Under The Moon

Crashing Down

"Sera! Come downstairs, please!" My mother's voice echoed through the house, urging me to rise from my slumber. Groggily, I sat up, rubbing my eyes, and glanced at my phone. 11 am – I had overslept. An exasperated huff escaped me as I swung my legs over the bed, stood up, and stretched, reveling in the satisfying pops that resonated through my body. Lazily waving to my mom, I found her scrutinizing our new drapes with a perplexed expression.

"These are crooked. Clearly crooked. Right?" she pointed out. I squinted, standing beside her to inspect. "No, Mom, they're drapes. They're fine."

She sighed, "No, they are crooked, and it bothers me. But anyway, beside the point, I need you to run an errand for me. I forgot to get stamps, and I need to send out all of these invitations for your dad's get-together here at the house."

I nodded, rubbing my face, "Yeah, yeah. I'll grab them. How much do I need to get?"

"Grab about two pages and make sure they are the shiny-bordered ones... like the, uh—"

"Oh, the gold trim? Or do you mean the silver trim?"

"Grab one of each, and we can decide when you get back what looks better. Grab four silver from my purse and go get them for me, please. Make haste."

I scoffed, "Four silver? That's expensive for stamps." She rolled her eyes and smiled, "The rest is for you, a little treat of whatever you want on the way back."

Gathering the coins, I headed out to the post office on my skateboard before they closed. The spring air showered me with warmth, and I felt invigorated. As I skated, my phone buzzed, a text from Lillian. Excitement surged as I read it. 'Hey!' her text read. 'Doing anything today?'

I quickly replied, letting her know about the errands for my mom. 'Oh! Stamps? What for?' she inquired. 'My dad is throwing a little party and wants special stamps for his invitations.'

"That's cool, what are you doing after?" she asked. 'Probably going over to the Cookie Parlor and getting a snack before heading home.'

'How long do you think that will take?' she queried. 'Uhh, probably 5 more minutes to get to the post office, and then like 10 minutes to get to the snack shop. How come?'

She stopped responding, and I waited a few minutes for her reply, getting nothing. I shrugged it off and continued my journey to get the stamps. It didn't take long to acquire them and start making my way over to the Cookie Parlor, my favorite spot for satisfying cravings, where I often chilled with Aaron, skipping school. Plus, the prices were always fair.

I entered the shop, my skateboard tucked under my arm as I pushed a strand of hair from my face. Danny, the shopkeeper, rose from his chair behind the counter, greeting me with a warm smile. "If it isn't my favorite sweet-tooth! What are we craving today? A raspberry tart or perhaps a fresh mandarin pudding?" I waddled over to the display case showcasing delectable treats, zeroing in on the dark chocolate mousse cake slice. My finger slammed onto the glass, fixated on the exposed layers that promised an exquisite taste.

"That. I want that, right there." Danny hobbled over, retrieving the cake slice on a small plate and handing it to me. "Here you are, kiddo. Mama Sherry made that this morning, in fact. Last slice we got. It's been a busy morning, that's for sure. You lucked out."

With a small plastic fork, I indulged in a slow, deliberate bite, savoring every flavor and texture. Heaven, an absolute delight—an orgasm of the mouth. I licked chocolate from my lip and fished out spare change from my pocket. "What do I owe you?" He swatted his hand in the air. "It's on the house, girlie. Go enjoy it, and let me know if you want any milk boxes to wash it down with."