by Dee King
There will always be someone jealous of that.” He relaxes back in the couch and puts his feet on
the antique coffee table.
“Oh ok.” I pull my legs underneath me.
“So, what do you want to know first?”
That’s a loaded question.
I look down at my toes.
“I don’t know where to begin. Or even what to ask first.”
Actually, I want to know how he knows Alex and Sebastian.
Colin takes his feet off the table.
“You do know I heard that right?”
“Oh. Well, I guess that’s what I want to know first. It doesn’t make sense that your
friends with Sebastian and not Alex. Alex is just so sweet. I don’t see how you two are not
friends.”
“This really has a lot to do with our fathers, but if you are asking if I like Alex then the
answer is no.” He leans forward.
“Why not?”
“He is not who you think he is. I think the word for him is fake. He makes you believe
that he wants the best for you, but believe me when I say he is the one with ulterior motives. Alex
may have you fooled, but I do hope you see through it before it’s too late.”
“What does that mean?” I cross my arms.
“I can’t say. Just please be careful around him.”
“He says that Sebastian’s intentions are wrong. I just know Alex has always been so
sweet to everyone. He can smile at me, and I just... I just melt. I guess that’s what you could say.
I have liked him for like ever.”
“Do you even know him? Think about that. Why has he just now proclaimed to care?
Why do you think that is?”
“I don’t know. Maybe because I have never talked to him, well not really until the party
that night.”
“Oh, and you think that it’s not odd that as soon as he found out you were a Migades, he
all of a sudden feels the same? Come on, Selene. You’re smarter than this.”
“I don’t know about that. I just know I like him.”
“Of course you do. He wants you to.”
“Why would he want me to? He told me he felt the same for me as I did for him.
Sebastian never liked me either, until Friday night, yet I am supposed to think he cares.” I can
feel my body starting to tense.
“All I am trying to say his powers over you will be strong. Make sure you know the
difference between how he makes you feel, and how you really feel.”
“His powers?”
“Yes, you know how you lit the candles? Well, he has the ability to touch and make
people feel what he wants them to feel.”
“Excuse me?”
“Every time he touches you he is able to make you feel what he wants you to feel. As in
he wants you to feel like you love him, when truth is, you may not.”
“That’s ridiculous. No one can control people’s emotions like that!”
“No mortal can do that, but a god can. Especially a son of Zeus. I am just saying that
when you are with Alex, pay attention. Do not let him touch and control you. You can fight that.” “Why would I want to?”
Colin stands up. “Because if you don’t, you will never know if how you feel is true or if
it’s Alex’s truth. Remember, you have one week till school is out. Then you will have a choice to
make. You need to make the right choice, Selene.”
“Choice? Choice for what?” I stand.
“I can’t tell you that. Just listen to your heart. Give Sebastian a chance too.” “I don’t understand why you care about my love life to begin with, and what any of this
has to do with a choice?”
“Listen! I am trying to help you. Stop being a fool. Open your eyes, and your heart.”
Colin and I are face to face now.
“I don’t even know you. How dare you talk to me like that.” I start walking towards the
doors, but Colin grabs my arm.
“Don’t! Just leave me alone. You all are so secretive about everything. Just leave me
alone. I will make my own choices, but I don’t see why any of this matters.” I yank my arm from
his grip.
“I am sorry. I did not mean to upset you. Really. I will tell you something that I am not
allowed to say, but please know it will sound odd. I will help you in every possible way that I
can.” I just stare at him with my arms crossed.
“Most Migades only have to chose whether they stay on Earth or go to Mount Olympus.
There is always a God or Goddess that must provide them with just enough information for them
to make the choice. You are different.Your choice will be between who you love, and where you
decide to stay. What you decide can rock the balance of the two worlds. Not only with the choice
of who you love, but who you will love forever.”
“What do you mean forever?”
“I can’t say anymore than that. I’m sorry. Father and I can only help guide you. Freewill
has to be yours. I know this sounds odd. I just hope that I can help you.”
“Do you know what I have to do or the choice I am supposed to make?” “Yes. I am sorry I can not take this burden from you. I promise to help guide you the very
best I can.” We stand there looking at one another. He leans down and kisses me on the forehead,
like my mother does.
“The choice will be the hardest you will ever make, but believe me if you chose the right
path, then you will live a life of pure bliss. That I promise you. I will stand by your side with
whatever choice you make. Now that I have you in my life, I will not lose you. I am honored to
call you my sister, Selene.”
As we walk through the doors together I really think about what Colin has said. I head up towards the bedroom to get my things.
I have no idea where or what to do at this point.
That conversation did not help me. I am more confused than I was before. I pull my bag over my shoulder and make sure my phone is in there.
I head down the stairs to see Colin at the front door. I can hear voices, but Colin barely
has the door open.
“You are not welcome in my home. You need to leave.”
“You are not the only one who lives here anymore. Remember? Once she stepped into the
home, it became hers too.” I touch Colin on the back to see who he is talking to. “Alex?”
“I came by to see if you wanted to do something today?” Colin barely moves out of the
way.
“I have to go home for a little bit. Maybe later?”
“You didn’t tell her did you?” I look at Colin.
Colin looks at me with pitiful eyes. “No.”
Alex laughs.
“You can’t go home, Selene. Once you stayed the night you can never actually sleep at
your home again.” I look at Colin to see if this is true.
“I forgot about that till this morning, but he is right. You will have to live here till your
choice is made.”
“Your kidding?”
“No. You can go to your mom’s house, but you have to live here.”
“You did this on purpose. Why are all of you trying to control me? I do not do well with
being controlled.”
“No, it’s not like that. If you wanted to sleep at your mom’s you would not be able to.
The bracelet will make sure you come back here. It’s a part of the rules.”
“Screw the damn rules. I will make my own choices. You got that?” Alex smiles at me. “What are you smiling about? I told you. You are not welcome. You know the rules. You
can not step inside. So GO!�
�
“That is not just your choice. Selene, may I come in?”
“No. Enough with all this. I am out of here.” I walk towards the balcony to get to my
Jeep. I can her Colin’s footsteps behind me.
“Selene. Wait.” I stop before I reach the first step.
“What? Another RULE you forgot?”
“I should have told you, I just felt like you would want to stay here.” I turn around. “And what is with him not getting to come in? You guys act like you have seen too many
Vampire movies. Come on. Get serious.”
“That’s funny. You have jokes. Well, that whole Vampire thing came from us. It has
always been the rule amongst the Gods and Goddess’. You can not just enter the home of a God
or Goddess. You must be invited. Alex is not invited. The end.”
“Yea, we will see about that won’t we?”
“I am warning you Selene.”
“No! I am warning you! If I have to live here now, and I can’t have my friends here, then I
would rather sleep on the beach!”
“Hold up. I never said you could not have other friends here. Just not Alexander.” “Sebastian said you have not had any mortals here. I assume my friends are out of the
question?”
“No. I have not had any mortals here, but that is my choice. You can have your mortal
friends here. Even your mom can come here. None can stay the night, but yes, you can have
whomever you want here.”
“Okay. Whatever. I gotta go.”
“I do apologize. I’ll check on you later, K?”
“Sure. You do that.” I make my way down the steps towards my Jeep.
I really do not like being told what to do. How to do it. When to do it. Who can be my
friends, or whatever he said. I am so over all this already.
Selene, I can still hear you.
Good! Stop listening to me. Freak.
I will as soon as you stop acting like a child.
Shut up.
Make me.
I look up to the balcony to see Colin staring at me. Smiling. I smirk back.
Chapter 13 I drive home.
The only home I have ever known.
I hope Mom will tell me this nonsense about not being able to come home is ridiculous. I see my mother’s car in the driveway. I park on the side street just in case she needs to
leave for work.
I gather my bag and head inside.
“Mom.” I see my mother sitting on our couch with a book in her hand. “Selene. Oh honey, I am so glad to see you.”
My mother sits the book on the coffee table as she stands up and walks towards me. She throws her arms around me.
“Hi Mom. I am really sorry about everything.” I barely get the words out as tears fall
down my face. I hug my mother like I have not seen her in years.
“No, Selene. I should have prepared you and I better for this day.” My mom releases her
grip and we sit on the couch.
“Colin says I can’t live here anymore. Tell me that’s not true.” I wipe my eyes. “I am sorry, sweetie. That is the truth. I know the rules, and that is one that even if we did
want to break, it would not matter. You will end up there anyway. Colin is here to help you. Let
him.”
“This is ludicrous. Why? He can help me from my own home.”
“No, Selene. He can not. There he has access to what he needs to protect you. Being a
Migades is a lot of responsibility, and Colin is your brother. He will help you. I promise.” “Everything is so confusing, and wrong! This is my last week of high school, and now I find out it is the last week of my life on Earth. Is that right? What does my non existent love life have to do with any of this? I just want to pass my final exams and move on. What does all this
mean?”
“You will pass all your exams, that is the least of your worries. This is not your last week
on Earth. It could be if you chose that, but you have time. The choice will come easy to you. It
may not seem like a week is a long time, but in a week everything will become so clear that you
will know what you need and want to do with your life.”
I stand up. My mother stands with me.
“I love you. I know you are destined to a wonderful life, and I am so proud I am your
mother.”
My mother hugs me tightly. I hug her back.
Still feeling lost, I just stand there hugging my mother. My mother pulls back and looks
me in the eyes.
“You can take whatever you need, and I will make sure that you have whatever you need
from me, but Selene you must abide by the rules. I will not defy your father. I can help you pack
if you would like. I will tell you a secret. Your heart is not as fragile as you believe. You are so
much stronger than you know. Dig deep into your soul, and see what has always been your
destiny.”
I stand there staring at my mother.
Maybe she is right? Maybe I can do this. Maybe this will not go as bad as I believe. Yea, I can do this!
I can do this!
Right?
I head towards the stairs with my mother close behind.
“So, before you leave, tell me. Is there any love connections happening?” I stop on the
stair and face my mom.
“Ha. Love connections?”
“Yes, between you and maybe two very handsome gentlemen?”
I laugh. Loudly.
“I don’t know, Mom. I actually do not know.” I turn back around make it to my bedroom. I step inside. It seems very small after sleeping at the mansion. I walk in and look around the
room. I have no clue what to even take. How do I pack up a whole life?
My mother goes to my closet. She stops. I look at her.
Tears are falling down my mother’s face.
“I do not want to go. I want to stay here. This is my home. With you.”
“No, Selene. I knew this day was coming. I will just miss you. It’s time.” My mother
wipes her face and turns back to the closet.
I walk over to my dresser. I find my scrapbook. I lay that on my bed. I look around at my
trophies for soccer and surfing.
I kneel down to the bottom drawer where I have kept memorabilia of Chloe and I. I find
the letter I kept from Chris when we were children, telling me how I was his favorite sister. Still
makes me laugh, since I am the only sister he has ever known.
I gather all the items in my arms and lay them on my bed. My mother has put some of my
favorite clothes on my bed, too.
“Where is your overnight bag? We can fit all this in there, and then you can come back
throughout the week and gather more if you would like.”
I point towards my bed. She looks underneath and pulls out the bag.
As she fills it, I just stand there staring. My whole life fits in a bag? I walk over to my
mother and zip the bag. I throw it over my shoulder.
My mother walks toward my door way.
I follow.
I stop.
I turn around one last time to see my bedroom.
I flip off the light as I follow my mother down the stairs.
“Do you want to go out for dinner tomorrow night?”
“Yes. I would love that Mom.” My mother walks towards the front door. “You know I can stay here until I have to sleep.”
“No, sweetie. This is easier for us. I will be okay. You will be fabulous. I promise. Just
enjoy the rest of the day and I will see you tomorrow.”
I see tears starting to fill her eyes and feel them in mine.
I hug my mother. She hugs me back. I feel her run her fingers through my hair as she pats
/> me on the back.
“It’s time.” I nod as I look at my mother.
“I love you, Mom.”
“As I do you, Selene. I love you more than words.”
I walk towards my Jeep. I stop just before I open the door.
I turn around to see my mother smiling at me through tears.
I smile back holding my tears in my eyes.
Walking up the steps to what I am now suppose to call home seems like a dream. Not a nightmare, but not a good dream either.
With all my memories in my bags, I see Colin sitting on the counter of the outdoor
kitchen bar.
“I see you brought your stuff. Good!” Colin jumps off the counter. He offers his hand to
take my bags. I hand them to him. I almost feel numb to all this.
“You okay?”
“No. It is what it is though.” I follow behind Colin as heads towards the stairs. “It will get better. I promise. Cheer up. I thought you would want to invite your friends
over maybe. You can not tell them anything besides the fact that I am your brother on your
father’s side. Deal?”
“Yea, whatever.” Colin lays my bags down on the floor in my bedroom. “”Wow. You are in a funk. You want to go surf?”
“No.”
“It will do you some good. Really. Put your suit on, and let’s hang ten.” I laugh at him. “Hang ten, huh?”
“Yep. Hang ten. Let’s do this.” He laughs as he walks out of the room. I walk to my new closet and find a lime green one piece suit. I try it on, and I really like
the way it fit. It’s high cut on my thighs which will make it easier to move through the water. I start to head outside to go get my surf board.
“I have a present for you.” I turn around to see Colin holding a new surf board. I run over
to see the board. It’s almost identical to the surf board I have now. It’s already been waxed and
ready to go.
I rub the board.
“Thank you, Colin. This is pretty awesome.”
“No problem. I thought of how yours looked pretty old, and I thought you deserved a new
one.”
“Thank you. Really.” I stare at the board. It has a sunset painted on one side. It’s
beautiful.
“Let’s get this puppy in the water.” As he points to the board I can not help but smile. “You are a strange guy.”
“I am not a guy. I am a god.” He says with a big smile spread across his face. “Conceited much?” I head towards the shore line.
