The Calling Suivre l’histoire

Darya was sitting on the beach sand. She loved that feeling. The sun, the blue sky, the green sea, and the calm. She had already traveled all over the northeast of Brazil, but the waters of Porto de Galinhas made her feel different as if they invited her to come to them.

As long as Darya remembers, her relationship with the sea has always been very strong. Her own name means "sea", although she never understood what made her mother choose that name. And she couldn’t ask, since she died after giving birth.

So, at least once a month, she would go to the beach and imagine her mother with her. At the same time, she felt the wind on her skin, the warm water on her feet, and the sweet hope of seeing her mother again.

The image she had of her mother was from the photos her father kept. A short woman, in her 30s, with long black hair — which gave her a majestic look —, green eyes, and a body full of curves.

Darya, on the other hand, looked a lot like her father. She had black skin, dark brown eyes, and curly hair. She was short like her mother and her harmonious lips reminded of hers.

She liked to think that her mother’s voice looked like Catherine Willows from CSI Las Vegas. It was her favorite show and fantasizing that her mother had such a sweet, motherly voice brought a sense of peace.

It was late in the morning and she was ready to leave. She doesn’t know if the great sun exposure was making her hear things, but she started to hear a voice calling to her. The voice did not sound like Catherine Willows, but it could be even more sweet and motherly.

— Darya, honey, come closer.

The girl looked sideways in an attempt to identify the voice but to no avail. There were people at the scene, but none seemed to speak a word to her.

— Don’t be afraid, my love. Come to me.

She thought it was crazy. Go as far as where? She couldn’t even recognize the owner of the voice, let alone follow her.

— I am your mother, Darya. Come to the sea.

What? What do you mean? She couldn’t think straight. Had her wish come true after 20 years of insistence?

Moved by curiosity, she got up from the ground covered in sand, and approached the sea.

— That’s right, my sweet daughter, come closer.

The voice became increasingly audible and perceived by the expression of the people around it, no one listened but her.

— How do I get there? — she asked out loud.

— Walk on the water.

— What? — she cried out.

The tourists who were close threw an interrogative look at her, but not getting answers, they dispersed.

— You have my blood. You can.

What was she saying? That was not humanly possible.

— Try. Come on, just visualize yourself doing it.

Darya bit her lower lip, intrigued. So she took the first step and visualized herself on the water. She wasn’t moving on her own like she thought she would. In fact, her feet obeyed her like a walk on earth, but unlike the dry ground, the sea had a sensitive touch beneath her bare feet.

— I’m succeeding! — she exclaimed cheerfully.

She looked back a few times, but people seemed blinded by their own lives.

— They can’t see you. Keep walking.

As the girl moved further away from the shore of the beach, she was closer to her destination. Her heart was pounding like never before, her hands were sweating nervously and she was breathing deeply, trying to calm down.

Already far from the shore, Darya was in the middle of the ocean, but now, with an admirable figure in front of her. She was exactly like in the picture, but her long hair swayed with the strong wind. She wore a gold cloak and a gold crown that contained drawings of eight rays and dozens of stars.

— Hi, Mom. — she said thrilled.

— Hi, love. — Anahita, as she was called, hugged her daughter after 20 years of distance.

— I missed you. — confessed.

— You have no idea how much I felt too. — Anahita stroked her hair.

The two of them didn’t want to part, but there wasn’t much time.

— What is going on? I walked on the water! — She passed her hands over her face nervously. — How?

Anahita touched her daughter’s arms, passing tranquility. — My name means "lady of the waters", I am a Goddess of Ancient Persia. And even though we’re in Brazil, my power exceeds territory.

— If this is so, why did you never use your power to stay with me? — she cried.

With a sorrowful look, Anahita replied:

— I couldn’t do it. Being a goddess requires sacrifice. If I am in human form, I am entirely vulnerable, powerless. And that’s how I died. But when I take my place of origin, I have all the powers, but I can’t visit the land and have no contact with humans. Only today I was able to communicate with you because your power has grown, breaking old barriers.

— My power?

— You are a demigoddess. Which means my power runs in your veins. But only you can decide what to do with it. Use it wisely, my child.

— I will.

Mother and daughter hugged one last time. Darya closed her eyes enjoying those sensations. And when she opened them, she was back in the sand.

But something had changed. She felt. And from then on, your life would never be the same.