Dominions

Chapter 14: Selena

The monster reached in through the back window and grabbed Selena by the back of the hand. She screamed as she swatted at its hands, but the more she struggled, the tighter their grip fastened on her head.

"Selena, use your power!"

What kind of a request was that? Selena could barely concentrate on getting free, let alone using a power she has only ever accidentally used. Judah touched her knee to calm her down and attempt to get the creature out of her hair when suddenly she was let go.

"Sel?!" Selena heard a voice that shot her out of her nightmare. She gasped for air and swung her arms in defense, which caused Aria to dodge her hit. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" Aria asked, confused. "Every time you go to sleep, it's a nightmare, and every time you try to hit me when I wake you."

Selena looked at her sister apologetically and scrunched her legs up to her chest. She placed her face on her knees and let out a silent sob. Aria came over and put her arm around her. Selena leaned into her sister and breathed deeply, trying to get her head together. It had been a whirlwind of a week since she had been told her life-changing news. Whatever laid dormant in her before Elora waved her magic-filled hand over her head is now in full swing.

It's rained all week.

Selena couldn't imagine what it felt like to be the weatherman of Saffron, Texas, this week. Constantly being wrong and not being able to explain where the weather came from. It gave her anxiety just thinking about it.

A swirl of clouds began to darken the more Selena let tears fall from her eyes. Selena hated this new power. She didn't ask for it. Her life was a complete shit show right now, and the last thing she needed to add to her life was a magic power and an evil man with a wrinkly head chasing after her with monsters straight out of a horror film.

A buzzing sound filled the room, and Selena instantly pushed the lock button on her iPhone. She stared silently as Judah's name flashed on the dark grey screen. She flipped it over on her bed and threw her head back, letting out a giant scream. A roar of thunder boomed in the sky, and Aria yelped in surprise.

"Judah again?" she said once she composed herself after she yelped.

Selena let out a slight whine as she grabbed her pillow and placed it over her face. Aria reached over to her sister and chuckled lightly. She pulled the phone out of Selena's hands and danced around the room. Aria placed her finger dangerously over the green answer button before her sister lurched at her from her bed.

"You can't avoid him forever!" Aria screamed as she dodged her sister. "You need to talk to him! You said the date wasn't that bad, and he's way better-"

"Aria! Enough!" Selena said as she tackled her sister to the floor. She grabbed the phone and threw it on her bed. "This is just too much."

Selena did her best to forget her ex-boyfriend. The only good thing that came from her father's sudden fall from grace was that she got away from that monster. Her ex had a way of making her feel like the craziest person ever. She remembered countless times he would cheat or wrong her somehow, and Selena was left to apologize.

Judah scared her because he was nothing like her ex.

Selena got up from the ground and ran to the bathroom, and locked the door. Tears rolled down her face, and she could hear the storm outside intensifying as her feelings rose more and more. A knock sounded from the door, and Selena tried to compose herself quickly.

"Sel?" said Aria. "Are you okay? Please talk to me. I'm nervous."

Selena walked over to the shower. She let the water stream, and she imagined that she was one step closer to washing this disaster away with each falling drop. Something slid under the door, and Selena nearly died when she saw Judah's name on the phone with a counter on it.

"Hello?" Judah said through the speaker. "Selena? You there? I've been worried."

I'm going to kill Aria. Selena thought as she picked the phone up and turned it off the speaker. She stared at the device and considered what would happen if she just hung the phone up. She knew that she couldn't avoid him forever. Just like she knew her parents wouldn't let her lock herself in her room permanently. She took a deep breath and bit down on her lower lip.

"Selena?"

"Hi, Judah," she said as she reached over and turned off the shower. "How've you been?"

Selena contrived her face in the mirror as she face-palmed her forehead repeatedly. How've you been?! She thought to herself. What the hell is your problem?!

"I've been great?" Judah said, confused. "I've been worried about you. Look, I know that everything got weird fast, but I don't think separating from everyone is going to help-"

"Judah, look, I get that you're doing your best here, but I don't think that I can be in the place you want us to be. My life is, a complete mess right now, and whatever this thing with the sky is way too overwhelming."

Selena waited for a protest. With her old boyfriend, there were always protests about what she wanted or needed. She was never heard or believed, but it was quiet. Judah sat there on the other end of the phone and just listened. There was a soothing atmosphere that fell over the phone call.

"Look," Judah said. "We don't have to date. It doesn't have to be a formal thing. I feel like we were meant to know each other. Like somehow, someway, we're bonded. Regardless of what that looks like in this world."

Selena bit her lower lip. Judah somehow managed to say all the right things to make her feel comfortable. She didn't know if she could trust him, but she knew that with all her heart, she wanted to. She searched for the words to say, but what do you say to a declaration like that?

"Okay," Selena said.

"Yeah?" Judah said. Selena could audibly hear the smile on Judah's face as he spoke into the phone. "Then could you maybe make it stop raining? You're washing out all the school's extracurricular activities."

"Jerk," Selena snorted. "I'll talk to you later."

"Talk to you later," Judah responded.

Selena felt a warm feeling in her chest rise as she hung up the phone. The world didn't seem like it was on the brink of disaster after that phone call. There wasn't a weird man with a wrinkly forehead or some crazy monster chasing after her. In her head, there was only hope. Hope that there was someone out there that wasn't her sister that could finally get her.

She unlocked the door and walked out into the room. For the first time in a week, Selena saw the sun shining down on her face when she passed by the window.