Dancing in the Past

Moondagger travels through the country. Her aim is the great town London where she hopes to find a home and Jellicles who accept her. As the night begin the travels through a field with some trees. Something makes her to go to the trees. As the comes nearer to the trees she notices that the trees are standing in a circle. Slowly the enters the circle. The moonlight fell exactly in the center of the circle. Moondagger stops and looks carefully around. She has never saw such a scene. Suddenly she hears a noise. Her ears go forward. The noise came form nowhere. The noise becomes louder and Moondagger recognizes the noise as wonderful music - Jellicles music. Now her insticts tells her that this night is a special one. A night which is celebrated by all Jellicles around the world. The music forces her to come out and dance in the moon shaft. Slowly she begins to dance. Her movements are carefully but when the music turns faster and louder her body begins to follow the music.

After a while she notices other moverments around her. A tom cat helds her hand and they two dance together for a while. Moondagger sighs and looks at the tom. He is big, she notices, and… familiar. His colours are the same as hers. "Who are you?" she asks. The tom laughs warmly. "I'm your father, little Moondagger. You doesn't remember, eh?" Moondagger shakes her head. No, she doesn't remember anything from her family. What she knows is that her whole family died long ago in a great fire. She was the only one who survived. "I remember only the great fire." she says unsure. "The great fire… Yes, I carried you out and returned to rescue your sister and brother. But I failed and died with them. But let us talk from something else. Now, you are a beautiful queen. Have you think about living with a tom?" Moondagger is totally surprised. This tom shall be her dead father? But he is dead! "You cannot be my father!" she cries out. "My father is dead! Go way. I don't want to talk to you anymore!" The tom stopped dancing and both arms come around her. "Yes, I'm dead. But it is not impossible that I am talking to you. This night is special. In former times all Jellicles celebrate the Jellicle Ball at this night. I say all… every living Jellicle and every dead Jellicle. Only by some special places like this one we can dance together. Moondagger, watch with you heart and listen with your heart. What does your heart say to you?" Moondagger opens the eyes widely. The words of her father have started memories and her instincts tells her that every word was true. But her mind tells her that this cannot be true. "You have to belive in magic. You have some abilities, Moondagger. You use it but you think that this is something every Jellicle can learn. It is not! It is pure magic. How else can you hide yourself in the shadows so nobody even a wizard or warlock can find you?" "Am I a witch?" Moondagger asked. She has heard of that special sort of Jellicles. These ones possess magic in a strong way to heal, to fight or even to destroy. "You are not a witch. I told you that you have special abilities. Your magic has spezialized into three abilities. First of all thing is that you can hide yourself. The second one is that you never fail when you have to defeat yourself in throwing stones or small daggers. But do not use this ability to attack someone. If you do so, your magic will left you! The third ability is that your magic will warn you for danger. So your instincts tell you always the truth. Listen to your instincts and follows them. They will rescue your life." The tom has started to dance and Moondagger hurries to follow him. "I will never forget your words, father." The tom fades slowly away as the music fades away. "We have to go now, dear. The night is soon over." "Please, one more question." cries Moondagger. "Then asks." the tom's voice comes from a far distant. "I'm so alone. Will I find a tribe which will accept me?" "You are never alone, Moondagger. Listen to your heart, we will stay with you for ever. Good bye, daughter and know that we will always love you and we are very proud of you." This time a female voice speaks. Moondagger sees a silver queen standing next to her father. "Good bye, mother, father. Hope to see you again." The cats fades away and the music stops. Moondagger's dance comes to its end. Alone she stands in the circle of the trees. The moonlight fades away and she can see the first shafts of sunshine. Moondagger looks up. "Thank you both!"

Moondagger stays several days at the field. But neither the moonshine falls in the middle of the circle nor the music starts and her family appears. The special night was over and Moondagger turns around and goes her way towards London. Now she knows that there are some Jellicles who accepts her and even loves her. Why shall they be the only ones?

Back