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I look around and see familiar faces looking at me. They look shocked. Not even the goddess Diana seemed to know what happened.

“Joan? Is that you? Where is Josh?” Jennifer asked me.

“Hello Jennifer. No I’m not Joan, nor Josh. I am both and yet I am neither.”

“Who are you?” Rhea asked.

“I am the one that they once were and the one they shall be again. I shouldn’t have awakened this soon.”

“What do you mean by that?” Jennifer asked.

“Now it’s not time for questions, my time here is short and I have a work to do. If I have time afterwards I will answer as many questions as I can.”

“What is your name?” Diana asked me.

“I have no name as I was never named.” I said and turned to Rhea. “Mother Rhea, I would be honored if you named me.”

“Me? Let me think for a moment.” She said.

“Just don’t take long. I have a job to do and not much time to do it.”

“I have an idea. Would you mind if I named you Cybele? It was how the Phrygian used to call me.”

“Cybele is a pretty name and was considered a powerful goddess. Are you sure you want me to use it?”

“Yes, you are my successor, so I think it is fitting you use one of my names.”

“So I shall use it proudly, even if it is for a little time yet. Now I have a job to do.” I said and went my way.

  

  

(Jennifer)

After she said that she simply disappeared. “What just happened here?” I asked Rhea and Diana.

“I don’t know, Jennifer.” Rhea said. “Do you have any idea Diana?”

“I don’t know what happened but I think we just messed with something big here.”

“How big?” I asked her.

“She is powerful, too powerful. I never felt such raw power before. We are probably dealing with something new here.”

“Diana, can you keep an eye on her?” Rhea asked.
“I’m on my way.” She said and disappeared too.

  

  

(Cybele)

I arrived inside the house living room. Richard Arnold is on the sofa, watching TV and drinking bear. The whole room reeks of alcohol.

“Richard Arnold.” I called his name firmly.

“WHAT THE FUCK?” He yells and drops his beer. “Who are you? How did you get in here?”

“Who I am and how I got here is not important. What is important is what you did to your son.” I said angrily.

“What kind of lies the little shit was telling now?”

“He never said a word I saw it all. You did terrible things to a child you should love and protect and I am here to pass judgment.”

“Who the fuck do you think you are bitch?”

“Quiet.” I said, waved my hand and he got quiet. “Sit and listen.” With another wave of my hand he did so.

“You have no idea the damage you did, do you?” I asked and he kept quiet. “I will allow you to talk, but keep in mind that if you don’t ask my questions accordingly I WILL stop you from talking again. Do you understand?”

He nodded his head and I could feel the fear in him.

“Good. You can talk now.”

“What do you want from me?”

“First I want you to see what you have done and then pass judgment.”

“Judgment? What did I do?”

“Don’t you know what you did? I’ll show you exactly what you did.” I then showed him everything he did to Tom through Tom’s eyes several times over.

After I finished showing him his crimes I asked him. “What do you have to say for yourself?”

“I thought the little shit asked for it. It was his fault my wife was killed.”

“YOU STILL DON’T GET IT?” I yelled angrily. “He was not at fault for her death. If it wasn’t for her, both would have died that day. You disgraced her memory and her love. She gave her life to save Tom’s and you blamed him for it, hated him, beat him and even RAPED him you bastard.”

“What are you going to do? Tell the police? You don’t have any evidence and the little shit is a trouble maker.”

“No, I won’t go to the police. I seriously thought of killing you, but that is not my way. I’ll give you a chance at redemption instead. I’ll give you a chance to honor your wife’s dying wish.”

“What are you going to do to me?”

“What am I going to do with you? You will see in a moment.” I said and his body started to change at my will. A few seconds later he become a 40 year old woman that looked a lot like Tom’s mother.

Richard looked at himself and screamed. “What did you do to me?”

“I just did the first part of your judgment. Now you are your wife’s older sister. I’m going to place several compulsions that will force you to act like the person you are supposed to be. I am also giving you all the memories she should have. If you redeem yourself and accept your fate you might find some happiness otherwise this will be living hell for you. The choice is yours Melisa. Richard Arnold no longer exists.” I said and made her sleep.

  

  

I went upstairs and into Tom’s room. He was there looking miserable and he looked at me.

“Who are you?” He asked me.

“I am someone that will help you, Tommy.”

“How do you know my name?”

“I know everything about you. I know what you father did and I know about the demon inside you.”

“YOU CAN’T HELP HIM. HE IS MINE.” Tom’s voice changed as the demon took over.

“Quiet. You are wrong, he is not yours and never will be.”

“You can’t do anything. You are too late.” It said and laughed.

“You are wrong about that.” I said, reached for him and my hand entered Tom’s body. I grabbed the demon and pulled it away from him and Tom collapsed on his bed.

“I told you. You are too late. The boy won’t live long without me.” It said.

“You are wrong about that demon. Now go back to whichever plane you came from and never come back or I will destroy you.” I said and banished him.

I moved next to Tom and kneeled beside his bed. “Tommy, can you hear me?” I said gently.

“Is it gone?” He asked me.

“Yes, Tommy. It is gone.”

“Good. Am I dying? I feel so week.”

“Unfortunately yes, but I can help you.”

“But there is a price, isn’t there?”

“I won’t lie to you, yes there is. When dealing with gods or demons there is always a price to pay.”

“Then I’m happy to die finally being myself.” He said sadly.

“The price for my help in healing you and easing your pain is one I’m sure you will be willing to pay happily.” I told him.

“What is your price?”

“You will be bound to help and protect Joan and her friends. She needs all the help and support she can gather.”

“Why her? I was terrible to her for years.”

“In time you will learn why, but you will need to win her trust and friendship. What I really want you to do is for you to become the person you used to be before.”

“Is that it?”

“Yes, that’s it. I will give you a gift to help protecting Joan and her friends. This gift will heal you and ease your pain. Also it will give you a few other things that you will find out at the right time.”

“Okay, as long I am in complete control of myself and not be forced to do thinks like the stuff that thing made me do.”

“You will be in complete control, but will be unable to hurt Joan and her friends, that’s the only restriction.”

“What about my father?”

“He no longer exists.”

“Did you kill him?”

“No, I didn’t kill him. I just changed him into your mother’s older sister. She will care for you in a way that your mother would like you to be cared for. I gave your father, now your aunt a chance of redemption. Don’t hold what your father did to you against her.”

“I’m glad. I won’t hold what he did to me against her.”

“Good boy.” I said and gave him a little kiss on his forehead and he promptly fell asleep.

“Sleep wee, Tommy. You will feel a lot better when you wake up.” I said softly and left.

  

  
I went back to Rhea’s house where they were already waiting for me.

“Hello girls. I hope you enjoyed the show. After all Diana was there watching over me and showing you all that happened.”

“You knew about that?” Diana asked me.

“Yes, Diana. I could sense you there watching over me.”

“And you are not mad we spied on you?” Jennifer asked.

“No Jennifer, I’m not mad. I understand your concern.”

“You did well there, Cybele.” Rhea told me.

“Even by changing Tom’s father gender?”

“Even then, many gods would have killed him for what he did, or change him into an animal or a plant. You gave him a chance at redemption though.”

“I think it is Joan’s heart influence. There is much of her in me.”

“Will I ever see her again? And what about Josh?” Jennifer asked me.

“Yes Jennifer, you will see them both in a few minutes, my time here is running out. I was awakened too soon and they are not ready to be me yet.”

“What exactly are you?” Diana asked me.

“I don’t know.” I answered truthfully.

“What do you know?” Rhea asked me.

“A long time ago I was complete, then something or someone split my spirit in two, cursed to never be complete again.”

“And that is Joan and Josh?” Jennifer asked me.

“Yes, they are my latest reincarnation. For eons I was cursed to never be whole again and by some twist of fate both parts of my spirit were infused inside two embryos inside the same womb. Each half recognized the other and tried to merge again, causing a physical merge but the curse prevented the spirits to merge together. The internal turmoil caused Johnny to try to kill himself. That was when you came into the picture Rhea. You saved my, our lives and gave us your essence allowing us to break the curse and finally become whole again. I’ll wait eagerly for the day I shall be whole once more, but for now it is time for Joan and Josh to return.”

“When will they become you definitely?” Jennifer asked me.

“At the end of one of their lives. When that happens I will become whole again. Until then they share a special link that will allow them to life full lives and they might become as powerful as gods themselves because of Rhea’s essence.”

“But I didn’t give Josh much of my essence.” Rhea said.

“No, but they share it through their link.”

“Will they remember what happened?” Diana asked.

“Yes, but will feel like a dream to them, but now it’s time for me to go. Goodbye everyone and Rhea, I will always treasure the name you gave me.” I said let myself go and a white blinding light filled the room.

  

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To be continued....