Snow Moon

The February full moon is known as the Snow Moon, a celestial event that lights up winter skies. As the Earth tilts towards the sun, this lunar phase marks a time transition, offering a chance to embrace renewal and prepare for the promises of spring. In its path what we know as reality shifts allowing moon drops resembling snow to flutter down into hearts to give new beginnings. For those alone with a tiny speck of hope the Snow Moon fills them up remaking who they are, from the inside out. Twenty-five year old Margaret Montgomery didn’t believe in such hogwash but sighed wishing she did. The deep sadness pushing against the tiny fragment of hope buried in the sign marked broken dreams in her heart, nudged the sign further into the bottomless oblivion of despair creeping up her insides as her weight went with it.

Sighing she picked at her hangnail while eating her dinner for one, and blotting out tomorrow wishing it would never come. “I suppose I could see how much weight I have gained this week.” Margaret said out loud to nobody in particular while chewing at her toe nail freshy pulled off her big toe.

Banging on the wall from Mrs’ Potts next door,”Miss Montgomery, turn down that telly it’s keeping my babies awake.”

“You mean your mangy old dogs you fuss over!” Margaret shouted back, banging her chunky fist on her grease-stained kitchen wall. “Meh, another thing to clean tomorrow or the day after.” Margaret said, sighing. Scratching her blonde greasy hair with a long purple finger nail, she swayed side to side to ease her knee ache.

I will need to bend my knees to go down those stairs if I go out, she thought.

The scales on the floor by the side of her wide Smeg fridge strained at her weight, twenty-two stones showed on the dial,”I’ve lost two pounds, oh yeah it fell down the sofa with my dignity.” The scale showed she’d gained two pounds.

“Stuff it, time for a walk to fetch ice cream, treat time as it’s Friday night.” Looking around her narrow hallway to where her coat stand was being pulled by her heavy purple fur coat with purple check lining, Margaret went searching for her socks in her coat pockets, ”Purple all the way ladies, purple socks in my purple Docs. Now I can strut out in that winter wind in style.” Margaret said, looking at herself in the mirror by her front door. “Socks, coat, hat and boots in purple, watch me sparkle better than the sugar Plum fairy.” Slipping her feet into her purple Doc Marten boots and pulling down her trousers to hide the hair on her thick calves Margaret clicked open her door to the apartment block communal passage leading to the lift.

“Purse and keys first,” Margaret said grabbing them from the shelf under her hallway mirror and flicking off the lid to her own brand lip gloss M&M, in purple haze with a strong blueberry twang, “One of my five-a-day,” Margaret said, laughing at her tagline. 

Shutting her door with a slam she strode into the lift. Walking past and waving to Fred the night porter and thinking of ice cream by the time she got to the pavement.

Sticking out her tongue to taste the first snow Margaret pushed her hood back a little to stare at her path being lit by the moon. Fragments of light rested on the puddle in front of her. 

How I wish that hogwash was true, Margaret looked again at the glow and the snow falling on her dry pink nose, First snow filled her view and Margaret pulled in her tongue choking from the cold. A streetlamp highlighted a tiny object on the crosswalk nearby. Chards of snow fell onto the quivering object and it yelped.

A puppy? Margaret thought walking towards it, careful not to fall in the snow.

A car tooted near the crosswalk, “No, wait. The puppy can’t move. Hang on puppy.”

Margaret lunged forwards grabbing the puppy as the extended hoot of the horn filled her ears. She shut her eyes thinking the car had hit her.

Opening her eyes Margaret was in the arms of a handsome man with a bare chest and a multitude of necklaces around his neck. “What are you doing here?” He asked her. His deep voice replaced the ringing in her ears.

“Where’s the puppy?”

“I’m not a puppy.”

“I’m confused. I thought that car was going to hit me and the puppy, where’s it gone?”

“I’m not a puppy, I am a Wolf.”

“Erm, you are a guy not wearing much, why are your arms around me?”

“You put your arms around me and as a Wolf I hugged you right back.”

Wait a minute, where have all the shops gone?”

“Well your hug broke the purple mist holding me down so I transported us to my home.”

“Which is where.”

“Don’t worry once I feel better I’ll get you back there to the Snow Moon. Looks like you are full though as you ate loads of the stuff and will need to sleep while it does its work in you.”

“Who are you, where are we and what is Snow Moon? Do you mean the first snow I enjoyed? I love that stuff but someone always bumps into me if I try eating it in the morning. This is the first time since my childhood that the first February snow is here at night. Made my night.”

“What do you dream of being?”

“Slim, with hair that rarely looks greasy and a successful career as a Makeup artist.”

“What’s stopping you, that lip gloss smells great.” He waggled his ears while taking in a deep breath of Margaret’s lip gloss.

He may be gorgeous but boy is he close to me right now. His breath is warming my freezing face, Margaret thought.

Scratching his grey ear, “Er sorry about that, you smell so good I can’t stay away from you. I could smell you as you came out of that building and got trapped by the demon in his purple haze. But you hugged me out of the way of that speeding car. The demon had dived into the body of a nearby cabbie to end me.”

“Poor puppy.”

“I’m not a puppy.”

“I’m Margaret Montgomery, who are you?” Margaret said, pushing herself reluctantly off the firm abs of the bare-chested puppy man.

“I am a shapeshifter Wolf, hi nice to meet you. Thanks for saving my life. I’m Magnamay, Maggs to my friends. So you can call me Magnamay,” He laughed, with a wide gorgeous smile.

“Funny pup, not.” 

“I’m not a puppy but a Wolf.”

“Where's your tail then?”

“Here.” Maggs wagged his tail and puffed out his chest to give Margaret the best view of him.

“Yeah yeah stop ya posing.”

“Er, sorry, but you smell so good I have to impress you. Let’s go get some shut eye at mine. You’ll have to stay by me to get back to yours in the morning.”

Margaret looked around, “The moon looks the same.”

“Yeah, our realities share the same moon once a year, come on walk through the path down the river here. My house is at the bottom of the hill. My net has probably caught us some fish so we can eat before sleeping.”

Me sleep near a stranger, I don’t think so, Margaret thought. Zipping up her coat further and cutting her chin. “Ouch.”

Taking out a tissue from his pocket,”Here wipe it away with that.”

“Thanks. I feel kind of dizzy.”

“Yeah I thought you might, that’s the Snow Moon working.”

Swaying Margaret was caught by Maggs who pushed open the wooden door to his white brick house with his black laced up boot, to walk inside to place her on his purple leather sofa.

Hearing the crackle of something cooking, Margaret opened her eyes to see Maggs black, long, thick mane of hair glinting in the fire light, while he tended the fish by the fire. The front door of his home was kept open by his boot, while watching her sleep, roasting the catch.

“I’m hungry, is it ready?”

“Sure, want some?”

“What’s to drink?” Margaret said, sitting up. Her legs felt lighter so moving to stand up was easy. Not the usual grunt and groan of slow tugging motions to get her knees to work.

“Eat this while you take a deep breath in, this fresh magic air will speed up the work the Snow Moon is doing.”

“I thought I would wake up in A&E or a hospital bed thinking that car knocked me out and you were a dream.”

“Are you a fan of my abs?”

“My head aches, have you got anything for that?”

“It’s okay this fish will chase that away.”

Shimmering skin of the fish rested on a thick green leaf.

I guess I will unwrap it and eat it then, Margaret thought.

“Best to.” Maggs replied.

“Er sorry my thoughts are coming out of my mouth I seem to have lost my ability of inner monologue.”

“Yes, you already said I was hot and couldn’t wait to touch my bare abs again. My ears are sensitive, so be careful touching them. But touch my abs anytime, as you smell delicious, so I have to be close to you. My abs are yours M’Lady.” Maggs giggled.

They ate in silence, hearing the night sounds of nearby animals, while drinking hot tea Maggs poured into a black tin cup from a kettle hanging over the large fire. 

“Why are you wearing no shirt in the February snow near my building?”

“I am a Wolf, and I don’t feel the cold. But your delicious smell draws me close to you if you are outside.”

“Get some sleep and I will carry you back to yours tomorrow, just in case you want my abs again.” Maggs teased, those long white teeth moving closer to her face.

“Am I your prey?”

“I never said that.”

“But do you feel it?”

“I like your scent. I am fussy about who I like to be near. Many humans smell weird, but you smell mmm.”

Margaret felt sleepy and found herself lifted up by Maggs. “You can sleep on my hard abs tonight. My warmth will keep you from catching a chill.”

“What about you? Don’t you catch a chill.”

“Trying to save me twice in one night, looks like I might owe you my life as debt if this carries on. Wanna be my mate?”

“Nice dream-hard abs puppy.”

“I’m not a puppy.”

Margaret chuckled, falling asleep in his thick warm arms.

Sounds above her head had Margaret open her eyes to find Maggs asleep on the sofa with her tucked between him and the sofa. The shimmer to the ceiling stopped the rain from falling on them but let in the forest sounds. Looking up, Margaret traced the line of the dark tall trees to a collection of nests where small brown birds watched her cuddling with Maggs. 

Oh my gosh I slept with a man last night. Margaret thought.

“Nahh a Wolf with great abs remember?” Maggs laughed looking deep into her blue eyes with his yellow glow.

“I didn’t know you were awake.”

“Sure am, I have been protecting you while the Snow Moon does its thing.”

“What does that mean?”

“You’ll see when we go back to your realm through the thin veil from my home in the Snow Moon realm.”

“Sure.” Margaret said, sniffing his warm chest. He smelt of earth and fish.

 Hardly a fragrant perfume, Margaret thought.

Lifting Margaret in his arms to walk her out of his unusual home, he jolted her a little to reposition her in his arms to free one arm. Pulled shut his front door, muttering, “incantextus exodus,” and called,” fire out.” over his shoulder.

“Okay so you can do magic?”

“Sure, as a Wolf I can do many things, including having hard abs for you to like.”

Yawning, Margaret snuggled into his warm chest, closing her eyes while he thudded up the path,”One last look at my home stream before we leave again. Don’t suppose I will be here for a while.”

Opening her eyes Margaret nodded, “So calm here like a pocket of heaven.”

“Indeed, it is.” Maggs smiled, sniffing her lips and causing Margaret to blush.

“Are we there yet?” Margaret’s attempt to be playful died it’s death as the familiar sound of traffic woke her from her sleep in the muscular arms of Maggs. People stared at him bare chested carrying her down the main street to her building where she lived.

“Morning sir, back from your trip?” The night porter spoke to Maggs.

“Hello Ted, nice to see you again, yes we’ve both been away this time.”

“Have you been to your country retreat sir?”

“Yeah, something like that Ted. Press the lift button will ya, Madam here fell asleep in my arms again. She's got so used to doing that I wonder if I should sell her usual bed.”

“Very funny Sir, well, have a good day. Please ask Miss Montgomery to check her Instagram feed. She went viral last night while you were both away.”

“Pardon what was that Ted?”

“Don’t worry Miss M I have been watching your feed and your web site sales as Sir asked me to, the two weeks you were both away.”

“Two weeks?” 

“Time to go up now, we will take a look after a good cup of hot tea.”

“Yes, good idea.” Margaret was dizzy again so remained in Magg’s arms.

“Congratulations on your weight loss Miss M, wow you look like one of those models now.”

Inside the lift Margaret took a long look at her slender face, smooth long blonde hair and perfect eyebrows. Looking into the yellow eyes of Maggs she smelled his scent, “Are you mine?”

“Are you mine Margaret?”

“I think I am Maggs.”

“Then I am yours.”

Inside her cream apartment with clean kitchen walls and new pans, “Are we in the right apartment?”

“Yep, the Snow Moon makes changes everywhere. Look at your website and Instagram account.”

“So, the last time I was in my dowdy apartment my own brand of lip balm called M&M was selling a few hundred a week. Nothing to cheer about, My make-up artist clients loved my products but cringed at my hefty belly being near them.”

“Let's take photos of you now wearing your products. My abs that you love are right by you.”

“Sure, go ahead. Hold the products there and stand behind my purple sofa. I will sit here in front and say something.”

After making the reel Margaret uploaded it and that also went viral.

“What’s the first reel to go viral then?” Margaret clicked on the reel on her account and found it was them cuddling by the stream, with her sleepy, saying, “Feel like you are a million miles away when wearing our M&M own brand homemade products. Here's the pot where they are made. Maggs held a big silver pot with purple goo in it. Come visit us sometime when you smell our favourite scents.” 

Next morning Margaret Montgomery, makeup artist to a new all-stars client list went off to work. Each stroke of lip gloss had each star feel amazing. On their way home a car would appear and whisk them off to a secret retreat for two days. The car would drive through the realm barrier while the passenger slept.

“Welcome to M&M’s exclusive retreat,” 

“Thank you, it's just like M&M’s reel, how did I get here, does the car fly?”

“Something like that, but it is likely a dream from our special makeup at M&M, keep buying it to keep enjoying a regular trip to our retreat.”

“Well, I can go anywhere with my status.”

“Unlikely Madam, please wait for your transport.”

“Here I am, my name is Fluff, I am a Wolf, and you smell delicious.”

“I have a boyfriend you know.”

“I am giving you my time and my abs please enjoy during your stay.”

“Oh, I will.”

In the next few weeks, the night porter found himself employed as sales Manager of M&M makeup Artist Products, “Even though the M&M lip gloss has sold out, and stocks are continuously replenished, they are empty again before the moon is up. Do enjoy your trip to the retreat while I keep an eye on things here Mrs and Mr M.”

“Thank you, Ted, rest well and update the new night porter, the cousin of Maggs, so he knows to hide his abs most of the time.” Margaret said, laughing knowing that was going to be unlikely.

“Hi you two have some fun scampering about while I watch and wait here.”

“The veil will shut for a year so teach Margaret that thing you do.”

“Nope she hangs on to my abs and I’ll carry her here.” Maggs smiled, kissing his wife Margaret gently on her soft red purple lips.

“Time to touch your ears again soon my dear pup.” Margaret teased.

“I’m not a puppy.”

“I know, you are my Wolf.”

“With irresistible abs.”

“Yup and a need for my purple lips.”

“Yup, time for that campfire time, bye you two.”

“Bye M and M have a good trip.” Ted said smiling.