Powers of the Red Moon

Chapter 11

The minute I got off the phone, someone knocked on the door. I got an idea and hid under the bed and said “come in” Karen walked in and said “Alexis...” she trailed of seeing I was not in the room. But being the clever person she was she must have guessed where I was and said in a loud voice, in which I could hear the smirk in her voice,  “Julian, she’s not in her room. We’ll just give her gift to Max.” Hearing this I got up so suddenly I banged my head against the hard, low underside of the bed.

I said “OW” in such a loud noise I’m sure she heard it but still pretending that I was not there, she started to walk out. I crawled out from under the bed and said “Wait for me. I want the gift.” Smiling broadly Karen said “Oh Alexis, how nice of you to join me. I thought you weren’t in the room.” “Yeah right. I know that I can’t even hope to fool you by hiding under the bed.” I said scowling. She laughed and said “Got that right didn’t you.” “Anyway what was the gift?” I said looking at her eagerly, making her smile. She walked out of the room with me in tow.

Then I followed her out of my room and into the fourth room which Max hadn’t told me about. I wanted to see what the room was. She led me into the room and I saw Julian and Max sitting in the room. The room was bigger than my room and I suspected the biggest room in the house. There was a big couch in the room which doubled as a bed. There were several bean bags in the room. There was a big cupboard in the corner and a projector hanging from the ceiling. There was a retractable screen on the ceiling.

The walls were a pleasant sky blue and the floor and ceiling was white.  The overall effect was quite nice. Karen looked at me and asked “Do you like it?” “It’s amazing.” I replied. “It’s our game room slash TV room slash lounge slash training room. Anyway you want your gift?”  Seeing the new room had completely driven the gift out if my mind. “Yeah, I want it.”

She smiled and walked over to the cupboard. The cupboard contained several board games, an Xbox 360 and a Kinect sensor. She removed a small box from inside and gave it to me. I opened it and inside I saw a locket. I took it out of its red velvet padding and examined it. It was made of gold with my name engraved on it. I turned it around saw Max’s name. I opened it and there was a picture of a baby girl and beside her a baby boy both laughing happily, strikingly similar to each other.

I looked at my picture and smiled at seeing my baby self smiling away to glory and Max beside me doing the same thing. I felt happy and sad at the same time, I have no clue why. “Your father had it made specially for you when you were little. Max took his favourite watch.” Max showed me his wrist which had a silver watch on. I latched the locket around my neck and smiled at Karen and said “Thank you. I don’t..... I don’t know what to say. I just.... ” I trailed off, crying. Max got up and hugged me. I cried for some in his shoulder.

After 15 minutes I controlled my emotions. I collapsed onto a beanbag when he let go of me because my knees had suddenly turned to jelly for no reason in particular.  I was still teary eyed when I asked Karen “Do you know who did it? Who killed him and my step-mom?” “Are you sure you want to know? Are you sure you can handle it?” she asked sounding concerned. “Yeah, I’m ready.”

“We can’t be sure because your father had many enemies. But the man who hated him the most was Desparo Rodriguez.  He hated your father with good reason. Michael put him in prison for 5 years. He was a magician like us but he used his powers for bad purposes. He used to sacrifice humans to increase his powers. Everyone was scared of him, and your father was the only one whose magic even came remotely near his.” She said.

I suppose it all sounded all heroic and like a fiction story where a really strong villain is defeated by the most unexpected person. You read it in every other fiction book. But why me? Why my father? There are a hundred other magician fathers in the world so why Michael King? Just why me?

Karen spoke interrupting my thoughts “By the way Max, Michael had a gift for you as well.” As she spoke she went toward the cupboard once again and opening it removed another box, smaller this time. She opened it to reveal a ring. When Max examined it his eyes became moist. Wordlessly he passed it to me. It was a small band of solid gold with an intertwined M and A on it. It was plain but it had a different kind of charm, one which I couldn’t explain but I realized for the first time how deep a parent’s love is because holding it felt like he had kept all of his love for us in that small ring.

I took of my locket and felt a sudden lack of warmth and I realized I got the same feeling from my locket. I looked at both my locket and his ring and I just felt weak. I had not really been sad about my parents dying before. Don’t get me wrong, I was sad but it sort of didn’t matter to me because I had learnt to live alone most of my life but holding the locket and the ring I just felt all their love and I just broke down and cried. I had finally felt what I had lived without for most of my life, a parent’s love.  Max came and sat beside me and I turned to look at me. There were tear-tracks on his face as well.

He put his hand around me and I hugged him. I hugged him not just because I needed the comforting, I did, but also because he was the only part of that life that I had lost. “It’s alright Alexis. It’s fine. We’re there for each-other. I don’t know about you but I’m not leaving anytime soon.” I smiled a bit at that. “Besides, we’re meeting Mom tomorrow. It’ll be fine.” I stopped mid-sob. I totally forgot that I was gonna meet my mom tomorrow. My family wasn’t totally torn-apart.

I felt someone coming towards us and I felt a soft hand on my shoulder. Karen said “come on Alexis. I think that’s enough excitement for today.” “Yeah. I’ll say.” Max said, sarcastically. I laughed as I got up and let Karen guide me towards my room. I walked in and collapsed on my bed. Karen removed the duvet from under me and put it on me. Then she sat beside my head, stroking my hair. Then when she thought I was asleep she got up, switched off the light and left.

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Authors note-

Hey guys,

sorry for the late update, I wasn't feeling so well and I couldn't think of anything plus I was not at home. So I hope you like this chapter and as always vote, comment and follow.

And guys please comment. I want to know if you like my story and suggestions are always welcome.

Cheers ;) have a great day

Anushka