"Days of Old" by Christine Graves via NightCafe Studio
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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.
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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.
