I'm adopted. My parents never tell me who my biological parents are. Granted, they found me by the ocean in the cold on a wintery day.
They had been hunting for seal and some miscellaneous traditional fish to eat, like Atlantic cod or whale. 'It was a miracle we even found you', they keep saying when I ask where I come from, or rather, who's kid I am. My parents are awfully truthful, but for some odd reason, I know when they were lying if I ever come across any small lies. I also know when they are being honest.
"Senna, please. Stay away from the ocean." She pleads as if there was a very bad reason why I shouldn't.
As much as I wanted to just jump into the water, I didn't want to disobey my mother in front of all the other kids. In fact, I was terrified of doing that, and especially hated when my mother raised her voice in such a manner to notify all the people on the beach that I was supposedly 'allergic' to salt water. It makes me a target to all the other children in the immediate area, prone to teasing. I'm the weird kid. It doesn't help that our community is small, and everyone knows everyone around here. And thanks to our tight-knit community, they all know I'm adopted too.
So, I avoid the swimming area, so I won't get teased by all the kids. This is usually the time where I usually walk along the shoreline - of course, with boots made of sealskin fur so I won't get an allergic reaction. My parents tell me to pay no mind to their words, but when the kids call me absurd names, like a freak, it hurts. I know I'm not normal. I knew this when I would find lies in my mom and dad's words when they tell me why I can't step foot into the ocean. I know the kids' parents know things, too. Word gets around quickly.
And when the time comes where I can swim, I'll make sure I find my real parents.
--
Awaking from my sleep, my phone was buzzing uncontrollably. The clock stated 6:39am, which was absurd. Who gets calls this early?
I checked the caller ID, which turned out to be my sister.
"Selma, why're you calling me so fucking early." It wasn't a question. Because, what the fuck.
She was quick to say something, "I'm in LA."
"What- why? What're you doing here?"
"Let me in." As soon as Selma said so, she knocked on the door.
I hung up my phone, getting up and trying to brush off the grogginess in my head.
"Selma. What the fuck," I shook my head, still trying to wake up.
"Senna, look at me." She gestured to herself, as if I would find some detail of her that wasn't there before.
"I'm looking?"
She pushed past me to get into the washroom, huffing because she knew I wouldn't understand what she meant.
While fumbling around in the mirror, she took out coloured contacts. Without the contacts, revealed red eyes.
"Selma?"
"This is what I'm talking about. I don't know how my eyes magically changed colour."
I couldn't mutter a word; my eyebrows were both shot up.
"What do I do Senna? I don't understand this."
"Hold on, wait. I don't get it. It's 6 in the morning. Are you joking with me right now?" As much as I wanted this to be a prank or a dream, my sister was sitting in front of me with dull, red eyes. It couldn't be fake – I watched her take out contacts.
She laughed nervously, "No, Senna, this is real. And I have no clue what's going on."
Almost as if her words were on cue, a shivering feel of cold wetness accompanied the ominous words, "Senna, Selma. Need not worry."
I have gotten these foreboding and cryptic messages almost all my life, I wasn't sure if Selma got these same messages, but most of the time, I would just brush it off. It was hard not to this time, because Selma looked towards me with a worried look on her face.
"It's time, Senna and Selma." a weird-like creature came amongst the fog surrounding us.
His silhouette became clearer, and what seemed like a half-man, half-polar bear came before us. "Who are you?"
He dodged the question and carried on with his message, "Please listen," with a plea, we did as he said. "Selma, you are equipped with Ijiraat's sacred powers, you are chosen to stand trial for worthiness as an asset in our culture."
"What?" Selma exclaimed out of disbelief.
"Christianity understands a battle between Michael and Lucifer and given God's actions to aid Sedna in bearing her child – you Senna – need be aid for Lucifer. Selma, you are to protect Senna."
Neither of us muttered a word, though I furrowed my brows with frustration and curiosity.
"As the northern lights, you will find your way." With the cryptic message, the haze of the fog and creature were gone.
Selma and I looked at each other with concern. With this information, it explained her red-eye problem, though what were we supposed to do?
All we could do was find Lucifer.
-
Selma decided to room with me, and eventually move in. At this time, I wasn't showcasing any powers or special abilities, but I was pretty freaked out. The situation did make more and more sense as I thought on, being adopted and all.
Selma seemed to understand as well, I think she was taking this situation better than I was. But she knew I was never really 'allergic to salt water' as our mother told us when we were growing up. It's something we called bullshit on even when we were kids.
Every other day, Selma and I take a trip to the library. Just to top off our knowledge on our culture and to hopefully figure out where this 'Lucifer' was.
So, we got ready and left. We walked not even two blocks and we heard a man preaching to a crowd. Not about God, but about the Devil. It appears there was an altercation minutes before, because a man was looking at the guy with the mic in horror.
Selma shot a look at me as if to say, this could be our guy. So, she spoke up. "You do realize that Christianity is not the only religion that exists, right?"
Both men looked towards Selma, as the guy with the mic passed it back to the horrified man.
"Ladies." The Devil in questioning nodded his head.
"I think we're looking for you. Lucifer, correct?" I spoke up.
A voice inside my head that was not my own, said 'do not mention Heaven's battle.' Brushing it off, the man lifted his head.
"You are correct. Lucifer Morningstar." He extended the palm of his hand, as if to initiate a handshake. We both accepted.
"We were told to search for you." Selma added.
"...As did I." Lucifer paused, in a way that showed he was confused. "But only for you. Senna."
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Ijiraat/Selma:
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