Trials Under The Moon

Moon

Bella/Elliana POV:

My mind is clouded with empty thoughts. I can't remember where I am or how I got here. I'm sitting, in the center of a clearing in the forest, wearing an ivory gown. I glide my arms back and forth, and the grass is like silk against my skin. It's definitely night time, but the sky is glowing with moon light.

Then, a woman appears in the distance. My eyes are squinted, trying to see her better, but she's too far.

"Hello?" I call out.

Nothing.

The woman starts walking closer, and although I should feel scared or threatened, I don't. I just sit and wait. While my mind is screaming at me to stand up, fight, do anything!

But I just watch. As she comes into clearer view, I notice she seems rather young, despite her Snow White hair. Her skin is pale like the moon, and glows all the brighter against her simple silver dress. The fabric seemed to have been made from starlight.

When she's only a few inch from me, she extends her hand out. Upon instinct, I reach up and place my palm in hers. She guides me to my feet and offers me a small gentle smile. My eyes shift from her smile up to her captivating eyes, which seem to be filled with silver smoke where iris’ should be.

"Who are you?" I ask.

Her smile falls into a deep frown before she responds, "I need your help Elliana."

My eyes open wide, and my breath catches in my throat. I look all around me. Hopefully no one else heard her say it. That name, I think to myself, how does she know that name?

"I know many things my child," the woman cooed," including all that has been stolen from you. And all that you have sacrificed."

"Who are you?" I repeat. Though, in my heart, I know who she is. I've never seen her before, but this is exactly what I imagined her to look like: fair skinned, stormy grey eyes and dressed in the night sky: The Goddess of the Moon.

She smiles again, seeming to hear my thoughts, she nods her head once.

I look down at my hand, which is still resting in hers. "I am no one." I state firmly, "I have no influence, and no power. In fact, I'm going to die trying to promote my lot in this life. I cannot help you."

Tilting my chin up, to see her face, I expected her to seem disappointed or full of pity, but she showed signs of neither. She simply gave me a knowing smile, and spoke again.

"I do not expect you to understand, my child, not yet. There are many things that will happen, to and around you. There are plans to be carried out. I have chosen you to be my instrument in such plans, and my weapon when delivering sweet justice."

Justice. I had no interest in her "plans"until she uttered that word. That word which danced along side revenge in my mind. To serve such words on a silver platter to those who have wronged me, and so many others.

With such an intriguing notion, I decided to at least hear what she had to say. "What would you have me do...Selene?”

The Goddess held her head high and a mischievous smirk slithered across her lips. "For the time being, you will only be told this: Everything will happen for a reason. If there is something you do not understand, then trust that the moon will guide you." Selene pulls my hand, and leads me to a stream of water, babbling over stones and moss. A brook that I had not noticed was there before.

"Secondly," she started again, "All that has been, and will be lost, will be paid for."

Will be? Is she serious?

"I'm too suffer more loss? I haven't given enough? What more can be taken from me?!" I exclaimed, yanking my hand from hers in frustration.

With complete disregard, she continued further, "Finally, I will tell you why I have chosen you. I need someone who is strong, whom I believe can endure what is to come. To lead those who are lost. To fight those who remain unchallenged, and who have brought shame on our kind. Your resilience has kept you alive thus far, my child. Help me spread that fire to your brothers and sisters."

Who am I to deny the Moon Goddess? Whatever it is she has planned, will no doubt happen with or without me. Sometimes I wish for the sweet release of death itself, not to fight and suffer even more. Surely she knows this.

I turn away from her, holding myself in my own arms. I can't look at her to say, "I don't think I can do it." The shame was evident in my quivering voice, and I could feel the tears burning in my eyes. When she didn't respond, I turned back around to find her gone. The only thing there was that calm babbling brook. Small stones covered with moss, and clear water gliding over top of them. I allowed the tears to fall, and slowly slip down my cheeks. My knees crashed into the silky grass, and I sat there, crying. Crying above the brook, and watching my tears splash into the stream.

———

When my eyes opened, I realized I wasn't only crying in the dream. My face was really damp with tears. It was early morning, the sun had yet to rise, and Zoe was still fast asleep next to me.

But today was the day; the day that I'd die trying to escape this hell.

That dream was nothing more than a worthless attempt to conjure hope, by my subconscious. The moon doesn't need me, and my only purpose will depend on if I die today, or not. Because if I don't, Im going to burn this pack to the ground.