The daughter of the moon

There she was, white as snow, under the glow of her mother, the moon, her shoulder slightly exposed and her head tilted, admiring the reflection of the moon in the lake. I walked through the trees just to gaze at her beauty: her wavy hair falling over her back, the wind gently moving it.

I had heard the legend before, but I never imagined that old children's story could be true. My grandmother used to tell me that this girl was born on a Monday and that, because of this, the moon was always on her side. She admired the moon every chance she got and talked to her about everything and nothing, sharing her problems and worries. According to the legend, at 17 years old, the girl faced problems of the heart—but not physical ones. I wish they had been physical.

The grandmothers say that on a full moon night, she went out to her balcony and, crying, begged the moon to bring her beloved back, ignoring all her grandmother's warnings not to ask the moon for favors. Desperate, she asked for advice and said:

—Beautiful moon, you who listened to me in my sorrows, you who know I have admired you since I was little, you who light up my nights, you who heard me when I pleaded for a lover, you who, along with my friend the sea, brought him to me, and now that the time has come to pay, since I have no wealth to offer you, you are taking him away from me. Please, have mercy on me, I have nothing to give you but my devotion. Please, don't take him away.

But no matter how much she pleaded, the moon, jealous, saw the admiration the young woman felt for the boy, and so she hid among the clouds and ignored her pleas.

In an act of desperation, the young woman continued wishing, talking, and begging. The moon came out again over the sea, which began to stir slowly, and decided to speak:

—The moon and I gave you the love you desired so much. I gave it to you, and I will take it away —the tide kept rising at the sea's words.

—And I, who have nothing else to take as payment but the young man, can do no more for you. But you refuse to understand. I am tired of your whining, so I have decided that I will silence you and teach you not to cry for the rest of eternity.

And with the moon's sentence, the young woman fell to the ground, her body trembling, her skin turning even whiter, and her hair beginning to darken like the night.

In the village, they say that the sea took her body and that she only returns from the waters on full moon nights.

I walk up to her, and there is nothing but silence, too much silence. She sits to watch the reflection of the moon in the lagoon, and I sit beside her. Startled, she moves away from me, and I can see the fear in her beautiful face. How could such a beautiful woman end up suffering for love? I approach the girl, and she moves away even more.

—I only want to help you. I know how to free you —I whisper, and she looks at me, shocked, with those gray eyes. She moves a little closer to me, and I smile—. You are the daughter of the moon; I know your story, everyone does —I tell her, and she approaches me with curiosity.

I come closer and give her a hug, the strongest I can. I am not afraid; I cannot be afraid. She smiles and hugs me back, but the moon, who sees everything, observed us and decided to speak:

—Oh, little one born on the day of Venus, I still remember you. The day you were born, there was a waning moon. I should punish you for trying to help that poor cursed soul, but you belong to Venus, not to me, so I can do nothing to you.

—Is there any way to free her? —I ask, looking at that girl with her head down.

—Even if I wanted to, I cannot. She is paying the price for her wishes; she has nothing left to give me but her devotion.

—Will she never be free? —I ask, trying to deceive the beautiful moon.

—The person who could free her died decades ago; there is nothing to be done for that poor wretched soul. She is doomed to live like this for the rest of eternity.

The moon's words echo in my head. The girl looks down and places her hand in the sea. When she pulls it out, she holds a pendant. She extends her hand and places it in mine. With a slight smile, she nods and begins to walk into the sea, slowly disappearing, leaving trails of light as the foam consumes her.

I decided to go back home, and once there, I see that old pendant. When I open it, I find a picture of the girl with a young man. In her face, I can see life; her brown eyes and slightly lighter hair. She was incredibly beautiful. You can see the love she had for the young man, but, on the other hand, the young man, also incredibly attractive, does not seem to love her in the same way.

At that moment, I understood that the moon and the sea were not punishing her; they were protecting her from what she desired most. And as I looked at the moon and that old pendant, I realized the story was wrong: the moon and the sea never punished the young woman; the young woman asked the moon to take her away, and in return, the moon asked for her devotion, while the sea fulfilled her request.