Captured (A Modern Medusa Story)

CHAPTER 6: AVERISTA♥️

I watched the fireflies at the little garden behind our trailer.

I wished I was a firefly. It was way better than a gorgon. Smaller, more petite, and more refreshing to look at. Nothing scary. No snakes for hairs, scales for skin, forked tongue, or anything that could make you jump off a cliff out of terror.

Fireflies were pretty plain and decent.

I was not.

“Avery,” my mother’s voice called from behind me. “Come on inside. It’s getting cold out there.”

I liked the cold. But I liked not worrying my mom more. She ushered me off the steps where I sat and got me back inside.

“Aren’t you having a shift tonight?” I asked after she closed the door behind me.

The warmness inside our little cove of a trailer immediately embraced me, making me wish to go back outside again.

“I was, but my boss called and said I could have an off tonight,” she marked.

Feeling glad, I smiled at the thought of finally having some time with my mother. But all she had was a sad expression on her face.

“Isn’t that supposed to be good news, Mama?” I looked at her, confused.

She sighed. Her eyes skimmed around like she was searching for an answer to fit my question, but couldn’t find it in her head or even outside her head.

“Um, yes,” she cleared her throat and took a sit on the couch. “But I just can’t stop thinking about my darling Phebes. I wonder if she’s okay.”

“Mama . . .”

I dropped myself next to her.

I didn’t like her words. Especially the ‘my darling Phebes’ part. I tried to remember the last time my mom referred to me with a term of endearment, but failed to bring back the memory. There was no memory.

“Do you feel that sad too when you leave me, your very own daughter, home alone?”

The words left my mouth unfiltered.

Mama looked at me weird before giving me a stern, “No.”

“What?”

“No, not really. I’ve never felt a tiny bit sad or worried.”

Ouch.

“So you aren’t even sorry for abandoning your daughter in this place all alone with my nightmares and no one to help me calm down?”

She shook her head. “Of course not. Why would I?”

My eyes stung. How dare she?

“Wh–why?” My voice trembled, wishing I could drop it and live without knowing why she was acting like this.

Mama chuckled and grabbed my hand.

“I didn’t raise my daughter the easy way. And that’s what makes me confident enough to leave her by herself despite the risk.”

I stared at her, bewildered.

“My daughter isn’t weak,” she stated. “She’s the bravest person I know. She can handle heavy shit. In fact, she can walk through fire and come out unscathed. She’s that kind of girl. A woman of steel, and I love her for that.”

By the time she finished her last sentence, I had already tightened her hand on mine.

“I love you.” I smiled.

“Don’t forget that Phebes isn’t that kind of girl. She’s lonely, fragile, disabled, and without a mother. She needs someone to lean on. So don’t ever think I love her more than I love you because you’re both equally my daughters.”

Mama moved forward to pat my shoulder.

“Can I ask you something?” I cut in.

She nodded. “Yeah.”

“Will you always love me no matter what I am?”

My heart raced at the question, but I didn’t let it show.

“As long as you’re from my womb, I would always love you. You’re a part of me, Avery.”

“Will you still love me if . . . I wasn’t me?”

Mom stared at me, conflicted.

“What do you mean?”

“Will you still love me if I was someone else . . . or like–something else?”

Her face scrunched in confusion. Then it hit me how stupid I sounded to ask such a thing. There’s no way she could love me as monster. Avery was her daughter, not that monster.

“N–Never mind.” I let her go and quickly got up, trying to change the subject. “Forget what I just said.”

Mom chuckled before getting up, too.

“My daughter speaks a lot of gibberish these days," she whispered to herself under her breath before following me and putting an arm around my shoulders. ,"Help me make dinner?”

“Of course.” I led the way to the confined place we called a kitchen. “What are we making?”

“I was thinking some tortillas and chicken soup?” Mom pointed out in excitement.

“Sure,” I laughed at how her eyes glowed like a child about to get her candy. “Isn’t that a little too lavish for our destitute selves?”

“Avery!” Mom gave me a disapproved face.

“Oops,” I raised my hands. “That was meant to make you laugh. Sorry.”

She hated it when I spoke lowly of us. Though in serious reality, I needed to get a job if she really wanted to eat chicken seven times a week.

“Tortillas and chicken soup it is, no objection.”

“At your service, my queen.”

I held back a laugh. She never really appreciated a change of mind.

Mom proceeded to check the cupboard while I grabbed a skillet and other utensils.

Then she gasped.

“What?” I looked at her.

She cursed. “We are out of salt.”

Porcelain clear and heart-breaking enough to leave me cursing too.

“Don’t worry, I’ll go get us some.”

I moved to grab some change under the cookie jar, only for her to try to stop me.

“You do know that the closest shop is like thirty minutes away from here, right? On the other side of the street?”

“It’s okay, I’ll make it fast.”

“And It’s already dark outside,” she worried. “Probably unsafe.”

“It’s okay. I’m your woman of steel, after all.” I winked.

Mom chuckled.

“You’re such an idiot, you’re making me regret calling you that.”

I laughed, making my way out.

“I’ll be back in no time, I promise. Is there anything else you need?”

Mom smiled before giving me an entire list of unnecessary groceries. I was starting to think it was all a trick for her to make me go get her stuff. Maybe it was.

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