Moon, Water, and Love

 The girl looked back into the mirror, staring at herself, gently touching her reflection ever so slightly. Her graceful fingers traced her midnight-blue eyes flecked with silver "stars" as her mother had called them. She sighed, feeling the all-too-familiar longing for her mother. She felt the darkness threatening to seep back into her life, as it had during and after her mother's last moments. In the hospital room, where she saw her dying mother. Her mother had been milky pale and amber eyes, uncharacteristically dim. After swallowing the pain of seeing her mother so weak, the girl had walked forward, and rested her hand on her mother's heart. The girl's mother had grabbed her daughter's hand. "Always,..." the mother began, tears filling her eyes. "Always be strong. For you. For your... sister. Stelila" And then, her heart had stopped. For Stelila, the world stopped along with her mother's heart. After a few seconds, she let out a single scream, and it echoed through the room, bouncing back at her. She could have screamed a thousand times, and it would have not been enough. Nothing mattered anymore, now that her mother was gone. But then, she remembered her last words. To be strong. For herself and her sister.

Suddenly, she jolted back to the present, remembering that her sister needed help to get dressed for her first ritual ceremony. Now that she was eleven, Casablanca would be allowed to join the moonwater festivals. There would be lights, laughter, contests, dancing, and creations made of moon water. Just thinking about it made Stelila smile. Quietly, she walked up to her sister's room, and knocked twice on her sister's door, before opening it. As she peaked inside, she saw the light blue dress for her sister lying on the floor, and her sister looking at her innocently.

"Do I have to put it on?" She asked with her soft voice. "Stelila?"

Stelila sighed. "Trust me, Casa, you will love it. Just let me help you put it on. Okay?"

Casablanca nodded, swallowing. "I'm ready."

Her graceful hands swooping down, Stelila carefully picked up the dress, unzipping the backing.