Moon Stone

Introduction -1

Luciana E Fredrick

           The sun peered in to the evening sky with its rays filtered through the clouds and trees, hitting at the most random places on the earth. The wind was light and it carried itself silently through every place possible, brushing against sleeves and hems of clothes, making their way through the branches and finally pushing through the window of a lounge that was just being closed by a maid. The wind blew papers off the desk and came to dead still enclosed in the warmth and slowly dissolved into the room. Luciana stared as the maid rushed to pick up the papers and lay them as they had been left before.

           "Concentrate Lucy", Meemaw said, "You aren't doing them right". Lucy smiles at her favourite caretaker and gives an act of pout before going back to her sums. A maid suddenly enters whispering things in to Meemaw's ears. Lucy looks up at her face studying it. Lucy had just turned eight this month but her observance and mind seemed to be advanced than most kids her age. She silently eyes her meemaw thinking what a pretty face she has. Her vivid green eyes, tan skin and straight hair with bangs that hid most of her forehead made such a fine face. She eyed waiting as the maid walked out for Meemaw to say something. Meemaw's face turned a very pale shade unusual to her auburn skin. "Get up child; we can finish that up later", Meemaw said, "We have to hurry."

          The Fredrick mansion was large with mansion itself an acre of land. The halls, corridors and stairs twisted and turned about everywhere stretching through three long floors. The marble glass floors echoed the tips of the shoes clicking along the long corridors. Room after room they passed; past the sculptures, antiques covered with dust, and portraits of the past glooming around like shadows. Lucy walked silently along Meemaw. She knew where they were going and need not ask what happened. She knew it deep inside but she was afraid to confirm it. Her stubborn heart would not let the fact be known. Her heart was racing trying to hold down the tears. Her eye wandered outside as she passed the windows, the weather outside was turning bad. The clouds crowded but did not cry away her thoughts, the winds were raging mad against the trees that bend pleading to be stopped of the misery. They came to a stop near a closed door.

            A maid opened the door with a nod she came outside and let Lucy and Meemaw enter the room. The curtains were drawn but still Mr Fredrick sat in his chair staring at the window with his one arm holding his wife as she lay there in the bed. She looked worse than Lucy had seen her before. There were dark circles under her eyes and her skin was cold and pale. She smiled as she saw Lucy walking into the room. "Hey my love", she said. Lucy was not distracted by the smile because the eyes that greeted her were disheartened.
"It's time for me to leave as I told you before. I just wanted to see my dears face again before I do", she said. Tears fell from Lucy's eyes, "why do you have to leave? I don't understand!" Lucy said her voice rising up on each word. "Don't cry my dear, we will meet once again, hush my baby. Meemaw you take good care of her I know you will", she said turning her face towards Meemaw. 

        Mr Fredrick turned and requested Lucy to be taken away, with all her strength she fought as Meemaw and several other maids carried her off to her room. She was taken to her apartment and locked. The last she saw was Meemaws pitiful face before the door was shut on her. She banged on the door and stomped the floors finally giving into misery and slumping down to the floor. The days of mourning began and Lucy was dressed in black and left in her room with Meemaw checking in on her every now and then, but no questions inquired were answered by Lucy so Meemaw let her have her peace. Maids laid the food every meal time by the table but had to take back untouched food down again back to the kitchens. She did not know if the funeral had taken place. No one asked her to come nor had she asked.

         Two months had passed; she was sitting next to Meemaw on the balcony practising her music lessons. Lucy's melody was soon interrupted by the drawing of horses in to the pathway that leads to the mansion. Lucy remembered her dad telling her that they had some guests due today. Very important ones and that she will be called upon to meet them and attend a function. Meemaw had dressed her in a cream dress and ribbons that pulled up her hair to a pony tail for the occasion. Soon meme took her downstairs to the awaited guest.

          She was shown to the living room where Mr Fredrick had already seated the guest and both were sipping on tea. The guest had a daunting look about his face. He had eyes that were manic, marks on his forehead which cut down his eyebrow, a thin sly structure of a body and a gruesome smile that made your heart shudder. He wore a long dark black robe that touched down to the floor. Lucy took a step backwards with fear.

         "There Lucy come closer. Don't be shy. He is a close friend" said Mr Fredrick. She stepped closer and greeted the strange man with a curtsey.

          "Nice to meet you sir", said Lucy. This was how she was taught and that is how she carried herself.

          "The moon to the sun?" said the stranger, "yes indeed". The words confused her but her dad smiled with a nod that said yes that's her. Soon the guest was drawn to a plain room. The arrangements all seemed different. All the furniture was pulled back. There was only a black cloth laid down, with a pile of bones, a jug of water, a silver plate and a double arrow headed spear. She gasped too low to be heard, but soon her dad pulled her in and whispered in her ears don't be scared it's just a magic show that's all. The room seemed smoky and soon the man sat in the middle of a room. Far off she heard the shot of a gun firing off. The man pulled out a dark blue cloth bag that was tied using a white string.

           He opened the bag and placed it upon the pile of bones. Quickly he closed his eyes and began to chant some incantations. It was a rather strange sound that passed through his lips. None of it made sense but the way the words were sewn together could make a man sense that the words were far more beyond than just meaningful. The words vibrated throughout the room rocking the room with an intoxicating aura. The steward entered with one hand holding a dead owl bleeding and the other holding a live one. The silver owls were held together with a crimson string that tied both their legs. The steward gently placed the owls on top of the silver platter and left the room.

            The man opened his eyes, his voice rose louder and taking a double arrow headed spear pierced the hearts of both owls at once. The silver owl screeched but soon it became weak with blood exuding. The owl was not dead but only half alive, its eyes were half closed a sign that he was giving into death. Lucy was frightened to such an extent that she could neither move nor make a sound. She watched as the man bathed the owls in a crimson powder and finally fed each owl half the content of a slushy paste that the cloth bag had contained. He gently presses a thumb on one owl slowly moving his fingers to its beak and chest finally pushing back the owl from the spear. There wasn't even a mark on the owl's chest and with a coo it opened its eyes. The man repeated the process with the other owl and the same coo was heard.

               The owls flapped their wings and flew around the room. One flew straight at Lucy and she remembered only the blood red eyes of the owl before she fainted. She woke up and stirred in her bed around to the moon. Someone had brought her to her room and laid her in the bed. The moon shone bright and the light draped her as she cried silently in to the night. For there were many nights to come where she would not sleep unless a maid watched her all night and many nights more than that till the day she will be able to sleep without keeping a candle on the table that would burn all night.

Authors Note!

Hi! Hope you guys like it so far.  Feel free to ask any doubts or to comment on the story!