Under the Wicked Moon: A Novel by Abe Moss

Author:Abe Moss [Moss, Abe]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-03-01T16:00:00+00:00

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It was easy enough. Through text, it was almost too easy. Jessup agreed on a date that evening, promising he’d have room by then for a burger. And that was that. It happened so quickly, under the streamlined influence of Dolly’s expertise, Maria hardly realized she’d just set up a date when it was done.

“See?” Dolly said once the details were agreed upon. “Fun stuff.”

Internally, Maria had to admit she’d never have done it without Dolly’s pressuring her. That wasn’t to say she didn’t want it otherwise. She did, on some deeper level just like Dolly assumed. But it was hard giving in to such things, when just the mere idea felt like wishful thinking.

“Let me help pick out your clothes. Oh my god.”

“What?” Maria asked, concerned.

“Nothing. I’m just excited.”

They spent nearly forty-five minutes altogether deciding what she’d wear. During the whole process, Maria couldn’t stop thinking to herself how grateful she was for Dolly’s help. And her energy. It was almost enough to replace her anxiety with some excitement of her own.

“Take off your hoodie,” Dolly said. “I want to see what this sweater looks like.”

“Can’t you just… look at the sweater?”

“I need to see it on. Off with the hoodie, I say!”

Maria removed her hoodie, feeling especially exposed even wearing a tank-top underneath. It wasn’t like the hoodie covered up the scars on her neck in the first place, but somehow wearing it was safer. The scars were all the more emphasized, she thought, when you could see the otherwise smooth skin beneath them. Dolly seemed not to notice at all. At first, anyway. As she stepped toward Maria to hand her the sweater, she paused. To Maria’s despair, Dolly’s eyes traveled down her neck and she frowned.

“What is that?” Dolly asked.

“What is what?”

“That thing you’re wearing.” Dolly stepped closer and reached for it. All at once Maria felt a wave of relief. “What is this?”

Dolly held Maria’s grandmother’s necklace in her hand. A leathery circle with strange designs. She turned it over, and her look of revulsion never changed.

“It’s a family heirloom, sort of…”

“You wear this all the time? I’ve never seen it.”

“I usually wear it under my clothes. But yeah… most of the time.”

“You’re wearing it tonight? Are you… sure?”

Maria took it from Dolly’s hand and tucked it down her tank-top.

“Don’t worry about it. He won’t see it.”

“Must be important to you,” Dolly said, her mouth twisted exaggeratively.

“It was my grandmother’s. And then my mom’s. Just think of it as a lucky charm.”

That was a lie. She wasn’t sure why she said it. Maybe she thought Dolly would understand that better. People had their superstitions. The truth was that the necklace wasn’t lucky at all, if you really wanted to consider that…

“Oh. I see.” Dolly smirked devilishly. “You’re hoping to get lucky, is what you’re saying…”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Don’t worry,” Dolly said, and winked. “I get it.”

Hoping to let the subject end there, Maria didn’t try to argue Dolly’s point further.

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