(A stupid reason)

CLAUDIA

The sun rays entered my room through the window and were directly on my face.

“Ma’am Petra! The curtains!”

I cried out and covered my head with my bedspread. I heard my room door open, I knew it was Ma’am Petra.

She walked to the window and I heard her pull the curtains.

“Good morning Claudia.” She greeted and I yanked the bedspread off my head still closing my eyes.

I opened my eyes and heaved out a sigh. I couldn’t sleep, what Mom and Dad told me kept tormenting me.

“Oh, God… Claudia your eyes are swollen. Did you sleep at all?” Ma’am Petra became worried.

She sat next to me on the bed and I looked at her.

“The night was horrible,”

I sat up and she passed the pillow to me. I placed the pillow behind me so I could rest my back on it.

“Why was the night horrible my child? You had a nightmare?” She was so worried. It was written all over her.

“I would prefer a nightmare to what happened last night,” I became sad again. I bent my head and began to fondle my fingers.

“Stop putting me in suspense and tell me what happened. Were you grounded for coming home late?”

I exhaled loudly and opened my mouth to speak;

“Mom and Dad said I should stop seeing Thorsten last night,”

I looked at her and I saw the sad look on her face.

“I’m sorry about that Claudia, but they must have their reasons don’t you think?”

She reached for my hands and held them softly.

“It’s a stupid reason to me,” I rolled my eyes.

“They are adults, they know what is best for you even though it doesn’t seem right to you.”

I withdrew my hand from hers and got out of bed in anger.

“They came up with this story of the moon goddess choosing a soulmate for me, and that I can’t be with someone else. Ma’am Petra, they don’t even know who she chose. They said I would be the one to bring him to them. Isn’t that a stupid reason to make me let go of someone that truly loves me?”

I paced in front of her and her eyes never left my body as I walked.

“Claudia dear, you need to calm down okay? If the moon goddess chose a mate for you, you need to be with him and him alone.”

She warned and I scoffed.

“Don’t tell me you are on their side too.”

I stared at her unbelievably. I thought she was my friend, I thought she understood me more than anyone in the world.

She stood up and moved towards me. She stood in front of me and reached for my hands but I kept them away from her.

“Don’t do that,”

She heaved a sigh and nodded.

“What I am trying to say is, for the moon goddess to have chosen a mate for you, you should be glad. Maybe Thorsten isn’t the one for you. Maybe he doesn’t truly love you, or would stop loving you at the end when you two are married.”

I shook my head showing my disagreement with what she said.

“That is never going to happen! Let us forget Thorsten for a minute. What if this “predestined man”…” I raised my hand making the apostrophe sign.

“…doesn’t even like me? What if he is an Imbecile? What if he is from a poor home?” I asked beating my palm with my finger and counting the questions as I asked.

“All these are your assumptions, the moon goddess will never make a mistake. She knows exactly what she is doing.”

I scoffed and walked to my window, I turned to look at her again.

“You all talk as thou you have seen her before. No one has ever seen her, only one person hears her and that is Holgar, the monk. What if Holgar is lying? He is just like us too!” I smacked.

I yearned for her to see things the way I did. It was so painful to see how blinded they were by these things.

She opened her mouth to speak but was cut short when the door opened. We both looked at the door and we saw it was Mom.

I was breathing hard and I tried to catch my breath.

“What is going on here?”

She walked into the room and Ma’am Petra bowed her head.

“Nothing. Ma’am Petra and I were just having a chat.”

I turned my back against her in a cold manner and looked out of my window.

“Leave us.” I heard Mom say and I decided not to look back at her. I needed to make Mom and Dad know I was pissed, and I would never support them on this one.

“Good morning Claudia.”

She walked up to me and stood next to me also looking out of the window.

“Good morning Mom,” I replied coldly. I still didn’t look at her.

“I know you are mad at me, but I know you can’t be mad at me forever.

I lowered my head knowing she spoke nothing but the truth.

“Maybe not forever, but for now,” I responded.

She giggled and I was forced to smile. I looked at her, and my smile faded.

“I can’t stop seeing Thorsten,”

She shook her head with an affectionate smile on her face.

“I’m not here to talk about that, let’s keep that aside for now okay?”

I nodded and watched her sit on the bed, I moved to the bed and sat on it too.

“I want to tell you about the moonball party.”

I furrowed my brows at the mention of “moonball party.” It sounded familiar but I couldn’t remember where I had heard or seen it.

She noticed I was confused and she helped out by explaining further.

“It is about an event where all the werewolves’ clans in the Kingdom come together to celebrate.”

My eyes widened as I instantly recalled where I had seen that definition.

“Yes! I know about it. It’s been a decade since the event took place. I read it in one of the journals Dad gifted me on my sixteenth birthday.”

I was filled with happiness because I was able to recall.

“Great. I should just get straight to the point then…”

She was beginning to act suspicious and I wasn’t liking it.

“What is it this time?”

I tried not to get frustrated.

“Don’t look at me like that Claudia. I am just trying to say, you can meet new people, you can make new friends. Since you were little, you have never mingled with people. You preferred being with Thorsten alone, all the time.” She retorted and I butted in.

“Because he understands me better than anyone.”

She shook her head and smiled.

“You have never tried with other people too. I’m not asking too much from you, I just want you to mingle when you get there. Don’t stay with Thorsten alone, let him meet other people too.”

I consented by nodding my head.

“Okay.”

“And luckily for us, you could even meet him there.”

I scoffed at her statement, I saw where she was coming from and knew where she was headed.

“Mom I am not going to this party if this is what you want me to do there.”

I stood up in anger and walked away from the bed.

“No Claudia, I was just suggesting. I’m not forcing you to do it okay? You should come with us. It is always fun.”

I nodded paying less attention to her, I began to get rid of my nightwear.

I had worn it after my parents left the room. It was a red silky smooth gown.

“I want to have my bath now. I am stepping out.”

“Where are you going?”

Mom asked with a smile on her face. I kept quiet and kept removing my clothes.

She got the answer to her question already and she heaved a sigh.

“Don’t stay out late.”

I gave her a nod and walked to the bathroom.

She walked out of the room and not quite long after she was out, Ma’am Petra entered the room.

“I want to have my bath,”

I opened the bathroom door and she followed me in.