Faye and Malo listened to Martha’s story about how she knew Faye’s parents. She said she used to be friends with Maye and happened to introduce her to her father, Julio. The living room seemed to grow quiet as the words filled the air, Faye’s heart pumping a fast, heavy rhythm against her ribs as she hung onto every single sentence, her breathing turning slow and careful.
Maye used to stay in Blackwood. She was an apprentice to a Were-Witch, while Julio was from Oakland, a deputy in the GPF. Martha’s voice was soft, her chest rising and falling with a shallow, weak effort as she spoke about the old days, her thin fingers gesturing slightly to match the memories.
She even said she was present when Faye was born. She couldn’t believe that Faye was that little girl from 17 years ago.
Faye had thought Martha was in her late fifties, but Martha was actually thirty-nine years old. The woman was too young to be expecting death. Faye looked at the deep lines around the woman’s eyes and the pale, hollow cheeks, her throat tightening into a hard knot as she realized just how badly the sickness had ravaged her young body.
Martha said Maye was a very kind woman who was a Were-Witch, and she loved her family. Martha didn’t say anything about Faye’s father. No one knew about his whereabouts after Maye’s passing.
"I’m glad to see a piece of my dear old friend," Martha smiled, gently touching Faye’s face. Her frail palm felt cold against Faye’s skin, her thumb tracing the line of her cheek with a soft, shaking movement that made Faye’s chest ache with a sudden, sharp sadness..
While they were all sharing the moment together, Faye heard a voice coming from outside. It was Dre, telling her to hurry up and do what she had come there for.
So Faye got down to business.
"You know, life is a blessing from the Moon Goddess. One should cherish it and do whatever it takes to protect it. Whatever it takes. I wish I’d known my mom... but I am never going to see her again," Faye said. She leaned in a bit closer to the armchair, her eyes fixed on the sick woman, her heart rate speeding up as she started her pitch.
"Oh, my little dear... I’m sure you are going to see her one day in the afterlife. When I get there and meet her, I’ll be sure to tell her about her beautiful daughter." Martha replied sweetly. Her chest gave a slow, tired heave as she offered the comfort, completely at peace with her own fading strength.
Hearing that, Faye’s eyes started twitching. She wanted to feel touched by the way Martha was speaking, but she was also thinking of a way to make the woman want to live.
Malo just stared at his best friend. He knew she was stuck, so he tried his best to intervene. He let out a loud, nervous clearing of his throat, his chest rising with a fast breath as he jumped into the conversation to save her.
"You know, my friend doesn’t have her memories from the past. I’m sure she must have known you if her brain was perfectly fine. Don’t mind her eyes... the memory loss is the reason for it," Malo explained because Martha had noticed Faye’s twitching eyes too. He offered a quick, goofy grin to cover up the awkwardness, his hands tapping a restless beat on his knees.
"You lost your memory? How is that possible for someone like you?" Martha asked. Her eyebrows drew together in a tight, worried line, her lungs pulling in a sharp, concerned breath as she reached out toward Faye again.
"Oh, yes... but it’s not a big deal. Just some child’s play done by me...," Faye smiled. She forced a light, easy chuckle through her teeth, her chest rising with a fake, normal breath to brush the serious topic aside.
Martha reached out and gently pinched both of Faye’s cheeks. Her fingers were weak, but the playful gesture made Faye’s head tilt back slightly.
"You playful, naughty girl.... Nothing can erase a memory except from..." Martha murmured affectionately.
"Will you hurry and get the job done?"
Again, Dre’s voice came from outside. No one else could hear her but Faye.
Faye let out a small grunt before finally deciding to speak her mind. She pulled her face back gently from the older woman’s hands, her lungs expanding to their absolute limit as she prepared to drop the truth into the room.
"Ms. Martha, I’m going to be honest with you. We didn’t just come here because we wanted to see how you were doing. Honestly, I do care about you, but right now... I need your help. Your dear wife wants me to convince you to take part in the ritual. She wants you to become like her." Faye stated clearly. The words tumbled out of her mouth in a fast, solid rush, the directness of it making Malo hold his breath beside her.
Martha’s expression changed the moment she understood their true intentions.
"I don’t want it. It’s a cheat to the Moon Goddess. She is the one who gives life and takes it away. If she wants to take mine, then I have no say in it. I want to be on the other side," Martha said. Her voice was firm, a quiet wall of stubborn faith that made her chest heave with a heavy, serious breath.
"When you love someone, you see them as your life. You don’t want them to die. You save them no matter what," Faye said. They were the same words her girlfriend had said to her a week ago....
"My mother died because the partner she chose didn’t love her enough to save her. If you were my partner, I would do what Dre want to do. I would do whatever it takes to be with you forever. Dre loves you. She can’t follow you to the other side, but you can stay with her, here forever and ever... maybe until the end of the world. Please don’t deny yourself immortality, it’s a gift. If you truly love Dre and wish to spend your days with her, choose her side and love her for eternity. If you die, you won’t see Dre on the other side." Faye spoke from the heart, expressing her feelings to the sick woman. Her eyes were wide and burning with raw emotion, her breath coming in fast, heated gasps as she poured every ounce of her own pain and love into the plea...
Malo sat frozen, his heart pumping a sympathetic, heavy beat as he watched his best friend fight for the woman’s life.
Martha gently cupped Faye’s face. Her eyes were full of unshed tears, her own breathing shaking terribly as she looked deep into the teenager’s eyes.
"Oh, sweet child... you speak just the way your mother did. The life you want me to choose is a never ending curse. I don’t know what help you need from my wife, but if it’s that important to you... then let’s see what fate has in store for me." Martha whispered. A long, heavy sigh escaped her lips, her shoulders finally dropping as the stubborn resistance left her body, leaving her completely exhausted but willing to try for the sake of the girl standing before her.