Chapter Three
Once at school, first and second hours of Advanced Calculus and College Chemistry were almost unbearable for Luna. After that came a more likable third hour of Cooking Skills to which Luna mostly excelled at. (Eggplant Cookies still evaded her- not to her displeasure of course…) Then the day was gratefully over for the seniors when the graduation practice began. “Luna Avaya!” a voice called out over the subdued roar of the crowd. It was time for her practice run through. Walking tall and dignified up to the stage, Luna walked on as if she were really receiving her diploma that very second.
Basking in her first moment of real pride, she stood a bit too long at the award area and nearly was taken out by the boy who had been called after her.
Guiding herself off-stage as graceful as she could, Luna had only exited the door before a strong, and cold, hand was placed on her shoulder holding her back.
“Do I know you?” asked the male speaker with a slightly rich, musical voice. Scanning him as he stood there, Luna noticed a muscular frame and amazing emerald eyes. Somehow his ensemble of looks, highlighted only by his pale skin, matched a tight fitting black turtleneck and loose black-washed jeans.
“Who are you?”
He had removed his cold hand from her arm only moments after his inquiry, yet as he moved his hand to brush the piece of her long black hair from her eyes, memories suddenly began to flood into the front of her mind like a river through its dry riverbed in the spring. Where they came from even a scientist with multiple doctorates wouldn’t have known…
“Merrick? Is that really you?” she asked hesitantly trying to make eye contact with him again and failing.
“I do know you,” Merrick stated as he stepped back to survey the shocked female. Today was becoming a very unique day for him…
“From what I can remember, we used to play in your father’s strawberry patch, and we did hope to remain friends forever. Obviously that didn’t happen…” Luna answered as she pieced together individual pieces of information together inside of her head to form coherent thoughts, “I guess we both blocked those memories.”
Pulling her along with him, Merrick grabbed her hand and led her out into the parking lot. “Another part of my life that I can’t remember…” he stated as he stared out across the desolate concrete, “Who’s coming to watch you graduate? I bet your father is very proud.”
With a sarcastic response, Luna pulled away from him, “You’d think…” She saw the look of confusion before shooting him an edgy response, “Times haven’t changed, Merrick, they’ve only gotten harder. Look, I know we were friends once, but I’m not sure that I can be your friend anymore- I just can’t… Looking down at her watch, she turned and walked back to the auditorium to watch the last bit of the practice before she left school.
As she turned, Merrick saw tears roll down from her eyes and cursed himself for causing her pain. As he walked towards his borrowed car, he promised himself that someday he’d make everything right with everyone. With that last thought, Merrick buckled himself into the driver’s seat and took off for his real home to sulk. Alone.
“Luna, I come to you in your mind as this is all I can manage at this point. You will be required to make an appropriate choice very soon.”
“Which choice, and of what am I choosing?”
“You will know when the time is right. Awake now, my daughter, and meet your destiny- make your choice. I shall await you.”
A few hours later, Luna awoke to a random adult standing over her. Realizing what that meant, she sat up in her seat in the auditorium to the quiet concern on their face.
“I’m fine. What time is it?” She inquired as she shook her head to ward off drowsiness.
“The ceremony is to start in a few minutes. You do remember that you are first?” they replied quietly as she leapt to her feet and brushed down her clothing to smooth all of the wrinkles down.
Late, Luna hurried down to the rooms of lockers and changed. Silently, she waited for the ceremony to begin along with the throng of other nervous seniors.
From her seat in the graduating part of the audience, Luna watched as the speaker for the night walked out onstage and fixed the microphone for her height. Repositioning her notes, the slightly-flustered speaker began, “Welcome cherished supporters of this fine senior class. Tonight, as you know, each one of our seniors will be graduating and going on to a new, more thrilling part in their life. As they walk off this stage they will have a decision to make about their future,” she paused to let it sink in and Luna sat up straighter in the chair she was currently positioned in, then she continued, “Like all decisions made after the diploma has been given, this will be an important choice that could mean the very difference between life and death. College may await several of these bright youngsters- while others will go on into the world as ambassadors of the future and stare brightly into the face of difficulties. With that said, let the graduation ceremony begin!”
After hearing that, Luna went through the entire ceremony in daze, only noticing that the only person that came to support her was her mother. Not even her little brothers had come. This was an ultimate low, even for them.
That didn’t even compare to Merrick’s turnout. When Merrick crossed the stage to receive his diploma, only a tall, olive-skinned boy with dark hair stood up. No parents, siblings, or other family as far as she could tell was present.
When the last student had passed by the speaker’s podium to receive their diploma, the speaker reset her microphone once again out of habit. Slowly she continued with a jubilant smile stretched across her face, “Now it’s time for the speech of our prized valedictorian, Merrick Aisan.”
Hearing his cue, Merrick once more approached the stage, this time taking the speaker’s microphone to give his speech in a melodic tone that slowly hypnotized Luna, boggling her senses, “For all of my years in this high school, I’ve kept my grades up with no effort. I did not attend school on a regular basis, and I never had any homework; I never missed a test, and never cared about anything. I really didn’t earn this title- and I don’t deserve it. In fact, I know one individual who earned this by her hard work. I call to the stage, Miss Luna Avaya.” He quietly finished and stepped to the side, motioning for Luna to speak in one small fluid movement.
Shocked, Luna numbly got herself onto the stage and up to where Merrick was waiting. As he handed off the microphone and moved towards the side even further, the two made eye contact again. This time it wasn’t a casual look- it was an encouragement to her to be as strong as she could.
“I’ve never been much of a public speaker, so you’ll have to forgive me for being a bit nervous on this short notice speech,” Luna paused for a moment to catch her breath and relaxed into the moment, “When you start out as a freshman, your teachers coddle you with your homework, and no one ever believes in what you’ll become when you emerge from your high school cocoon into your senior year. Having a great support system of friends is the only way to get through high school, and I’m glad that I had who I did. Thanks for a great year guys!” With that, Luna walked slowly behind Merrick as he gracefully descended down the stairs and back into the stage basement with all of the lockers in it.
“That was very stupid Merrick- I hope you’re happy!” Luna briefly scolded as she started to unzip and put the robe away on her thinly padded metal hanger. The other student began to flitter out, most likely to join an illegal drinking party with their friends, as Luna went through the motions. The students were exiting by two doors in the side of the room, making the room very quiet.
“I liked your speech; it was better than anything that I could have said,” he quietly stated with a musical tone, slightly ignoring her rant.
“It was very last minute, so I did some improvisation... Where is everyone?” Luna asked trying to change the subject to hide the embarrassing blush that she knew was creeping up on her cheeks.
The group in the room had completely vanished leaving them by themselves. Where to, Luna couldn’t tell. Wherever they had gone- good riddance! No one really cared about her anyway. Those who had come close to her had backed off when Luna had seen through their pathetic disguise of friendship and called them on it.
“What are these for, you think?” she asked Merrick from across the room. With her hands she gently probed the solid cedar doors that had no windows and barred any view of the other side of them. One was labeled with a large number one and the other was marked with a nearly identical number two.
“I think that this is what she meant by a choice for our futures. A choice between going to college,” he slid his fingers around the delicate carvings etched into it by a skilled hand, “or chancing fate. Good luck with whatever path you choose, and may ours never cross again...” his voice faded off at the last syllable.
“What are you talking about?” Luna asked confused. She was unaware of what he was trying to say about the doors and the paths. Another language didn’t exactly help the situation either as she suspected Merrick was now muttering silently. She couldn’t hear any noise, but she could see the faint movement of his jaw in speech.
Moving closer to the door labeled with a two, he turned for a last time and Luna could see how tormented the expression was on his face that he had to draw out the choice he was making to explain and how clouded his usually bright green eyes were before he answered, “I have no plan of college. Someone of your intelligence must use the talents that you were given. I’m to head for my fate and hope that something someday shows me what I truly am meant for.” If anything good… He couldn’t help adding in his mind.
“You have no purpose? At least you show promise as apposed to me, who’ll just be a liability to whom ever I come in contact with!” Luna exclaimed loudly as she was sure that no one could hear her besides him.
Merrick looked into her eyes curiously as if reading her thoughts before fully crossing to the door and surveying it, “No one’s been through here in at least a few years. Are you sure you want to go this way?”
Walking over to the door Luna laid a hand on the door and pushed it open, “You obviously don’t know me that well… Goodbye Merrick.” Then, she pushed past his shoulder and into the bright light of her own bedroom…
“What the-?” She asked aloud as she looked around to make sure that it was really her room and not some sick figment of her imagination. Maybe she was meant to go to college after all…
“I was wondering when you’d finally make your choice,” a voice stated from the far corner of her room; the one corner that was probably the cleanest corner in the room.
Startled, Luna looked over to see the same figure that had been visiting her in her dreams for the past week. On her bed gracefully sat a tall woman with bright red curly hair and cool green eyes dressed in a flowing green gauze dress with emerald-studded silver earrings.
“Who are you?” Luna asked awestruck. She had never seen a more breathtakingly pretty female in all her life. Not that she usually stared at women…
“I am the Goddess of Fire, Rathael, but now is not the time for questions. Pack only the necessities and leave this place. Head due north to Camp Licentia. You must bring together a group of unlikely warriers and become as family- this is the only way you will survive this journey. That is all you must know for now. You will learn more later when you reach Licen. Farewell filia!” The woman stated; and with those words, disappeared out of the room in a flash of blinding light.
Silently, Luna moved through her room and grabbed a few sets of clothing, carefully wrapped her mp3 player in its box, and packed her comforter into a small bag before taking one last look at her room and walking out of the door. She felt no remorse for leaving her family, but she did love her room and she may never see her town again…
After walking out of her bedroom door, Luna was again puzzled. She was confused of where she was and how she came to be there. In front of her, she saw a very large house with faded orange shutters and a wilted front lawn of weeds. The house looked as if no one cared for it, but to Luna it seemed like this was someone’s home that had given up on outward appearance or thought.
Shaking her head to stop her stare, she turned slightly to face the road that must have been the one, north, that she had to take and started her trek into the unknown; or would have if a cold hand hadn’t grabbed her shoulder and kept her from moving any further.
She jumped slightly, startled, and turned to face a rather stony-faced Merrick. His expression was grave as if someone close to him had died. “What are you doing? I thought this was my fate!” Luna heatedly asked.
“Fate? You’re standing in front of my house,” he replied taking a deep breath. He shoved his hands into his pockets and gazed on blankly.
“I didn’t know it was your house…” Luna mumbled before looking up again and continuing stronger, “I’m going to Camp Licentia to offer my help to their leader.” He noticed that her pronunciation of the unknown Latin that she had unknowingly spoken was butchered completely.
“Licentia? Don’t you think that’s a bit drastic?” he asked amused, “I’ll come with you. Where you’re headed is a dangerous place if you don’t know how to fight, or even know how to hold your own… I refuse to let anyone else leave.” She saw a lingering memory in his eyes and for a second wished that she could make him feel better, but thought otherwise when she remembered his reluctance to touch her earlier. For all she knew, she might have made it worse.
Eventually Luna gave in, and watched as Merrick reappeared with a bag only a second after heading into his house. He turned and muttered something under his breath, locked the door, placing the key in his bag and starting to walk. Luna ran to catch up to him and they silently walked on to face the future events.