Selena Rose: Daughter of the Moon

by Rhiannon Futch

"The girlfriend's mom called her!" Linnette says and both women break out in peals of laughter.

  "Oh my," Selena says, catching her breath, "why did her mom call?"

  "She said she tried talking to her daughter but she wouldn't listen and she didn't want her going down that path."

  Selena frowns, “Well, I see her point. Still, it sounds harsh. And not very motherly. She might have learned better from the end result without interference."

  "Yes, still funny from over here though." Linnette shrugs with a smile.

  "That it is."

  Serious now, Linnette asks, “So what are you doing differently with your potions and lotions these days? You find a new ingredient or something?"

  Selena looks up at Linnette in surprise, ”What? No, why?"

  "The stuff I get from you now seems to work faster and better. Not that it didn't work well before, just even better now."

  "I don't know just what is causing it.” Selena shrugs, “I know it feels like .. like more energy is going into my creations these days. Much more than before. I have always blessed them, but it feels like the blessings are more charged now?"

  "Wow. That is really cool. Like you leveled up or something."

  "Ha! Yes, I guess it is like that. Wish I knew what I had done."

  Kya walks in, "It's coming undone mama."

  "What is coming undone, sweetling?"

  "The knots around you, they’re coming undone. Like the end of your shoelaces."

  Selena glances down at her oldest, funkiest sneakers with their frayed lace ends. Setting aside what she has been doing she moves to kneel in front of Kya.

  "What knots baby?"

  "The icky ones all around you. They’ve always been there but they are coming undone more now. I pick at them sometimes."

  "IS that what you were doing with your air pinches?"

  "Yes mama."

  After a quick and worried glance exchanged with Linnette, Selena is suddenly very solemn and says to Kya, "Ok sweet girl. Can you pretend you have a magical pair of scissors, made of a beautiful silver light that are soo very strong they easily cut through anything. Can you see them real in your hands?"

  She holds up her hand and Selena can just see the outline of a silver pair of scissors as they materialize in her daughter's hand.

  "Good job sweet girl!" Selena smiles at her daughter, ever thankful for her ability to create things, "Ask the Goddess to bless your endeavor, and then I want you to cut the knots around mama, ok?"

  "Yes, mama! Goddess bless these scissors and bless me and bless mama, keep us all safe and sound. Help me set mama free from the knots."

  Kya begins cutting the air around Selena. Linnette's blue eyes grow large as thick, frayed ropes fall to the floor, that were not there till they were cut and fell from around Selena to twitch on the floor. Selena begins to glow, brighter and brighter as Kya finishes the last rope.

  Selena takes a deep breath, her glow, silver like moonlight is near blinding Linnette. Kya hugs her mama.

  "You're free mama."

  She hugs her back, "Yes I am baby. Thank you, sweet girl. Thank the Goddess for her help, dismiss those scissors, and then I want you to go back to your friends, ok sweetling?"

  "Yes mama. Thank you, Goddess! Thank you for helping me free mama!"

  Kya runs off to the living room and settles back in with her friends to watch the movie.

  Selena stands, her head cocked to one side as though listening to a sound only she can hear and careful not to touch any of the twitching ropes, takes a deep breath and moves her hands in a large circle bringing them together in front of her heart as she exhales. Her glow dims to nothing as she does this and her friend finally manages to close the jaw which had dropped open at the first dropping rope.

  Selena looks down at the ropes, her mouth set in a grim line, looking back up at a more pale than usual peachy color Linnette, she asks, "Want to burn these things with me?"

  Still wide-eyed Linnette nods.

  Selena grabs a box and a pair of long wooden tongs, using the tongs she places each section of rope into the box carefully not touching any of it and throwing the tongs in after. Once finished with that she grabs two bunches of motherwort from where they were hanging dried and a box of matches.

  "Linnette, could you bring the box outside? Don't touch the stuff inside, and put it on the burn pile"

  "Is it safe?"

  "Yes, just don't touch with the stuff inside. And if anything happens I will fix it. Ok?"

  "Ok," sounding uneasy and her blue eyes worried, "I'll do it. You better keep this stuff to itself." She pushes her hair back and picks up the box, Selena opens the door and steps well out of the way, motioning for Linnette to pass through first, "Definitely. That is why I need you to do the carrying, I couldn't feel it when it was on me." Outside, with the entire box safely deposited on the burn pile, Selena starts to work her magic. She splits up the bunches of motherwort, dropping leaves at intervals around the burn pile, with a few in the box. The creepy, seemingly alive ropes begin to twitch more, as if the motherwort disturbs them. Grabbing the salt and newspapers from a shelf near the grill she crumples up single sheets and places a ring of newspaper around the box and a few more on top of the box. Walking around the pile she asks the Goddess' blessing and sprinkles a line of salt around the entire pile. Selena stops for a moment, listening to that voice only she could hear.

  Striking one of her extra long matches along the box she lights the newspaper. Holding her hands out in front of her she channels a bubble of silver around the entire burn pile. As the paper burns the along with the motherwort underneath, releasing its fragrant smoke, the ropes in the box begin to twitch. The box catches fire and the ropes really start jumping, hitting the silver bubble and falling back into the flames. Selena and Linette watch, both wide-eyed as Selena holds the silver bubble in place.

  Linnette looks nervously at Selena as flaming ropes bounce off the bubble, "You got this right? Those things aren't getting out?"

  Selena nods, ”Hell yes, I got this. I don't want those things anywhere near me. And if this doesn't work you are going to need to find a flamethrower."

  "Yeah. Hairspray and a lighter?"

  "Works."

  The ropes look like strange, dark, flaming worms at this point; jumping and writhing.

  "Did you know that you could do this before today?"

  "Um, well, yes and no. I have done this before, but not on this scale? I usually put a bubble around little things that I needed to not blend with other things, but it was small and not for long. And it was harder to maintain. Getting this stuff off me, it’s kind of like starting the day at level 10 and suddenly getting a boost to level 35 or something. Plus, since these things came off, I keep hearing a voice in my head.”

  "Wow, that is crazy. Explains all the light though. I wanted to ask, how did you know how to dim that glow you had going? "

  “I don’t know really. The voice told me what to do, so I did it. The voice is also what warned me to put a shield on this. I am worried that I am hearing a voice in my head but so far it is saving my butt. I didn’t have shielding this stuff planned.“

  After some time the ropes have finally burnt to ashes and Selena tells Linnette, "Grab the salt and just throw hands full over all of it. It will go through the bubble without hurting it."

  "Will do."

  By the time she is done the area looks as though there has been a freak snowstorm but nothing has even twitched inside the bubble. All is ash and salt.

  Selena drops the bubble, grabs a stick and stirs the ashes and salt well. The two women step back, arms companionably around each other and stare in silence for a bit, slightly shell shocked with what just happened.

  Finally, Selena speaks, "I think we need wine."

  "YES."

  The ladies turn and walk inside, Linette pulling out her phone and calling the group to get to Selena's and bring more wine. Selena moves to the cabinet and grabs a full bottle of Moscato al
ong with two large glasses.

  As Linnette gets off the phone Selena hands her a glass while taking a deep draw from her own.

  7

  An hour later Linnette and Selena have finished their first glass of wine and are pouring second glasses when Dwayne and Hayden arrive. Selena and Linnette meet them at the door where they each hold up a bottle of wine as though the bottles were entry fees. Selena takes the bottles from them and offers to pour them each a glass, which is happily accepted.

  From the kitchen Selena asks, “Hayden, do you have your cards with you?”

  “I never leave home without them.”

  “Good, let’s take this party outside. Linnette and I can fill you two in and then you can give me a reading to help me figure out.... all of it.”

  Hayden looks questioningly at Linnette who just smiles nervously, and shrugging she says “Ok, because now I am really curious about what exactly happened. I’m going to say hi to my baby first, meet you outside?”

  “Perfect, take your time.” Selena replies as she puts all the glasses on a tray with another bottle of wine to take outside with her.

  Linette meets her at the door, opening it for her and following her through while telling her Dwayne is saying hello to his little one as well and will be out shortly.

  “Have you told them any of what happened?” Linnette asks as she sits at the picnic table near the burn pile.

  “No. I think it will be better coming from us both at the same time.”

  “Ha, so we both go to the mental hospital.”

  “I don’t want to be lonely.” Selena replied with a grin.

  Hayden and Dwayne come outside then, joining Selena and Linette at the table. Hayden has her cards out and asks if Selena wants to do the reading first or share. Selena and Linette look at each other and simultaneously say, “Share.” as they look back at Dwayne and Hayden.

  In bits and sips, the entire story of what happened earlier is told. The four friends, looking frequently over at the burn pile, begin to discuss how Selena came to be bound by the ropes.

  Peering intently at Selena, Hayden asks, “You couldn’t feel them at all? Nothing? What you are both describing sounds pretty heavy duty...”

  “It was!” Selena exclaims, “It was all I could do to not flip out as I watched these ropes fall off me that I couldn’t see or feel until they started falling to the ground. Not to mention, Kya was the one cutting them off! I was so scared they might go after her, but she was the only one that ever saw them so there was no one else to cut them off. Plus, she is the only one that can make things out of thin air. I felt it when the weight of them left me. Which makes me wonder how long they have been with me that I didn’t notice the weight till it was gone.”

  “That’s another question, how long has this been with you? More importantly, why? Are you dangerous? Are you dangerous to a particular someone? Who? Are they going to be a danger to you now that those ropes are cut? We need some answers lady.” Hayden says as she shuffles her cards over and over her pale hands moving with confidence, pausing occasionally for a sip of wine. She continues on, “Huh, you may be the most powerful among us now. We all have relatively strong abilities, but if you were only just behind us while you were bound, you may be the strongest among us now. Not sure I am altogether fond of that idea.”

  “Hmm, I hadn’t thought about that,” Selena replied, glancing at Linnette with an eyebrow raised.

  Linette chimes in, “I think that may be true. I was just asking you earlier about your potions seeming stronger and then while we were burning that stuff,” with a grimace toward the burn pile, “you said it was like you started the day at level 10 and got a sudden boost to 35 or something.”

  “Yeah, I did. I do still feel stronger. But not angry or anything. I don’t feel violent. I'm still me, so I think someone felt I would do something they wouldn’t like? Maybe? Or, what if it was meant to keep me weak? Were those things feeding off me?” Selena shudders in disgust.

  “Dwayne, you’ve been quiet all this time. What are you thinking?” Linette asks looking over to Dwayne.

  Taking a deep breath Dwayne looks at the 3 ladies in front of him, “Well, I don’t think Selena is a danger to anyone. She doesn’t feel like a dangerous sort. She is still more healer than anything else. To me, you feel like you are stronger and somehow more clear? Before you felt a little fuzzy around the edges but that was how you had always felt so it didn’t seem anything to worry about. I would agree with you Selena, someone was either afraid of what you could do or wanted your power and took steps to prevent it while you were still very young . Perhaps while you were still a baby?”

  “Is this why my mother died? Was she forced to leave me? I mean, I have always hoped for that. I never really expected it to be true. I thought it was a happy fairytale for me. Now though, with my father’s shit behavior over who I had a child with and this,” Selena jerked a thumb toward the burn pile, “I wonder if I am not closer to the truth than I thought possible... But I don’t want to even imagine that my Dad could have done this. I’m sure he wouldn’t, he loves me. He is my family and he knows how important family is to me.”

  They all fall silent, wrapped in their own thoughts on the situation. Finally, Hayden stops shuffling her cards and sets them on the table in front of Selena. She tells Selena, “Cut the deck, let’s see what answers we can dredge up from the ether.”

  Selena divides the deck into three piles and then pushes the piles toward Hayden. Hayden collects the piles into one moving from left to right and then lays out a spread for Selena.

  Looking at the cards before her Hayden slowly exhales a breath she has been holding. "You are represented by the high priestess here. Crossing you is the mage, he is what is blocking you or has been blocking you. The card for your distant past is the moon, which is very female energy and also very powerful. Here in your future, you have the 7 of swords. Trouble if I have ever seen it, and on its way fast. The emperor and the devil flank the 7, so the major problems on the way are likely coming from them though it doesn't feel like they are working together. "

  She places another two cards atop the emperor and the devil.

  "Hmm, they aren't working together. They are actively working against each other?” Hayden pauses to shove her brown hair back out of her face, “And then over here you have this empress coming to your aid, only she feels like the moon card too." Dwayne is the first to speak after Hayden trails off, still studying the cards.

  Dwayne breaks the silence, ”We have to protect the children. All of them. Selena doesn't face this alone, but we cannot have any of the children at risk. Obviously some nasty things are headed Selena's way and the children need to be as safe as we can make them."

  The four look over toward the children and dog playing nearby and the three women nod, "Agreed."

  "Linette, you are the best spell writer. You write up protection spells for the children. Hayden, you weave like nobody's business. Create necklaces for each that will look like plain necklaces to the world. I will create an herbal mixture to rub on the necklaces, because no one here is better than me at that. Dwayne will work on creating a barrier around this place, because there is no one better suited to that than him. He will get your houses done as well, after you all leave."

  "Selena, where have you hid the pen and paper?" Linnette asks as she stands.

  "And the embroidery threads, I can whip up little necklaces out of that fairly quick."

  Selena stands and turns toward the house, “In the house, follow me."

  The women move to the house, calling the children and the puppy with them as they go. Selena shuts the door, nods at Dwayne as she closes the curtain.

  Dwayne waits, a couple more minutes to be sure no one is coming back out and hops over the fence. He draws in a deep breath lifting his hands from up from his sides to above his head on either side. As he does so a little bit of a golden light seeps up out of the ground beneath him, just covering his shoes and extending f
or about three feet around him. He repeats the movements, chanting quietly as he does, until the glow extends above him for quite a few feet. With that, he begins swinging his arms slowly in a wide arc, first to the right and then to the left. As he does this the glow begins to extend out to the left and right a few feet at a time, following a large circle around the entire house, yard area, and the parking area of the driveway. As the glow meets itself on the other side of the house it then domes over the area, and then under creating a bubble of golden glow around the place. Dwayne chants a bit longer, setting specifications for the barrier and finally making it unseen before anchoring it within the earth inside the bubble. His part done for the moment, he sags against the fence to rest. He gazes out into the forest and realizes a bear has been there watching him the whole time. The bear nods at him before turning and disappearing into the forest. Dwayne stays immobile where he is, stunned. Then he kneels to touch the ground and murmurs "thank you" before rising and hopping the fence again, crosses the yard in a measured pace to join his friends inside.

  8

  The couple had been watching the goings on in the yard at Selena's through the dark mirror.

  "Blast it! The shield mutes the view of the outside and we can see nothing inside now!" He stomps away from the mirror in frustration.

  "Yes," the female drawls contemplatively, "but what we saw tonight was certainly informative." He turns toward her, "Kya has an ability as well. That is a wrinkle neither of them expects. Nor does Gabriel expect her to be unbound as she is now. Very clever of her to have her friend carry the ropes out, had she touched them again she would have been bound twice as hard this time."

  "Hm, yes. Such untapped power within her. Will it be enough I wonder? Will she be able to defeat them both? She has never had to fight anything in her entire life. Or will they defeat each other for her in battle over her? Have either of them found out the other’s plan yet?"

  He shakes his head, "No, the winds report Gabriel is getting to meet with her soon. She won't bring him to her home though, she doesn't have any faith in him. The other..."