Believe

Alex looked up to the fading sun as it began its' descent to the horizon dying the sky a purple orange hue. People in red robes similar to his own bustled around rubbing melted butter on rocks situated in a circle to prepare for the summoning ritual. As he looked around his eyes landed on Cory, the girl that brought them here today.

With a clipboard in hand she directed people, handing out their designated tasks to insure the ceremony would go smoothly. Her face was slightly swollen, as it had been ever since the doctors said there was nothing more they could do, but determined. She knew this was her last chance.

Alex sat with her and waited through all of the appointments, he knew what this meant to her, he knew that she would stop at nothing, not until Cory had done everything worldly possible to save her mom. Even when she cried, there was a righteousness in her, she believed as long as she had faith everything would be okay.

His only faith was in Cory, that was fine with him, but he worried that when this ceremony failed, she would break. A hand on his shoulder jarred him out of his thoughts. “Come on man, help me finish making these wreaths."

He nodded and helped with the final preparations, making sure all the offerings were in their rightful place, until the suns final rays left the earth and everyone came and stood inside the stone circle, with Cory in the middle.

A man with grey hair standing to the north began the invocation. “To the heavens above and to the earth below, we stand before you, asking for your aid, oh great Goddess of the sun!" He thrust his arms out to his sides as he sent the prayer out as a wave of energy. "And we… uh, um," he stammered with his eyes still closed, not sure how to continue.

The group looked at one another, worried. Alex wanted to do something but as with everyone else he only knew little bits and pieces of their peoples history. Cory and her family were the ones that kept the Sami's stories and traditions alive.

Hushed tones began to rise, tension filled the air as uncertainty set in amongst the practitioners.

This is not good, Alex thought to himself looking at the moon already nestled high in the blanket of stars, Midsummer-eve is the only night that this ritual will work, I know Cory prepped him, what's going on?

Cory sat still as a statue, except for the small motion of tugging her earlobe. Most people thought it's a nervous tic, but Alex had known since they were little, that was how she stayed calm. The people around him grew louder, and only Alex seemed to notice as she slowly lowered her hand on her lap and took a deep breath.

In.

Out.

In.

Out.

Alex watched as her body tensed and relax with each breath.

In.

Out.

Her eyes snapped open as she shot straight up. Everyone went silent at the sudden movement. She turned and faced the Gray haired man and gave him a small nod. He returned the gesture, his face akin to that of a scolded dog's, and backed up to join the circle.

Cory lolled her head and rolled her shoulders. Alex couldn't see her face as she slowly raised her arms, palms to the sky, and threw her head back with a scream.

The agonizing sound lasted but a moment, but in that moment all her pain, sorrow and longing could be heard. Alex wanted to reach out and hold her close, like she did when his beloved dog passed a few years back, but he thought best not to disturb the scene unfolding before him.

The breeze picked up as Cory began to sway to an unseen beat. Her body lost the rigidity that had been with her for months, and small serine smile even played on her lips, a sight that hadn't been seen for just as long.

Soon the swaying turned to dancing. Her movements were fluid and graceful, yet purposeful and pointed. As her tempo increased her robe fell to the wayside. Every pitch of her body seem to move in tune with the earth around her, as if she was the embodiment of nature itself.

The wind picked up with each swing of her white hair. As she reached to the sky, the clouds seemed to part from the moon, and when she twisted to the earth the crickets sang louder, answering her silent command.

Alex could only watch in enchantment as she danced around the circle, she came within a breaths reach of each person. Someone began stomping their feet in rhythm to her movements. As she floated past, each person added to the beat.

Soon the ground shook, sending vibrations to the world they were trying to reach, to the world where Spirits and Gods live.

Cory's t-shirt clung to her, a halo surrounded her while her body glistened as the moon's rays reflected off her dampened skin.

As the beat grew, Cory slowed her movements till she stood in the center of the ring of people. She bowed her head, and kicked the ground like a mustang ready to run. At first each kick was timed, practiced but soon they started to become erratic and wild, her whole body shook with the effort she put forth into each strike of the ground.

Now he recognized it, she's performing the Call of the Reindeer. A dance performed in honor of the sun goddess Beaivi, normally performed at Yule, more commonly known as the winter solstice. As the melted butter is a sign of the sun meant to give the goddess strength, this dance is meant to call upon her to let her know that her people are in need of her return.

Her hair covered her face but when she balled her fist and wound her arm back, Alex saw the strain on her face, how her teeth were gritted from the energy this ritual takes.

As quick as a snake strikes its prey, she punched the ground then jumped straight up and slammed her feet down onto the dewy grass, the bustle of the group instantly ceased, and she looked directly at Alex.

He froze under the intense look Cory gave, her chest heaved as her breath came out in pants. Alex swallowed as he looked back into her tired brown eyes before he realized that she wasn't looking at him; she was looking through him.

He dared to glance over his shoulder…

Alex let out a sharp breath. It worked. Lady Beaivi answered Cory's call.

A pure white reindeer stepped from the tree line into the clearing. Alex could hear gasps from the other practitioners, assuming they are witnessing the same sight as he. Its fur glowed silver in the moonlight, it shook its head and huffed sending droplets of spittle to the ground.

Alex flinched as a bold voice rang out from behind him, his attention snapped to the owner.

“Lady of the sun, we call to you, not for your blessing, but for that of your daughter's!”

A shiver went down Alex's spine when Cory spoke. Confidence exuded from her, her tone sharp and commanding, but she spoke with elegance and ease. He was sure anyone who heard would gleefully bow before her, as if she were a queen and they were her dutiful servants.

“Understand, our tribe has little history of your daughter, we call you, not out of ignorance, but out of need. We are here to ask her for a blessing to cure an illness which m'Lady has inflicted upon my mother. Your sun's powerful rays gave her Melanoma. People of old would call to her to heal the sanity of poor souls caused by the sun's absence through the winter.”

Her eyes were trained on the reindeer. Cory glided across the grass, out of the circle, closer to the beast. There was a change so subtle Alex was sure he's the only one that noticed, Cory's voice went up an octave as she plead her case.

“Times have changed since those days, not many worship you now, but our tribe still does. My family never gave up hope in the old gods, times may have changed but our belief in you hasn't.”

It pawed at the ground and threw its head back, the light of the moon caught it's eyes, momentarily giving them a golden hue.

“Doctors say there's nothing more to do. we don't-- I don't believe that. I know Biejjenniejte, maiden of the sun, goddess of healing and medicine, can help my mother.” Cory's body began to shake before she fell to her knees, “Please, hear my plea, and save my mother.”

The reindeer backed up before it turned around and ran back into the cover of trees. Cory reached out after it, grasping at open air. She fell forward, her hands landed on the soft earth.

Alex left his place in the circle to kneel by Cory's side. He took her trembling figure in his arms and he stroked her hair. He gently rocked her back and forth while she mumbled, “Save her, please save her…” under her breath and between her tears.

The other practitioners murmured amongst themselves, and with some concerned looks, some decided to leave while others stayed behind to watch over Alex and Cory.

Once Cory calmed she forced Alex to leave her to get their sleeping bags and tell the others she was fine. With how she refused to look at him and had her back to the others he could tell her pride was wounded.

She never liked to show weakness in front of others, even in second grade when she fell out of a tree and broke her arm, she refused to let others see her in pain. All except Alex. She let him in when he came into the nurses office to check on her. She always let him in.

Slowly, one by one everyone left, leaving Alex and Cory to stay the night, like they planned from the start. Speaking through one god to another was not the proper way to seek a God's aid, but Beaivi and her daughter are closely connected, and with Beaivi being a sun goddess it was most likely her daughter's answer will come on the day when mother is at her strongest; Midsummer.

Cory and Alex laid out their sleeping bags in the middle of the stone circle. As they crawled inside Cory lad a hand on Alex's arm. “Thank you for, all of this, I know I couldn't have done it by myself.”

He tucked her hair behind her ear revealing rosy cheeks. “You don't have to thank me. Your mom is like a second mother to me. You believe this would help and I believe in you, so I'm all in.”

They both smiled at one another before settling in and drifting off into the sweet embrace of sleep.

Alex felt something wet against his face, and through his lidded eyes saw something block out the warm, morning sun. When he opened his eyes he was met with glistening black orbs and large antlers atop a brown furry head.

Shock ran through him and his heart pounded, but without rousing, he slowly reached over and shook Cory awake. “Don't, move,” he whispered.

Cory's eyes widened at the surprise of their morning visitors. As the two took stock of their surroundings Cory was the first to raise up. Reindeer filled the clearing, some were eating the wreath foliage left on the rocks from the ritual.

Alex rose carefully as do not disturb gentle giants that surrounded them. He looked around in astonishment, he never thought there could be so many reindeers in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, let alone in his small town.

Small gusts of air blew over the field, it ruffled some of the deer's fur causing them to shake. Alex smiled in amusement and turned to Cory.

Her mouth was open staring at the edge of the trees, when Alex followed her line of sight he saw a beautiful woman in a flowing dress with markings of the people of old embroidered on the brown cloth.

Without a word, Cory stood and walked toward the woman, as she approached the reindeer parted from her path. Alex hurriedly went to follow but as he tried to stand his legs tangled in his sleeping bag, and once he finally freed himself and went to walk after Cory, the creatures stepped in his path.

No matter how he tried to get around, a deer was always be in his way. Cory was already with the woman, she had stepped out into the sunlight, it illuminated her Tinder face and gave her raven hair a purple sheen.

Finally Alex gave up as he realized he wasn't meant to hear what was being exchanged. The woman tilted her head and gave a gentle smile as she placed her hand on Cory's shoulder. When the woman nodded to Cory and removed her hand, all the reindeer looked up and began to stroll back to the trees.

Cory backed up from the woman bobbing her head and giving her little bows. After she smiled and waved, the woman walked back into the Grove of trees.

Once she disappeared from sight, Cory ran back and leapt at Alex giving him a ferocious bear hug. “It worked! The ritual really worked!” She pulled herself off of him, her smile was so infectious Alex couldn't help but feel his own lips do the same. “That was Biejjenniejte, she said that she would help my mom. We did it, we really--”

The musical stylings of Simon and Garfunkel rang from Cory's phone. She held up a finger before she grabbed her phone up and answered it with haste. Alex recognized the ringtone, it's her dad's favorite band.

“Hey dad, is mom okay?... The tests from last week?...” She swayed as her hand clenched the necklace on her chest and her mouth a gap as she struggled for air. “Are you sure?... Yeah, yeah no, we'll be right home… Love you too dad.”

Cory hung up the phone and stared at the blank screen. Alex waited with bated breath to know what was said. After a moment of silence, he prodded, “Cor, is everything, okay?”

“My-my mom,” she looked at the ground as she struggled to find the right words. The smile she had before was back and bigger than it was. “The last treatment, the targeted therapy, worked.” She looked up into Alex's eyes as tears weld in hers, “Her cancer is seventy percent smaller then it was, she's gonna be okay, she's really gonna be okay.”

As Alex pulled her close there was a rustle in the trees, the white deer from the night before stepped out of the shadowy trees, it's pure white coat made it hard to look at as the sun intensified its brightness. Both kids gazed at it in new awe, they nodded in it's direction, silently giving thanks.

The majestic beast reared it antlers up to the sun, then bowed its head, returning their thanks, for still believing in the old ways, and in the old gods.