Ting… ting… ting-ling…
The soft tingling sound of the bell fell on my ears. I had a habit of counting its tempo whenever I prayed before going to school. The smell of the incense filled the air, the scent of rosemary palpable. It was quite milder than usual. The previous incense, in the flavour of lavender, was quite pungent and due to my allergies I used to sneeze so bad daily before school that my mom toned it down to rosemary. This time the tempo was forty five beats per minute, though it always rings in the same beat.
I know for a fact that when I open my eyes I would see the twelve Luminaries figures, but if I close my eyes tight and hard, when I open my eyelids there will be these special effects, more like some particles. It felt nice to look at these figures, though I don't know why I worship them every morning. I just do it because Mom said so.
I personally liked Terran. His face, all cracked and in the colour of dark brown and green with a veil of coal, was super cool to me. My friend, or my only friend, Elian, prefers Selune, a Luminary where she hugs the moons, cradling it like a baby. It felt cliché to me though it looks cute.
I looked around. A calendar hung up right next to the cradle. The date circled was none other than the date of my school trip: the second month in 2050, Month of Selune and the 4th day.
As I step down from the stepping chair, since the cradle was too high, my mom came out with a spatula and a flower apron upon her pink top and blue trousers, her hair tied in a freestyle, and yelled at me:
"Alyss, what did I say to you? Why didn't you fill up your water bottle for your trip?"
"Ma, sorry, I forgot. I went out to play with Elian."
"Gosh, you and him. Why don't you understand I got a little child to take care of, always making me do your stuff… here, I filled it for you."
I grabbed the water bottle. My mom gave my back a slap."I swear on Selune that if you keep on not listening to me, I will slap you out."
Right as my mom finished, my dad came out yawning with my little brother Leo in his arms and said in a loud grumpy voice,"Lina, stop yelling in the goddamn morning already, you woke Leo up."
"Well dear, it wouldn't happen if your son listened to me and done all his chores… gosh, I have to do all the work in the house, from taking care of Alyss, Leo, and your big blockhead of a mind."
"Don't use words like that in front of kids, Lina, they might catch up habits."
"The only thing they caught is your habit of lazing around."
My mom lifted Leo up. I felt a slight pang. I wanted to be lifted by Mom. I was being lifted it's not that I am heavy but ever since Leo was born my mom couldn't, and my dad was the one who always puts me on his shoulders.Right as I was about to turn around to leave, I felt a cold glare. My mom, with Leo in her arms, glared and said,"Alyss, don't you think you are forgetting something?"
I exactly knew that I forgot something, but I didn't know what it was. I guess I had to guess."Uhm… bye Mom, bye Dad, see you in the evening." My mom frowned, her lips twitching in anger, and yelled,"How many more times should I tell you the same thing? It's your trip, goddammit! You will be coming home after nightfall. Didn't I tell you to pray to Noctis before going? Hurry up, you need protection from the dark!"
Noctis Luminary of the dark… it's the one Luminary I hated. It's a figurine with a huge veil covering it. You can't even see its face. What's cool about being a Luminary if he can't even show his face?
I hesitantly stepped on the stepping chair, cupped my hands, and prayed.
Once I finished, I felt a familiar rumble. Looks like the bus had arrived. Guess I had to leave. Right as I stepped out of the doorstep, my mom pulled me in, brushed my hair, tucked my shirt, and gave me a kiss on my cheek. She used to kiss me on the cheek when it's something special.
She said,"Okay Alyss, be safe, alright? Always stay by the teachers, okay? Don't worry yourself. Play with everyone, be nice, and don't cry for your momma when you are scared."
"I don't cry when I am scared."
"Yes you do. Now enjoy your trip, Alyss."
And as I climbed the stairs, I could see my mother sending me off with Leo half asleep.
As soon as I got in the bus, the bus started. I sat in the familiar seat. No one around me everybody either in the front or back. Once I crossed the street of Block A, I immediately untucked my shirt, lifted it up, and saw my tummy. And exactly as usual there was nothing there, no swirls around my navel unlike others which ranged from one to many. I was swirl-less.
Most people get their swirls around four or five, but I, at six, still didn't have one. Though it's sure that everyone will get one before they turn nine, so I still have three years left, and I have to bear it until then. Then I could overcome the humiliation. People treat others who have lower swirls than them badly. People who range one to five often sit at the back of the bus and most people don't even sit next to them since they are Blights. But thanks to my mom and dad, who have more swirls, I am often accepted since they are a Hearth.
I felt a pat on my back and turned around and saw the familiar face: a boy a month older than me with freckles and brown hair, a bit bulky and taller than me, with green eyes. None other than my only friend, Elian.
"Alyss." He sat next to me. "What did your mom pack for you for lunch? My mom packed me pizza."
"I don't know. I woke up late."
"Did your mom kiss you on the cheek?"
"Uh—wh—at? How did you know it?"
"Cause I can see the mark, you idiot. Go wipe it."
I wiped the smooth yet crackly texture of the lipstick off my cheek.
Elian asked,"So any positive news yet?"
"Duh, no there isn't. I am still swirl-less. Thank god for my mom and dad I can sit in here and not in the back with those blights."
"Look at who is speaking, a boy with zero against ones. You sure are full of yourself."
"Shut up."
"Alyss, yesterday I saw my gramps reading a book and he fell asleep."
"My grandma does the same thing."
"Let me finish, Alyss. Anyways, I peeked and guess what I found."
"A way to eat cake as much as you want and not have a stomachache?"
"No, you dumbass. I read that there is a God who grants people swirls."
My eyes lit up."What? Don't lie."
"No, I am serious."
"Whoa, which Luminary is it? Marin? Vour?"
"No, it isn't the Luminary. The name was Seram?"
"Seram?"
"Yeah, that's what I read. Seram or something like this."
"…"
What's that look, Alyss? Why don't you give it a try? You might wake up with a swirl."
"I need to ask Mom though. If she finds out I'm doing stuff like this, she will smack me."
"Oh, are you scared of your mom's beating, scaredy?"
"No I am not."
"Ask your mom and try it. It might happen to ya."
"Yeah, I will."
*****
It was 20:00 when I came home. My dad, sitting on the couch, was watching TV."Dad, I am home."
"Oh Alyss, how was the trip? Huh, enjoyed?"
"Yeah, it was fun."
"Not quite energetic."
"Dad, where is Mom?"
"Your mom's taken Leo to the park. She will be back in an hour or less."
"Dad, can I ask you a question?"
"As long as it's not anything about your mom's favourites."
"No, it isn't about that. Dad, have you heard of Seram? Elian told me that he is a God who gives swirls."
"Well, I really have no idea in this stuff. You see, Gramps forced me to study and all, but I forget it by daybreak." He continued watching TV, petting the cat on his lap. "Ask your mom. She is into the historic stuff."
Right as my dad said that, the door opened. My mom and Leo, drenched in the rain, stepped in. It was unusual for rain; Everheat only had heat all the time, but rain came once in a while, and it would be steaming hot water droplets. My mom was drenched.
"Speak of the devil," my dad said, snapping his fingers. His navel glowing with seventeen swirls, my mom's and Leo's bodies instantly got dry, and all the dampness vanished into thin air. It's my father's ability. He could easily dry anything with it.
My mom stepped in with Leo crying."Oh wash your mouth, honey. Is that really the first thing you say to your wife when she is drenched with our baby?"
"We were just talking about you, Lina. Alyss got a question for ya."
My mom removed her coat, patting Leo's back."Alyss, enjoyed your trip? Hope you got your manners. I don't want your teacher making a fuss at the next review."
"Yeah Mom, it was amazing."
"And what is it you want to ask me? If it's something like why Leo got his swirls before you, I really have no idea, but you will get it since you are Mama's boy."
"He is my boy too," Dad interrupted.
"Can't you let us talk for moment without interrupting you us?"
My dad let out a dry chuckle and my mom asked,"What do you wanna ask, dear?"
I looked at her amber eyes."Mom, Elian told me that he saw in his grandpa's book that there is a God who will grant swirls if we pray to them. Can we pray to it, Mom?"
My face immediately stiffened when I saw her glare, sharp with anger. Even my dad sensed it. My dad called it the sense of danger he developed by being with my mom for fifteen plus years.
My mom said,"I will call Elian's mom and tell her that he is doing stuff like this, taunting you to do bad things."
"But Mom, he told me its name is Seram, that the God will grant wishes. Why do you say it's evil, Mom? We don't even know these twelve Luminaries but we worship them. Why don't we worship Seram too?"
My mom looked at me and slapped me in an instant, the pain stinging.
"Listen, Alyss. I don't want to hear the word Seram in my house ever again. Got it?"
My dad from the couch said, "It's mine too."
"Oh shut up, Theo."
My mom never called Dad by his name unless she was very angry, and now she called him Theo, which means I pulled the wrong strings.
"Sorry Ma."
"Keep your sorry to yourself. And no more words about Seram or anything ever again… and it's better to pray to the known rather than the unknown."
"Now stop crying or I will slap you again."
I snorted and wiped my tears.
"Let's get you to bath, Alyss. You are full of mud."
My mom held my shoulders, looked into my eyes, and said in a tone even my dad feared,
"Don't go around worshipping Seram. I don't want my boy to worship the devil who cursed us."