The Last Moon

”Take her back with you, Raine and go! JUST GO! ”

”No… No… I can leave you here. ”

”Please Go. Shell not let you live. Take your spaceship and return to Earth. ”

”WHAT ABOUT OUR DAUGHTER!? ” I opened my eyes to a frustrated, tired voice while lying still in my crib watching things unfolding but being unable to physically express anything.

My little eyes watched as my mother and father were drowning in their own tears. I wanted to comfort them, tell them everything was going to be alright, but I couldn . I couldn because I was just a year old.

”Our daughter… ” He said as fell down to his knees. ”What a useless father I am! I can even protect my flesh and blood. ” The disappointment that was reflecting through his face was shattering me bit by bit from inside. Each drop of his tear was like a drop of lava which was being dropped over my heart and soul, making it burn slowly and painfully.

”Aren… ” My mother called my father in a soothing voice, now hoping his decision was changed but how could I forget in face of mothers security nothing could have ever changed his mind.

”GO! ”

”We can fight through it. ”

”Raine, we can. But what about our daughter? Shes so small. Shell never have a safe life. ” He said as his gaze then fell upon moms shining pendant.

”Your pendant is a unique one. It brought you to me. Give it to our daughter, maybe itll bring her to someone who can protect her. Probably even better than this irresponsible father of hers. Anyway, you need to leave tonight, for our daughter. ”

I can fight, dad. All of us will fight together.

”Okay. ” Mom said, looking defeated. This was the first time. The first time, I ever saw her be so helpless. And probably, feel the very same. Walking over to me, she carefully took off her pendant, putting it around my neck. With tears shining like pearls at the corner of her eyes, she lifted me in her arms.

Slowly holding out my little hands, I tried to wipe… Wipe her tears, her sadness, her helplessness from her face, but only succeeding in making her cry more.

Mom don cry. Please. Stop.

”Mo… ” I tried to speak but somehow only a few unclear letters left my lips. But upon hearing them, her eyes widened. The once dull eyes were now shining with excitement. Her frown was replaced by a bright smile that now covered her face.

”Aren! Come here! ” She exclaimed.

Slowly getting up, father walked over to us. His eyes were red and tired and swollen from all the crying.

”Fah… ” I tried to speak again but still only a few unclear letters. But his eyes widened and just like moms as they too twinkled with excitement.

He turned to look at mom. Their faces reflecting each others excitement. ”DID YOU HEAR IT!? ” They exclaimed simultaneously.

”YES! SHE SPOKE! ” Mom said.

The room where people were once mourning, was now filled with the same people rejoicing. About two garbled words. They were happy. And upon seeing their smiling faces, a smile found its way to my lips. I reached out my hands to touch dads face.

But as the saying goes, All good times don last forever.

All it took was the sound of a single gunshot to ruin my last happy and peaceful moment with my parents.

”Looks like the time has come. But now even if I die I won regret it. ” He said as he turned around, walking away from us. I tried to reach out to him but couldn reach him. Even my cries didn make him turn around.

”Don go. We can leave together if you want to. ”

”Everyones families shouldn be destroyed like ours. Everyones hopes shouldn be shattered like ours. ”

”What about our family? What about me? What about my heart which you are shattering in two? Even if I live, Ill never be the same again. You are taking away something very precious of mine away, Aren. Very precious. ”

”Do you think I will be the same without you? Our two half precious hearts make one whole, Raine which resides in our daughter now. You keep my half safe. Ill keep yours safe. Till we meet again. ”

Mom placed me on the bed carefully as she walked towards dad. Taking out a gun from the nearby drawer, she kept it in his hand. Tightening his hand around the gun and mothers hand, dad brought it close to his lips and kissed them.

”Don forget where you belong. You don belong to any Pheonar or Earth. The only place you belong to, my little cactus, is my heart. And youll never be able to leave from there. ”

”I know. ”

Saying that both turned their backs towards each other, walking away from each other. It felt like an eternity was passing away.

No, dad. Don go. I need you to please stay…

I reached my hand out for him, but he was already out of the radar of my small hands.

Mom picked up a blanket as she wrapped both of us in it as we slowly walked out.

While we were on our way out, we were stopped by someone.

”Who are you? Where are you going? ” He asked, in a stern voice.

”Just a poor woman, who came to beg for her hungry child. ”

”Hmmm. Go… Don come back here again. ”

”Yes. ” Mom replied. Satisfied with her answer, he walked away from us.

Hiding in the shadows, we finally reached the City Sapecyo Space Center.

It was unusually dark inside. The spaceship was just right in front of us. But as soon as mother took another step forward the lights went on.

”Looks like Miss. Ericka Evergreen is in a hurry to leave. Or should I say, Raine Lynn? ”

She said as she slowly moved forward, clapping. ”Raine. Give me my Aren and Ill let you go. ”

”You are dumb. You are being used but you can even tell. ”

”You- ”

”Save your breath. Your father is going to kill your Aren. ”

”You are lying! ”

”I am walking on the edge of a cliff and soon enough, you and I both know, I am going to end up in the abyss of death. I have no reason to lie to you. ”

”No! Dad said he would never hurt him! ”

”Only when Aren is dead. He can establish himself as the leading figure of Pheonar and rule over. Do you think your father is supporting you because he loves you? Heh. You are so naive! Hes simply using your power as the third leading person in Pheonar. ”

”THATS NOT POSSIBLE! ”

”A father who can drown his newborn daughter in a river. Then, after finding out shes alive after five years, instead of regretting his evil deeds, he sends her to an asylum. That man can do anything! ”

To say she was shocked would be an understatement, as my mom slowly bent down and put me down carefully covered in the blanket so that no one could see that a child was wrapped in the blanket.

”You better not be lying. ”She said as she walked away from us and went to her bodyguard. Mom slowly picked me up again and was ready to run to the spaceship at any chance possible.

”YOU! HOW CAN YOU DO THIS TO… ” The voice stopped as the sound of a gunshot now echoed in the room. ”You… You are… ”

”Your father knew that you would no longer support him once you know of the truth. So, he offered me a large sum to take care of you and Raine. Once you, Raine and Aren are all dead. Hell be the only leading figure on our planet. Then we can attack other planets and — ”

Another gunshot was heard interrupting the mans words.

”RAINE! RUN! ” Wow. In the face of death, sometimes even enemies helped. I seriously wanted to ask her in that moment why did she ever do that but I couldn .

Hearing it, without sparing a second more, my mom ran towards the spaceship. I saw the man shoot the woman thrice as she fell to the ground and as soon as we were about to enter the spaceship. He shot again.

My mother stopped. Six gunshots echoed in the room. One followed by the other. Each one hit my mother on her back making her fall down to her knees.

”Inez… Crawl… ” She said as she put me down, but I held her finger.

No, mom! Don leave me alone!

Seeing that I wasn going, and the man was coming closer, she gave me one forceful push towards the spaceship. My little knees were now scraped and bleeding, but I was inside the spaceship. I was in the arms of safety, but I didn care. I tried to crawl back to mom.

”Goodbye, my daughter. ” My mom said as I saw her shed a tear for the first time.

The door was closing. I tried to crawl as fast as I could but of no use. My little hands and feet were not as capable as I expected them to be. Before I couldve reached back in the sweet embrace of my mother, the door closed and the spaceship took off.

Shattering every sweet little dream that couldve ever been.

And just like that I left… left my parents, my family, my planet behind.