A Luna Chained

Chapter 3 - The Aftermath (Livia POV)

Jenny ran up to me immediately. “Soooooo….?

I sighed, and smiled weakly “Not now, J. I’ll tell you about it later. I’m exhausted, so I’m gonna take the bus home” Whatever store of energy I had left was now completely depleted.

“Heading home early, eh…? She grinned slyly and waggled an eyebrow.

“ALONE, you perv.”

Jenny looked disappointed. Crap, she’d arranged this “birthday kiss” for me. I didn’t want her to think she’d failed.

“Don’t worry, he kissed me, AND gave me his number.”

“Eeeeeee!” Jenny clapped with joy. “OK, I’ll text you tomorrow. I wanna hear ALL the juicy details!”

I waved goodbye to my friends from class, hugged Ewan one more time (much to Jenny’s delight), and walked out into the cool night air.

I still hadn’t quite processed what happened in the museum. For months and months I’d been sneaking glances and shyly waving to Ewan. He’s easily one of the most attractive people in our class, and I’m head over heels for him! At least, I was until today. Now I’m not so sure…

He was handsome, smart, and compassionate. I racked my brain to think of something that might have changed. Anything to explain why a months-long crush suddenly vanished.

You’ve changed…you’re no longer a child. Our mate is out there, and we need to find him.

The voice! That damned voice in my head. That’s what’s changed. I suddenly felt very vulnerable. Why now?

“STOP!” I shouted out loud. Was I crazy? Crazy people hear voices and see things that aren’t there. I never had any problems with my mental health.

The bus stop was empty and cold. The streetlight shone down like a spotlight on the bench. I was suddenly very aware that I was about to take public transit in a costume toga made of bedsheets. God, I should have asked Jenny or Ewan to come with me. This wasn’t very safe.

Suddenly, the hairs stood up on the back of my neck, and I felt like someone was watching me.

I rushed back to the front of the department building and pulled out my phone.

“Dad? Can you come pick me up at school?”

“Of course, honey. Are you OK?”

“Yeah yeah. I just didn’t want to take the bus in my costume.”

“Didn’t you drive with Jenny?” He asked. “Are you SURE you’re alright?”

“I’m fine! She wanted to stay at the party late, and I’m tired.”

“Ok, I’ll be there in 15 minutes”

I sat on the step and pulled my knees up to my chin. At least it was still a nice night. The cool evening breeze was laced with the scents of the nearby river, night-blooming jasmine, and the sweet spices of someone baking in a nearby house. For a moment, I felt safe, and the uncomfortable feeling of being watched faded away.

Please talk to me, Livia. The voice pleaded. But I was determined to push it down into the darkest corner of my mind.

“No no no no no no. This isn’t real…”

It’s real. I’M real! I’m a part of you. Please don’t push me away!

I squeezed my eyes shut and hugged my knees tighter.

“It’s not real…it’s not real…it’s not real…” I whispered, and hoped the mantra would drown out that awful voice. Again and again, I repeated it to myself until the pleading stopped and retreated into a dark corner of the back of my mind.

I took a deep breath and relaxed a bit. By the time Dad’s car pulled up to the building, I was feeling more like myself.

“Hey! Did you have fun?” he asked as I climbed in, awkwardly gathering up my bedsheets.

I smiled and nodded. “Definitely. But right now, I just want to take this hairdo out and go to bed.” I pulled out a couple of strategically placed hairpins, let the curls fall out, and gave my head a good scratch.

“Alright, Cinderella, let’s get you home before your carriage turns back into a pumpkin.”

“Does that make you my fairy godmother?” I chuckled.

I leaned my head against the window. Dad reached over and rubbed my back soothingly, like he had when I was a little girl.

“Always”. He squeezed my shoulder, then dropped his hand to the gearshift and pushed it back into drive.

As we approached the bus stop, I saw a well-dressed man pass under the streetlight. The brim of his hat threw a shadow across his face, hiding his features, but he seemed to be looking for something. Or someone?

When we passed by, the man suddenly turned and stared straight at me. For a moment, he looked like he was about to leap at the car, or chase after it. Instead, the strange man just watched us pass, and kept staring even after we were far in the distance.

“Hmm, that was weird. I’m glad you called me, hun” Dad said, glancing up at the rear-view mirror. “Maybe you should call campus security in the morning.

“Oh! And I almost forgot! You were so busy with your costume today that I didn’t have a chance to give you your birthday present! It’s on the back seat!”

I reached back and pulled up a small gift bag. Inside was a silver locket on a long delicate chain. I opened it up right away. Instead of photos, one side was a smooth round moonstone, and the other bore a delicate inscription: “Always Trust in the Moon, A.B.”

“Who is A.B.?” I asked, puzzled.

“Your mother’s mother, Aurora Birch. It belonged to her. She left it to me in her will, with the instructions to give it to you on your 21st birthday. I added the chain since the original one was in pretty bad shape. Joelle even helped me pick it out.”

“Oh Dad, it’s perfect! Thank you!” I leaned over and pecked his cheek.

For a blissful moment, all the stress of the day melted away as I held this little piece of the grandmother I never knew.

I wore the locket to bed, and dreamed once again of fragrant woods, fireflies, and silvery moonlight. This time, though, a strong feminine presence was there with me.