Nora and Luna

Nora approached the creaky wooden steps, their groans reminiscent of an elderly woman’s moans with each step she took. Glancing down, she thought, "Those need to be replaced." With a deep breath, she faced the front door and gently pushed it open. Suddenly, a flurry of bats erupted from the darkness, startling her and nearly causing her to stumble as she let out a scream. Regaining her balance, she stepped inside, illuminating the space with the flashlight on her phone.

           Nora ventured deeper into the house, her fingers trailing along the walls until she stumbled upon a light switch. With a flick of her wrist, she brushed aside the cobwebs that clung to it and turned the switch upward, flooding the room with light. As her eyes adjusted, she realized she was in the living room, where every piece of furniture was draped in ghostly white sheets. Curious, Nora pulled back one of the coverings, revealing a stunning navy-blue velvet Victorian sofa set.

         Nora had just finished removing the last of the sheets from the furniture when her daughter stepped inside, struggling with their luggage. Luna dropped the bags with a sigh, her expression turning sour as she surveyed the interior of the house. 

"Mom, this place is ancient," Luna remarked, disappointment evident in her voice. 

Nora approached the bags, lifting them with ease, and shot Luna a playful look before placing them on the sofa. 

"Sweetheart, this is just how my mother preferred it. We’ll be selling all of this soon and getting new furniture," she reassured her daughter with a warm smile.

         Nora began tidying up the living room, sweeping and dusting as Luna carried in the bags. The air was thick with the scent of old wood and bittersweet memories of life with her mother in that house. After her mother passed away, she inherited the home. The decision to return it was both a refuge and a challenge.

Now, she was there to clean and renovate it for herself and her daughter. Nora felt a wave of determination as she swept away the dust that settled over the years. Luna darted in and out house as she carried their bags and boxes into the foyer of the house. Nora came across old photographs as she dusted the shelves. She paused as she looked at the photo of her and her mother. She smiled as she remembered the story behind the photo. She gently wiped the frame clean before placing it carefully in the box on the floor by her feet. The box quickly filled up, each fitting perfectly against the other so she could store it in the attic.

After Luna carried in the last bag, she paused for a moment to rest her aching arms then dashed up the steps. Her heart was racing with excitement. She was in a new town and a room to herself. Sunlight streamed through her bedroom window hitting her rose gold-colored bed. The air was filled with fresh paint, a reminder of the recent paint job her mother hired someone to do.

Luna envisioned how she wanted her room to look. She wanted her bed draped in a light pink bed canopy that had fairy lights draping from it. She opened one of her boxes and began to unpack. She carefully rearranged her collection of books in alphabetic order each title front and center on her bookshelf.

Nora was busy organizing the boxes in the attic. The attic was filled with old memories she had collected over the years and others her mother had collected over the years. She carefully labeled each box and stacked them neatly against the walls. Suddenly, a loud knock echoed throughout the house. Vibrating through the walls and starting her causing her to almost lose her balance on the attic steps.

As she reached the front door, she took a deep breath and turned the doorknob as her heart raced. She was hoping it wasn’t Luna’s abusive father. To her surprise, the porch was empty. Puzzled and a bit shaken, she took a step back. She closed the door convincing herself it was just her imagination.

As the grandfather clock chimed seven, its melodic dings filled the air. Nora called for Luna to come downstairs so they could order some pizza, the thought of gooey cheese and the toppings made their stomachs rumble. They began browsing through the app on Nora’s phone. A loud knock echoed through the house causing the girls to jump slightly.

“Who could that be?” Luna asked as her heart began racing.

“I’m not sure. I didn’t see anyone earlier when I heard the knocking. I thought I was imagining things, but I guess I wasn’t since you heard it too.” Nora replied with an unsteady voice.

She moved closer to the front door as Luna trailed behind her, gripping a kitchen knife in her hands. Nora opened the door as her heart pounded in her chest. To her surprise, she was greeted by a lovely woman standing on their porch. The woman had a warm smile and her eyes sparkled with kindness. She held out a wooden basket filled with treats.

“Hello! I’m Ms. Faye, but you can call me Ruth,” She introduced herself her voice melodic and inviting. “I just live down the street and thought I could bring you some cookies to welcome you to the neighborhood.”

Nora took the basket from the lady as she made a sign of relief. “Oh, thank you so much, Ruth. That is very kind of you.” She said smiling as she stepped aside to let the lady inside the house. Luna was still holding the knife as she looked at the basket her mother had in her hands.

The woman entered the house, smiling brightly as she took in her surroundings. The familiar scent of lavender filled the air. She turned to face the girls.

“I remember when your mother lived here. She was truly a wonderful person,” Ruth said as she stepped into the living room and Nora placed the basket on the table in the living room.

“Were you close with her?” Nora asked eager to hear more about the woman who once filled the house with laughter and joy.

“Don’t you recognize me?” Ruth replied. The corners of her mouth turned up in a gentle smile, “I used to come over all the time when you were just a little girl.”

Nora’s brows lowered as she searched her memories of this lady. Luna approached the kitchen counter and placed the knife down. In an instant, the mood shifted. Ruth began to recount the story of Nora’s father’s death, a tragedy that occurred twenty-five years prior. This was the first time she heard about her father’s death.

“It was a stormy night. The kind of night the winds howled like a wounded animal as the rain lashed against the windows. Nora was just one year old so she wasn’t old enough to remember anything.” Ruth said as her voice trembled.

Luna leaned forward as she could see the pain in Ruth’s eyes. Ruth continued with the story.

“They claim his car lost control in the rain, but I find that hard to believe.” Ruth declared as she relived a black book.

Luna traced the edge of the book with confusion in her brows. “So, witches are real?” she asked glancing at her mother.

Her mother had pulled her daughter's hands back from the book as she looked confused.

“What are you doing, Ruth?” Nora asked as her voice rose in disbelief and concern.

Ruth took a deep breath, “I had it hidden behind some dusty jars. It's not just any book. It’s a book of my mother’s spells. She was a Wiccan. I thought we could use the book to see what happened to your father.”

Ruth was hoping the girls would agree with her. Luna leaned closer with an amazed look in her eyes. Nora shook her head as she tried to process the thoughts racing through her mind and the words that had just come out of Ruth’s mouth.

“Ruth, this is far-fetched. You can’t seriously believe magic is real like some fairy tale.” Nora said in disbelief.

Ruth brushed her off and opened the book, the pages crackling as she found the right spell. Moments later, she began to recite the spell out loud. Each word echoed through the air. Just as they were about to voice their concern, the wind began to swirl around them lifting their hair all around. Nora’s heart raced as she tried to keep her footing on the ground. Luna grabbed her mother as she yelled, they needed to leave, but the wind kept pulling them closer to Ruth. They felt as if they were being pulled into another realm.

“Don’t let anyone see you!” Ruth yelled

Suddenly, everything fell silent. The girls lay in the front yard of their home, peering through the front window. Nora’s eyes widened when she saw her mother cradling a baby version of herself. Luna, still seated on the grass, blinked in confusion.

“Mom, is this real?” Luna asked her voice barely above a whisper.

Nora grabbed her daughter and crouched behind a tree. She could see her father walking into the room. This was her first time seeing him. She had only known him through faded photographs and stories that her mother would tell her. Suddenly, a fierce storm erupted. The sky darkened and the winds howled like a wild beast. The girls quickly took refuge deeper under the tree to stay dry.

Nora glanced back through the window of her house and saw a heated argument her parents were having. They were shouting and screaming. Their faces were flustered and filled with anger. As the wind hurled outside, it felt as if the storm mirrored what was taking place inside her home. The girls exchanged worried looks with each other.

Nora’s father ran out of the house holding baby Nora tightly in his arms. Her mother, still in house slippers and a robe, chased after them.

“Bring me back my baby!” She cried out, her voice sounding desperate.

Her father didn’t listen. He kept running towards the car. He fumbled and dropped the keys, but was able to get the door open and inside the car before she reached them. As the tires screeched against the asphalt, Nora’s mother stood frozen in the driveway as she watched them drive away. Nora could see the sun sparkle through the tears on her mother’s face.

Nora’s mother dashed back into the house to fetch her eyes. Meanwhile, Nora and Luna hurried to her mother’s car, their footsteps quick and silent against the pavement. They had adrenaline rushing through their veins as they quickly climbed into the back seat. They pulled a thick cozy blanket over themselves. The blanket smelled like the same Lavender her mother had always used.

Nora’s mother’s footsteps echoed on the pavement as she approached the car, each step heavy with anxiety. With trembling hands, she inserted the key in the ignition. Her heart racing as she fired up the engine. House and street lights blurred past her but all she could focus on was finding her daughter.

Suddenly, the car came to a halt in front of a house. This was the very place Ruth had mentioned as her home. Nora peeked out from the blanket and took a deep breath as she looked at the house. The windows were dark but a flicker of movement had caught her eye. Her mother got out of the car and reached the front door. Nora cracked the door so they could hear what was being said at the door.

A young Ruth opened the door. The wind whipped around them as tension grew between the young ladies.

“What do you want, Ellee? You have no right to be here,” Ruth fussed at her as she clenched her fists.

“Where is my daughter, Ruth? You can’t keep her from me!” Nora’s mother said as her voice raised.

The rain lashed against the windows of the house. Ruth took a step back and looked at Ellee.

“I’m not keeping her from you. She is safe here with me and her father.” Ruth shot back at her.

Nora’s mother’s face twisted with a mix of confusion and anger.

“Safe! Safe from what, Ruth? She isn’t your daughter and I want her back.

Nora’s father burst out from the back of the house. He hopped into his car, turned the engine, and in a hurry sped off. Ruth stood on the porch laughing. Ellee stood there motionless. Her heart sank. She watched as her child was whisked away. Nora’s emotions boiled over and in a fit of rage, she screamed. Her voice pierced the air like a siren. Just as her cry echoed through the air, a bolt of lightning split the sky causing it to strike a nearby branch.

Nora and Luna gasped in surprise. They quickly clamped their hands over their mouth. Elle hopped into her car to speed off after baby Nora. Ruth was hot on her wheels. Suddenly out of nowhere, Ellee transformed into a bizarre, bug-like alien. Her once beautiful skin turned into shimmering iridescent skills. Ruth pulled up beside them as they were going faster.

“You’re a monster!” Ruth shouted, her voice rising above the sound of the storm and their cars.

The alien figure turned its evil eyes towards Ruth. The alien’s mandibles clicked and, in an instant, it collided her car with Ruth’s car. The impact caused Ruth’s vehicle to veer off the road into a tree. Ellee’s car sped away leaving Ruth stranded in the wreckage of her car. Nora and Luna looked out the car window as their heart raced. They had noticed Ellee caught up with Nora’s father. With a sudden shot of adrenaline, she pushed down on the accelerator closing in on Nora’s father’s car.

Ellee bumped into the rear of the car, and the impact of the hit caused it to spin out of control. Time seemed to slow down as the tires screeched across the pavement. Once Nora’s father’s car had stopped spinning, Elle hit her brakes. She spread her large wings and soared gracefully over to his car. Nora and Luna slowly exited the car. Their eyes widened as they watched what was happening.

Nora gasped as she covered her mouth. She had just witnessed Ellee plunge her insect-like finger into the side of her father’s head, ending his life. Ellee scooped up baby Nora and flew away leaving her father lying there as his memories faded. In an instant, Nora and Luna found themselves back in the kitchen, in the present day. The familiar scent of cinnamon and vanilla was in the air.

“Did you know my mother killed my father?” she asked, her voice trembling mixed with anger and sorrow.

“Yes, but Elle wasn’t your real mother. She was an alien that had kidnapped you from me and your father.” Ruth answered back as her words hung heavy in the air.

Ruth took a step closer, “I searched everywhere for you Nora. I never stopped looking for you.”

Ruth and Nora wept openly as they embraced each other. Ruth wrapped her arms around Nora as if she was shielding her from the world. As the two ladies were hugging, Luna stepped forward wrapping her arms around Nora and Ruth. Nora finally discovered the true identity of her real mother and the fate of her father. She was ready to embrace her new life with her real mother.