soft purple dress that looked like crepe yet felt like softest silk. She was a hardy woman, with developed muscles and a lean figure, bordering on being gaunt. Her cheeks were sunken in, but her hair was still luscious and full, and it crowned a warm gaze. Melissa always loved her mother’s lavender hair, and was disappointed to see her own still couldn’t compare.
Melissa also saw her mother still wore thick-stoned jewelry like she used to, though she was surprised to see a common piece was missing. It was a thin necklace with a large blue ralon setting, and she remembered that she was never without it before.
“It seems as though much has been hidden from me,” said Melissa, confused about how she should think of her father. “I . . . I don’t know what to think -- I don’t know what’s right.”
Esoica threw her arms around Melissa and hugged her close. “Oh dear Lissa! The world is shades of grey; almost never are people or choices or ideas rendered in stark contrast. We all make mistakes and choose the wrong sides or the wrong beliefs; all we can do is keep an open mind, and change if our assumptions are proved false.”
“So you won’t hate me if I don’t hate father?”
Melissa watched as her mother shed a tear. “I couldn’t have raised you alone, dear child. You are the wonderful woman because of both of us -- not just me. I still love him for that, and with that love, can understand yours.”
Melissa hugged her mother tightly, and felt her wince under the strain. As Esoica stood, Melissa saw it was with difficulty, and that her breathing was labored and accompanied with a rumbling cough. Off to the side, near a desk, was a wastebasket overflowing with used tissue, and almost a dozen healing stones littered the top of a nearby cabinet. A weathered wooden cane leaned nearby, and it all made Melissa anxious about her mother’s health, and what was corrupting her frame.
“What . . . what have you been doing?” asked Melissa. “Why are you living here, in this small hovel?”
“Let me show you.”
As the sun set and a violet dusk swaddled the frigid landscape, Melissa followed her mother to a wide, open window in what looked to be the living room. Her mother bade her sit on a small, soft, peach-colored sofa as she opened the windows.
Melissa wrapped herself in a thick, stout cloak lying nearby. “What are you doing?”
“Watch and see, my precious.”
Esoica flung open her arms, and intoned a long series of words Melissa couldn’t quite understand. A long ribbon opened in the sky, stretching from one end of the horizon to the other. As it opened, the dusk was pierced by the brilliance of daylight.
Melissa got to her feet. “I . . . I can’t believe it!”
The ribbon opened wide to reveal the great city of Imathrin in opulent splendor, hanging like a jewel in the sky. Melissa gazed rapturously on crystal buildings she knew from her childhood that were lost in the Apocalypse.
“How?”
“This is the past, dear child, and I am here to deliver a message.” She watched as her mother closed her eyes, and their small platform drifted through the opening in the sky and closer to the city. Up and in-between the buildings it sailed, until finally it came to rest just outside a large bay window near the top of a thin, glass-clad structure.
“But, I know where we are!” cried Melissa, coming to Esoica’s side. “That’s . . . home . . .” she said dreamily. “Our old suite.”
“Yes. This is where we once lived, and where I met myself.”
Melissa stared, dumbfounded, as a younger version of her mother came to the window. She opened it, and Melissa could smell the decadent warm scent of ghuxa cookies waft in.
“I cannot maintain this for long,” said the older Esoica, “but I needed to tell you that the apocalypse is coming. You aren’t strong enough yet to do what I am doing, but it must be done if you are to save Melissa.”
Melissa watched as the younger version of her
Melissa also saw her mother still wore thick-stoned jewelry like she used to, though she was surprised to see a common piece was missing. It was a thin necklace with a large blue ralon setting, and she remembered that she was never without it before.
“It seems as though much has been hidden from me,” said Melissa, confused about how she should think of her father. “I . . . I don’t know what to think -- I don’t know what’s right.”
Esoica threw her arms around Melissa and hugged her close. “Oh dear Lissa! The world is shades of grey; almost never are people or choices or ideas rendered in stark contrast. We all make mistakes and choose the wrong sides or the wrong beliefs; all we can do is keep an open mind, and change if our assumptions are proved false.”
“So you won’t hate me if I don’t hate father?”
Melissa watched as her mother shed a tear. “I couldn’t have raised you alone, dear child. You are the wonderful woman because of both of us -- not just me. I still love him for that, and with that love, can understand yours.”
Melissa hugged her mother tightly, and felt her wince under the strain. As Esoica stood, Melissa saw it was with difficulty, and that her breathing was labored and accompanied with a rumbling cough. Off to the side, near a desk, was a wastebasket overflowing with used tissue, and almost a dozen healing stones littered the top of a nearby cabinet. A weathered wooden cane leaned nearby, and it all made Melissa anxious about her mother’s health, and what was corrupting her frame.
“What . . . what have you been doing?” asked Melissa. “Why are you living here, in this small hovel?”
“Let me show you.”
As the sun set and a violet dusk swaddled the frigid landscape, Melissa followed her mother to a wide, open window in what looked to be the living room. Her mother bade her sit on a small, soft, peach-colored sofa as she opened the windows.
Melissa wrapped herself in a thick, stout cloak lying nearby. “What are you doing?”
“Watch and see, my precious.”
Esoica flung open her arms, and intoned a long series of words Melissa couldn’t quite understand. A long ribbon opened in the sky, stretching from one end of the horizon to the other. As it opened, the dusk was pierced by the brilliance of daylight.
Melissa got to her feet. “I . . . I can’t believe it!”
The ribbon opened wide to reveal the great city of Imathrin in opulent splendor, hanging like a jewel in the sky. Melissa gazed rapturously on crystal buildings she knew from her childhood that were lost in the Apocalypse.
“How?”
“This is the past, dear child, and I am here to deliver a message.” She watched as her mother closed her eyes, and their small platform drifted through the opening in the sky and closer to the city. Up and in-between the buildings it sailed, until finally it came to rest just outside a large bay window near the top of a thin, glass-clad structure.
“But, I know where we are!” cried Melissa, coming to Esoica’s side. “That’s . . . home . . .” she said dreamily. “Our old suite.”
“Yes. This is where we once lived, and where I met myself.”
Melissa stared, dumbfounded, as a younger version of her mother came to the window. She opened it, and Melissa could smell the decadent warm scent of ghuxa cookies waft in.
“I cannot maintain this for long,” said the older Esoica, “but I needed to tell you that the apocalypse is coming. You aren’t strong enough yet to do what I am doing, but it must be done if you are to save Melissa.”
Melissa watched as the younger version of her
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