Wednesday, December 28, 2022

Moloch’s Prophecy Chapter 8

 

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Moloch’s Prophecy

Free Write

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M/M Content

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Chapter 8

Grandma Sto didn’t say anything else, she made her way out of the study, leaving me there to stare at the dark paneling. The room was too small for such darkness, but in that moment it fit how I felt. In the dark.

What lay ahead of me?

Was I really going to be a piece of a long ago prophesied story?

How would I meet this Ez?

Would he even like me?

Did he have another he’d rather have than me?

Did I care if he did?

What if I didn’t like him? What if he was a total asshat.

“Nacal,” Ranko’s voice sounded as if I stood in a spinning tunnel that grew tighter and tighter around me. “The ghostly figure is asking for you.”

Right. Couldn’t keep the newly discovered biological father waiting. Entire life was out of my hands. I had no control over anything. Not even my breathing right then. It was rushing in deep and hard, leaving a solid ache in its wake. My arms were heavy and my legs were rubbery, refusing to hold me up any longer.

“Nacal!” A solid sharp pain shot through my head and darkness surrounded me as Ranko’s face hovered above me. “You okay?”

“What is wrong?” Uncle Lal’s voice thudded through my skulls as I shut my eyes tight, squeezing them tight, trying to rid myself of the sparkling lights. “Why is he on the floor?”

“Think he’s had too much.”

“Understandable.” Uncle Lal must have came over to kneel beside Ranko, because he sounded much louder, but at least Ranko was no longer in a tunnel when he spoke. “You going to be okay, boy. Rough road ahead of you, but you are strong like my sister.”

“I don’t like none of this.” Ranko sighed, running his hand across my hair, a movement he’d never made. “I don’t think mom would have wanted this. It not like something she would have allowed for any of her children.”

“Grandma Sto can speak for her.” I groaned and covered my face with my hand as I used the other one to try and push myself upright. Ranko placed a hand on my back in aid.

“What’s that mean?” Uncle La stood.

“She left Grandma Sto a letter, explaining all this to her.”

Ranko’s face shot red and his hands clinched. “Why would she not tell me? She knew I’d be the one to take over your care.”

Had no answer for that. Mom had made some stupid decisions in my opinion. Only she could answer for those and there was no way to get them.

“Doesn’t matter why Jilysss did anything she did.” Uncle Lal said. “It’s done and over  with. We have to face the actions of it.”

That I did. And it awaited me inside my bedroom. And on the Underworld.

Monday, December 26, 2022

Moloch’s Prophecy Chapter 7


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Moloch’s Prophecy

Free Write

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M/M Content

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Chapter 7

Grandma knew something the rest of us didn’t. Other than my cloudy figured biological father. Ugh! Why had mom kept this from me? Because her life had been ended short. Sure she would have told me before this day arrived. Sure of it.

“Can I have some time with my Grandma? Alone.”

The ghostly, cloudy figure shook his head and I nodded to the door. Grandma Sto moved out into the hall and into the study that Ranko kept here.

“Don’t have to ask your question, Nacal. I know you want to know what I know and how.”

“Then explain.”

“All I can tell you is what your mother, rest her Inncubus Soul, told me in the letter.”

“Hold up.” I held mu hand up. “Mom told you about my . . . mixed status in a letter and you kept it from me. Let me be shocked like this.” How could she do that to me? Why Grandma Sto do that to me?

“I didn’t get it until after her will was read.” Ah . . . right. I remember. There had been a letter in there for Grandma Sto and Uncle Lal. Thought nothing of it. “She told me her darkest secret and told me she feared what might come to life this day.” Why tell her, but not leave me a letter explaining it to me? I should have been told first. Shouldn’t I? “She did not want you to know if Maga had tricked her, or been mistaken about what he’d been told.” Other words, she wanted me kept in the dark about my true self for the rest of my life. Great. Just great. Way to go mom, keep your son in the dark and your entire family about a bargin child you made. Save face for yourself. “She didn’t want that there to happen.”

“Huh?”

“That sadness creeping to life in those beautiful baby blues of yours. She never wanted to see such in any of her children. Can you remember a day before she died that such existed in your life?”

Grandma Sto was correct, but it didn’t detour the fact that mom kept a major fact about my life from me. Didn’t matter how much it would have hurt me or made me sad, she should have warned me about what might occur during my Journey Announcement Day. It was only fair I knew who I came from. Not like I didn’t know I wasn’t a full blood Inccubus to begin with. Or not a full blood family member of my family. They treated me like I was, but we all knew the truth.

“Nacal,” Grandma Sto came over and rested her hand on my shoulder, lifting my chin with her other one. “Your mother never saw you as anything but as her adorable little, baby boy. She loved you like she did all her children, treated you like she did all her children, can you not agree with that?”

I could, but it didn’t negate the fact that she kept something so major from me. Even as mad as I was at her, my chest still ached for her to wrap her arms around me and tell me that it was all going to be okay. There was no one else in the family that could give me that sense of peace. Grandma Sto, wasn’t that kind of person. Ranko, well he was a macho kind of guy and didn’t do hugs. Uncle Lal, he tended to be more like Grandma Sto on that front, but always played peace keeper in the family.

“I’m sorry she’s not here to explain this herself. “Grandma Sto stepped back. “But her letter was precise on how she wished you to handle this if it came up.”

“And how was that?”

Grandma Sto stood there with one eye raised, glaring so hard I wanted to wiggle. Guess she expected me to know the answer. Sort of did. Much as I hated it, I knew mom had wanted me to suck up the pain and anger at her disloyal act and go along with what had been thrown my way, because it was the reason she had created me in the first place. It was the bargain she made with the demon hovering in the other room. She needed me to fulfill her contract. I already had part of it, by being born, but the rest came to life when that damn mirror gave made me the prophesied man-bride to the son of Moloch, Ez.

Just great. I’d been born to be a pice of meat for someone else.

Wednesday, December 21, 2022

Moloch’s Prophecy Chapter 6

 

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Moloch’s Prophecy

Free Write

If under 18 then leave the site.

M/M Content

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Chapter 6

“What am I and what is your name?”

“Maga Anger. And it is against our way of life to expose our race among mixed company.”

“Apparently, I am mixed company, does that mean I have no right to know.”

“You are not mixed company. You are my son and have every right to know. Should have know from the time you became old enough to ask questions of who you are. But the rest of these . . . Are mixed company.”

“Aren’t to me. They are family.”

“Not to me and they have no right to know what your other half is. Once you learn your other half laws, you will understand just as you do the Inccubus’ way of life.”

Just great. My life was going to be split between two worlds. One could be combined among the other and the other had to be in the dark.

“And as your Journey Announcement has deemed, you have been summoned to the Underworld.”

“I decline.”

“You can not. And you know this.”

He was right. Much as I hated it.

“He can.” Ranko took hold of my head, lifting it. “You can choose anything you wish.”

“You know he can not.” Grandma Sto sighed. “Once the Decision Mirror is logged . . .”

Rest didn’t have to be said. Law stated what would happen to me. Anyone who was not classified into one of the three areas were dismissed from the world. Washed aside into the Graveyard Section of our world. Called that for good reason. It was where most went to die because they were never allowed to mingle among another Inccubus or Succubus as long as they lived.

“It would be better for him to go to the Underworld and live his life there.”

“Grandma Sto!” Ranko’s shout made me cringe in and Uncle Lal jumped in between the two of them. “Sorry, but how can you say that. He is your grandson.”

“He is, but I do not wish him to live in the Graveyard. Do you?”

“No, but . . .”

“Will I be able to see my family if I go with you?” I forced my legs to straighten out and hold me upright. Took all my strength.

Silence hung in the air until I thought he’d left me there to fend for myself, putting a well of grief and dread of being sent to the Graveyard. I’d heard stories of the place. People who went there barely made it five to six years before they died. If they were lucky enough to make it longer they became monsters and fought any and all that came near them. Neither appealed to me. Just as my legs began to shake, Maga’s cloud head shook.

“I can promise to show you how to visit in this form, but once Ez discovers you as his I will have no say any longer.”

“Who is Ez?” Uncle Lal gave Ranko a stern look before he stepped out from between him and Grandma Sto.

“That is the son of Satan.” Grandma Sto smiled so huge her white tooth shined.

Why was she so happy I would be paired with him?


Monday, December 19, 2022

Moloch’s Prophecy Chapter 5


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Moloch’s Prophecy

Free Write

If under 18 then leave the site.

M/M Content

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Chapter 5

Great. Not only had I been different from my entire family me entire life, but I’d been a way for my mom to get back to the family she longed to be with. Had she wanted me at all? Was I just a reminder of what it took to get herself away from some . . .

“What are you?”

“Why do you asked question you know the answer to, Son?”

Smartass was what he was.

“Whatever your name is,” Grandma Sto’s finally lost her giggles and put on her serious parental tone. “My family has no idea what is below our world. Neither the Sto family or the Eranon family.”

Among the Succubus/Incubus world, the combining of two families results in the couple taking the Succubus’ surname. It was tradition long lived by. Some of the newer couplings prefer to keep the Incubus’ family line going, which was one of the laws that mom and dad fought to allow.

“Ah . . . Mr. Dearnil Eranon, the man who owned my Sweet, Sweet Jilysss’ heart. So you are telling me, not only was my son kept in the dark about who his sire was, but also where I came from and his other way of life.”

“He has no other way of life.” Ranko threw a punch towards the Skelton face, going right through it, parting the mist, getting a deep, rich laugh.

“Young man, I approve of your protectiveness of your brother, but you are nothing but a mere flee to me.”

“Not if you would show yourself.”

Didn’t want the . . . whatever he was, to show himself. DIdn’t want him anywhere near me. Wanted him to leave me be. But my gut told me that wasn’t going to be an option. The mirror had made its proclamation and that would be my life, rather I liked it or not.

“Damn it.” I covered my face, refusing to let the bubbles forming behind them fall. “Just tell me what I am if I am not an Incubbus.”

Warm, soothing hands landed on my shoulder. Ones that I’d felt the day mom and dad had died. Ranko had tried to break the news to me without destroying my world, failing miserably. Whatever he would say would be just as poorly said as then.

“You are an Inccubus. You are my brother, Nacal. That is all that matters. Not what this ghost like ass-jerk says.”

Wish it was that simple. Wasn’t. Much as I wanted it to be, I couldn’t deny what the Journey Announcement claimed and Ranko knew it as much as I did. He knew how that declared one’s life. If I was not declared a Spirit, Element or Time then I have no place among the Inccubus world. Even with the government being supportive of the same sex and multiple partners they would never change their stance on the determination of the Decision Mirror. Ranko knew this as much as every Inccubus and Succubus alive.

My choice had been taken the moment mom made the bargain with this . . . whatever he was.

Wednesday, December 14, 2022

Moloch’s Prophecy Chapter 4

 

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Moloch’s Prophecy

Free Write

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M/M Content

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Chapter 4

I’m unsure who sucked in the loudest breath, me or Ranko. Grandma Sto, of course, her bouncing turned into jumps and her clapping came along with smalls yips of delight.

“Grandma, stop it.” Ranko’s harshness caught us all off guard and actually worked, but earned him a one-eye death glare from Grandma Sto.

“Boy, I will still turn you over my knee.”

“Sorry, Grandma Sto, but this is all too much.”

All too much? Understatement and half. This cloud just told me he was my father. Could a cloud be a father?

“Who are you?” Ranko moved in front of me, pressing in on me, all but knocking me down. Wouldn’t have taken much. My legs felt like jelly wobbly around after being carried to the table.

“Where is Jilysss?” The voice asked again.

“My sister died six years ago. Who are you?” Uncle Sto’s voice held his typical chocked-up sound when he mentioned my mom.

“Why did I not feel her death?” I should have. She was mine. I was hers.”

She was mine. I was hers. What the heck did that mean? Mom never belong to no one. Not even my dad. She would have kicked his Succubus ass if he dared tell someone she was his.

“You lie.” Ranko said. “You do not know my mother.”

“You are here family. I know that, because I knew each of you when I allowed My Chosen continue her life among the her world.”

Continue her life. This guy made no sense. He spoke as if he owned my mother. Mom would never have went for any of this. And Ranko was right. This, this, THING, had to be lying.

“You are no one.” I found my voice.

“Son, you stand there as if you are in a cloud of mist when I am the mist.”

“I’m afraid you are right, whoever your are.” Grandma Sto’s still held her giggling lisp, but the bouncing had ceased. “My daughter, never spoke of what happened those few days she went missing.”

“Mom went missing?” I shifted my attention to Ranko. “When was this?”

“Right around your conception time.” Grandma Sto supplied. “When she returned she secluded herself in her and your dad’s room and only allowed me in.”

“Is this true, Ranko?”

“Yes. Dad was beside himself until Grandma Sto managed to get mom to speak to him. When he came back out, it was with mom at his side and she held the most beautiful glow. It was as if she was back to her normal self. Dad instructed each of us to never ask her about what took place and to never mention it again. We did as told. It was reinforced when you came along and then again when you became older and realized that you were different than the rest of us.”

“What did you do to my mom?” I spun, trying to find someone to face, but there was no one. Only the cloud of mist.

“Sweet, Sweet Jilyss, was My Chosen and our time together was amazing. I am sure she would say the same, but her heart truly belonged to another and I knew that. But, I had responsibilities to my kind, as she did hers.” The cloud reshaped itself into a face with downward slanted cheek and huge sunken in eye sockets. “We made an agreement and then parted ways, but I never forgot her. Never regretted my decision to let her go, but I knew it was what made her the happiest, which made it easier for me. I never expected to find that our son would not know about me. Or that I would have failed to miss the fact she was in danger. What happened to my Sweet, Sweet Jilyss?”

“You speak of responsibilities, what was yours?” I asked, but I knew what he was going to say.

“My son had been prophecied to be the fulfiller of the Moloch Prophecy.

Great. He barging with mom to have a son with him and she agreed to come back to the family she already had and loved. I was nothing more than a bargaining chip.

Monday, December 12, 2022

Moloch’s Prophecy Chapter 3

 

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Moloch’s Prophecy

Free Write

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M/M Content

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Chapter 3

“Oh, goody, he’s here.” Grandma Sto, jumped in place, clapping her hands.

What was she four and getting her biggest wish? And how can she be so freaking happy that I would be going to the underworld to become some man bride? I’d be leaving all the family behind. Lose the right to either be a Spirit walker, like Grandpa Sto had been. He told so many wonderful stories about his time among the Incbus Headquarters working for the King and walking the Spirit World so he could find answers out from the ancestors gone to the afterlife for the King. Told us one time he visit the very first Incbus. And Dad had been a Time Walker, he loved his ability to walk into the past to track our history for the King. He didn’t work in the future department, where I’d hoped to work. Always thought it would be super amazing to be one who traveled to the future to see what lay ahead of us if the King choice one route instead of another. And Ranko, he might always gripe and complain about being an Elements but I knew he secretly loved his job of enhancing the gardens to grow and produce the right amount human food that our kind required. Yes, Incubus ate steaks, potatoes and all the glorious vegetables that everyone else did. My dream might have been to follow in my dad’s footsteps, but the other two had never seemed like a disappointing option either.

“May I know your name?” 

The booming voice shook the entire room, and every bone in my body quivered.

“His name is Nacal Sto.” Grandma Sto chimed in the quake of my silence. Hand’t planned on telling whoever the heck spoke. Wsan’t none of his business. Didn’t know him and didn’t want to get to know him.

“Nacal, unique name. May I ask what your mother believed it to mean?”

Each mother gave their child’s name a meaning upon their birth and then told them her belief on his thirteenth birthday. It was a special moment between child and mother. One I would not share with just anyone. And this guy had no reason to invade my private moments.

“That is perfectly fine, Nacal. We will have years for you to trust me with such private moments.”

“The Hell he will.” Ranko moved in front of me. “My brother is remaining with me.”

“That is where you are incorrect, Young Sir, but I commend your desire to protect your family. I am unsure why you feel you need to do so. His name has been down in history since the day he was conceived.” Smoke streamed from the fireplace, swirling and twirling around each person around the room, hovering over my family for a moment, giving off a drown out moaning sound before moving onto the next one. It never approached me, but it extended it period of time over Ranko, bobbing up and down making the sounds it released waver. Ranko of course swatted at the smoke, disturbing it but it never stayed out of form for long.

“Get away from me.”

“Where is my, Sweet, Sweet Jilyss?”

He knew mom.

How? Mom never mentioned anyone who could speak through smoke. And how could he do so. Never heard of an ability like that.

“I know she would have warned our son of what may lay ahead of him upon his Journey Assessment Day.”

Our Son.

Wednesday, December 7, 2022

Moloch's Prophecy Chapter 2

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Moloch’s Prophecy

Free Write

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M/M Content

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Chapter 2

“What? How?”

Ranko stood there shaking his head. Uncle Lal reached out behind him, bracing himself against the wall. Grandma Sto grinned and gave graby hands towards me. Two drastic different reactions from three different people.

“Someone speak.”

“It’s finally happened.” Grandma Sto bounced so high she looked like she jumped up and down.

“It had not. Not to my brother.”

“Lana would roll over in her grave.”

“WHY!”

Ranko’s eyes went wide and stood up taller, glaring towards Grandma Stop then over at Uncle Lal. “This has to be a mistake. He can try again, right?”

“Never heard of a second reading taking place, but I don’t see what it would hurt to do so.” Uncle Lal came over to me, gripping my shoulders and placing me back in front of the Decision Mirror. “Take another gander, boy.”

“Not before you tell me why and why I got a skull instead of one of the other three images.”

“Nacal, just bare with us. Trust me, you do not want that symbol. Trust me.”

“It could be the best thing for him.” Grandma Stop rubbed her hands together. “And his mother would agree with me, but let him try again. There has been cases that Incubbus has take multiple stances in front of the Decision Mirror, but their results never changed. Once you receive your decision it remains the same, but by all means let him see his future again.”

“And what is my future going to be?”

“Give it another go, Nacal, for me. For mom. I’m sure Grandma Sto means well, but I’m more than sure mom and dad would never wish this fate upon you.”

“You will explain after I do this?”

“We will.” Uncle Lal patted my shoulder and stepped back.

I glanced by into the mirror, getting the same grayish, ghostly like Skelton I had received the first time. Grandma released a high-pitched squeal while Uncle Lal and Rank both groaned. I stared into the mirror for a second or two then traced the outline of the skull with the tip of my finger.

An electric charge formed between my skin and the smooth glass, warming the tip of finger as a creepy, crawly ripple up my arm and over to my chest. Felt as if my heart paused for a second or two and then expanded, filling with a sharp jolt that deflated it so fast that air gushed from my lungs, leaving me feeling as if something major to my life had evacuated my body.

My knees buckled and I fell backwards, sliding down the side of the bed. Ranko rushed to my side, kneeling beside me.

“Are you okay?”

“Tell me what that means.” Couldn’t answer his question until I knew what that damn skull meant. It might explain what had just happened to me.

“Let’s go to the living room and sit.”

Uncle Lal left first and headed right for the locked bookcase, opening it with his family key, extracting a huge old leather book. One mom showed me on my fifteenth birthday. Told me it held all the Incubbus history, but I was not to touch it until I completed my Jouney Announcement. I’d not been worried about reading it. Been through all the history coursed required at Incubbus Private High and at Aldine Incubbu College. Ranko had set aside all mom and dad’s life insurance and the settlement money from the Incubi Headquarters explosion he’d had enough to pay for the private education and my college. Never been so grateful.

“Here, Ranko, you should show him.” Uncle Lal handed Ranko the book as he sat down on our royal blue love seat.

I took the spot beside him and waited for Grandma Sto to take her seat in the small recliner across from us, while Uncle Lal took the small antique chair mom had bought at some auction a year before she died. It stood out in our living room of velvet cushioned furniture and glass coffee table with wood framed bookcases. The antique chair held brass and gold arms plates with deep, rich brown frame with thin layer of felt like cushion. Uncoformtable. Uncle Lal was the only one who sat in it.

“It’s two-thirds way through the book.” Grandma Sto jabbed her finger at the book. “Give it here and I’ll find it.”

“I’ve got it.” Ranko flipped the book open, flipping through page after page until he came to one about where Grandma Sto mentioned. He ran his finger down the yellowish, faded out writing page, tapping it. “Here it is.” He passed the book over to me. “Read this section.”

Moloch Prophecy

Grayish White Mist covered Skull represent the chosen bride of the son of Moloch.

Chosen bride of son of Moloch? This couldn’t be the case. The Journey Announcement should have told me rather I’d be a Time, Spirit or Elements. Not make me someone bride.

“I can’t be a bide. I’m not a woman.”

“In your case it would be a ManBride.” A deep rough, booming voice said from inside the fireplace.

Monday, December 5, 2022

Moloch's Prophecy Chapter 1

 Hi all,


Today we start a new blog story. It's a demon m/m based romance. Hope you enjoy it and remember this is a complete free write, so pay any errors you spot no attention, I've done no edits on this. Once these blog stories are done, I set them aside and then come back to them and hone them into a completed book and release them.

For now, enjoy my creativity and let your imagination soar while you read.

Julia


* * *

Moloch’s Prophecy

Free Write

If under 18 then leave the site.

M/M Content

* * *

Chapter 1

The tilting antique full length mirror loomed over me, even thought it failed to catch my entire image. All that came in view was my chest to my shins. My hands itched to move, but I knew better. The rules were clear. They’d been etched into my mind upon my birth, like all Incubus. 

Upon your twenty-first, stand in front of a full length Decision Mirror to determine the next phase in your life. Never touch the mirror or your life journey will be revoked. Never wish upon the mirror or your path will be detoured. Never use another family’s mirror or risk turning into stone. 

Most dreamed of the day they stood in front of the Decision Mirror. I had until I was thirteen and my eldest brother, Ranko, played a mean trick on me. He was born on Halloween and thought it would be harlious to tell me that the a huge, red and yellow spotted snake came out of the Decision Mirror, speaking in our race’s language then struck before returning to his home inside the mirror. He’d gone as far as to fake two small snake-like teeth marks on his shoulder blade. He chose snake, because they became my biggest fear after getting caught in a snake pit when I was five.

“Well, what has it said?” Ranko asked from the hallway. “What is taking you so long, pipsquik?”

Ranko rushing felt wrong. Knew he only done it because he felt like he had to. Most of the time he ignored me. Left me to my own devices, which is the way I liked it. Felt sorry for him, sort of, but was glad he stepped up and took me in when Mom and Dad were killed the fire that consumed the Incubi Headquarters when it was bombed by the Succubus 4Life group. Stupid ass group believed that just because history showed Incubus going after females that they could not be attracted to men. Wasn’t the case and my mom and dad, liked over two-thirds of our government, supported that choice and implemented the decree that Incubus had the right to chose their own partners, whatever gender or number of partners that might be.

“Nacal, I know it’s difficult, but it’s tradition and they would want us to follow through with it. Grandma Sto is waiting with Uncle Lal, the entire place has been prepared for your announcement. Come on, get with it.”

Course they were. I’d told them I didn’t want no big show made of this day. Mom always made a grand show for our Journey Announcement Day, but it was done in front of the entire family. I’d managed to convince Ranko to allow me to do so in private.

Did so because I really didn’t want everyone to see my fear of standing in front of the Decision Mirror. Entire body shook as I told myself to squat, placing my face in front of the mirror, getting the future of my life, but my young knees refused to bend.

The door flew open and Grandma Stood and Uncle Lal barged in with Ranko storming in behind them screaming at them to get out.

“What are you doing?” I spun, hoping I gave them all the best imitation of mom’s glare that put the fear of death in us kids. Must not have because Grandma Sto placed her hands on her hips and pointed at the mirror.

“You will not disrespect your mother’s tradition by doing this alone. Now get your scrawny, square Sto face in front of that mirror.”

Think her stern voice might put mom’s death glare a step down from the top rank of put a child in his or her place. Sure did me. Had me taking in a deep breath and facing the Decision Mirror again.

I steeled my nerves and forced my knees to bend as I said the magical words that evoked the Decision Mirror.

“Mirror of Mirror of the Sto family line, enlighten me. Am I Spirit? Am I a Time? Am I Elements?”

All that came into view was the face that stared at me each morning and night. Blond hair that touched the base of my neck and bangs feathered to the right. The eyes staring back at me was my father’s, which caused an ache deep inside me each time I looked, which was why I limited my time in front of a mirror. Another reason I dreaded Journey Announcement Day. My father wasn’t like my Mom, Dad and four older brothers. Nope. He was an enigma to me. Mom refused to tell me who he was, or where he lived, or how I came to be when she was still with the father of my four brothers. My Dad wouldn’t discuss it either and none of my four brothers knew, or if they did they refused to speak to me about it. I’m sure Ranko knew. He had been thirteen when I was born, old enough to take note of what was going on around him and his parents, but his lips remained sealed.

“It’s happening.” Grandma Sto’s excitement drew me from my thoughts and had me glancing up. Black and white smoke formed swirled, fast until it began to take shape, but it wasn’t one of the three paths. In fact, what came into view had me tilting my head sidewards and leaning towards the mirror. I tried to look behind the grayish-white, cloudy looking skull, but everything behind it was pitch blackness. No sign of the Spirit, Time or Element Symbol. All the mirror showed was the skull.

“No! No! No! Not my brother.”

What? He knew what the skull meant? I spun to face him, but Uncle Lal’s pale face and Grandma Sto’s huge, gum showing smile had me pausing. Her comment drove more fear through my already consumed body.

“He has been chosen by the Underworld.”