Apollo & Luna

Consumption

White, hazy pieces of memories came to her. The sound of screaming echoed in her mind and she could feel the heat of the fire near her flesh. Sweat beaded on her skin, her breathing ragged as she tried to suppress her cries. Fear choked her and her body froze.

In her mind’s eye, she could see the hulk of a man who had been hunting her and her mother down. She hadn’t foreseen this. She didn’t know what to do.

Her mother held her tight as she ran, carrying her small, petrified form as she too cried. The man just killed her husband and she had no idea where to go, or where to hide.

Alicia could hear the man’s cold voice carried by the wind as he addressed her mother. The man wanted the child, he wanted Alicia. But her mother refused to give her up, and so she cried while holding her tight as she ran and ran and ran far, far away…

WAAAAA!

She woke up with a start, shivering in the cold, and yet she was bathed in perspiration. Catching her breath, her heart racing, she tried to recall remnants of her nightmares and she shuddered. The dream reminded her again of her unforgivable sin.

Dad…

Tears welled in her eyes as she recalled her kind father, the father who had been sacrificed in order for Alicia and her mother to escape. She didn’t know what the man wanted but she had an idea that maybe it was because of her unusual ability. Her father died because of her. It was unforgivable, and yet, her mother continued to love and care for her.

Because of this, Alicia had initially vowed not to disappoint her mother, and yet she did it again. She used her powers which she knew would upset her mother. Even though she had saved a life, she couldn’t help the terrible guilt which now gnawed upon her heart and she broke down in tears.

“Hmmmmp…”

The sudden whimper stopped her from crying, and she turned to the man lying next to her. The stranger was shifting and turning in his sleep, frowning in his restlessness. Alicia wiped her eyes and reached out to the man and found him with fever once more. She thought of healing him again now that she had some rest, but changed her mind. The man wasn’t dying anymore, and she wouldn’t defy her mother again.

When the man started shivering, Alicia pulled the blanket and she lay closer to him, her naked skin pressed against the stranger’s scorching naked flesh, as she settled on his shoulder and covered themselves. The stranger welcomed her offered warmth, pulling her closer against him, and Alicia wrapped her arms and legs around him the same way the stranger had done. Surprisingly, it felt comfortable.

Looking at the stranger’s face, noting his handsome features, Alicia smiled a wistful smile. She found the man good looking. She reckoned if they were under normal circumstances, she would have fallen for him.

But they were not – and based on the quality of the man’s clothing, she knew that if it weren’t for those people who brought him here, they wouldn’t even have met. They were like heaven and earth.

Placing her cheek on the man’s chest, hearing his even breathing, Alicia closed her eyes and drifted once more to sleep.

The morning came, and along with it, another day, another time, another set of challenges to face. As she always did as soon as she woke up, Alicia’s mother said a little prayer before rising from her bed.

Looking out the window, she saw the bright summer sky, the birds which happily flew past the transom as they chirped happily and she sighed. In spite of the events that happened before dawn, the day looked promising at least, she thought as she got out of her room.

She couldn’t understand, but she didn’t feel the usual dread which followed the day her daughter used her ability. The haunting feeling was gone, and somehow, that troubled her. Did the years made her intuition weaken or was she just being paranoid? It had been years after all since they had last seen the man – the hunter as she called him.

Either way, she decided to just ignore her musings and face the day head on. She knew her daughter must be feeling awful for disobeying her. She should put Alicia’s mind at ease, she thought as she was suddenly attacked by coughs and she covered her mouth.

When the spasms ended, she could taste the rusty tang of blood in her mouth, and she knew that her other fear was realized. Slowly, trembling in epiphany, she held out her hand in front of her, her eyes widening upon seeing the spots of blood there, and yet, she wasn’t that surprised. She had been having the same thing almost every time she coughed for a long time. It’s just that there’s more blood now.

Consumption. 

Her lungs had been eaten away by disease which she had acquired due to years of neglect and her horrible lifestyle when she was younger. For months, she had known she was ill, but pretended that things were okay, so she wouldn’t alarm her child. She discerned, once Alicia knew about it, her daughter would insist on healing her, but she didn’t want to be healed.

For her, the journey of her life was nearing its end, and she’d welcome death with open arms. In spite of all her hardships, God had still given her something precious in the midst of the most chaotic time. Alicia had been her salvation, and she was thankful for the years she had spent raising her child. There was nothing more she could ask for aside from her daughter’s safety.

With a sad smile, she went to the corner where the basin was, and scrubbed her hands. Perhaps, the events of last night would alter her daughter’s fate. Perchance, it was a sign that something would soon change, and she prayed once again that whatever it was, Alicia would be alright.

With a soft sigh, she put on her work clothes and started on her morning chores. She reckoned she’d cook her daughter’s favorite dish for breakfast. Maybe she’d be introduced to their guest too and find out what really happened.