In the dead of night, Elena plunges into a desperate search for the facts that have overwhelmed her. Armed only with a notebook, a phone, and her own clear vision, she launches into a barrage of phone calls to psychiatric wards and former colleagues, seeking objective evidence of events that defy all logic. But the more official confirmations pile up, the more her certainties crumble, revealing an unstable reality, where presence and absence merge, and what was seen may never have happened.
A conversation with a figure from the past brings shocking information, capable of overturning every established point. Elena thus finds herself on the brink of paradox, where the truth is no longer solid, but porous and two-faced.
Yet, in the darkest hour, a call to normality also appears: a return to everyday life, to the village festival, to humanity. And among lights suspended in the trees, simple dishes, and genuine laughter, something profound shifts. But the line between escape and reality remains thin, and the shadow of a greater enigma looms silently beyond appearances.
Between psychiatry, deception, and impossible apparitions: Elena's research reveals a disturbing double meaning to reality
Stories. The Mysteries of Oltrecolle. Chapter 11 B. Elena and the Paradox of Truth
Back at the hotel, Elena felt a new urgency rising, filled with doubts, fears, and an almost obsessive desire to bring order to the chaos of her experiences. Sitting on the bed, her notebook open on her knees, she decided she could no longer rely solely on her perceptions: she needed objective confirmation, clear and unequivocal answers. So, she picked up the phone and dialed the number of the Gallarate mental hospital, where—according to the files—Ms. Claudia Rottoli was being held, having just hours earlier been the subject of a conversation that now seemed almost surreal.
After a short wait and the usual exchanges with the receptionist, she managed to get through to the department head. She introduced herself, explaining that she was Dr. Fermi, assigned to provide a consultation for Professor Visconti.
In a calm but firm voice, she asked:—Forgive me for the perhaps unusual question, but I just wanted to know if Mrs. Claudia Rottoli was regularly present at the institute yesterday, without any particular absences.
On the other end of the line, the foreman seemed almost surprised:
— Yes, Doctor, Mrs. Rottoli has never been away. Yesterday she followed her usual routine: therapy, recreational activities, no episodes or permission to leave the facility. It's all recorded in the logbook.
Elena thanked him, quickly said goodbye, and ended the call with shaking hands. She took a deep breath, trying to gather her thoughts, and took the second step in her "literal test": she dialed the Faccanoni Hospital, asking for the psychiatry department and Dr. Ciceri...
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