This road goes to the end

Mother 2002

Ana's mother used to lull her to bed with stories of fairy princesses and ancient curses.

Stories of true love's kiss and fantastical creatures like the dragons of the sky and the shape-shifting selkies of the deep sea.

She drank the stories down like they were ambrosia and built a world of fantasy around herself.

She proclaimed herself a princess, arming herself with charm, intimidation and an unwavering sense of entitlement.

And of course, her parents were all too willing to bow to her every demand.

Her sweetness turned sour as she aged, and what started out as childish temper tantrums when her demands were not met, became brutal attacks.

Her parents wanted so much for their little girl to be happy once more so they learnt to give in and unknowingly, created an egotistical monster.

Everything Ana wanted she got, until life placed a roadblock in her way that she couldn't beat into submission.

She wanted a child, a daughter specifically.

A pretty doll that she could dress and show off and raise to be another monster that would take her place when she was gone.

But Ana's demands fell on deaf ears and the universe saw fit to keep her from her goal, and there was nothing she could do about it.

Until she could.

A frigid beach under the light of a full silvery moon.

A child from the sea left alone and uncared for.

A selkie pup from her childhood stories wrapped in its fabled pelt, ready for the taking.

Ana knew in her heart that this was the universe giving into her demands and she knew for certain that whatever she wanted would be delivered to her because she deserved it.

With the babe in her arms she headed into the night, imagining just how she'd raise the little girl to be her very own puppet.

******

Cleo went through the motions of her beauty regime, combing the knots from her mess of black curls until they flowed down her back like a waterfall of black obsidian. She moisturised her tired, dry skin and added a light dusting of golden eyeshadow and nude lip gloss.

Cleo didn't really care about skincare or beauty but, per her mothers instructions, she spent at least an hour every morning making herself 'presentable'.

Some days she tried to get away with lip balm and a messy bun, but Ana would never let that slide, and Cleo had too much riding on today to risk pissing off her mother.

It had been one week since Cleo had finished her final exams and graduated high school and, even though she hadn't gotten her results back yet, she was ready to start applying to universities and get the next chapter of her life on the go. She knew that there would be pushback, that Ana would try to dissuade her from doing what she wanted to do before moving on to anger and threats.

Cleo didn't think that her mother would ever hurt her, not physically, but she knew her mother wasn't above taking away the things she loved and isolating her from the world.

Or isolating her more than she already was.

Going to university was less about education for Cleo, and more about getting out from under her mothers thumb. Nestled safely in her dorm room she'd have complete freedom to live out her life anyway she saw fit. There would be no one to demand she act a certain way or live a life that was picked out for her.