Fox and Her Warlock

In the town of Parrow, there is a curious witch going into the dark woods that has plenty of people, tourists or locals disappear there. Seluna deals with the dark magic that not many people know about and the coven is hidden within these dark woods. The odd thing is even the coven can’t figure out why everyone is going missing since their own warlocks and witches are part of the disappearances. 

Seluna Stone is one of those witches who try to be careful trying to go home back to the coven after dark. During the day she’s a school teacher for the town’s high school, Berrymoore High. At night she joins her fellow warlocks and witches for dinner and they do sleep in the same smaller town of Parrow that the other locals don’t know about.

The Fox Moon is a perfect hiding place within the woods that only warlocks and witches can gain access to by their magical blood or have been blessed by those who already lived in it. Every house is a wooden cabin, concrete roads don’t exist, the official buildings like the Moon Church and Moon Academy are mostly concrete and stained glass, and the main circle is the beautiful stone statue of the founder, Sana Hart and her fox companion, Vexxi looking up at the sky where the moon would be at its highest peak. 

Seluna felt lucky when she went past the last wall of trees hiding her coven, only to see her coven’s smaller town. She smiled in relief seeing no one disappeared this time. She walks through seeing warlocks and witches alike getting ready for the night to begin. Everyone lives in their own little cabin where it looks small on the outside but is bigger on the outside where it can fit more than five people if the warlock or witch wished. The biggest one is the Orphanage Cabin that can hold sixty people. Seluna was part of that cabin until she turned eighteen, she left the cabin to discover more of herself and her powers. Now being almost twenty-nine, she has her own cabin near the main circle of the town.

“Oi! Stoney!”

Seluna stops at the light post that was close to her cabin and turns her head to see Zaine, a fellow orphan she grew up with and still friends with. As Zaine stopped in front of her he had a smile with a new cut on his right cheek.

“Zaine, what did you do this time?” Seluna asked, forcibly grabbing his cheek to turn his head to the left to look at the cut more closely. Her eyes narrow seeing it luckily isn’t deep but will scar nevertheless. 

“I was fighting against the other warlocks for the upcoming festival duh,” he chuckled, swiping Seluna’s hand off of his chin in order to have his bright green eyes to look down to meet her dark ones. 

Seluna rolled her eyes the second they made eye contact. “You don’t need to be in the warlock battle y’know.”

“But I want to prove-”

“That you’re the best warlock in elemental magic I know,” Seluna finished his sentence. 

“Exactly.” Zaine nodded proudly at her. “I think right now I’m more glad you didn’t disappear.”

Seluna’s face scrunched up in discomfort. “Was there any more disappearances from the coven?”

“Not in a couple of days, but I heard some mortal high schoolers from your day job disappeared the other day,” Zaine said in a I hope that isn’t true tone.

Seluna disappointingly confirmed with a sadden nod, her eyes looking down remembering the wall of students who disappeared for over the past two months and the memorial for them. “Yes I personally didn’t teach those kids, but still… yeah.”

Zaine puts his hand on her shoulder to make her look at him, showing off his sympathetic smile Seluna knows all too well.

“Let’s get ready for our Feast okay?”

Seluna nodded not knowing why his smile always makes her feel better, but she’s glad it does.

“I’ll meet you at our spot then?” She asked.

“Yup,” he chuckled as he forced her body to turn around and pushed her towards her cabin causing her to stumble a little bit.

Seluna turned around to see if Zaine was still there, but he wasn’t. She shrugged knowing he probably used his elemental magic to go to his cabin. As she walked past a few cabins, she would greet her neighbors as they as well get ready for the daily Feast.

Seluna’s cabin was at the end of a cul-de-sac. Next to her on the left is the Vim Family, a family Seluna is a bit envious of since they have both parents and all four kids are pretty healthy and normal. As Seluna passes their house, she’s surprised the lights were off thinking they’re probably helping to set up the Feast.

As she went into her cabin, she was greeted with the smell of lavender from the incense she burned earlier. Walking in she passes the living room to the right that’s separated by a half wall that has her special crystals she adores she found from a nearby cave.

Seluna goes up the stairs, she continues to see her small loft that is her work area on the right and a hallway ahead of her. Going down the hallway Seluna turns to a door on the right, going into her bedroom which is only lightened up by floating candles that doesn’t do harm to the wooden cabin. The Feast for the Fox Moon Coven always requires its witches and warlocks to wear any white clothing of their choosing. Seluna grabbed a plain long skirt and button up shirt with her hair being put up into a high ponytail despite it being medium length. 

Having a quick look at herself in the mirror she smiles to herself, approving of the look she has for herself. In one blink, she sees a shadow figure surrounding her body and blood all over her white clothing. 

One more. One more and you’re complete. One more and you’ll finally release me. One more.

After shaking her head and shutting her eyes she’d notice the figure was gone when opening them. She knows she’s been getting these strange visions lately and not even magic could stop her from seeing them. She might go to a mortal doctor soon to see what she can take.

* * *

In the middle of the town is the main circle where every night the Feast awaits for the warlocks and witches. It would be three long tables with comfortable cushioned chairs, food hot and ready in the middle, and goblets filled with water or wine depending on the person’s choice or age.

Seluna always sat in the middle of the tables next to Zaine. Oddly she didn’t see Zaine yet, she figured he’s flirting with one of the new coven witches that joined earlier this week. As more and more people came to sit in their spots Zaine hasn’t come by yet. It isn’t like him to be late like this either.

Seluna stood up and left the table hoping he’s making out with a random witch in his cabin. She knocked once hoping for an answer. No answer. Another set of knocks, harder than the last… nothing.

“Zaine!” she yelled. “Come on, it's time to Feast!”

She grabs his door knob to turn, realizing it’s unlocked, and slowly swings it open thinking the worst. A sense of relief washed over her seeing one of the new witches, Josie on Zaine’s lap making out with him. When the door hit the lamp, making it wobble they both stopped with Josie in a flustered expression while Zaine looks like he is in a happy daze.

“Zaine!” Seluna groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Josie! If you’re late for your first Feast it will not look good for you for the rest of the year.”

Josie gasped at her comment, immediately stumbling off of Zaine’s lap to get off and ran out of his cabin in a hurry.

“Zaine, are you serious?” Seluna asked in an obviously annoyed tone as she began fixing his collar. “Now we’re going to be late.”

Zaine stood up after his collar was fixed. “Sorry. Sorry. She is just a good kisser,” he chuckled.

“Sure. Sure.” She sighed. “Come on.”

She grabbed his bicep, yanking him out of the cabin, and he used his elemental wind magic to shut his cabin door for him. When they finally got to their seats the Feast started.

“Warlocks and witches alike!” a booming male voice cheered, having everyone turn their heads to the middle of the circle. A tall and pale moon with jet black hair stands proudly, Sir Chandler. 

“As always we welcome our new witches and warlocks to our community to understand nature, the world, and the magic behind it. As we go into this Feast I would usually say the menu, my thanks, and whatever witch or warlock deserves recognition… but today we must remember our fallen who tried to figure out who took the members of our close community.”

Zaine leaned towards Seluna and whispered, “I never see him so…”

“Solemn?” Seluna whispered back.

“Yeah…”

“Please in prayer,” Sir Chandler continued. “Please say our prayer to those who have fallen to figure out who has been taking away more of our members and those mortals beyond the woods.”

Everyone bowed their heads with their eyes closed and despite Seluna doing the same motion, she isn’t praying. To her this is useless. Which is an odd feeling because she would usually try to be the biggest prayer in hopes people get revived by some miracle. This is the first time she’s faking it.

Sir Chandler claps his hands together having everyone stop their prayers and look up. “Now please enjoy the meal and let’s enjoy it to the fullest for our loved ones.”

The second he sat down, people started talking once more, and began eating. Seluna grabbed the nearest rice, steak, mash potatoes, broccoli cheese, and filled her goblet with wine.

“Whoa school teacher, why are you drinking?” Zaine asked with a playful tone as he took almost half of the mash potatoes to then drown it in gravy.

“Shush I need it,” Seluna scoffed, giving the same energy as him as she took her first sip.

“Uh huh…”

* * *

Seluna tries to go to sleep. She couldn’t. She hears the voices becoming louder and louder telling her awful things she never imagined herself doing.

Another one. Another one. You have one more left. Then you can free me. We can be—

Seluna gasped awake, sitting straight, and her heart was racing. The voice sounded closer than ever before. Everything she can see is only illuminated by the moonlight that’s coming through her window. She slowly swung her feet off the bed then got up to find the bathroom. She snaps her fingers for a candle to be lit up near the mirror to look at herself to make sure she looks normal.

Her eyes widen with a quiet gasp to see her hair is completely white instead of her brown color and her eyes are in a deep shade of purple.

One more. One… More… ONE… MORE…

“NO!” She screamed as she punched the mirror causing cuts on her knuckles from the now broken glass, some shards on the floor near her feet but no cuts.

In one blink, she found herself in the forest with a dagger in her right hand and a body in front of her limp against the tree with a brown bag over their head. She can tell they’re alive seeing their chest going up and down by their breathing, but they’re not saying anything. From their loose clothing of what seems like a huge sheet, it’s hard to tell the gender.

“Hello?” Seluna calls out as she keeps the dagger in her hand and goes to the body.

The body groaned but has yet to wake up.

“Who are you?” Seluna spoke up louder.

The body groaned but the head movement seemed like they’re waking up. A male groan.

“Whoa… where am I?”

“Zaine?!” Seluna gasped as she yanked the bag off of Zaine’s head seeing his confused and disheveled state.

“Seluna?”

“Oh my Moon what’s going on?!” she went on her knees to meet his eyes.

“Why are you holding that dagger?” Zaine asked in a raspy voice.

Seluna finally remembered what she had in her hand and for some reason she didn’t want to let it go.

“I-I don’t know.”

Perfect he’s the last one

“What?” Seluna asked out loud, her head spun around to see where the voice might be.

“What?” Zaine repeated as he realized his wrists are tied behind his back and his ankles tied too. “Seluna what’s going on?!”

Seluna ignored Zaine.

Do it. Kill him. Then you free me.

“Who are you?!” Seluna screamed into space but it’s only trees.

“Seluna!” Zaine shouted out, but she didn’t bother looking at him. 

You’ll free me. The one you adored from millions of years ago. My dear. My dear. You’re my little pet after all. My Fox. Now to complete the ritual.

“I don’t remember you or recognize what you’re saying,” Seluna says out loud. The witch girl is confused as her best friend tries to shout for her, yet she grips the dagger more tightly.

Oh? Well don’t worry you’ll remember once you kill this one.

“I am not killing him!” She declared.

“Kill me?!” Zaine panicked as he tried to use his magic but realized these are magical bindings that his own friend tied him up with.

“I won’t!” Seluna argued again.

You already killed others… Is this one different?

Her eyes shot open as she started to remember all of those missing people were because of her. When she couldn’t remember what she did for a couple of hours he murdered these people. Innocent people. People she knows.

Ah, now my favorite pet is remembering.

She finally remembered something else. She was a fox. A peculiar snowy fox with purple eyes that aided a warlock, not a witch who created the coven she knew. She remembers what happened to her warlock, he was blamed for something he didn’t commit yet could not find innocent so they killed him. With his last breath he granted eternal life to Seluna and made her human. His spell was for her to make sure she kills one thousand people over the years even in different aliases to bring him back. Her best friend, Zaine, is the final kill.

“Seluna don’t do this!” Zaine cried.

Seluna turned around and Zaine finally noticed that isn’t his best friend anymore. A monster.

This monster was quick with her movements as she slit Zaine’s throat for a quick death seeing the blood pour down from his neck like a waterfall.

“My warlock… it’s done.”