The Mate Curse

Unseen pull

Aria’s POV

The sunlight slanted through the c***k in the blinds, waking me up too early, like it always did. I blinked a few times, trying to fight the sleep that stuck to me like thick syrup. My room felt like a mess of old art supplies and forgotten dreams—paintbrushes scattered on the floor, canvases stacked against the wall, and half-finished drawings littering the desk. My bed was all tangled sheets and pillows that had fallen off sometime during the night. I stretched, feeling the muscles in my back groan, the weird stiffness from sleeping on my side too long.

I was still in my oversized hoodie, the one that had a faded unicorn on the front. It was the same one I’d been wearing for days—too big, too comfy, and way too old, but it was the one thing that felt like it was mine. The jeans I had on were baggy too, but not in the cool way. More like “I’ve had these for forever and I don’t have money to buy new ones” kind of way. They were ripped at the knees, but not the stylish kind of ripped. Just… worn.

The dream from last night was still stuck in my head like gum on the bottom of my shoe. I couldn't shake the image of that glowing thing. The moon had been so bright, like it was calling to me, and I could almost hear its voice, or maybe it was just the weird feeling that crawled up my spine. It was like something had reached out and grabbed me, pulling me into the dream. I didn’t understand it, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to. But it felt too real to ignore, even though I tried.

Shaking my head, I pushed the dream aside, trying to focus on the day ahead. I had to get dressed—maybe go to the coffee shop, maybe get some peace. Somewhere quiet, where I could pretend like nothing weird was happening.

I grabbed my sketchbook and flipped through the pages, looking for something to calm my brain down. It worked for a little while, at least until my stomach growled, reminding me that I hadn’t eaten anything since yesterday’s half-eaten sandwich. I got dressed quickly—pulled on the hoodie, shoved my feet into sneakers that probably should've been retired years ago, and grabbed my wallet, even though I knew I didn’t have much to spend.

The walk to the coffee shop felt longer than usual, like the air was thick with something I couldn’t name. It was a cool morning, with the sky still looking a little sleepy, just barely starting to wake up. The trees were all lush and green, but the leaves were already starting to turn a little yellow. I pulled my sleeves down over my hands as I walked, trying to hide the sudden chill creeping through me.

When I got to the coffee shop, the familiar smell of coffee beans and pastries hit me like a warm hug. It wasn’t busy—just a few people hunched over laptops, sipping their drinks. I ordered a plain black coffee, no sugar, no cream. Simple. I didn’t want anything that would make me feel too… awake. I needed to be somewhere in between.

I found a seat in the back corner, next to the window, and stared out at the street. The city was just waking up too—cars honking, people walking by in a hurry, their feet clicking on the pavement. But even with all the noise outside, there was this quiet, this space in my head where I could still hear the sound of the moon, like it was still out there, still calling.

I didn’t know what to do with that feeling. It was like my chest was a balloon, swelling with something, and I couldn’t pop it. I looked at my phone. No messages. No calls. Not that I expected any. My life wasn’t exactly full of people checking in on me. I pushed the thought aside and let the silence of the shop fill the space.

Then, I heard someone’s voice.

“Aria?”

I turned, surprised to see Lena standing there, her usual bright smile lighting up the room like she always did. She was wearing a floral dress today, the one with little pink and purple flowers all over it, and her long brown hair was in a messy ponytail. She always looked like she put herself together so effortlessly, even though I knew she had to try. I, on the other hand, was pretty sure my outfit was the opposite of ‘effortlessly cool.’

“Lena! Hey.” I waved her over, feeling a little embarrassed about how I looked—like I hadn’t done anything with my hair except run my fingers through it a few times.

She slid into the chair across from me, giving me a quick, warm hug. “How’s it going? You look like you’re carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders.” She said it jokingly, but there was concern in her eyes.

“I’m okay, just… tired,” I muttered. I didn’t want to tell her about the dream. Or the weird feelings that kept sneaking up on me. It seemed stupid. “How about you?”

Lena shrugged and took a sip of her iced latte. “Same old, same old. You know, art classes, homework. Boring stuff.” She paused, looking at me with a slight frown. “But you seem like you’re thinking about something bigger than that. What’s going on?”

I hesitated. The words didn’t come out easily. “I don’t know. I’ve been having these dreams, these weird dreams. About… the moon, and this glowing thing. I don’t know how to explain it. It feels like something’s calling to me, but I don’t know what.”

Lena tilted her head, studying me for a moment before she spoke again. “You’ve always been kind of... different, Aria. You’re good at seeing things other people don’t. Maybe this is just your way of figuring something out. I don’t know. But I’ve never seen you like this before. You’ve got to trust yourself, okay?”

I didn’t say anything right away. Lena always had this way of making things sound clearer, even if they weren’t. But I didn’t know what I was supposed to trust. My heart? My head? I wasn’t sure if I could trust either one.

“I guess,” I said quietly. “I’ll figure it out. Just feels like I’m not… me right now, you know? Like I’m waiting for something to change, but I don’t know what that something is.”

Lena smiled gently. “You will. Just keep doing what you’re doing, Aria. You’re good at it.” She gestured at my sketchbook, which was lying on the table between us. “You know, I’ve seen your art before. It’s always been special, but this time… it’s like it’s saying something even deeper.”

I stared at my sketchbook for a long time. The pages were filled with the usual—faces, shapes, random lines—but some of the drawings were different now. The colors had changed. The moon kept appearing. There was something in the way I drew it that felt… important.

“Yeah, maybe you’re right,” I muttered. “Maybe I’ll keep going with it.”

Lena gave me a playful nudge. “That’s the spirit. Now, let’s get out of here before I start talking about college and making you want to pull your hair out.”

I smiled, but it didn’t reach my eyes. I had to get out of here. My head was starting to feel too crowded, like I needed some space to breathe.

When I got home later that day, it felt like everything was in slow motion. The apartment was still quiet, just the hum of the fridge in the background. I didn’t even take my shoes off, just sat down at my desk. My eyes went straight to the sketchbook again. I had to draw, had to do something, anything to make the feeling go away.

I grabbed my pencil and started sketching the moon again. This time, the lines came easier, smoother. The moon wasn’t just a shape anymore. It was something... more. Something that felt like it was pulling at me from the inside, like it was speaking to me in a language I almost understood.

I stared at the drawing, my heart beating faster. I didn't know what it meant, but I couldn’t ignore the pull anymore. It was real. Whatever this was, it was real, and it was a part of me.

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