CHAPTER TWO The Luna they tried to kill
THE DAY VELMORA REJECTED ME
When we arrived at the station, the female constable yanked the handcuffs off my wrists and shoved me forward.
"Behave yourself, little girl," she snapped as she pushed me into a dim, narrow cell. The iron door slammed shut behind me with a loud bang, and I watched as she locked it, slipping the keys into her pocket before walking away without a second glance.
For a moment, I just stood there, stunned.
Then slowly, I brushed the dust off my clothes and moved to the far corner of the cell. I sat down and pulled my knees to my chest, burying my face between them. My chest felt tight as guilt crept in.
Ma Aurora didn't deserve this.
I thought about all the trouble I had caused her over the years. It was either I had already done something wrong, or I was always on the verge of doing it. Trouble followed me like a shadow, and I never understood why.
I sighed deeply.
Just then, something heavy landed on my head.
"Ouch!!" I cried, holding my head as pain shot through my skull.
I slowly raised my head as anger was all over my face.
An elderly woman stood before me, grinning wickedly. Her eyes sparkled with something cruel, something unsettling.
Rage written through me.
"Excuse me, ma," I said, forcing myself to stay calm while holding my aching head. "What did I ever do to you?"
Instead of answering, she burst into loud laughter and turned to the other women standing a few feet away. One after another, they joined her laughter, filling the cell with mocking sounds.
"Did you just ask me what you did to me, little girl?" she asked, smirking as she grabbed my chin roughly.
I nodded, struggling to free myself from her grip, but she held tighter.
"Funny!" she screamed suddenly. "Don't you know that children like you are supposed to respect their elders?"
The women laughed again.
"Mama G, tell her oooo!!!" one of them shouted.
Mama G?
I tried to process the name, but it meant nothing to me.
"But the last time I checked," I said innocently, my voice trembling, "we're all prisoners locked in the same cell."
The laughter stopped instantly.
"What did you just say?" Mama G asked, her voice sharp with anger.
Before I could react, her palm connected with my cheek.
Slap landed on my cheek.
Pain exploded across my face. I held my cheek as tears welled up in my eyes.
"You slapped me?" I whispered, shocked.
"And I will slap you again," she said, raising her hand.
Without thinking, I caught her wrist midair and stood up.
"Don't you ever hit me again," I growled.
Mama G tried to pull her hand free, but she couldn't.
Even I was shocked.
Her hand trembled violently, sweat forming on her skin, yet it refused to move.
"You little brat!!" one of her companions shouted. "Bring her hand down now if you don't want to die!"
The word die echoed in my head.
Something snapped inside me.
I don't know how it happened, but Mama G's hand slammed down violently. Then something far worse followed.
Blood began to drip from the ceiling.
Gasps filled the cell as dark red drops splashed onto the floor. The ground trembled beneath us. Wind howled from nowhere, fierce and angry, whipping through the cell like a storm.
The cell door burst open.
Women screamed and ran for their lives, scrambling past one another in terror.
Even I was horrified.
But I couldn't move.
I couldn't understand what was happening, or what I had done.
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When Madam Aurora saw me later, she smiled weakly.
Her eyes widened in disbelief as she rushed toward me, touching my cheeks, my arms, my shoulders.
"Are you okay?" she kept asking, her voice shaking.
I smiled softly. "I'm fine, Ma. I promise."
She stared at me for a long moment, then pulled me into a tight hug.
"Go inside and freshen up," she said gently. "Let me prepare something for you."
"I knew they would release you eventually," she added with a tired smile.
I nodded and walked into the house.
I had barely taken three steps when loud voices erupted outside.
I turned around.
A group of boys stood at the entrance, some holding tree branches, others gripping sticks. Their faces were hard, filled with anger and excitement.
"What is going on here?" Madam Aurora asked, fear creeping into her voice.
"We're not here for you," one of the boys said. His name was Frod, a known troublemaker in the community.
"We heard your daughter is a witch," he continued.
Before I could speak, Lina stepped forward.
"Not just a witch," she sneered. "We just discovered she's not even human."
"What?" I screamed, covering my mouth.
"Yes, ugly witch!" Lina shouted. "That explains why you behave differently and act so weird."
My head spun.
I looked like them. I spoke like them. I lived among them.
So where did I belong?
As if reading my thoughts, Lina laughed.
"You're a wolf," she yelled. "You belong to the other world, not ours!"
"And guess what?" Frod added, smirking.
I glared at him, rage burning in my chest.
"Today, you're going back to where you belong."
I ran to Madam Aurora, gripping her clothes desperately.
"Ma, please," I begged, shaking her. "Tell me what they're saying isn't true!"
Tears streamed down her face.
"I'm sorry, child," she sobbed.
"Sorry for what?" I shouted.
"For keeping you in the dark," she said quietly. "I found you in the bush. And after bringing you home, I discovered you weren't human because of this."
She pulled out a necklace from her waist purse.
The moment I saw it, my heart skipped.
"Enough of this drama!" Lina screamed. "Frod, take her away!"
They dragged me as I screamed and fought. Madam Aurora followed, crying and calling my name until her voice faded away.
That was how I left Velmora.
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They dumped me in the forbidden forest.
All alone.
I sat quietly, hugging my knees, wishing everything they said was a lie.
But deep down, I knew it wasn't.
Suddenly, a powerful force lifted me off the ground. Wind roared like a beast, carrying me through the sky.
I screamed until my throat burned, but no one heard me.
Thick trees. Endless hills.
When the wind finally slowed, it dropped me in front of an ancient gate.
DREKWYN
EVERMOOR ACADEMY FOR OUTCASTS
"What?" I whispered.
My hands trembled as I pushed the gate open.
The place was dark, nothing like bright Velmora.
Standing there was the figure I had always seen in my visions.
Watching me.
Waiting.
I swallowed hard.
Do I truly belong here?