Efa and the moonbeam girl

 The starlight was reflected in the wide brown eyes of Efa. They darted left, right, to the canopies of the naked trees and scoured the clouds above her. She peered deep into the dark shadows nestled within the hollows of the gnarled oak. Her nose twitched, harnessing the myriad of scents that danced in the fading light. Where was he?

 Her instinct was to prick up her ears, to work out where he might be, but she knew there was the chance they would betray her. Her senses were overwhelmed with the incessant pounding of her heart against her rib cage. She forced herself to take a deep, slow breath.

 “Calm yourself, Efa.” said the soothing voice of Mother Earth. “Take in your surroundings. Discover your path.”

 She prised her eyes away from the bruised skies and looked about her. Ahead she could see a road; another danger and beyond that a ramshackle wall. Through the dark haze of dusk, she could see spaces that would allow her lithe body to slip through. Places where she could remain hidden until the full moon left and he would surely be forced to give up the hunt.

 The hairs on the scruff of her neck began to prickle. The air around her growing chill. Efa knew that soon her breath would become a fog, his razor-sharp eyes would harvest it and she would stand no chance. Her soul shuddered as she imagined his talons slicing through her hide, lifting her from ground and towards a bloody end.

 “Be brave, my sweet Efa. Trust the night. You must go. NOW.”

 Like a pouncing adder, Efa’s legs pushed her away from her hiding place. She knew the snapping of the twigs that had encased her told him she was now on the move. She could sense those obsidian eyes had caught onto her. Her shoulders became tense, as though they could protect her from the piercing talons. She darted left, right, refusing to stay in a straight line.

 Below her padded feet, she felt the soft coolness of the meadow give way to harsh tarmac. A sudden blinding flash told her that one of the cold, lifeless boxes was guarding the road. They had terrified her since she was a leveret. Their spinning legs that churned up creatures and spat them out had haunted her nightmares. But a deep crack of the air, the swoop above, told her that she was in his sights and he was far more deadly than the soulless guardians of the road.

 Her long ears lay flat against her back. Lungs burning, she charged towards sanctuary. The light was swallowing her up, illuminating her, yet she could see the crack in the stones. In the time it took the owl to beat his wings she could be there. Her lids closed, she put her head down and trusted her Mother Earth.

 The metal guardian screamed as Efa escaped him, tumbling through to the safety of the wall. Her eyes opened. Did she dare suspect she was safe? The grey stone pressed down on her, preventing her from lifting her ears. Sight could fail her, play tricks, but her long ears had always protected her. Her heaving sides pushed against her new hiding place. She peered through the gap.

 Efa found herself being drawn out from her refuge. Her eyes wide with wonder. She found her trembling paw testing the crisp, cold ground beyond the wall. The moon was awake, enveloping the overgrown land in a metallic, silvery glow. Huge, towering stones lay in regimented rows. A shiver cascaded down her spine as she watched them guard the landscape. But yet, there was something sorrowful about them. Each stone seemed to contain a plethora of grief and pain. Efa felt an overwhelming desire to step out, to lay her paw against each stone, ease their hurt and loss.

 “I know you’re there, little Hare.”

 Efa shied back under the safety of the stones. His voice dominated the dark, shook her.

 Her breaths came in deep, catching rasps. He had followed her, but surely she was safe?

 “I am a patient creature. I can see all. I can….”

 “Oi,” came a harsh voice from beyond the towering stones. “Will yer shut up? Some of us are trying to sleep.”

 Efa froze. There was someone else here. What if it was fox with his quick, sharp jaws? She’d be forced into the open. The road behind her, a predator both ahead and above her.

 “What?” came the deep voice of the raptor, clearly disgruntled. “Do you know whom you demand silence from? Do you have any concept of the legends that….”

 “I couldn’t care less ‘oo yer are. We’ve had a busy day and all we wants is some sleep.”

 Efa’s ears began to tingle. Whoever else was there was obviously big or scary enough to have no fear of the Twilight Owl, yet there was a softness to their tone that tempted her out. She could hear those iridescent turquoise feathers on the Owl’s breast ruffling. She could imagine the indignant scowl on his round face.

  “I could crush your bones with my talons, rip out your soul before your petrified eyes. You’d quake whilst you feel me taking your life, tear by tear…”

 “’ear that?” A woman’s voice now, one that scratched the air. “This one ‘ere thinks he can peck us to death!”

 The air was filled with cackles of laughter, coming from each of the stones. Efa poked out her whiskers further. What on Mother’s Earth was happening?

 “ENOUGH.” bellowed the Owl, attempting to disguise a visible tremble in his voice. The stones became silent, but could Efa detect a giggle, small, childish?

 “I am the Lord of the night.”

 “Yer the Lord of arseholes!”

 The stones erupted with raucous laughter once more. Efa placed her paw over her mouth. The oblong stones seemed to be alive, strange, brave creatures and Efa decided that she liked them very much.

 The air above her suddenly crackled as the great bird took off from the boughs of the tree where he’d been surveying the graveyard. Letting out a piercing scream he took off through the rows. His inky feathers, littered with pinpricks of stardust, shimmered in the slivers of moonlight as he swooped about. Efa felt her heart falter and she pulled herself into a ball within her stone shelter.

 “Where are you?” called the Twilight Owl as he soared across the stones. Efa wondered if it was the voices he searched for or her. She could just make out his ebony eyes within the shadow of his face as he scrutinised the undergrowth. Her tiny heart raced within her. All she needed to do was to stay hidden, stay down, stay here till dawn.

 The Owl came to rest upon a tall, lilting stone right in the centre. He puffed out his chest and even Efa found herself breathless at the sight of his plumage.

 His great head twisted and turned as he dug his sharp claws into the grooves of the stone.

 “Are you still ‘ere?” shouted a shrill voice. The Owl fluttered up, spun around angrily.

 “I’m being quiet.” he replied, returning to his seat on the stone.

 “No yer not.”

 He ruffled his feathers, stared up at the moon and tried to pretend he was above this conversation. After all, he was the legendary hunter, feared and adored. He didn’t discuss his night time noise levels with motionless stones.

 “Get them great big claws off me grave will yer? That’s grating on me ears.”

 The Owl sighed, his eyes surveyed the wall where Efa lay as flat as she could against the floor.

 “He ain’t goin’ is he?”

 “Nah.”

 “Wotcha after?”

 The Owl started to preen his wing.

 “I seek a Hare. She has been running from me for many days and nights. Now is the time for me to rip out her thieving heart.”

 “Oh right. And if we can get you this ‘ere Hare, you’ll bugger off and leave us in peace?”

 An icy grip took hold of Efa’s heart. The voices were going to give her up to the Twilight Owl. He placed his wing back down, held up his head, his eyes shining as bright as the moon.

 “Of course, dear friends.” said the Owl, with a silken voice. “I’ll be gone as soon as you give her to me.”

 Efa glanced back at the road behind her. She could feel the rumble of the guardians as they rolled back and forth along the straight black path. What choice did she have?

 With her haunches twitching, the urge for flight suddenly overwhelmed her. Eyes wide, she turned to face the road when she sensed someone watching her. She turned her head, looking back towards the talking stones. A silent cry caught in her dry throat.

 Crouching down, looking right into her eyes, was a girl. A human girl. Long white hair swirled about her pale face. She seemed to float in the chill breeze. Her eyes, as pearly white as the moon that hung above them, sparkled as though they held a whole galaxy within them. Efa curled herself up as tight as she could, pressed herself into the harsh stone. The girl smiled, her lips curling. She saw the fear that trapped Efa. She raised her thin finger to her lips and motioned to Efa to be still, quiet.

 Beyond her, out amongst the stones, were more people now. Slow and translucent, they walked between their graves. They laughed, they joked. They lifted leaves, kicked aside cracked stones. They called and called for the Hare who stared out in horror as the figures searched for her.

 The girl smiled and pushed a loose rock before the gap. Efa heard a scrabbling, saw small stones and moss fall down around her. The girl was standing upon the wall.

 “There it goes.” The child called out sharply. “It’s run back that way.” The crack of the great wings shook the air as the Twilight Owl took off in the direction of the child's directions. Efa could see his wings reflecting the moonlight as he soared away, back to where Efa had started her journey.

 “Bloomin’ ‘eck. I didn’t think he’d ever do one.” said one of the figures, a man wiry and wrapped in a thin cotton shirt that floated around his bare knees.

 “E’s an arsehole.” came another voice, followed by a chorus of assent.

 “What we gonna do with this Hare then?”

 “I says we eat ‘er!”

 “Eat ‘er? We can’t eat nothin’ no more.”

 “The mausoleum, then?”

 “That’s a bloomin’ good idea. ‘e’ll never find ‘er there.”

 Efa lay down, her ears flat against her tan back. She saw white fingers grab the rock and pull it away. Efa’s hazel eyes met the pale girls gaze.

 “C’mon little one. Don’t be scared. Mother Earth’s asked us to protect yer.”

 The pale fingers moved towards her. Efa recoiled as far away as she could. But the fingers were soft and gentle. They filled her with a strange golden warmth and she found herself closing her eyes and nestling towards the ghostly child.

 The girl who shone like a moonbeam, carried the Hare towards the marble mausoleum. Stone angels stood guard, their empty eyes looking skywards, seeking out the return of the Owl.

The girl placed Efa down gently, scratched behind her long ears and nodded towards the open door. Efa lopped forward tentatively. A glow like flowing honey came from inside. Efa stared in. A field of golden corn, bathed in early morning sunshine lay before her. Standing back, Efa took in the tiny size of the white structure and looked back in awe at the rolling fields and sky of blue that lay inside.

 “Go on little one. It’s over now.” said the girl, patting Efa gently on her haunch.

 Taking a deep breath, Efa stepped forward. She felt the warmth of the sun, smelt the sweetness of the flowers and heard the chatter of the birds. She glanced back at the smiling girl and hopped inside. The door closed gently behind her.

 The figures yawned and stretched, rubbed their eyes and began to head towards their stone beds amongst the chill earth. One by one they faded. The graveyard returning to peace.

 Suddenly, the peace was broken by the roaring of the Owl. Realising he’d been tricked by the stones, he was determined someone would feel his wrath that night. He swooped above, he screeched. He flapped his wings in fury and scratched the stones and burned with anger as they ignored him. He landed on the roof of the mausoleum, glaring out across the mist that began to swirl across row after row of stones.

 As he held his head up proudly, surveying the silent graveyard, a single word floated quietly on the mist towards him.

 “Arse’ole.”