Tera Lynn Childs - Myths, Mermaids, and Monsters

Myths

Stellas HeArt

Stella looked around the room that had been her home for all eighteen years of her life and thought of everything she would miss when she went away to college next Fall. The white canopy bed with sheer pink drapes and orchid silk bedding. The full-length mirror surrounded by twinkling white fairy lights that made her feel like a princess every time she checked her reflectionlike she did now. The mural she and her mom had started the winter before she turned ten. It was the one thing she could not take with her and the one thing she would miss the most.

Youre being silly, Stella told her reflection. Oxford is months away. Besides She smoothed an errant strand of honey-blonde hair.you can always autoport home whenever you want.

Her gaze shifted to the reflected view of the unfinished forest scene on her wall. A happy composition of deep green pine trees, rainbow-colored songbirds, smiling woodland creatures, and the glow of tree faeries among the branches. That winter, they had spent hour after hour painting, while Daddy worked tirelessly on his new curriculum for the Academy. Hours of laughing and sweating and painting each other on the nose. The memories were that much sweeter because they were the last she would ever have of her mother.

After the funeral Stella had never picked up a paintbrush again.

A knock at her door startled her out of her sad thoughts, and she quickly wiped at the tears stinging her eyes. How foolish she was being, crying over a past she could never change. The Christmas season must be making her nostalgic.

Um Stella? her new stepsister Phoebe called out.

She sounded nervous. Never good.

I have an itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny problem, and I could use your help. She paused before adding, You might want to bring an umbrella.

Stella took a deep breath. With Phoebe, the problems were never itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny. Shaking off her melancholy memories, she mentally formed a waterproof hydrokinesis shield around her body and pulled open the door.

Ow!

Stella winced as something small, round, and hard pelted her in the head. And then another. And another. Before a fourth could sting her scalp, she neofactured an umbrella and held it overhead.

She would not admit that she should have heeded Phoebes warning.

Phoebe, she snapped above the roar of thousands of brightly colored objects raining down on the living room, what in the name of Hera is happening?

I dont know, Phoebe shouted back. I was just sitting on the couch, daydreaming when these started falling from the sky.

Phoebe was pressed against the near wall, holding Daddys oversized hardcover Atlas of the Ancient World above her head. The little colorful objects bounced off the book, springing into the center of the room. Stella held out her hand and captured a few. She studied her handful, noting that the red, yellow, and green balls each had a little white S printed on one side.

Are these Stella squinted at her hand. candy?

Oh shoot! Phoebe edged away from the wall to stand next to Stella. Theyre Skittles. I was daydreaming about my favorite candy store, and how they have these beautiful rainbow-colored displays, and how they always remind me of the rainbow of fruit flavors, and She gestured at the raining candy, as if that should explain it all.

Stella had no idea what Phoebe was talking about. Of course, Stella frequently had no idea what Phoebe was talking about. She chalked it up to the cultural differences between girls raised in Greece and California.

But, intrigued by the daydream and the idea of a rainbow-filled candy store, Stella lifted her hand to her mouth and popped the candy inside. Her tongue exploded in a burst of flavor. She didnt think she had ever eaten anything quite as overpoweringly sweet.

She loved it!

Stella? Phoebe shouted.

Right, she said, pulling herself out of the candy-induced reverie. With one wave of her hand, the downpour ceased, leaving them standing in three inches of Skittles.

Stella stirred up the blueberries from the bottom of her yogurt while watching Phoebe shovel the Skittles into garbage bags by the bowlful. Maybe she should give Phoebe a hand, but she was having too much fun watching her stepsister labor over the results of her misfired powers.

I dont see why you wont just zap them all away, Phoebe complained. I know you can.

Of course I can, Stella replied between spoonfuls of blueberry yogurt. But you would hardly learn your lesson if I make your problems disappear. Youre just lucky Daddys not here to see the mess.

She smiled with satisfaction at the look of horror on Phoebes face, even if it wasnt really justified. Although Daddy could be a bit of a stern disciplinarian, he had a soft spot for Phoebe that made Stellas ears itch. He never let her get away with half the stuff Phoebe did. If Stella had been the one who visiomutated all the water in the house into glitter, she would still be grounded. Just like they were still finding glitter in the bathroom.

Hrmph. Stella would let Phoebe struggle a little longer with the manual Skittles removal before reversing the results of her misfire.

Hey, whats this? Phoebe asked from where she was digging rainbow candy from beneath the sofa. They feel like paintings.

Stella froze.

She had forgotten about the paintings shed hidden away so she wouldnt have to face the reminders of bittersweet memories. Paintings she hadnt laid eyes on in years. And now Phoebe was pulling them out into the light.

Wow, Phoebe said as she set the paintings onto the sofa and studied them. Theyre beautiful. Who painted them?

Stella set her half-eaten yogurt on the kitchen counter and went to stand next to Phoebe. There were four canvases. The first three were goddess portraits, commissioned by Hera, Athena, and Artemis. The fourth was a portrait of a hematheos woman with loose-flowing blonde hair, soft gray eyes, and a joyful smile.

My mom painted those, Stella answered, pointing at the goddess portraits. Then, facing the painting she could never bring herself to destroy, she said, And I painted that one.

Stella

Phoebes voice had taken on such a strange tone of awe and surprise that Stella couldnt help turning to meet her steady brown gaze.

Thats amazing. Phoebe shook her head, like she couldnt quite fathom the situation. I didnt know you painted.

Stella looked back at the portrait shed done, the portrait of her mother.

I dont.

As Stella flicked her hand at the room, sending the sea of Skittles back into oblivionexcept for the jarful she zapped onto her desk for latershe wished shed just cleaned up the mess in the first place. Then she wouldnt be facing Phoebes questioning look about the paintings.