Moon Marked

Snapping and snarling, I jump on the machine over and over but the infernal thing keeps screaming at me. I bite down on it and my generous canines puncture the weak body casing, ripping apart the insides until there are only minut pieces scattered around my paws. “beeeeerp beeeeeerp beeeeerp” The annoying screeching and beeping continues. The soft light coming in the window barely illuminates my room as I roll over and groan looking at my alarm clock. I sit up and roll my shoulders mentally pushing away my dream. For the last two years, my dreams have been strange and disorienting. I’m definitely just a normal human girl, now eighteen, but I usually take the form of a wolf in my dreams or just float above the forest in the night sky watching the wind move through the trees. My therapist suggested my dreams stem from my need to feel powerful and well, wolves are pretty dang powerful I’d say. I don’t tell her about the strange floating dreams. I have, of course, forgotten again to turn off my weekday alarm and now sit awake at five-thirty on a Monday morning with nowhere to go. School ended a while ago and graduation happened. It wasn’t a particularly amazing event to go to but people weren’t as unkind as they had been our entire school career. I did hear a few whispers when I went up for my diploma, but none of the usual jeers and laughter. I think I’ve quite grown into myself over the past year. My hair is longer, healthier and my face thinner but maybe it’s just my perception of myself that has changed more than my body. I’m still the chubby 5’3” teen girl with a marked face. The birthmark covers my nose and goes down onto both of my cheeks curving into wicked hooks that mirror each other almost exactly. It resembles two crescent moons facing away from each other drawn together with a bridge over my nose. It’s not very dark in color but does sunburn easily so it is usually pink-tinged even in winter. Growing up, the birthmark and my chubbiness played hand in hand with the cruelty of my peers. I mostly giggle now at some of the names they called me, the most amusing being “crescent roll.” Crescent for the moons, roll for my fat, altogether crescent roll again as a jab at my fat. As junior high had started, I began letting the insults roll off my back and even began to laugh with the others at myself. Though, it really took the fun out of it for them when I made myself a t-shirt that had a picture of a can of crescent rolls on it. Still one of my favorite shirts today. Some of the other “outsiders” at school even asked me to make shirts for them. Word spread and soon I had my own little business making custom T-shirts. Now that school is done, I already have something to sustain myself and keep me busy. My parents agreed that I could live at home as long as I continue to work and are proud of my initiative. Dad is a big softy when it comes to asking for rent and says he won’t bother with it. I still want to help out though, as if I’d live with my parents without contributing! Through all this, I guess I do feel that I’ve become a fairly self-assured individual. I don’t let my childhood and my peers bother me too much. It is what it is. I can’t change them. I smile at myself in the mirror. I know who I am. I decide to get a jump start on my day and check my online order tray before starting my machine to warm up. As the program sets up, I shower and get dressed. Dad is sitting in the kitchen hovering over his mug of coffee reading the back of the coffee tin. “I’m so glad you made coffee!” My exuberance so early in the morning startles him for a moment as his bleary eyes take in my energy and happiness. “Why are you up so early, girly?” “I forgot my dang alarm again. I’ve got a few orders to do this morning, then I figured I’d spend the day at the park and shopping. Do you think Mom would like to take off for it?” “Have fun, but Mom’s got a big exec meeting this afternoon.” I nod as I prepare my coffee and turn back to him. “Should we eat dinner together then tonight? I can grab takeout on the way home.” Dad shrugs, “Sure, don’t forget my favorite. Broccoli-“ “-and beef, extra spicy sauce, and two egg rolls with duck sauce,” I recite and giggle at him. He grins sheepishly and I head back to my room to work. After I finish an order of ten business shirts and a couple of one-off random orders, I pack myself a sandwich and chips for the park knowing I can get an extra snack from the stand if I need to. The day is warm and bright and I’m eager to nestle under a tree and read. Before I know it, there is a chill in the air and I’ve missed any opportunity I would’ve had to go shopping due to how late it’s gotten. My phone has died over the afternoon so I can’t let Dad know I will be late. I pick up dinner on my walk home as it quickly gets darker. Summertime can be so deceptive being light out so late that you almost forget that it’ll ever get dark. The moon shines out through some clouds and I realize that my parents must be starving. My face begins to tingle as I pick up my pace. Even with the shade, my sensitive birthmark must have sunburned today. Don’t want to get a moon burn as well I chuckle to myself. Mom and Dad are relatively calm about my late arrival. As we settle around the table to eat, Mom clears her throat a little, “So my meeting was really interesting today…” She trails off and I nod my head waiting for more details. “She got a promotion!” Dad says excitedly. Mom blushes. “Yes, well, there’s more to it than that, Lacey. The caveat to my promotion is a transfer. They want me to move.” She pauses and looks at Dad who is grinning. “Your Dad and I think it would be great. You are done with school now and have a great business going. They want to transfer me to Wisconsin. You know Laura, my realtor friend? She’s already in contact with someone out there and is sure she could find something within the week.” I nearly choke on my noodles. “A week? Wow.” I’m shocked yes but so happy and proud of my mom. “That’s so great Mom! I’m sure you and Dad will love it there. I can probably find an apartment nearby, or room with a friend…” It’s my turn to trail off as I realize that I don’t have any close friends really. Mom and Dad both try to cut me off, “No no no!” “We thought, of course, what we really want, is for you to come with us!” Seeing my sigh of relief, my parents laugh and relax a little. “We can find a home with an extra office for your work or a guest house or whatever you want Lacey. But we thought it would be great if we all went together. We know you are an adult so if you don’t want to we’d understand-“ “Mom, of course, I want to come. I just turned eighteen and haven't found anything else yet. I love you both and can’t imagine being so far away from you two!” My dad nearly jumps for joy then grabs my mom in a bear hug and then really does jump with joy. “David!” she squeals and they swing around the room together in each other’s arms. My heart swells at the thought of a new adventure. The next two weeks are a flurry of movement and excitement. We are packed and flying to Wisconsin faster than I could have thought but mom’s job wants her to start there immediately. Laura found a house with a large detached garage with a finished upstairs loft apartment. It is the perfect space for me and my work stuff. I reminded mom and Dad that I could have gotten an apartment nearby but they insisted that I take the one above the garage. Mom and I decided to still go out shopping for a “first apartment” shopping trip. It already feels like home.