The Wayward Child

 

"The Wayward Child" by Christine Graves via NightCafe Studio

Return of the Spirit Chapter 2

Read the whole story here 

The art gallery was dark, with rhythmic music thumping in the background. The crowd murmured as they sauntered from one painting to the next. "Another amazing piece," one person was heard to say. "How does she do it?" was heard from another.

The artist strolled through the room. She feigned interest in their well-wishes, but her Gothic indifference shone through. She sipped her Absenthe Bordeaux, languishing in the memories behind the works on the walls.

"Madam," squeaked a little woman running up from behind. "There is someone here asking for you. She's not like the rest of the crowd, she's...normal." 

"I told you I didn't want an audience tonight. I'll speak to the few in the room, but I'm not doing a private convo with anyone. Send them away." With that, the artist flicked her wrist and moved deeper into the crowd.

Darque D'Sire had built her brand around her Gothic, brooding demeanor. Her artwork had been sold all around the world, with pieces being housed in museums in France, Italy, Japan, and even Russia. It seemed she had a knack for creating pieces that spoke to buyers on a deeper level. 

"Madam," the squeaky little woman continued, chasing after her mistress. "She has one of your private invitations. I asked for her name, but she only said to tell Dessie she'd be in the foyer. Who's Dessie?"

Mistress D'Sire stopped in her tracks. She slowly turned and faced the doorway. "She came," she said in an almost childlike tone. With that, she brushed past her assistant and quickly made her way to the door. 

As she stepped into the foyer, the woman turned around. "You actually came," Darque whispered once again.

"How could I pass up such a beautiful invitation?" Demeter smiled as she looked into the eyes of her eldest child. "Hello, Dessie. It's been too long."

"Hi, Mom," Darque replied. "I didn't think you'd come."

"Well,..." Demeter's voice trailed off.

"Let me guess," Dessie said with obvious disappointment in her tone, "Auntie Cate made you come, didn't she?"

"She didn't make me," Demeter shot back, "but, yes, she is the main reason I'm here."

The two women faced off, though they tried not to stare directly at each other. 

"Look, Mom," Dessie finally quipped, "you don't have to stick around. I know you don't want to be here; it's not your kind of crowd. I get it. Maybe we can meet up for lunch before you leave tomorrow."

Demeter's face softened. "No, it's not my kind of crowd, but it is yours, and I'm not going anywhere. I came to see your latest works and maybe buy one or two."

Dessie tried to keep her hard, Gothic demeanor, but a slight smile peeked from the corners of her mouth. "Suit yourself. Come on, I'll show you around."

The two women went into the gallery, and Dessie pointed out several pieces to her mother, asking her if she remembered the stories behind each one. They shared a few giggles and a couple of quiet moments in the process. Many of Dessie's other guests began to comment about the woman taking up so much of the artist's time. 

Demeter took her daughter's hand. "Sweetheart, I should let you get back to your friends. I don't think they like me much."

"Tough shit," Dessie replied. "These people are not my friends. The only reason they're pissed is that they each think if they can get closer to me, they'll end up famous or some shit. Here, hang on..."

Dessie turned to the crowd, still holding her mother's hand. "Ladies and gentlemen, if I could have your attention, please."

Dessie's little assistant came running, thinking she had forgotten to do something. "Mistress, I'm sorry if I..."

"Stop, Vivian," Dessie hushed. "You're fine."

As soon as the crowd fell silent, Dessie began her speech. "First of all, I want to thank all of you for coming out this evening. I worked very hard putting this show together, and I couldn't have done it without the help of my lovely assistant, Vivian." The little woman blushed as a smile crept across her face.

"Furthermore, I'd like you all to meet Ms. Deedra Masterson. She's an attorney helping to secure a deal between myself and an art historian in Germany who's shown interest in some of my work. I'm hoping that by the end of the week, a few of the pieces before you will be hanging on the walls of a German castle."

The crowd gasped, then applauded with joy. 

"But for now," she continued with a wave of her arm, "I invite you to enjoy your evening. If you're interested in any of my paintings, please let me know by the end of the night so Ms. Masterson can catalogue whatever's left. Thank you all for your patronage. I am forever in your debt."

The crowd cheered once again before scrutinizing each piece.

"Well, that was entertaining," Demeter said, trying to hide the smile on her face.

"Oh, trust me," Dessie remarked with disdain, "by this time tomorrow, everyone in this room will be trying to figure out who you are and how they can get into contact with you. You might think about adding art broker to your resume."

The little assistant stepped closer. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Masterson. I'm Mistress D'Sire's assistant, Vivian. If there's anything I can do for you, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Thank you, Vivian. I will." Demeter smiled at the little woman with a bow of her head. 

"Actually, Vivian," Dessie interjected, "there is something you can do for Ms. Masterson. Work your magic and get her a room at the Waldorf. Have a limo sent over to pick up her and her...wait. Where are your things?" Dessie suddenly realized that her mother's luggage wasn't with her.

"It's fine, Dessie. I got a room at The Bowery. And I don't need a limo, but I will need a ride. Miss Vivian, would you be able to make that happen?"

Vivian gleamed. "Yes, Ms. Masterson. Just let me know when, and I'll make the call."

"Go ahead and make your call. It was a long flight here, and I'm ready to unwind." Demeter smiled once again at the little woman, then turned to her daughter. "Dessie, I am so proud of you and all you've accomplished. I know I don't tell you that enough, but it's true. Enjoy the rest of your evening, and we'll get together tomorrow." Demeter hugged Dessie, then turned to Vivian, who was on the phone with the driver's service.

At the end of the night, the crowd began to disperse. They purchased fourteen of the twenty-six paintings Dessie had exhibited between them. As the last patron left the gallery, Dessie locked the door behind them and let out a sigh of relief.

"Mistress," Vivian cautiously murmured to Dessie, "can I ask a question?"

"Of course," she replied.

"The woman who was here earlier, Ms. Masterson. Why did she refer to you as Dessie?"

Dessie giggled at the utterly confused look on her assistant's face. "You looked her up online already, haven't you?"

Vivian blushed. "Yes, Ma'am. There's just something about her that doesn't sit well with me. I had to make sure she was who she claimed to be. My gut's telling me that you need to be careful in any dealings with that woman. I don't trust her."

This time, Dessie let out a full belly laugh. "My God, Vivian. She's an attorney, not a vampire. Although if she were a vampire, I'd probably spend more time with her." Dessie put her hand on Vivian's shoulder. "I promise, it's fine."

Vivian huffed a bit, then snapped at Dessie. "How well do you really know this woman? How do you know you can trust her? Do you trust her? Do you fully believe that you can rely on her?" Dessie could feel the emotion in Vivian's words.

"Trust her? Yes. I know I can fully trust her. I've known her a long time, and she's never gone back on her word. However, rely on her? Hell no. She's the one person in this world I know damn well I can't rely on. But yes, I trust her."

Dessie's answer confused Vivian even more. "Mistress, how can you trust someone you can't rely on? That makes no sense. If you can't rely on her, how can you trust her?" Vivian's words were more of a plea than a question.

"Easy," Dessie said with a twinkle in her eye. "She's my mother."

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

The Days of Old

 

"Days of Old" by Christine Graves via NightCafe Studio

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

As the morning sun crept up through the hills, Dee made her way to the patio, sitting down at the little table that had been there for years. 

“What, you can’t help bring anything out with you?”, Dee heard from the house. As she turned around, her cousin, Cate, stepped through the door with a large tray, filled with pastries, two teacups, and a teapot. She set the tray down and poured them both a cup. 

“I don’t know, Catie, something just doesn’t feel right. I can’t put my finger on it just yet, but something just feels off”. Dee took a sip of her tea, staring off into the horizon. 

“Yes,” Cate replied, “I feel it too. There is something brewing in the air, something dark. Speaking of dark, I see you got a letter from your oldest daughter. I hope she is well.” 

Dee gave a side-eyed glance at her cousin. “Going through my mail now?” She giggled at her own joke. “Yea, she just wrote to let me know that some of her artwork will be on display at some gallery in New York and invited me to the opening night.” 

“And you’re going, right?” Cate’s response was more a demand than a question. 

“I don’t know. You know I don’t like big cities. Too many people, not enough trees. No, I’ll probably stay right here and get some work done.” 

Cate shook her head. “It’s no wonder you and your daughter have such a strained relationship. Go, see her work, and tell her how proud you are of her. Remind her that you love her just as much as you do her sister.” 

Though she didn’t want to admit it, Dee knew that Cate was right. 

Dee Masterson had lived a long, illustrious life. She was a widowed mother of four children, an amazing horticulturist, and one of the best attorneys in the world. Though she no longer practiced in a courtroom, she still took on cases and helped people through the Internet. 

Her cousin, Cate Marinatos, was an old-school, Greek matron who was more like a mother to Dee than her own had ever been. As a child, Cate took Dee in after her parents had another one of their physical altercations. This time, however, Dee’s father nearly killed her and all of her siblings. Because of this, all of the children went to live with other family members, and Dee never saw her parents again. It was because of this event that she went on to become an attorney. 

As the years wore by, Dee and Cate became more like sisters than cousins. Though she’d see her siblings ever now and again, Dee chose to live a quiet life alone. Cate would come and go as she pleased, but claimed residency in an old German castle. She was one of the world’s most renowned book collectors and had a collection that would rival any modern library. 

Dee had four children, two girls and two boys. Her eldest child was her daughter, Dessie. She was a highly paid artist, but lived a very dark lifestyle. Most of Dessie’s life was a mystery, but her mother knew she was strong enough to handle anything her daughter got herself into.

Next, Dee gave birth to twin boys who turned out to be as different as day and night. The eldest of the two, PT, was just a beautiful child. He had bright blue eyes, pink little cheeks, and everyone always seemed to want to be around him. His twin, Philly, had a darker complexion with dark eyes and a quiet manner. They were complete opposites, and as they grew older, this became much more obvious.

Finally, Dee gave birth to her youngest daughter, Daisy. Dee coddled her new baby, causing a lot of jealousy in her other children. Daisy was the light of Dee’s life, so when her baby grew up and ran off with an older man, it broke Dee’s heart to the core. It took months for Dee to come out of her depression, but with Cate’s help, she finally managed. 

“Hello? Earth to DeeDee. Are you still with me?” Cate’s chiding brought Dee out of her deep thoughts. 

“I’m sorry. I was just thinking about the kids. I still worry about them. Dessie’s in New York, PT just bought another hotel in Dubai, Philly’s still running around the world digging up the past, and Daisy…” Her thoughts dropped off. 

“You need to let that go, my dear. They’ve been married for a very long time now, and he’s never been mean to her or hurt her in any way. Whether you like it or not, he loves her, and she loves him.” 

“I know”, Dee quipped with a snap, “but that doesn’t make it any easier. He took advantage of my baby, and I’ll never forgive him for it.” 

“Bullshit”, Cate snapped back. “You’re mad because you were wrong. It’s time to let it go. Now, come. Help me get this cleaned up. I want to get some of those herbs in your garden up to dry before I have to leave tomorrow. I have some new books arriving in a few days, and I want to be there when they come in. There might even be a couple in there you’ll appreciate.” 

The ladies finished off their tea and cleaned up the mess. They went out to the garden, pruned a few of the herbs, and hung them up in the shed. They spent the rest of the day puttering around the house and yard, giggling and talking like schoolgirls. Dee was in her element. As evening came around, Cate made them a little dinner and poured them each a glass of wine. They sat across the table from each other, neither saying a word. Finally, Dee looked up at Cate and smiled. 

“What?” Cate asked with a smirk. 

“It’s amazing to me that after all these years, you still know how to help me get my mind off my troubles.” 

Cate blushed a little as she giggled. “Well, I’ve had plenty of practice over the years, my dear. But it’s high time you remember who you are. Not who the world thinks you are, but who you truly are.” 

Dee blushed and turned her head away. “That’s not me anymore.” 

“Oh, but it is. It is who you are and who you will always be. You said it yourself this morning. There’s something in the air, and it feels wrong. Maybe it’s time for you to break out of your self-imposed prison and do something about it.” 

“You know what’s going on, don’t you?” Dee glared at Cate, a feeling of dread coming over her. 

“Of course I do. Well, I know something’s coming, and I have a feeling you and I will be right in the middle of it.” 

“Is this going to involve my brothers and sisters? My children? You need to tell me what’s going on.” 

Cate just laughed. “Why must you always be so serious? Yes, this is going to involve our entire family, which is why you and I need to be at the top of our game. I’m leaving for Germany tomorrow, but I’ll be back in a few weeks with the books I was telling you about.” 

“What if the world isn’t ready for us? You know they’re all going to either mock us or try to destroy us. I’ve worked very hard to keep my children safe. The world doesn’t want us anymore.” 

“Rubbish,” squeaked Cate. “The world has never stopped loving you. Even in these modern times, the world still loves you. They may not know you, but they know what this world would be without you. You are the goddess Demeter, Mother Earth, the spirit of the land itself. It’s time to take your place once again.” 

Dee took her cousin by the hands and kissed them gently. “Thank you, Hecate, for always being by my side. I hope that whatever’s coming our way knows what it’s getting into. Let’s bring back the world we once knew and make it whole again.” 

The two goddesses embraced, releasing a soft, cosmic glow that called to all the members of their family, from the Primordials to the other Olympians and beyond. It was time to come out of hiding. It was time to return to the days of old.

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

This is part 1 of a new serial I'm putting together called Return of the Spirit. As I post each episode, I'll add a link to the full series. I hope you'll come along and join Demeter and Hecate as they work to bring order back to an unruly world.