The Sun and The Moon

Chapter 3

Tempest

Run. Something whispered eerily to me. Not time. Run! I shivered and rubbed my arms as Mom crawled out looking triumphant. My mother had always been a very competitive woman and she was in some small way enjoying beating my dad. I could see it clearly on her face.

She passed me the bag and barked an order at me.

“Strip!” My hands began to strip the clothes from my body for my mother while my brain tried to stop them. Why was my mother stripping me?

“Mom please, you’re scaring me. Just try talking and I’ll figure it out.” I begged her as my hands pulled my shirt over my head and the pants from around my waist. She just stroked my face with a loving hand and leaned down to kiss my forehead.

“Let’s say I wanted to take a vacation. Let’s say that bag is my vacation bag.” My mother said as she pointed to a large black canvas bag on the ground. “Let’s say I knew years ago that this day would come that I’d need to plan a vacation.” It took me a minute but I know what she’s doing now. She’s trying to explain around my father’s command. Moms fighting back!

“Let’s say there’s everything you’ll need to go on vacation in that bag. Even a new phone that only I know.” She ground out and hit her knees. “Foot!” She barked from her knees as I stood naked before her. Mom had laid bare all my secrets the pack didn’t know. My jet black hair that hung to my waist whipped and swirled around my head just like my name Tempst. The mirror cast my eyes right back at me. Two flames that flickered sat in my eyes. Starting from a blistering pulsing white at the base of each flame rapidly deepening bands of purple flames flickered like campfires at night. A round sweet face I kept hidden under hats and hoodies from the pack. Two sweet dimples on either side of my cheeks and a light scattering of freckles across my nose. I moved my full red lips and I could see two little fangs winking from under my top lip. My ears started pretty much like everyone else’s but about half way up they started to slope back in a graceful arch. It ended with the top of my ears just above my hairline.

“My little angel.” My mother purred as she stood up and hugged me. Her scent was like a soothing balm on my trembling soul. “Don’t be scared, be brave. Give me your foot, little one. It’s important.” She released me and stepped back with tears in her eyes. I sat on the bed still completely naked and lifted my foot to my mother. I felt like a sacrificial lamb going for slaughter. My eyes caught a glint under the lights in the room and I felt a wicked sudden pain shoot across the bottom of my foot. Mom clapped her hand down over my mouth and whispered harshly in my ear.

“You must never cry out in pain, Tempt. You’re special and if you cry out people will know. You must run and hide, while I pretend you died.” She sobbed out as she pulled me into her loving arms. I wept bitterly with her. Something was telling me I may never see my mother again. What was she giving up for me that I didn’t know and she wouldn’t say? I cried harder and pulled her closer as my foot continued to bleed on my clothes my mother had stripped from me. We continued just holding onto one another so scared to let go in case this moment never visited us again.

Mom finally pulled away from me and handed me the large bag. Her face was still an alarming red but she looked more at peace than I'd seen her look in a while.

“Go get dressed, pack light.” She whispered as she pushed me to my bedroom door. “Hurry, child. I need you gone before your father comes back.”

I stumble into my room in a surreal haze. The shock of all of this numbed me some and thank the moon goddess for it. This was a dream. No, no this was a nightmare and for some reason I’m trapped in it. I step down on my foot and it gives me its own steady throbbing heartbeat. Nope, f**k me, this isn’t a dream. I move in what would have been a funny zombie shuffle with the accompanying dead eyes and everything but I can’t find anything about this mess funny.

I look on my bed and see Teddy, an almost six foot teddy bear Moon sent me on my sixteenth birthday. It was in this massive cardboard box when it came and for about ten seconds I thought maybe Moon was in the box. I ripped into that thing right there in the post office scared Moon might be suffocating. No Moon, but a letter and a bear carrying a vague alpine scent. I really liked the scent, so much so that Teddy was a necessary cuddle buddy if I were to ever sleep again. He had been my faithful bedtime companion for the last four years. I grab my bear and look into his sparkling eyes that look like hot thin caramel. These eyes are too pretty to be on a teddy bear. Even the bear's fur was this mix of caramel colors in different hues and tones.

“You are coming.” I whispered to him as I dug a large suitcase from under my bed. Screw clothes, but the bear had to come. Oh s**t my letters! I threw my bear down gently and ran for my closet. Sitting there waiting for me on the top shelf was my lock box. Inside were all my letters from Moon, each and every one. I took down the beautifully engraved box that had a celestial sun and moon holding one another. This gift Moon sent when I turned eighteen and it must have cost a small fortune. When I unlock the lid, a smiling moon and a laughing sun spring up from inside the box and play a beautiful melody. It was just one of the many beautiful gifts Moon had sent me over the years. Of course, I had sent my fair share of gifts to him as well. Many of them I actually made. Oddly enough I’m clumsy but crafty.

I stuff Teddy in my suitcase as best I can and use his squish to pad my lock box. I manage to get a few pieces of clothing in another bag and wonder if I can take my car. I thought it over for a few minutes and decided I can’t. I still don’t know what was going on but I had heard enough to know my father had either sold or traded me to people my mother considered beasts. Beast is like calling someone a mother fucker to my mother. It’s the lowest of insults meaning the person is rabid or feral. Those rogue Lycans she calls those men beasts when she screams out most nights.

After I had packed everything I could and safely knew I could haul around on my own, I remembered I needed to dress. I pulled on panties, a bra, and then grabbed a big oversized hoodie from the back of my closet. It was my brother Aaron’s. I always stole their hoodies. It was expected for them to now bring me their extra hoodies so I could safely steal and not leave them hoodie-less. It actually happened twice since they started alpha academy or that’s what I like to think of it as.

I took the hoodie down and pulled it on over some of Gavin’s old sweatpants he left in my room. I now smelled like both of them and it helped center me. I took a deep breath and grabbed my bags. My brothers were home for the next few nights before they had to return to the academy. I wanted and needed to see them before I left. They had both loved and protected me in this place when neither of them had to. I loved them. They were my best friends and my big brothers and I knew whatever was going on Aaron and Gavin didn’t know anything about. If they did, they would have told me. They’ve never lied to me and they’ve always treated me as an equal.

I carry my bags from my room to the living room. All the lights are out and I can’t sense mom at all. Knowing her, she's somewhere doing something to make sure I leave this place tonight. One last battle cry for her daughter. I hope they didn’t hurt her for helping me leave. Leaving, I could do but knowing she would suffer would eat at me until nothing was left.