Blood Moon Knight

V

Jackie sat staring at the computer screen, reading and rereading the "translation" that appeared out of nowhere Marco's first day looking through his parents' records. She had a slight scowl on her face, and repeatedly tapped her right index finger on the desk, next to the mouse.

Marco chuckled ... silently; partly to be polite, but mostly to not provoke her. When first they dated, and Marco attempted to make good on his pledge to get to know her better, he quickly learned that Jackie's chill demeanor was somewhat of a façade. Lowering the mask only in private, for a fair number of raucous arguments, it remained intact at least until he no longer communicated with her regularly. Over the past few days he had decided that, in the intervening years, she lost the need to put on the airs of a laid-back surfer chick, letting her full personality shine out.

A personality that included a temper.

"So," Jackie began frostily, her tone figuratively lowering the temperature in the room by a few degrees, "when were you planning on telling me about this."

Marco was taken aback. "Um, never."

"Why?" Jackie growled.

"What do you mean, 'why?'"

"It's a pretty simple question, Marco."

"I don't understand; how is it important?"

"You don't see how a translation such as this is important?"

"Translation? That's not a translation. That's ... 'sleep typing.' It's not real."

Jackie's comportment immediately softened. "Okay, I can see how you'd view it that way. But do you still think so, given this 'Blood Moon' inscription we just found?"

Marco did not fail to notice Jackie's use of "we." He thought for a few seconds, then replied, "Yes. It's a 'translation' of an inscription in primum runes, correct?" Jackie nodded. "And nobody, not even my parents, have ever been able to translate them?" Jackie again nodded. "Then how the hell could I have translated them, asleep or awake? What else could it be but a coincidence? I saw a blood moon the night I was shot; to use your favorite adjective for me, it was just my stupid mind playing stupid games and winning stupid prizes, based on a memory."

Jackie visibly winced at Marco apparently having taken her "stupid" accusations to heart. "And the fact that both also speak of bound souls?"

Marco shrugged.

"Only yours includes the bit about 667 years, and is much more poetic, so maybe it is just a coincidence, but, man, it's one hell of a strange coincidence." Jackie glanced at Marco. "But then, things sure have been strange with you."

Marco really didn't feel like going there at the moment. He sighed, leaned back in his chair, stretched and yawned. "Maybe we both need a break." Marco thought for a few seconds. "I think I need more than a few minutes break. Let's bag it for today, then how about tomorrow we do something fun. Pick you up noonish?"

"Sounds like a plan."

— OoOoO — O — OoOoO —

The next day, Marco stood at the door in front of Jackie's house, now officially hers since her father's passing. He knocked, then after a small wait Jackie opened the door.

Jackie wore a light blue, sleeveless, summer dress. Getting a good look at Marco, she chuckled and said, "Wow. You look so ... fancy."

Marco had blown his hair into a neat coif brushed back from his forehead, was wearing a blazer with a gray shirt and jeans, and, weirdly, had chosen to put on a blue bow tie.