It was in the middle of the night and my only light source was a candle that I found in the house. I was sitting in the middle of my bedroom with my black book in front of me. I tried to once again open it but stopped once I realized it wasn’t going to budge.

“Okay... From the books I read on magic and dark magic if I want to get started with it I have to give up something of myself… It must be talking about blood since I don’t know what else I could give up from myself.” I lift a needle that I stole from Mae sewing kit and stab myself in the finger with it.

I held the finger dripping with blood over my black blood and let my blood fall onto it. My blood landed on the book and I looked at it with focused eyes, waiting for something to happen. I was getting irritated when nothing happened after a few minutes and was going to get off the ground when the candle in front of me went out.

It became completely dark and I could feel something else in the room with me. I couldn’t move my body off the ground and I hated myself for feeling scared at the moment. Why am I scared?

“Quen é este triste nena? (Who is this sad child?) Por que me chamaches aquí? (Why did you call me here?)” A voice that didn’t sound female or male was calling out to me from all sides. I shouldn’t be able to understand them but I could. I could feel myself being held by a dark figure but I still couldn’t move my body.

“O nena cheira tanto a odio, sufrimento e anhelo.(The child smells so much of hatred, suffering, and longing.) Por que é iso? (Why is that?)” I could feel a touch on my face that was trailing down like a tear. I could feel tears start to fall out of my eyes when that happened. I could feel the figures surrounding me grow restless when this happened.

“¿Temos medo, nena?( Are we afraid, child?) Non queriamos asustarche. Somos curiosos. (We didn’t want to scare you. We are curious.) Temos un forma que é adecuado para vostede, nena (We have a form that is right for you, child.)” The dark figure that I felt around me disappear for a moment before appearing in front of me again. The figure was a humanoid whose gender I couldn’t figure out.

It was an adult woman for a second, an adult man the next, a boy who looked to be my age, then a girl who looked to be my age as well, it was then an old man, then finally an old woman. It kept switching between different appearances like it didn’t know what it wanted to be.

“Desculpa. Pasou moito tempo desde que falamos cun ser humano. (Sorry. It’s been a long time since we’ve talked to a human being.) non recordamos a última forma que empregamos para os humanos. (We don’t remember the last form we used for humans.)” After a few more seconds of them changing forms they just settle on one that appears to be a child my age but their gender couldn’t be determined.

“Podemos saber o nome do triste nena? (Can we know the name of the sad child?)” The child-like figure sat in front of me with their hands in front of them. I didn’t know if they did that to make me feel safer around them.

“My name is Aurelia Giliam…” I felt a bit proud of my voice for not shaking as I answered this figure in front of me. I still had tears falling from my eyes and my body was still frozen in place with some type of fear but my voice didn’t get shaky at all. It was a small win for me.

“Ese non é o teu nome. Non queremos o nome desta nena. Queremos o teu nome. (That’s not your name. We don’t want this child’s name. We want your name.)” I could feel myself stop breathing for a while when they said that. How could they know that?

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“...I don’t remember what my old name is. All I have now is Aurelia Giliam.” Even though I felt nervous knowing that this figure knew I was someone else I didn’t try to lie to them. The figure in front of me grew quiet and I couldn’t tell what expression they had. I felt myself flinch slightly when the figure raised a hand to my face once more.

“Vemos. Cando recordas o teu nome, cóntanos. Pero polo de agora, usaremos o nome desta nena.(We see. When you remember your name, tell us. But for now, we will use this child’s name.) ¿Quere ter o noso poder? (Do you want to have our power?)” As the figure continues to rest their hand on my face. I was expecting it to be cold but it felt so warm to me...

“I want to be strong so that no one will be able to hurt me. I want people to see that I am someone that shouldn’t be looked down at.” I could feel my heart tighten as I told the figure this. I couldn’t tell if it was my emotions or Aurelia's emotions. Maybe it was the both of us…

“Escoitámosche e vémonos. Damos o noso poder e nós mesmos a ti. Só pedimos que faga iso a cambio. (We hear you and see you. We give our power and ourselves to you. We just ask you to do that in return.)” I could feel myself being surrounded by many things in the dark. I couldn’t tell if it was the darkness itself or something else.

“If that is what I have to do then I hope you will accept me and everything that I have to offer. I just hope you won’t hate what you get.” I could feel the tears on my face coming out faster but I made sure not to lose myself in my emotions. I can’t be weak in front of anyone. I always have to be strong.

“Que hai que odiar?(What to hate?)” I couldn’t tell exactly but it felt like the figure was smiling at me when they said that. The figure leaned in closer and kissed me gently on the forehead. When that happened it felt like something inside of me was changing.

I closed my eyes when I felt different negative emotions appearing inside of me at full force and countless voices of people scolding me, hating me, leaving me… It finally stopped and I couldn’t hear anything anymore.

I opened my eyes and felt confused that I was in my bed. Did everything that happened yesterday a dream? Did I just make that up? I ignored the disappointed feeling inside of me as I sat up in my bed.

As I was sitting up in my bed I realized I was holding something smooth in my hand. When I opened my hand I saw a medium-size blue stone in my hand. It felt so cold in my hand but it made me feel at peace as I continue to hold it.

As I was looking at this stone I heard a knock on my bedroom door. I looked at the windows in my room and I realized it was morning. Meaning Mae was here to wake me up and serve me breakfast. I permitted her to enter my room.

“Good morning Aurelia. I hope that you slept we-.” Mae gave a bow before looking at me. When she finally looked at me her expression changed into a concerned one and quickly moved to me, leaving the food cart at the door.

“Your eyes are so red and puffy. Did you have a bad dream? Are you in pain? Do I need to get a doctor?” Mae had her hand on my face as she looked at me with a worried look on her face. I raise a hand to my eye and touch it. It did feel rather puffy like I was crying…

The only time I remember crying was when I was talking with the dark figure. So that must mean it wasn’t a dream… They must have put me in my bed…

“It is nothing to be concerned about Mae. It was just a sad dream I had but I feel better now that you are here.” I smiled at Mae, hoping it would ease her concern a bit. Mae didn’t move her hand from my face for a while but did move away from me with a sigh.

“I see. Dreams can be horrible sometimes but never forget that you do have people who love you, Aurelia.” Mae was giving me a serious look when she said that and I could only give her a nod. I knew if I said anything I would bring up my “father” and my older “brother”.

“Oh, what do you have in your hand? Is that a magic stone? Where did you get that?” Mae noticed the stone I was holding in my hand and I was surprised to learn it was a magic stone. Did that figure give me it?

“...It was something I found hidden in the house. Can I keep it?” I gave Mae a pleading look and she gave me a soft smile as she nodded her head. I felt myself ease up when she gave me the okay. Mae went back to my door to get the food cart she left there.

“Tonight your father and brother will come over to eat dinner with you. I can pick out clothes for you in the closet for dinner.” Mae was looking at me from the corner of her eye as she said this to me. I knew she wanted to know how I would react to this news and I made sure to keep my face completely flat.

“I can pick out the clothes for me. Also, Mae, if it is not too much trouble could you find me something like a ribbon that could hold this magic stone in it? I wish to wear it on my neck.” I rub the stone in my hand as I ask her this. I wouldn’t feel comfortable if I couldn’t have this stone with me safely at all times.

“I can get that done by today, Aurelia. Now make sure to eat everything on your plate.” Pinching my cheek, Mae left me to myself to eat my breakfast. I looked at the plate of french toast with bacon. There was a smiley face on the french toast and I couldn’t control the warm feeling that appeared in my chest when I saw that.

I ate my breakfast as I thought about what I should eat for my family dinner. I wonder if Aurelia has anything black in her closet? Black would be perfect for this dinner. It is going to be a depressing dinner so I should dress to match it.