The weekend
1363 Words
Renee – POV
I woke up in my own bed again. Morning light spilled through the window, soft and golden. For a moment, I wasn’t sure if I was still dreaming.
Were these really just dreams?
They felt like more.
I walked to the mirror, heart quickening. Would Hathor appear again?
Just my reflection.
“Hathor,” I said aloud, half expecting the surface to ripple.
Nothing.
I sighed and turned away, shaking my head. I must be losing it.
“You’re not,” her voice whispered—clear, calm, close.
I spun around.
No one was there.
My heart raced, eyes scanning the room. But the voice didn’t come again. I stood frozen, questions bubbling in my chest.
Only she had the answers.
“Renee!” Elena knocked rapidly at the door. “Come on! Get ready—we’re going to Spring Lake!”
Right. Mom had wanted one last trip to the lake before the weather turned.
I grabbed my forest-green bathing suit with gold and sapphire embroidery across the halter neckline. Elena wore a baby-blue one-piece with a tutu skirt and unicorn sunglasses the size of her face. Mom chose a simple black suit—but it did nothing to hide her elegance or her glow. A true melanin queen, head high and shoulders back.
We arrived at Spring Lake and set up our little spot by the sand. It was our favorite summer retreat—clean water, soft sand, and just enough breeze to make everything feel like magic.
I sat on my towel and stared out at the lake, thinking.
Discovery one: These dreams... they were memories.
Discovery two: I couldn’t control my body in them because they had already happened.
Discovery three—and the most mind-blowing of all: Hathor was real.
Which meant... the other gods probably were too.
What else wasn’t a myth?
Fairies? Werewolves? La Ciguapa?
Santa?!
I snorted at that one. If he’s real, he owes me an AmeraGirl doll.
Lost in thought, I glanced across the shore—and froze.
Idris.
He was walking with a woman whose natural curls bounced in the sunlight, her curves regal and her laugh easy. She was beautiful, with warm brown skin just a shade deeper than his. Their bond was obvious. His mother, no doubt.
He must look more like his father.
I quickly looked away before he caught me staring again.
It didn’t matter. I was here—with my family. A mother who never left. A little sister who depended on me. That was the most important thing I’d learned from my dreams.
Neferet’s pain over losing her father... it still lingered in my chest.
I wouldn't take what I had for granted.
I joined Mom and Elena at the water’s edge, and we laughed, splashed, and swam. I felt eyes on me—Idris’s, surely.
But there was another gaze too.
We got out of the water, and Elena hit me with her puppy-dog eyes. “Ice cream, please?”
I melted. “Alright, alright.”
As I neared the concession stand, the second stare revealed itself.
Axel.
“Looking good, Renee,” he said, his grin slimy.
Same look. Same smooth voice. He hadn’t changed.
I kept walking.
He grabbed my wrist.
“Just want to talk,” he said, voice sharp.
“Let go of me,” I said, glaring at him.
His grip tightened. “Why won’t you behave like a good little girl? We could have a good time, you and I,” he hissed.
His hand bruised my skin.
Idris – POV
My mom had heard about Spring Lake from her coworkers and insisted we go. She even tried to convince my dad, but I silently prayed he wouldn’t. His sarcasm could kill a vibe faster than storm clouds.
Luckily, he stayed home.
I helped load up the car, grabbing towels and snacks while she hummed happily.
Once we arrived, I set up our little camp. Umbrella stabbed into the sand. Blanket down. I barely got a second to breathe before she appeared behind me with a bottle.
“Sunscreen. Now spread ‘em,” she ordered.
I rolled my eyes but turned around. “We’re literally made of melanin.”
“And we like our melanin even,” she replied, slathering my arms. “Thank me later.”
We strolled along the shore, laughing. It felt like old times.
And then I saw her.
Renee.
Standing in the water with her mom and sister. Her curls were natural today. Her bikini was forest green, elegant, and clung in all the right ways. Her smile? Blinding.
I frowned at the bruise on her ribs.
I should’ve moved faster yesterday.
We returned to our spot, and my stomach growled. Mom laughed and handed me some cash.
“Go get us some hot dogs.”
As I walked toward the food stand, I saw Renee again—approaching from the other side.
A guy stepped in front of her.
Something was off.
She tried to pass him. He grabbed her wrist.
Oh, hell no.
I broke into a run.
But Renee didn’t need saving.
She kneed him square in the crotch and headbutted him in the face.
Dude crumpled like a stack of cards. Bloody nose, doubled over.
I blinked.
Mental note: Don’t ever piss her off.
“You okay?” I asked, stepping beside her.
She smiled. “Yeah.”
“Who the hell are you?” the guy groaned, struggling to his feet. “This is between me and Renee.”
I raised an eyebrow and looked at her. “You want to talk to him?”
She shook her head.
“Cool. Then we’re leaving. Have a nice day, buddy.”
He lunged to grab her again—and I caught his wrist.
Twisted.
He dropped to his knees with a cry of pain.
I leaned in close. “No means no.”
I let go.
He limped off.
“Thank you,” Renee whispered.
“Anytime, princess,” I said, walking with her to the concession stand.
She ordered lemonades and an ice cream cone. I let her go first.
Then she returned to her family.
As I waited for our hot dogs, a lifeguard approached. “Hey, someone said you attacked that guy?”
Before I could explain, the woman behind the counter cut in. “I saw the whole thing. That guy grabbed the girl first. This boy stopped him.”
The lifeguard nodded, apologized, and turned on his heel.
I watched him track down Axel and order him off the beach.
I smiled.
Good riddance.
Renee – POV
I was shaken—but also deeply moved by Idris. He didn’t ask questions. Didn’t pry. Didn’t expect anything. He just showed up.
I gave Elena her unicorn-crowned ice cream and handed Mom her lemonade.
Then I saw it—Idris handing his mom a hot dog and kissing her cheek. A simple moment, but full of care.
You can tell a lot about a guy by how he treats his mother.
Yeah… I liked him.
Later, I waded back into the water. The floating deck in the deep part of the lake called to me. You could jump off it—and right now, I needed that freedom.
I wasn’t surprised to see Idris already there.
I went there because he was there.
We jumped together.
Midair, time stilled.
His swim trunks blurred—and in their place, he wore a white pleated skirt, tied at the waist with gold. Around his neck: a pendant with a blue stone, catching the sunlight.
Then we hit the water.
Idris – POV
I was just about to jump when I felt her beside me.
We locked eyes—and leapt together.
In that instant, her bathing suit shimmered. Her hair shifted. She wore linen robes, her body adorned in gold and lapis. She looked like the woman from my dreams.
Neferet.
We plunged into the water.
When I surfaced, everything was normal again.
She blinked a few times, visibly stunned—then smiled.
She was seeing it too.
Whatever this was…
She remembered.
- Writer
