the foods were made of gold, she had not seen anything like what she was seeing at that moment. She seems want to take it out everything and bring it to their home to share it to her family.

There were no guest except her. She started to feel uncomfortable after seeing the long table with so much foods. In her mind, how could this mansion have no guests, it supposedly to have many people because there's a lot of delicious foods.

She sat along with Carolina. Carolina offered her foods and said to eat it.

It was very tempting, but she remembered how her grandpa once told her before, 'to not eat anything offered to you especially if you don't know the person'.

Carolina seemingly noticed her hesitation and suddenly her mood changed. She was very eager to eat the foods that were served to Maria.

"Carolina, eat it, it's not nice to reject the foods offered to you." , her smile was now gone, it was now a serious Carolina she was seeing.

"I am very Carolina, I can't just eat your foods, I was tempted at first but I remember my grandfather's advise, I hope you understand. I just want to go home.", Maria felt more uncomfortable inside the mansion.

She remembered she always brings with her the small bottled salt that was given to her by her grandfather. It was used to drive away bad spirits and enchantress from the people, and if you try to show it to the enchantress, she'll let you leave the place and you will see her real beauty.

She grabbed the small bottled salt and she opened it and hid it to her hands. Carolina was still forcing her to eat the foods, she even want to pick the foods to her mouth. When Carolina was about to do it, she immediately threw the salt to her face.

The beautiful Carolina was now a monster. She was running fast to get out to the mansion and to the place. The golden mansion was now gone, it was replaced big woods.

She didn't knew where she was running, all she wanted was to get rid from her and to the place.

Gladly, she got out from the dark woods and she was now running to her home.

She was greeted by her parents who looked very startled. She was crying and crying and suddenly her mom asked her where she was for 1 week.

"Mom, I was gone for like 30 minutes only! I was invited by a woman named Carolina, she forced me to eat their foods, right from that moment I knew she was an enchantress so I escaped from her. I was only gone for 30 minutes!", crying while she was sinking the whole situation.

"No Maria, we've been looking for you for 1 week already. We thought we've lost you!", her mother explained while hugging Maria.

Maria still couldn't processed the whole situation. It's been like she didn't knew what to believe. Maria had not eaten for days and they could not talked to her. Maria changed after that incident. She was always looking at their window, it seemed like she was there with them. It seemed her soul was wandering.

The incident changed Maria. Her body was with her family but not her soul.

The End.

Closing Thoughts:

It was believed that Biringan Islands (The Lost City) only chooses people to see the place. If you try looking at it, you will not find it.

There were incidents that some mailman received letters from Biringan with no stamps. It was so odd to received such letters and the address was not even found in the Philippines map.

The story of Maria was inspired by true events. Someone claimed that her grandmother's sister lost her mind after entering Biringan. Maybe she didn't handled the whole situation and break down or it could be her soul is still living in Biringan together with Carolina.