Finding Aeryn

Chapter Two

I am now sitting in a room. My room. With the posters clinging to the walls and life flowing throughout but nothing connects with me. Why was I so messy? Clothes of every color are thrown across the room. A few empty cups have taken a place on the tall mahogany dresser, dust collecting around them. I step towards the dresser and pick up a silver handheld mirror. A pale face stares back at me with piercing blue eyes. White hair cascades down past my left shoulder, and black hair flows down past my right. I lift my hand and caress the face I should recognize. In a flash of confusion, it looked as if the white hair had turned black and my pale skin had grown to a warm tan. I quickly place the mirror back, brushing off what just happened.

I look toward the huge window that stretches from the ceiling to the top of a bench that extends the full length. The bench is covered with blankets and pillows that are various purples and greys. I feel drawn toward the spot, so I go and sit. Curled up in the blankets, I look out the window at the most perfect tree line which surrounds a tall and distant mountain. A sense of nostalgia sweeps over me and I close my eyes.

~

I reopen my eyes and the world is darker, like a distant dream. I am gazing into the dark green forest as a river of tears makes it way down my cheeks. I lift my hand to wipe the tears away but they keep falling. I feel so hurt. Why? Curling up into my grey blanket with purple stitching, I feel as though I want to disappear. As I reach a comfy spot there is a light knock on my door. As I turn my head and get up to answer it a woman walks in. The woman from the hospital, my mother. She doesn’t acknowledge me, instead it’s like she’s looking straight through me. I turn my head to see the black haired girl from the mirror in the position I was just in, unmoved. I quickly take a step back confused as hell.

“Aeryn, honey. Please will you eat something?” My mother begs.

What? That cannot be me. I’m right here. . .

I watch the scene unfold nonetheless. The girl by the window stays silent, not even a sniffle is heard but for some reason I know she is crying. She is in terrible pain but why?

“Honey, what happened? You’ve been holed up in here for days without a word.” Mom walks over to the window and takes a seat beside the girl.

She places a hand on the girl’s leg, hoping for a response. The girl turns to face her and I see her face. The girl’s eyes are swollen from crying, the tears have made stains that streak her face. What. . . or who broke her? The girl flings herself towards my mother and curls up into her lap, letting all of her emotions out as mom holds her tightly.

“Aeryn, my girl. . .” Mom chokes back tears, letting a couple escape as they sit there.

As I blink, a tear escapes my eye. When I open them I am sitting in my mothers lap, holding on for dear life while crying. We sit here for a few moments. Before I look up at her.

“I love you.”

The words escape my lips like it was scripted. My mother smiles down at me through her tears and holds me closer to her. I want nothing more than to stay here forever.

“I wish I could take all the pain you feel away little one. All I can do is tell you how much I love you and hope that is enough to begin the mend.” She says through hiccups of tears.

I smile as I cling closer to her and close my eyes once again.

~

I am sitting where I was before, stunned by what just happened. I get up and move away from the window. Tears have taken their place upon my cheeks and I quickly wipe them away. What just happened? Was that girl truly me?

I shake the thoughts out of my head as I hear my name called from downstairs. I wipe my face again and make my way down the stairs. To see my family eagerly waiting for me.

Salem, my little brother. He stands unusually tall, and I’m supposed to be the older one? Brown, almost black, hair is styled messily on his head. His eyes are very striking, one a deep blue and one a deep green. Salem is very similar to my father, Alaric, who is also strikingly tall with dark brown hair. His eyes are very tired but alert, holding friendly light green irises. He has greying stubble surrounding his chin to match the slight silvering of his hair. However, my mother, Juniper is unique from the others. Black hair stretches to her shoulders in waves, like half of mine, but with silver softly streaking through. Her eyes hold a deep, unwavering, blue. Her skin almost as pale as mine.

I look around the living room, noticing all of the knick knacks and photo frames. My eyes lock onto a picture of my family, with that unfamiliar girl. I pick up the frame and sit down beside my mother.

“Who is this girl?” I move the photo towards her.

With a surprised look she responds, “I know you look quite different now, but this is you about a year ago.”

I look back at the photo, staring into the girls eyes which were bursting with life. This was different from the broken girl I saw. Was this before?

“Ahem”, my father cleared his throat uncomfortably, “Aeryn, could you please explain to me what you meant by saying that you had met the Moon Goddess?”

I nod my head and explain to them everything that happened. My mother had an overwhelming sense of happiness, which confused me and my father as well. Salem was simply amazed by the story. As I finished recounting what happened my mother burst into happy tears.

“The goddess answered my prayers! She saved my girl!” She leaped forward and hugged me tight.

As her hug connected with me I was reminded of the scene in the bedroom. I was met with the same feeling of security and love. I have to ask her about that later.

“That explains why half of your hair is now white.” Salem chuckles, breaking the tension.

“So your memories aren’t lost forever. The moon goddess said they will return but when?” My father asked still confused, disregarding my brothers comment.

“There wasn’t a timeline given. She just said ‘within time’.” I responded with a shrug.

“So maybe we can jog your memory? I’ll be right back!” Salem proclaimed as he ran from the room.

My mother still held onto me tightly and I’ve now curled up beside her. I look up to her and smile, the sense of nostalgia warming me.

My father stands and begins to pace around the room. He seems to be worried about something other than this matter.

“The council has asked for a report on you but I have no clue what to tell them. Will they even believe her story June?”

“It doesn’t matter what they believe. It is her truth.” My mother defended, while getting up and walking over to him.

She raised her hand to his face and seemingly wiped away all worry that was there before. They connected their heads together lovingly for a moment, before moving away from each other. My mother rested her hand in his and squeezed it.

“Everything will be alright. We have our girl back.”