My name is Maria Moon.
I was a gangster.
Just when I quit doing the dirty work, my partner died before I gave birth to my son. The trouble I reap from my crazy past has now lead me to seclusion far away from my son.
That's the only way I could protect him.
"Next time again, my baby." I hold the phone firmly as I watch my son smile on the other line. All the body aches from gardening earlier has faded away from the sound of his voice.
"I mishuu, Momma."
"Aww, I love you sweetie. And also misses you."
"I wuv you too. Gunayt, Momma." He clutches his fluffy dino pillow as he close his eyes to sleep. Vince, my cousin to where my son is currently at, took the phone and showed me a smug.
"He was squishing bugs earlier because he said he wanna be as cool as you someday."
"Stop telling him things he shouldn't know!" This dumbass always gets on my nerves.
"Alright, alright, good night too. We'll chat again tomorrow."
"Yeah, bye"
...
Someday, when he's all grown up with my trees, I want him to share the fruits and spoils of my garden with the family he's going to build. And then I...
(yawn)
should go to sleep.
...
...
"Aaaahh! Help! Help! Fire!"
"Save me!"
"Somebody! Please!"
The heat crawls onto my skin along with the screams filling my ears.
When I open my eyes, fire engulfs the buildings on my sight. The broken alarms duet with the sound of the collapsing buildings. A man just a few steps from me fell down on his knees crying. As I look at the direction where his eyes laid, my whole body trembled.
There were a few people running on the alley where the head of a tall building is about to collapse. And among them...
"Momma!"my 2 years old son, Wyse just spotted me and is running towards me.
"Baby!" I run full speed to get to him fast. Just when the head of the building is about to fall, a big bodied officer bumped him while running with the crowd. My poor son fell down and all I can see on my sight is the damn fucker.
How dare he?
HOW DARE THEY?!!
A world without my son is unforgivable.
He's my most precious person in life.
No one else matters to me than him.
I will kill everyone who dares threaten my son's life.
I AM HIS MOTHER.
"I WILL NEVER FORGIVE ALL OF YOU!"
A red scythe appeared on my way to my child, it looks like the grim reaper knows exactly what I needed at this moment. I hastily grabbed the scythe.
There can be no other way anymore and I can't waste anymore time to excuse myself in this crowd.
The goons that run away first from the danger. The corrupted insects that pushed a little child to danger only to save themselves. If only money can be sewn into a uniform, I wonder if they'll also come with a cape now.
If no one wants to teach you a lesson, fear not.
I've come to rip it good into your bones.
DIE!!
Like a wild dream as it is, I swing my blade to the obstacles that prevents me from getting my child to safety.
As if in a slow motion, the
Perfect cuts and blood that sprayed in the air inches down in time with the falling of the huge debris. I quickly snatched my baby's tiny arms reaching on to me even as when he fell down.
In a very few seconds, if I had only been late for pondering how to save him, then he would've been gone from me.
"Baby!"
"Momma!"he called back, putting his tiny hands around me.
"I'm so glad you're okay, my baby." Warm and lively in my arms.
"Put the baby down or I'll shoot you." A familiar voice demanded from behind.
"Salem" he and his men are already aiming at me.
"What do you need with my son, you piece of shit?" I picked up the scythe slowly.
"Of course I need him to go with his father first so I can kill you last, bitch! Ahahahahaha!"
I put my baby down behind a large boulder in front of me.
"Is that so?" I feel some weight on both my hands and realized my only weapon to rely from now on, is this scythe.
"What you gonna do with that little toy huh? Fine. Let's see you swing it."
We're in a short distance from each other and he only has a few men side by side with him. There seems no one behind them so...
I ducked and bolted keeping my body low. In a second, I'm already a few inches from them. When the hell did I get this speedy?!
I barely swung my scythe because of the bad timing.
"What the-"
Nonetheless, quickly turned my body and slashed. Salem and a few of his men fell on the ground, their bodies cut in perfect two. The others started firing but I'm faster on my feet so all of them are now dead in a beat.
I can't believe my eyes.
I feel like I've become a superhuman.
Oh, that's right. It's just a dream. Of course, anything is possible.
Suddenly, I can hear a continuous rumbling in a distance. Through the settling dust, I could make out an image of artillery. It's the muzzle of a tank!
Without wasting a second, I run towards my baby.
"Argh!" They fired behind me, even as I run my back hurts like hell. I got caught up but luckily, it's only a few burn.
But I must get to my baby.
I worked every bit of adrenaline rush in my senses to take him away to a safe corner.
The tank was fired once again and the boulder from where my baby was before has been blown to pieces.
Had my baby stayed there then it's twice now he's gone from me!
"Stay here okay?" I kissed my baby's head.
"Don't go, momma."His sad face looks like he's about to cry. Poor little boy.
"It's gonna be alright, baby. So, listen to momma."
In a flash, I run towards the tank with the scythe in hand. I change my patterns so they won't know where to fire. Been hit by a few little debris from the explosions but I'm glad it's not serious enough to die from. I'm near it!
Please scythe, you can slice through those bastards like they're sheets of paper so help me slice this godforsaken tank!
"Aaaaggghhh!" Slice through and go to hell!
.
The top of the tank, is now gone. Along with half a body inside it.
(ring)
My senses are telling me to pick my baby up and cover as what I did fast. Not a moment passed when a huge explosion happened as I hold my baby tight in my arms. The wall where we're hiding collapse though I only thought nothing but to protect my baby more. The rumbling stopped after.
I took a peek of the surroundings from my shoulder.
Why did I not feel anything? I know I heard the wall and the stones around us.
To my surprise, the mysterious red sign glows above us both, forming an almost invisible barrier of a slightly red mirage. As I ran my hand on the thin layer, I realize that it's made of water.
"Argh!"
The pain came rushing in when the adrenaline finally wears off. My body can't help but fall from exhaustion.
My whole body is in pain as if telling me there were more than just burns and debris pieces stuck on my back.
.
Ha..haha....I became a fucking ragdoll back there huh?
What a bummer..
I still need Vince to pick Wyse up..gotta tell him I'm hitting the sack for good...
My baby.. I'm so sorry..
.
..
...
The heat crawls in my body. It started in my chest until it spreads all over my body.
What's happening?
I thought I was a goner already? I felt the numbness and my consciousness fading away just a few seconds ago, until heat ruled my body.
When I open my eyes, I saw darkness..
..and a little light on a distance.
Wait, maybe three? There's actually too many if I focus my eyes on a spot.
Am I dead?
This looks like the milky way Galaxy.
Am I here in the outer space?
A small text appears in front of me:
YOU HAVE DISPLAYED THE PERFECT QUALIFICATIONS OF THE FEARLESS, PROTECTIVE MOTHER.
THE CONSTELLATION OF CANCER HAS CHOSEN YOU TO BEAR THEIR GIFT. DO YOU ACCEPT?
Constellation? Like the horoscope? Well, that's my sign but..
"Yes, I accept."
The sign reappeared again in front of me.
This time, it came from a wound on my chest which has become numb now that I'm dead.
A small portion of my blood formed itself into the sign and now glows incessantly in front of me.
It flew back to my chest forcibly I almost forgot that I'm floating.
"Haaah!" I grasped for air as I open my eyes. What just happened?! Now I'm back in my room like everything that happened was a long dream.
Was that really just a dream?
I look at my phone. Am I getting the date right? How is it already 18 when I've slept at 16? Maybe I got the date wrong? Time flows by a lot faster when you're tending a garden day by day.
Yes, everything must be normal.
I turn on my net to see if my son has sent me any pictures but to see a lot of sent messages and missed calls?
What, so I really slept that long?
I called Vince on his app.
"Maria! What the hell happened to you?!" Was the immediate line I heard after the ring.
"I don't know. I think I slept a whole two days from exhaustion. How's my baby?"
"He's fine but he's been crying a lot."
"What? Put him in!"
"Momma!"I saw my baby crying through the screen. My poor baby..
"My baby. I'm sorry Momma hadn't called you. Momma fell asleep for too long, baby."
"Ayuu okay Momma?"he asked.
"I am baby. How about you? Eat your meals properly okay?"
"Okay, Momma. I'm okay but I wassad wikus momma no call me."he cried again.
"Aww, I'm really sorry my baby."
"Your Mom is the only one in this world who can still sleep even while the world is ending, kiddo." Vince said at the back.
"What the hell?" This guy, really.
"For two days you've been sleeping, there's news circling the net about giant gates that appeared on the Snowy mountains and the Desert. Just a few hours ago, another big one appeared on our country's seas." He showed me the news currently flashing on the television. It's a news about so called "Gates" with a number attached on top of it. There was nothing behind them but they still bring fear to people.
"People have been commenting on the strange sign on top of the gate. No one still knows the answer as to why these gates have begun appearing. Is the judgement day coming?" The reporter said.
"What strange sign? It clearly shows 91 on it."
"Huh?" Vince gasped.
"Maybe that means something like hours or days?"
"You can read that sign? Are you sure?"
"Yes? Don't you see? It's as clear as day."
"But, Maria..all we can see are strange symbols."
"What?"
"Maybe you're one of them? But that will be weird."
"Them? What do you mean?"
"Since yesterday, There's news of a few people having weird gifts appearing on instas and febook. There's three of them reported."
"Did you say gifts?"
.
.
"Yes, you know like that one who spread poison in-"
What's suddenly happening? I had a very tiring dream and now weird things are happening in the world?
(sigh)
"If only I could go to you, Wyse, my baby.."
A gust of wind blows on my face and when I open them again, I'm in a strange place.
Why is Vince standing there?
"Momma!" My baby welcomes me with his tiny embrace.
Huh?
"and..the other.."he stutters as he saw me standing there both our jaws dropped from surprise.
"What, HOW??! You?"
"Huh?"
"Are you?! Are you one of them?!" He asked, squeezing my shoulders.
"Stop, you shit!" I only bent his hand slightly but he screamed at me.
"That HURTS! STOP!"
I let him go before examining my hands. How was that called force?
"What happened to you, huh?"
"I.. I don't know. I just had this long weird dream-" I told him everything that happened while I clutch my little baby in my arms.
"SERIOUSLY?! WHOAH! HAHA!" He gasped.
"Yes, but aside from this teleport thing that I just did, I'm still clueless of what I can do." I said.
"Do you remember the others that I told you about earlier? Those are Scorpio, Leo, and Gemini. They've already made their appearances on public and profiles scattered in the net. Still trending on this hour. To think our country got you, the Cancer, you should just run for the election at this state!"
"Shut up. Also, I can't put my son at risk. We already have enough already." I embrace Wyse in my arms.
"If only I can, I will protect you forever from all kinds of harm that goes your way.." a red light flashed from my baby's forehead after a gave him a smooch. The light formed into a sign of mine and was absorbed on the part I kissed.
"Uh, here! Cancerians are called the Mother of Zodiacs and the moon rules their sign, so-called moonchilds, overprotective and emotional, most dange-"
"What just happened? What did you do? Was that the overprotective sign?"
"Over-what?"
"Give me one too, please! I'll risk my life to protect this kid!"he said pleasing with his hands.
"What the hell? You can't have smooches, bastard."
"What if you just say you'll protect me too? That might work and you can justify the existence of your power!"
"Alright, alright." I placed my hand on his head.
"I'll protect you too." The red light glows albeit dimmer. It absorbs on his head.
"Hey, I didn't see what happened."
"It's done, it worked."
"Wait, wait. Try it, please."
"Try it yourself."
He took a pair of scissors from a holder and touched the tip. But even before it touches his hand, the scissor bounced away from the forceful invisible barrier and when it bounced Wyse's way, it shattered into tiny pieces before it hits a few feet from him.
"WHOAH..."
"So you can grant the blessing of protection. Maria."
"..yeah. I think so."
And so, my fate began.