Child of the Moon

When I reached the woods wisps of fog had settled on the ground winding their way through the forest. I took my clothes off, folded them neatly into a little package, and stuck them into the hollow tree stump of a gnarly oak. 

Despite the chilly breeze, my body tingled with excitement as I buried my toes in the fallen leaves. Today was a full moon, and not any full moon, but a blue moon. I relaxed my body, watching the small cloud in front of my mouth dissipate.

The moon had barely risen over the edge of the horizon when I felt the surge of its power flow through me. I stretched my arms overhead, reaching for the sky, before letting out a long, yearning howl. Then I fell onto all fours and let the transformation take its course. 

Just as I reached the last stage, I heard branches snapping behind me. I scrambled into the nearby bush, hoping the almost barren branches would keep me hidden from view long enough to complete my transformation. Footsteps echoed between the trees. I clenched my teeth, subduing the howl I felt forming in my throat. A few more seconds and I would be done. 

My fangs extended and my muscles tensed, I was a full wolf now. 

Immediately I pushed off the ground and ran into the darkness, rather than wait around to see who was coming. 

Branches cracked under my paws as I responded to the call of the moon. Trees passed by as I leaped across the ground. In my ears, the wind sang of freedom and my heart thrummed in euphoria. I let go of all that constrained me and gave myself over to my senses. 

#

Just as my muscles relaxed into their new shape, I heard footsteps rushing through the forest. Startled, I stopped wondering who could be following me.

I lifted my head and held my nose in the wind but found no trace of a pursuer or unfamiliar scent carried by the breeze. As I lowered my head, I rotated my ears to pinpoint the direction, but there was no sound, not even the rustling of branches in the wind. The forest was quiet, too quiet. 

Every muscle in my body tensed and my senses were on high alert as I moved forward on soft paws. There it was again. Whoever was after me was close. I lowered myself to the ground and concealed myself within the dark edges of the clearing, waiting for my pursuer to approach. 

Although he was quiet, a distortion on the other side of the clearing announced his arrival. I pushed myself lower to the ground, my fangs bared in a silent warning as I watched him move from one shadow to the next, skirting the edges of visibility with practiced steps. When the scent of Wolfsbane filled my nostrils, the muscles in my shoulders tightened. I knew who hid in the shadows.

Dizzy with my heart pounding in my ears, I sprang to my feet. Of all nights, it had to be tonight when the hunter would catch up to me, the one night I was not prepared for them.

Before I could decide what to do, the hunter launched himself at me, a silver knife glinting in his hand. I recoiled, leaping back just in time for him to miss me. 

Crouched on all fours, he lifted his head, training his hateful eyes on me. “Hold still, you miserable lycanthrope.”

I bared my teeth, a low growl rumbling in my throat, while I backed away, creating distance between us. 

“This is your last night.” He leaped to his feet and launched himself at me. 

Again, I jumped out of his way and avoided his attack. But I knew this would not be his last attempt. What was I to do? I had sworn never to hurt anyone again. I had never meant to kill anyone to begin with. It was an accident. I had been attacked. They had meant to kill me. I had just defended myself. 

Just like now. 

Lost in my memory, I did not see his next attack coming and howled in pain as he struck me with his knife, lacerating my shoulder blade. 

“Can you feel the Wolfsbane?” He giggled, baring his teeth in a manner that turned his mouth into a malicious grin. “One more and you are dead.” With that, he lifted his blade above my head, ready to strike. 

A mix of panic and hate surged through my body. I vaulted up, leaped at my attacker, threw him on his back, and buried my teeth deep into his throat. Blood gushed from the wound, dripping into my mouth and spreading across my tongue, down my throat. Overwhelmed by the metallic taste in my mouth, I bit down harder, tearing at his throat until the gurgling stopped, the whimpering quieted. 

I let go. 

#

Mortified, I stared down at the dead hunter, at the gashing wound in his throat, at the cold empty eyes. What had I done? Why did it have to end like this? I lifted my head to the sky and howled in sorrow, howled until my voice faltered. Finally, when all that remained was a faint whimpering, I let my head sink back down and sat with the body until the moon was high above the trees. 

As the sky cleared and the moon shone brightly, the shadows receded, revealing the full horror of what I had done. Self-loathing twisted my stomach into a knot, but I forced myself to look at the dead hunter, honor his death and acknowledge the life taken. No matter how much I wanted to pretend it did not happen, it did. 

I glanced at the moon in hope of consolation, but to no avail. It carried on unperturbed.

Eventually, I rose to my feet and bore my paws into the dirt. I started off at a slow pace, brushing away the leaves and digging up the ground. My mind skipped back and forth between chastising myself for killing the hunter and having enjoyed tearing into his throat. Gradually my pace increased until dirt shot out behind me, tracing muddy arcs as I dug into the ground. 

Unaware about the passing of time, I continued until the hole was three feet deep. Then I pulled the corpse into the hole and covered it with the dirt. 

When I looked up the moon was drifting out of sight, announcing the impending end of the night. I realized I was out of time and needed to return home before the neighborhood awoke. 

I rushed back through the woods, towards the tree trunk, towards my clothes, my car, my human life. All I wanted was to forget about what had happened, pretend it never happened, and return home to my cozy life. I tore my clothes from their hiding spot and dropped them on the ground. The gash on my shoulder ached, refusing to heal. I shoved my hand through the sleeve and pulled the sweater over my head, pulled up my pants and buttoned them. Then I jumped into my car and drove off, tires peeling out and flinging dirt against a nearby tree.

#

When I finally pulled into my driveway and got out of my car, my skin prickled as if someone were watching me, observing my every move. I gazed over my shoulder, my eyes darting from one house to the next, quickly scanning the neighborhood for whoever had their sights set on me. But I could see nothing particularly suspicious. There were no curtains being pulled to the side, no one lurking behind a tree, or the reflection of sunlight off a tele lens catching my attention. In fact, the neighborhood appeared appropriately deserted for this time in the morning. 

Except for my neighbor Ron, who was trimming the bushes in the yard, no one was out. Ron and I locked eyes for an instant before he returned his attention to the bushes and carried on. I rounded the car, more stalking than walking, glancing over my shoulder in skittish fits. 

The hairs on my neck tingled as I reached inside my car and snatched my backpack from the passenger seat. There was no doubt in my mind someone was watching me, yet I suppressed a growl and stood back up. No one could know about me or last night. 

With a brilliant smile fixed on my face, I waved at Ron, greeting him with exorbitant enthusiasm. He nodded at me in return, while his watchful eyes performed an alien autopsy on me. Despite the quivering in my insides, I confidently strode across the footpath up to the house, pretending not to take notice, hoping the blood had not seeped through my jacket. 

Once inside, I locked the door behind me, twisted the key sideways, secured the deadbolt, and fastened the chain. Only when everything was in place dared I exhale. But my reprieve was short-lived. The eerie feeling returned, more forcefully this time around, twisting my stomach and making me itch. I ditched my backpack in the hallway and rushed to the kitchen to pour myself a glass of water. My hands shook, and I spilled water on the counter. Perhaps it was just the memory of last night, but I felt stalked. 

After wiping the water off with my free hand, I gulped down half of the glass and set the remainder on the counter. My eyes wandered across the room and landed on the window above the sink. Who was that in my backyard? Hesitant, I approached the window for a closer look. 

Although much of the intruder was obscured by the rising morning sun, I sensed his hostile intentions. All my instincts, animal and human, went into high alert. My heart beat faster and I began to sweat profusely. I waited for the guy to come within view, and when he did our eyes met. 

Was it possible? I staggered backwards, my fingers searching for something solid to hold on to. That’s when he bared his teeth in a vile laugh and pointed his finger at me. “Nothing stays dead and buried forever. I’m coming for you.”