Say His Name

“Mutatio arise from another realm,

For here my soul feels overwhelm

Take me now to another home

Where someone new I can become,”

Sabrina finished  the spell before a cool breeze whisked around her and fog filled the room. She stood tall as her 3’7” frame would hold her as the deity formed. 

“Who here summoned me?” Mutatio looked around the room- appearing to not quite see the small girl before him. 

“I did sir!” she announced in her meek voice. 

Mutatio looked down at the girl and doubled over laughing, he leaned against the wall to steady himself. “I’m serious, kid, who is it that summoned me?”

Sabrina’s cheeks flushed a bright red color. “I’m serious too, sir, I’m the only one here!” she gestured around the room, which apart from the two of them was empty, lacking even a set of furniture or decorations one would typically have in a room.

He glanced down at her, once he had gathered his composure again, and narrowed his eyes. “How old are you anyway?”

She took a big breath. “My name is Sabrina Jane and I am nine years old. I know you are supposed to be the god of starting new lives and that’s why I want you to help me. I want to start a new life. I want to be out of here.” she closed her eyes after she was done talking, feeling tears brimming the edges and rolling down her face.

Mutatio considered what she said for a long moment before speaking again. “Well, the choice is ultimately yours, you did summon me after all, or at least I can’t prove that you didn’t” he shrugged. “But first you have to know about my rules.”

“Rules?” she tilted her head.

“Every deity has rules that they abide by. Breaking those rules is breaking their code of conduct, if you try to get around them, bad things may happen,” his face darkened when he said that.

“I understand,” Sabrina said, standing straighter. She gulped.

“Rule number one, you will not have any memories of your old life. Most people appreciate that, but some really do like hanging onto their memories. Unfortunately no matter what you think, your memory will be wiped, you will not remember who you are now once you are placed in your new life.” Mutatio paced around the empty room as he explained.

“That’s a good thing, probably,” Sabrina replied, “I don’t mind that rule, I don’t mind forgetting all of this,” she decided. “Do you have more rules?”

“Rule number two,” the deity continued, “You do not get to choose what your next life will be, where you will end up, or anything of the sort. In fact who you will be will be pretty much the same as you are right now, this isn’t anything like reincarnation, I’m simply moving you somewhere else. Do you understand?”

“I think so…” Sabrina said slowly. “What is… reincarceration?”

“No, not… I said reincarnation,” Mutatio rubbed his eyes. “It is a form of… some people believe that when you die you come back as something else. This doesn’t work that way.  I’m not going to kill you, I’ll simply move you,” he explained.

“I guess that’s a good thing,” Sabrina told him. 

“Good, now for my final rule, it’s simple. You won’t remember anything about your old life anyway, but lets say something jogs your memory and you manage to get ahold of me again, you won’t be able to come back to your old life.” 

“Does that happen? People remember stuff after you make them forget?” the girl asked.

“Not so often, but there have been a few incidents. Only when they find themselves in a situation that feels the same as their old life, and I really try to avoid that on my end. Some people just never learn though.”

A car door slammed in the driveway, “Alright I agree,” she said hastily, “to all of your terms and conditions.”

“Just like that? You don’t have any questions or anything?” Mutatio asked her, agreeing to his contract was kind of a big deal.

“Nope. Let’s get this over with, please!” she insisted. Keys jingled in front of the house, and its front door slammed open. They were immediately greeted by a cacophony of yelling. Sabrina closed her eyes. “Oh please just take me away!”

“Alright, it isn’t that simple. I need to determine the best placement for you now, which is going to take some time. You will have to answer some questions-”

The door to the room they were in bounced open. “What the hell are you doing in here you little freak? Are you sleeping? You need to be out here, there’s dishes in the sink!” 

Sabrina looked at Muatio, and then at her mother. “Yes, I know I was just doing my homework… first“

“You don’t get to decide when to do your homework, I’m your mother and I’ll tell you that!” the woman raged, she grabbed Sabrina by the hair and started dragging her out of the room.

Mutatio snapped his fingers, causing the woman to pause in the doorway, frozen in time. Sabrina pulled herself from her mothers grasp, looking at Muatio, appalled.

“I see why you called me here,” he observed. “This really isn’t a place that you need to be.”

“She didn’t notice you, why didn’t she notice you?” Sabrina asked.

“Simple, I only show myself to my clients. She had no reason to see me, so I didn’t let her. Now, about those questions, we had better get you sorted and into a new situation.”

That was the first time that a child had called upon the name of Mutatio, the giver of new life. However it was not the last, nor would it be a case that was few and far between. When Sabrina was placed in her new life she knew her name, and had a note that simply read, “the next time you need me, just call upon my name, Mutatio”

The girl didn’t need to use the name after she was placed in a new home. In fact she grew up perfectly happy. It wasn’t until one evening when staying the night with a friend that the shouting from her parents' bedroom caused her to remember why she needed the name in the first place. She began telling others of the giver of new life, the kids who seemed to be struggling the most. 

Mutatio knew it wasn’t a mistake that Sabrina remembered her old life, it was a predicament he could have prevented, but knowing what he knew now, some children needed to be able to call on his name, and to do that he needed someone to tell them about him. Someone who knew what to look out for, and who may need his help the most.

Years later, Sabrina was packing her bags. It was time for her to head off to college, and to start a new journey again.

“You haven’t needed me in a long time,” Mutatio said, stepping out of the shadows.

“Have you been with me all these years?” Sabrina asked.

“On and off, I come and go, but thanks to you I’ve helped many children in the last nine years,” he told her, “what are you going to college for?”

“Social work,” she told him. “Sort of like what you do,”

“Social work, but you could do that already. You could help me keep an eye out for more kids who need my help,” Mutatio exclaimed.

“Oh but I do that already, I’ve been doing that. But I don’t know as many kids anymore, and they don’t always trust adults as much. But I’ve been doing what I can. This way I can help them too. It’s a good thing, I promise. When the children come to me and go to their new homes, I’ll tell them about you, and if they need to get out of the new situation quickly I will always encourage them to say your name!”