The Child of the Moon

Chapter Seven

7.

That night I have a dream, but it's not mine.
It's Astra's.
I'm in the same forest as the one when Phoebus approached me, telling me about 478 Magihild Street. The pale moonlight soaks into my skin, and the trees prick me with their sharp needles.
There's something different about this dream. Nobody is here. I'm alone, and when I tilt my head downwards, I actually find a path. A path that digs flat, with no leaves.
I move my feet towards the patted road. The leaves and twigs snap under my feet, making me sprout up from fear almost every step. Once my body reaches the path, I stroll among it, relieved that I won't hear anymore leaves and twigs.
The woods grows different. The trees become less thick, and begin to gain more leaves and the ground spawns grass. The path becomes more wide, and the way seems clearer.
My eyes catch a glimpse of a sparkle up above. It shoots across the sky, and grows in size the more it passes. The more I realize it, the closer it comes. This isn't just a shooting star. It's a meteor. And it's coming towards Earth.
I stare up at the meteor, in wonder. Should I find shelter?
I stand there for two minutes watching it.
Until it crashes down into the rough, coarse dirt of the Earth.
Everything around my flies back. The leaves swoosh away from the trees branches, and the grass gets teared out from the ground. I stable myself on a tree right next to the trail. My fingers grip to the bark, as heat bursts into my face. I let out a yelp, as I duck my face behind the organism.
When the chaos calms down, I peek my head out. My heart pounds out of my chest while my hyperventilation almost makes me unconscious. After a few moments, I continue my journey down the trail, in hopes I will find out what happened.
The trees disappear and the grass generates more and more. Eventually, the woods transition into an open plain, with spiky grass grown up to my knees. Located in the plain, is a deep hole dug into the ground. The hole is located in the middle of the plain, and takes up ¼ of the whole thing.
When I approach the hole, there is only one thing in it: A woman. A woman that looks around fifty years old and has blonde thin hair, and blueish-purple eyes. She stands there, holding a baby with dark cocoa skin that can't be anything more but a newborn.
"Are you okay?" I call out. I hang my feet over the cliff, and I'm ready to climb down.
The woman doesn't answer. All she does is place her foot higher on the dirt, attempting to climb up with the tiny baby in her hands. I raise my hand towards her so I may be able to help her, but when her hand touches mine, it passes through, as if I'm not there.
A man with dark chocolate skin and ruffled black hair comes dashing out of the woods. He's clutching on to his right arm, which is covered in a scarlet red liquid that is continuously flowing out. He trips over his own feet, and staggers back up on his way to the hole. When his eyes stare down into the hole, he gasps.
"Halley?" His jaw drops, "What are you doing down there? How did you get down there?"
He holds his hand out, into the hole, and Halley grasps a hold of it. While she's almost there, she hands the baby to the man. Her eyes glimmer out of exhaustion, as she barely makes it up out of the hole. When she does, she takes the baby from the man and wraps her arms around him.
I glance up to the clear sky on the opposite of the hole. The stars are out and clear as ever, but when I glance down, Astra is there, staring me directly in the eye.
And that's all I remember.
—-
My upper body springs out of bed, panting. My head turns around the room for the glass of water, but then I remember I finished it.
When I look to my side, Astra is sitting straight up, with droplets of sweat dripping from her forehead. She glances up to me, startled. She pushes herself up against a wall.
"You saw that, didn't you?" Astra mutters, hiding her face in her legs. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean for you to see that. I'm truly sorry-"
"Why are you apologizing?" I ask, baffled. I push the covers off and approach Astra, crouching down. "These are your dreams. You have no control of them unless you're a lucid dreamer, but because of how you're acting I don't suppose that's the case."
"No, no," she peeks her head out from her legs. She pushes herself up from the ground and stares at me. "It's just that I'm not allowed to share my dreams. Halley isn't comfortable with it."
I nod, and pat her on the shoulder. I offer her my hand to help her up, and she takes it, pushing herself up from the corner of the room.
I assume that the man in the dream must have been Astra's father. It's like every bit of her was outlined and traced from her father, except for her light eyes. They are the only feature that indicate she is Halley's daughter, too.
Astra rotates her body near the door. She grips the handle and the door comes open with her force. She turns the corner, and having the door open gives my ears the ability to hear the conversation my father and John are discussing with Aiden in the kitchen. I follow after her two seconds later.
Astra is plops down into a chair, leaving me to stand. Astra starts to get up and ramble on, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to take your seat. I didn't know there weren't enough seats at first I-"
"Don't worry," I respond, and opening my palm to the seat as a gesture for her to sit, "I can sit up. It's not a big deal."
"Are you sure?" Astra gulps. She still has her gray Pink brand shorts on, and a white tank top on as pajamas.
"Yes," I begin to open the cabinet and grab myself a plate, "trust me." Once my hands are occupied with the dish, I use the spatula to serve myself some eggs from the stove. I only take a scoop, because who wants to look like a pig in front of their friends? Nobody? Just me then? Oh, okay.
I'm sick of eggs. We've had it for a week straight, and boy am I happy I skipped breakfast yesterday. Ever since it's been John's favorite meal, my father is forcing us to eat it. Every. Day.
I stay by the counter, eating the boring eggs. Dad, Aiden, and John are talking about Aiden's number one Youtube channel. It's called "Klercks". It's literally this Youtube channel where they make Fortnite videos, and I think it's stupid. I tell him that it's a waste of time, but he doesn't listen to me. Astra keeps silent, chowing down her eggs.
"So," My father says, wiping his mouth with a napkin, "we all have to go to the mall today, because Aiden needs new sneakers. Is that okay with you, Ashley?"
"Oh, um," Astra hides her face in her hair, "I'm sorry, sir, but my name is Astra. I get it if you think it's weird. It takes getting used to, but to answer your questions, yes. I'm fine with that. My mother would like to pick me up at two. She notified me on my phone this morning."
I glint up to Astra with a bewildered look, and then I realize that Halley must have planned this event and prepared for it for a long time.
After breakfast, John politely asks us to get dressed. He also says my father wants me to dress in something "not emo". John offers to help me with my clothes, but I turn him down, thanking him.
Astra ends up wearing a black shirt, with the Hollister brand smacked right onto it, along with some blue shorts. She wears her hunter boots and brushes her layered, thick, hair but keeps it down.
I wear my shorts, converse shoes, and a NASA shirt, that has the logo printed right on the front, and has blue on the shoulders and upper chest.
I've always wanted to be an astronomer and work for NASA, but ever since the incident with the Moon everyone on 478 Magihild Street, I don't know how to feel. Being told all I believe in is false is hard to take in. I kind of didn't fully believe it until Phoebus's dream, and the Moon approaching me. I secretly hope that this is a dream so I can wake up and have a chance at accomplishing my desires without regret or question.
Aiden, as usual, is the first to be ready, and is standing by the door, tapping his foot. He starts complaining that we took forever when we get in the car. He also calls us all lazy bums.
We have a cheap, blue 2016 Nissan Versa. It's an okay size, but Aiden is getting crushed in the middle by Astra and I. My father is a violent driver, and is not afraid to clash the car into another. Sometimes I wonder how my mother (the gentle moon) loved my father (a violent driver, who yells at everyone on the road).
Once we enter, John doesn't have to get down on Astra's level, because she's about three inches taller than me, but he gets down on one knee for me, like I'm a child. "You two can go off and browse. Mr. Imprie and I will be in the Target that connects to the mall." He says, handing me thirty bucks.
Little does he know I brought some money of my own, so Astra and I can get something, but I still thank him. I don't like using John's money. I would like to earn the money myself and use the money I earn. Not someone else's.
The mall is a good size for living in a small town in Connecticut. Most people consider us Rhode Islanders though, because we live so close. We basically live on the borderline. I crossed it too many times to count, since Dad's work is in Hopkinton, Rhode Island.
The mall has a dome with windows in the top, which allows the sunlight to peer through. Every once and a while you may find a small gumball machine or shrub, but other than that there's barely anything outside the stores.
When Astra and I separate from the boys, I shove the money in my pocket and ask Astra, "What store would you like to go in first?"
"I don't mind," She looks down to her feet, and then says, "whatever is fine." Her head snaps up, "Unless it's Justice."
"Okay," I chuckle, "no Justice then."
We continue to stroll down the hall of the mall. We decide to stop at American Eagle. While in there, Astra happens to stumble upon a shirt she likes that says, "Mondays Suck". I expect something like that from Forever 21. It shocks me that American Eagle has this kind of stuff.
We keep shopping for about thirty minutes, waiting for my family. We make the decision to wait by one of the only benches in the whole mall. Astra goes on her phone and shows me funny memes, if she finds any. I'm on the edge of texting my dad, but then a girl about sixteen years old in a hood rushes by.
And why is that a big deal? The deal is the hood has the same exact marking Honos had with his sword and armor. That woman is a child of Pluto.
I jab my elbow into Astra, and she glares at me. She shuts off her phone, and I tilt my head towards the woman. Astra stuffs her phone in the back pocket of her shorts, and her eyes widen.
"I don't have my bow on me," she mutters, stiffening her posture, "I can't fight back. If I had it on me, I knew danger would have come."
"Wait," I whisper, "didn't Halley teach you how to fight with your actual body or something? For situations like this?"
Astra's eyes follow the woman, who is disappearing more and more, second after second. "No," she sighs, "I was never taught Martial Arts or Karate, or anything of that matter. Neither was Phoebus, Jove or Nestor. When we pick up our weapons, we become masters with them, even if we haven't wield them before. Halley didn't think it was necessary." She takes a deep breath. "We're just going to wait for the others. I'll call them now."
"What are you talking about?" I raise my voice, frustrated. "We need to go after her. What if she can give us a clue on the scepter?"
If Astra wants to stay here, like a damsel in distress, I'm not staying with her. If everyone wants to find that scepter so bad, why stop at the first lead? They say the scepter is dangerous and powerful, so why not try to get it back?
I begin to stand up, and prepare to chase after the woman, but Astra grabs my hand, "No." She declares, almost like a threat. "You are not going. Halley wants me to protect you, and that's what I'll do. You only have powers in the dream world, without your scepter. We are powerless against her. She's probably hiding her sword in her sweatpants."
The woman is moving farther out of vision. I yank my arm out of Astra's grip, and I dash to the woman. My ears barely make out the sound of Astra calling my name. I don't care.
I manage to catch up to the woman, and keep her pace in a casual manor behind her. She's speed-walking down the mall, and stops at Forever 21. Great. The store of plastics. She turns into the store, and I follow after her.
Forever 21 is full of trends and all of that stuff. Most of the popular kids in my school go here for their outfits. They wear loads of crop tops from here, and I'm surprised the school dress code allows it. Connecticut is the second smartest state in the country (behind Massachusetts), so it's shocking that they don't care about the outfits.
The woman stalks behind some racks and up to a man. I hide my body in one, and peek out, to see what's happening.
I hear the woman whisper, "One of them are following us. Honos saw her yesterday with the bunch. We still don't know her parent. She's obviously listening in now. She's hiding somewhere."
My mouth lets out a gasp. I cover it with my own hands as quickly as it escapes. I begin to panic, and move behind a cabinet holding the pants and other clothing, and a mannequin on top.
And then I hear the woman say even louder, "Somewhere around here."
I scatter behind another clothes rack, and out of sight from the woman and man. I stay there for a few more minutes, until they give up.
I hear the woman mutter a curse word to the man. Then I hear her say, "We lost her. We could of found out her parent. Wait," she pauses, I can't see her face, but I'm sure she's looking the man straight in the eyes. "Aren't you a Son of Makemake? Can't you tell who her parent is?"
"Yes," The man comments, "Honos didn't bring any children of Makemake with him yesterday, but I would need something from her, like a piece of her hair."
I push my body against the clothes. I can hear their breathing. They could turn a corner and they'd find me. It's too dangerous to move again.
I start panting, and breathing in and out. I still keep my mouth covered. Halley kept ranting on about if they found me, they would do terrible things to me if they found out who I was. And I don't want to figure out what.
Thump. Thump.
Their footsteps heave towards me. My heart beats out of my chest, and it's getting hard to breathe through my hand. Sweat forms on my lower back, and my body hunches up against the clothes, and almost inside the rack.
I'm prepared to run, until I hear, "We must have lost her." The footsteps drag away, and start heading out of the store, rack behind rack.
"Yeah. If we tell Orion he'll kill us." The male states, "You know where to go, right? Did Jetaime tell you where the new hideout is?"
"Yep," the female sighs, "Providence. Pretty ironic if he wants to keep us hidden. In a state capitol? Right on Eudora Street? Next to the hospital? Idiotic."
I glance around the corner, risking my ability to stay out of sight. They're heading further and further out of the store, and further and further out of my reach.
Once they are out of my vision, I breathe out a sigh of relief. My hair is splattered all over the place. The elastic from two days is still on my arm. I loop my hair through it a couple of times, leaving a low, loose ponytail.
I'm surprised I kept it with me that long. On a regular basis, those things disappear on me in less than a few hours.
I push myself up from the floor, and an employee stares at me in confusion. Did he really see all of that? Or did he just see me crouching down like an idiot?
"Ma'am," He demands, holding a folded piece of clothing in one hand, "I'm going to need you to get off the floor, or I'm going to have to escort you out of this store. I would also like it if you didn't listen to other customers' conversations."
My cheeks fluster from embarrassment when I mutter, "I'm sorry, sir."
The man lays the piece of clothing on a stack with others. He give me a look, signifying that he might lead me out of here now.
I slowly shift away from him, hoping he doesn't call the police on me. When I begin to walk out of the store, five people dash in, almost past me, but then we see each others' faces.
"Phoebus?!" I gasp, my eyes dart straight to his face, and I feel my cheeks warm up.
"Cynthia! You're okay!" He sighs, and out of the moment, he hugs me.
When he backs away, he scratches the back of his head, and Jove and Nestor are once again shoving their elbows into each other.
Astra is standing on the side of them. She gives an awkward wave, and turns her head down. Halley marches towards me, and has a facial expression on that makes someone know their in trouble.
"Cynthia! What were you thinking?" She rants, with her proper British accent turning scary. "Are they still here?" She glances around. "Was there a Child of Makemake with the woman?"
"Slow down." I yell, making a couple of customers flash their eyes on me. I lower my voice to a whisper. "I just thought that I would get some news with them, and I did." I tell them about the Child of Makemake not being able to identify me, and them not being here anymore, then I say, "But they did mention where their hideout is."
Jove raises an eyebrow, "Well," She crosses her arms, and angles her hips, "Where is it? I don't know if you've noticed, but we still need to get your scepter back."
I nod. It makes me uncomfortable that they keep saying that it's my scepter. I would prefer if they said the scepter. It makes me feel like I'm suppose to save everyone, which I am, but I don't want to feel like it.
It's hard to explain.
"It's in Rhode Island. Providence, they say. They also speak of it being on Eudora Street, next to Rhode Island hospital." I declare, picking at the skin hanging off my finger.
"Alright then," Phoebus smiles, with his hands on his hips, "I guess we're going to Providence then."
"When?" I question, worrying about what my fathers would say.
"I'm afraid we'll have to leave as soon as possible," Halley comments, "and that means now."