She Who Is Loved

When our lives come to an end our souls go back to the earth to be reborn again no one knows when they would be reborn or which fate awaits them.The village in which I was born we worship the Moon Goddess Lysandra she was unlike any other God she was one who truly loved the humans for they would take each day as their last and make the most of it.So, she made a promise many, many years ago to the first village elder."Those who pass will not be reborn into the earth until their soul is at peace of those who they leave behind this I swear you".And from that day forth for over 300 years our village has worshipped the Moon Goddess for her benevolence towards those who passed. Some say that there have been spirits who chose to stay until the day they are reunited with those who they left behind.When I was younger my mother always used to tell me and my brother about how those who have left us stay with us and protect us from those who want to harm us, that they celebrate with us as we continue living each day.This is the story of a girl named Seraphina whose life had ended and yet began on the same day.The night was as bright as it could get not a single cloud in the night sky the Moon shining and the stars dancing but if you looked towards the East on top of a hill you would find a young woman there lying in between the long blades of grass as the wind blew the blades of grass dancing along to the wind's song.Her hand outstretched towards the heavens as if trying to grab a hold of it her slender fingers stretching as far as they could before she brought it back down again, her eyes reflecting the night sky.As it was peaceful on the hill just below the hill there was a village filled with laughter and joy. The people of her village were preparing for the Lumina the moon festival once a year when the full moon shines for a second time in the span of 30 days it is said that is the night, Lysandra came down from the heavens 300 years ago.But that festival is still a few nights from now."Gosh this child, always coming up here mother is surely going to skin the both of us if we are late for the village meeting, but no she always has to come to the very top of this hill no matter what, I am going to kill her myself"Hearing his complaints as he came to get her, she closed her eyes as she smiled and when she opened her eyes, she saw him standing above her. Forehead creased as he tried catching his breath.He truly looked like a donkey and with that thought in mind she burst out laughing and she laughed so hard that even her sides were hurting. When the man finally caught his breath, he looked her with an unbelievable expression on his face as he waited for her to finish laughing."Yes, sister please laugh and as you laugh now so will I when mother finds out that were late to the Village meeting but please continue laughing goodbye".And with that he turned and began making his way back down the hill but upon hearing his words her laughter stopped immediately she had completely forgotten about the meeting and with that thought in mind she abruptly got up from the ground and began running down the hill not caring if she were to fall.As she made her way down her laughter filling the night sky as she passed her brother who had stepped into a hole on the hillside. Just as Jeremy was about to make a snide remark towards her, he could not help but smile as she went further and further from him.Her long brown locks flowing behind her, her white dress stained with soil from the earth but if you were to ask him, she looked more free than anything else that was after all the reason why you would always find her on the hill or in the forest during the day she hated staying in the village there are walls on each side ever since she was a child she chose to be reckless and cause chaos and of course Jeremy was always behind her looking after his younger sister.She will always be a thorn in his side no matter what but that is a thorn that he willingly chose to have.As she finally came to entrance of the village, she finally realised she missed something while running down the hill she forgot to breathe and gosh did her lungs remind her that they even burned for air."I see you still forget to breathe when you run Sera, come on we are going to be late you can catch your breath after the meeting"And with that he walked past the entrance of their village as she looked at his retreating figure, she could see him getting further and further. The village was like any other village houses on each side with some space between them roofs made of grass in the middle of the village there stood the hall where all families would attend monthly meetings the village elder also lived in hall as it held the secrets of the villages past and if anyone were to attack the village the elder's job is to destroy everything while the villagers keep the attackers busy but in all 300 years there has never been an attack once on the village.But all Seraphina felt while being in the village was trapped, she had to obeyed by the rules she could not do as she pleased, she could not breathe she was suffocated in this village.BAM BAM BAM three times the drums were beaten it was time for the meeting to start and with a heavy heart Seraphina made her way into the village.