Soul of Moons: Snowden Olos... (Part 1)

[zarathrustra_ink]

Even with the threat of snow bristling across every corner, people were on the streets and in the restaurants, ready to spend money on a day that was designed to make people spend money: Valentine’s Day. Heart this. Teddy Bear that. What a joke. As if your celebration or lack there of determined how much love and devotion you felt for another person. (Read as: Commercialism in the streets. Consumerism in the sheets.) The holiday was designed to control the masses to the point that if you really think about it, your first time celebrating was probably in kindergarten. Maybe even earlier. Go ahead. Think about it. The best way to curve and mold a mindset is to start the brainwashing while they’re young.

Minerva usually worked this particular shift, but she was at home with food poisoning. Why they would call me of all people to fill her shoes was beyond me. Everyone at Charms had dubbed me “The Love Scrooge” so me being summoned seemed unnecessary and out of place.

Carefully, I removed the two pins from the left shoulder of my garment. On the other side I slowly, almost at a snail's pace, removed two more. I pulled the base upward from the mannequin so that everyone could see. “What do you think?” I had spent the entire night painstakingly gluing each stone, just so.

“It’s gorgeous.” Gingerly, Coral accepted my night's work. “How long did this take?”

I cracked my knuckles. “You don’t want to know.” I could hear Raina and Zo laughing in the hallway. They stumbled into the kitchen, clinging to one another.

“Oh wow! It came out perfect.” Zo plucked the fabric from between Coral's fingers. “How long did this take?”

“He said we don’t want to know.”

“Hey, don’t stretch it.” I reclaimed the gown before the “I had it first war” could break out.

“Where’s Garrett?” Raina asked, pulling out a chair. She flipped it backwards and sat so that she was still facing the table. “I thought he was helping with..." She made a gesture at my mannequin. "This.”

“I’m right here.” Garrett held up some red glitter heels. He nudged her with one of the shoes on his way by. “I just finished these. Will this work, Snow?”

I sat back down to inspect the straps. If Coral or Zo had… So help me… “My show is in a few hours. I wanted to give my outfit as much red as I could. I want to seem approachable and attainable.” I did a shimmy with my shoulders. “And yet, not.”

“Why?” Coral was sitting on her knees now.

“Because if one is to be believed, the father of this stupid holiday, St. Valentine, started this entire craze with his head being chopped off.”

“Wait…” Raina snapped to attention. Of course, she did. “What?”

“As fascinating as that may be, I’m more interested in your issue with today.” Garrett took the seat beside Raina. “What’s your deal, Snow?”

“Not everybody is itching to spend their last dollar because our good ol’ US of A compels them to do so.” I said.

Garrett nodded. “Uh huh. I get that, but it’s more than today. I remember at the wedding-”

“Okay, okay.” I threw my hands up. “I’m going to tell you a love story.”

“You’re going to tell us a love story or your love story?” The way Raina said “your” sounded like more of a threat than an inquiry.

"Mine." I was familiar with that tone and quite frankly, I was not a fan. A shiver ran up my spine; twisted with a memory long forgotten.  “My story.”

“Archer!” He was already thundering down the stairs before Coral was on the second call. “ARCHER!!!”

His face appeared before his shoes, signaling that he had tripped over his shoelaces or something of the sort. Fortunately for him, he caught hold of the door frame before his lips could kiss the floor. “What?” His gaze panned over every face at the table. “What’s wrong?”

“Do you really think I would call you from the kitchen for an emergency?” She joined the rest in their laughter. He failed to see the humor; as did I. When she caught my expression, she sobered quickly: “Snow said he’s going to tell us a story. I just didn’t want you to be left out. Are you busy?”

He selected a chair on the other side of the table, alone. “A story, Snow? What about?”

Raina smirked. “Probably about why he single-handedly goes out of his way every year to suck all the joy from Valentine’s Day.”

“That wouldn’t be a good story.” Garrett shrugged.

“But Snow's a great storyteller.” Coral interrupted. “Maybe it’s a tale of thousands of valentines twirling through the air, set ablaze one by one, encaptured by the smoldering gaze of a scorned lover.” She thought about it. “Or maybe it’s the gripping saga of hundreds of cupids slaughtering one another in the streets to earn the title of the one and only cherub to don the diaper and shoot arrows at unsuspecting-”

“Do y’all want to hear this or not?” I gathered up my gown and shoes. “I mean, there are other things I could be doing.”

“Oh no. I almost fell down the stairs.” Archer cut his sibling a glare. “We’ll be quiet.”

“More times than not, the first love you know is the love of your mother.” I began.

Raina leaned back in the chair. “Uh, no.”

“I said more times than not.”

“My mom’s love was my first love.” Archer said quickly. “Zo’s too.”

“Oh no, do not drag me into that.”

I rolled my eyes. “Did I mention I have something I could be doing?” I pretended to stand up.

“Wait! Wait!” Coral all but wailed. “Raina…”

“Sorry Snow.” Raina lowered her chin to the table. “Last interruption. I promise.”

I cleared my throat for dramatic effect. “Before there was the Snowden Olos you know, there was Snowden Mackery, preacher's son..."