The sun beat down on the crystal clear pool, and I watched in rapt fascination as my friends debated who to push in first. I laughed at a safe distance enjoying the chaise lounge tucked away in the corner, out of the sun, under the cover of the deck above. I wiped away the beads of sweat off of my forehead as the great debate raged on, grateful their attentions hadn’t shifted to me. Rubbing another layer of sunscreen on my pale and sensitive skin, I knew that the second the sun kissed me, it would only be a matter of minutes before my color turned from pale to a fiery red, proof of how much the giant ball of gas disliked my kind. Sighing, my attention returned to my book, the laughter and taunting of my friends, a soothing background noise. Sinking lower into the lounge, I lifted my finely worn paperback right at eye level, ignoring the shift of debate to who’s muscles were larger or more defined. My mind drifted into the world of the novel, a welcome distraction to my constant anxiety, even when surrounded by friends. I fell deeper into the story until a persistent cacophony pulled me back to reality.

“Birdie!” I snapped back to attention at hearing the name I’d chosen for myself. My friend, Chris, waved wildly from beside the pool. His toned body was on full display, the muscles standing at attention against his short stature. Only a day into our vacation, and his skin turned golden-brown.

“Yea?” I asked, cautiously.

“Where’d you go?” he teased, humor lighting up his face. His easy-going personality made him the most likable of the group. I envied his stress-free way of life while the constant pressures of this world bore down on me like a boulder.

I matched his expression and replied, “To a far off land filled with terrifying creatures.”

He cocked his head and furrowed his brows. I often wondered if the lack of stress had to do with how little he thought, living a carefree lifestyle. I shook my head and placed my feet on the patio floor, setting my book gently aside. “Got way too into my reading, that’s all.”

“Oh! One of those romance novels?” he winked and I rolled my eyes and laughed.

“No, no, nothing that exciting.”

“Well, enough reading for the day! Come on, jump in the pool and have a drink,” he motioned to the poolside bar. I hesitated, reaching to the table beside me and lathering on more sunscreen, a pathetic excuse of potion to protect me from the oppressive rays of the ball of fire. Throwing on a hat to help shield my sensitive skin, I hoisted myself off the slats of the chaise lounge and joined my friends by the pool, carefully sitting on the edge and dipping my legs into the cool water. My thick red hair fell in waves against my back, and I absentmindedly braided it, bringing it over my shoulder.Marisol waded over from the bar, two drinks in hand, both ornately decorated with cherries and a festive umbrella, and handed one to me, beaming. My typically quiet friend bounced up and down in the pool, her lopsided bun flailing about her head.

“Here you are!” she exclaimed, excitedly. I thanked her, grabbed the tumblr, and raised the drink to my lips, sipping the sweet liquid. Grimacing as it slid down my throat, I asked, “Mar, how much alcohol is in here?!”

Her responding fit of giggles told me all I needed to know. Her husband, Steve, floated over to us on one of the many pool toys and added, “Strong enough to help us relax.” He grabbed the side of the pool, bringing his floating to a stop, as he sucked on a straw to enjoy a similar drink. I braved another sip, my body tingling from the effects of the alcohol as a calmness washed over me. “See,” Steve noticed the infinitesimal relaxation of my body, “we needed this vacation, Birdie.”

I sighed, knowing how right he was. Our friendship stemmed from working together, sharing the pressures of the finance world, an industry completely foreign to me when I first joined, in more ways than one. Since starting with the company eight years ago, Steve, Chris, and Lawrence, welcomed me into their lives and families, and I worked harder than most to maintain my position within the firm, the chance of them finding out my truth lurking around every corner. But, this was a vacation, a celebration of our accomplishments, and I reveled in the opportunity to leave my worries behind, enjoying the time off and the presence of my friends.

A firm hand on my back had me squinting into the blazing sun above as Lawrence towered over me. He noticed my strained gaze and stood, moving an inch to one side, effectively blocking it out. I smiled underneath the brim of my wide hat and nodded in thanks.

“Enjoying the fruits of my labor?” He asked, motioning to the drink in my hand.

I sipped it again, savoring the alcohol barely hidden under the delicate cranberry and cherry flavorings, “It’s…well, it’s strong.”

“It’s the only way he knows how to make it,” Annie, Lawrence’s wife, admitted, joining his side.

“CANNONBALL!” Chris bellowed, running wildly from the grass and leaping into the pool, sending waves out from his forceful entrance. The water lapped aggressively in every direction, driving Marisol to the side of the pool as Steve gripped the ledge harder and the water careened, spilling out onto the concrete surrounding the pool. Chris sunk to the bottom before propelling himself above the surface, wiping the water dripping from his face off and turning to us with a wolfish grin. “Everyone still dry?” A beat of our silence and a glowering stare from Marisol answered the question for him.

He threw his head back and his easy laughter rang through the backyard. Lawrence snickered at my side, and I stole a glance at Annie as she rolled her eyes. Chris swam over to our little circle, treading the water between Marisol and Steve, and my stomach growled audibly. Steve perked up from his float, “Time for lunch, Birdie?” I snorted, “Obviously.” Lawrence extended a hand, lifting me up from the side as I gripped onto the tumblr, grateful for an opportunity to remove myself from the oppressive star above, tearing through the layers of sunscreen, ready to light my skin on fire. I rushed into the house while the rest of my friends meandered slowly, drying off, enjoying their time. Breathing a sigh of relief in the shade of the interior, I discarded my hat on the table next to the glass sliding door and pressed the tumblr gently along my skin, cooling the redness creeping in.

“Blasted star,” I cursed under my breath. My friends’ voices drew near to the house, and I sat at the table, hunger pangs winning out over my patience. I crossed my hands in my lap, wringing out my fingers. Marisol slid into the seat next to mine and leaned over, “Steve had the chef make something extra yummy for lunch.”

My eyebrows flicked up in approval, “Please tell me it’s full of carbs and absolutely horrid for us.”

She giggled, her sweetness contagious, “I hope so…this is vacation after all.” The rest of the group settled into their seats, and Steve called to the chef in the kitchen preparing the meal. The door separating the dining area from the kitchen slid open, and trays of steaming food exited, carried by the stoudt chef and his kitchen helper. My mouth watered as they served us, but impatiently waited until everyone had a healthy heaping on their plate.

Steve lifted his glass, and offered a toast. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes but knew his well-intentioned toast was out of respect and not a way to delay my hunger even longer. “Friends. We wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for each of you. So thank you again for all that you do, and I’m glad we’re all able to celebrate together.” A murmuring of here-heres resounded at the table, and before anyone set down their glass, I lifted a portion of the crab something-or-other to my mouth, inhaling it.

“We’re lucky Birdie didn’t try to eat one of us,” Lawrence teased, humor alighting in his eyes.

“I was this close,” I said, ignoring all decorum and talking with my mouth full. The others at the table laughed. The chef’s helper exited the kitchen, refilling our drinks. I waved off the offer of mine with a no thank you, the impact of the last one coursing through my veins.

“So who thinks Birdie’s marrying the current guy she’s dating?” Chris asked. I snorted. As the only single person of the group, the topic of my love life was constant discourse and amusing to them all.

Steve quipped, “This guy? No way. She barely enjoys spending one night a week with him. It’ll be over within a month.”

He had a point. My love life was a revolving door of men I got sick of rather quickly. They were all so–so needy. I valued my alone time on the rare chance it happened. And my life was complicated as it is. I didn’t need the added burden of a man to confuse things even more.

“Remember the one guy who kept buying her gifts?” Marisol threw out, “What happened to him?”

I set down my spoon long enough to remind them, “He went off his meds and had a manic episode. Scared the living daylights out of me.”

Chris smacked the table, “That’s right! Oh man, I swear, he was gonna be the way you got on the news.”

Lawrence added, “What about the other guy who cried when she dumped him?”

I groaned, “Oh god. Listen, I’m all about men showing their emotion, but come on! We had been dating for a week!”

Steve corrected me, “Birdie, you were with him for six months.”

I knitted my brows together, realizing he was right, “Oh…ok, yea, I guess it makes sense why he cried then.”

He went on, “Your list of boyfriends is starting to resemble the list of hurricanes they release every year.”

“Yea, well, dating freaking sucks. I’m just going to buy a bunch of cats and call it a day,” I decided.

“Lawrence will set you up with one of his friends,” Annie volunteered her husband, patting him on the arm. He rolled his eyes, “Not the way she chews them up and spits them out!”

I feigned hurt, clutching a hand over my chest, “I do no such thing! Wait…you know what, on second thought, you’re right. Yea, don’t set me up with anyone.”

The meal continued without any further dissection of my dating life, and I ate quietly as they started discussing business, much to the chagrin of their wives. I excused myself from the table after I finished and escaped up to my room. Closing the door and turning the lock, my skin burned as I desperately searched for lotion. Reaching for the duffel bag on top of my dresser, I dug around, hoping it wasn’t the one thing I failed to pack. Breathing a sigh of relief as my fingertips brushed the familiar shaped bottle, I pulled it out and lathered the green slimy liquid all over my body. Shivering slightly at the cold but welcoming the relief it brought, I set it down on the dresser and collapsed on the bed behind me, careful not to transfer any of the gel onto the nice white comforter. I closed my eyes, welcoming the silence of the room, the brief moment to myself until…

“Birdie!” A loud holler from the floor below pierced my alone time. I grabbed a pillow from the bed and smashed it over my face, groaning into it. “Come on!” Chris called again, “The games are starting!” Setting the pillow to the side, I trudged out of my room and down the stairs, grabbing my hat and following the cacophony of laughter outside. They had set up boards for cornhole in my absence and divided into two teams.

“Ok, Birdie’s on my team,” Chris decided, pointing for me to stand at the other board, next to Steve. Lawrence opted to be his partner. I glanced around the backyard, noticing the emptiness of the pool.

“Where are the other ladies?” I asked.

Lawrence picked up a sack of beans and started tossing it in his hand, “Annie went upstairs to change…and hopefully take a nap. She chugged some cocktails at lunch.”

Steve chimed in, “Mari called home to check in on the dog.” I nodded absentmindedly, and we started the worst game of cornhole, thanks to everyone’s low drink tolerance. I laughed as Chris threw his one bean bag straight into the pool, many feet away from the board. Pretending to be a flight attendant, I waved my arms, motioning, “Right here, Chris. Right here.”

“Alright, I hear ya…you’re not doing much better though.” He had a point. My last toss nearly destroyed a bottle on the poolside bar.

“Hey!” Annie called from above us. We looked up, seeing her walking onto the balcony out of their room, the one overlooking the backyard.

“Hun, maybe you should go to sleep?” Lawrence suggested as she teetered to the railing, losing her balance.

“Nooo! It’s so fun up here,” she held a drink in one hand and lost her balance, sending the contents of the drink flying all across the floor, dripping through the slats. She pouted, “Oh man! That was so yummy. I want another one.” She stood against the railing of the balcony and leaned over, “Baby, hand me a drink.” She extended her arm down to him, but he shook his head, “Nuh uh, babe, you come down here and get it yourself.”

Her pout deepened, “Baaaby, I’m right here!” She insisted, leaning farther over. Lawrence grabbed his forehead, “Ann, you are making me nervous. Please stop.”

“Oooh,” she mocked, laughing, pretending to lean too far forward, but then her laugh turned to a scream.

My heart leapt into my throat at the scene laid before my eyes. Her grip slipped and her body reared forwards, the impact of the fall sure to end her life or seriously alter it. Without another thought, I raised my hands, calling that dormant power to life. It responded, awakening in my soul. My spine shuddered as it flowed through me. Time froze, and I stared, aware of the few precious moments I had to alter the situation before my whole existence would cease its normalcy. I raced up the stairs to the balcony, her precarious body teetering on the edge. Pulling her back to safety, I placed her body far away from the railing so at most she may smack her head against the wood. After ensuring her safe position, I rushed down the stairs and outside, carefully resuming my stance before I froze everything. Raising my hands again, placing my arms out, time marched on, and she fell forward, stumbling a bit, but catching herself on the railing instead of falling over it.

Collapsing on the floor, she started crying. Lawrence’s outstretched arms fell to his side as he looked around, confused. He bolted up the stairs, and Chris and Steve also looked flabbergasted. I schooled my face to match theirs as Marisol padded outside, wiping sleep from her eyes.

“What happened,” she asked, glancing between us and Annie crying on the balcony, Lawrence reaching her in time to scoop her up in his arms.

Steve spoke first, “I have…there’s no explanation. Do you guys have any idea what just happened?” He looked between me and Chris.

I swallowed hard, “No clue.” Lawrence walked Annie outside to join us, and Steve rushed to her, “Are you ok? What can we do for you?”

Lawrence explained, “She doesn’t really know what happened. But she didn’t want to be alone.”

“Of course,” Chris said, joining them. He ushered them to the dining room, “Let’s all sit down. Maybe play a board game or something?” Lawrence shot him a grateful look and they all moved to sit in the dining room. I followed, apprehension picking apart my carefully crafted mask of calm. Walking over to Annie, I placed a gentle hand on her arm and kissed the top of her forehead, murmuring, “I’m glad you’re ok.”

She smiled at me, weakly, “Thanks.”

Addressing the group, I said, “I’m going to run upstairs real quick. Need to make a call.” Heads nodded around the table as I turned my back and hurried away.

Reaching my room, I headed straight for my phone sitting on the charger and didn’t waste another moment. Clicking on the emergency contact and typing out the briefest message, I pressed send on the last text of desperation, the one worded plea of warning. The seconds ticked by on the clock sitting on the empty dresser, filling the silence of the room. Slipping my white linen pants over my bathing suit and tucking the phone safely in the deep pocket, I placed my hat on the bed and traipsed into the hallway, holding my breath.

The earth shuddered, my hint of her impending arrival. Standing on the top landing of the stairwell, I gripped the wooden railing, launching myself over. As I tumbled onto the first floor below, my heart clenched as the house rattled. Cursing myself for forgetting my other-worldly strength, I threw out my hands again, freezing the moment. My heart pounded in time with my feet as they raced through the house, and I tore into the backyard in time to see the sky above rip open and a bright white light beamed down, right next to the pool. The ground burned from the impact, and I watched in horror as her retinue landed in front of me, shrouded in dark robes, hoods thrown over their heads. My knees buckled, my body’s second-nature kicking in as they begged to bow. The white light dissipated, smoke clearing from the burning of their means of transportation, and she appeared at the forefront, flanked by her guards. Hers was the darkest of the cloaks and the train of it pooled on the ground behind her. Her fur-lined hood remained firmly in place, protecting her from the unrelenting sun. Gold laced the fur, glinting in the light, her face shadowed by it. But those eyes, those golden eyes, peered out from underneath, honing in on me. I swallowed, my throat tight, refusing to break the silence first. We continued our staring contest, neither of us faltering. She took a step forward, her cloak brushing the edge of the pool. Her gloved hands lifted out from under the robe as she pulled back her hood just enough for her face to come fully into view. My breath hitched as she revealed herself, and for the first time in eight years, I was finally face to face with the reason I left my home. The leader, the queen of Clydonia. My mother.