Moonlight

05 |Stress|

Luna started to change. Everyone noticed it. She became a bit more quiet and timid, fiddling with her hands, hair, and necklace out of nervousness. She started to follow everyone one around like a duckling, mostly Bruno. She was always holding his hand especially if they went into town, they both took a lot of naps during the day, and Luna became more easy to startle which Luisa was the first to discover.

Her cousins were worried but no one would tell them what was happening. None of them knew except for Dolores but for once, she didn't reveal anything. The whispers in town started to talk about Luna and how her gift might also be cursed. They never said it to her face in fear of Bruno cursing them with a horrible vision of his-he might've gone through with that threat once after hearing someone say that to his child's face.

Bruno was getting worried himself. He noticed the changes and no matter how much he tried to distract her, it didn't seem to work. He spent his time going back and forth with her room and his to get some of her things, Luna became so afraid of sleeping in her room and sleeping alone. He tried to distract her with games, drawing, putting on a play with the rats, anything to help her smile.

It worked but there were always setbacks when she would manage to hear the arguments between Bruno and Alma that got more frequent. They were always about her. Alma always arguing that "She has to use her gift eventually! Think of the town and family!" and Bruno arguing back with "My daughter is traumatized from you caring about your pride more than her!"

Luna felt guilty. She knew she had to use her gift to be useful but it just scared her so much. It didn't take long for the constant stress and anxiety to make her sick.

Bruno had asked Luna if she wanted to go with him into town again and after the promise of him getting her some sweets, she agreed. Luna held on to Bruno's hand again, her grip getting tighter when the whispers began again from some of the townspeople. Bruno squeezed her hand "Don't listen to them." He tells her.

Luna nodded and tried to ignore the voices, the way she was feeling but she couldn't. By the time they got to the bakery, she was feeling hot and dizzy, the owner-a sweet woman who was always kind to her and Bruno- noticed "Sweetie, are you feeling alright?" She asks. Bruno looked down at Luna and immediately noticed her state, "Luna, are you ok?"

She looks up at Bruno and shakes her head before she begins to fall back. The last thing she sees is Bruno's panicked face as he immediately rushes to catch her before her vision goes black.

The next thing she knows, she's waking up back in Casita to a cool cloth being held against her forehead and her papa and aunt staring down at her in worry. Bruno gasped in relief and enveloped her in a hug, the tears that had formed starting to spill over "Mi vida, mi corazón, mi mariposa..." Luna's eyes began to tear up and she began to cry.

Bruno shushes her "No, no. Don't cry Luna, it's ok. I'm here, I got you..." he presses kisses to the top of her head. Luna realizes that the three of them were in Bruno's room and she was changed into her nightdress. Julieta places a hand on Bruno's shoulder "Bruno, I need to check her over. You can still be close though." She says. Bruno nodded and gave Luna one more smile before getting up.

Julieta sits next to her and feels her forehead "Do you feel dizzy?" She asks, Luna nods "Only a little bit.." she answered. Julieta nodded "Does anything feel sore?" "My throat does..." Julieta presses gently at her throat "It doesn't feel swollen. You might just have a sore throat." She informed.

Luna looks past her at Bruno. He's clutching his shirt, nervously watching his sister check his daughter. He notices her looking and gives her a smile, but she can tell that it was forced. Julieta feels her forehead again "Ok little star, I need to talk with your papa. You just stay right here and relax, ok?" Luna nods and Julieta gets up to talk with Bruno.