Eyes of the Blood Moon

Blood Moon Rising

After a few minutes, she put food in his bowl and gave him some water, which he consumed very quickly.

It felt so strange, to be at home acting like everything was normal, when in reality this could've been the last time she'd ever be here.

"Don't worry," she told Pebbles in a soft voice, "I'm not leaving you behind."

It would look weird, carrying a cat in a crate throughout the city, but she wasn't about to abandon him. This cat had saved her, been there for her so many times, she wasn't about to let him go.

Ella chugged a cool glass of water, feeling it's refreshing cold touch down her throat. Her leg began to ache again, but she tried to pay no attention to it.

She decided to have a shower, she needed something, anything to take her mind off of reality. Something to wash away all of the unusual and strange life she'd been plunged into for the last three days.

She went to her small bathroom and turned on the water, took off her mud stained clothes and got in.

Almost instantly the messy feelings were something of the past. Showering was like a little slice of heaven, a small break from reality. You were all alone, in your most vulnerable form, and you were safe. It brought a little bit of comfort back into Ella's life.

She glanced down at the wound on her arm. It was nothing but three scars now. It had caused her so much agony before, little did she know it would have become the least of her worries when she got it. She wondered if it would stay as three scars for the rest of her life. What was she going to do with the rest of her life? How can anyone move on from this?

She decided not to dwell on it. It would only cause more trouble in her already troubled mind. Instead she closed her eyes and put her face right in the water from the shower head. It was warm and her surroundings felt so bright. She felt the water trickle down her face and body, like a protection from all things. Anything and everything she'd need protection from.

Eventually though, the warm water ran out, and was replaced with a sharp cold one. At first she didn't mind it, it was a refreshing change. It reminded her of the cold swims she used to take to keep her mind off things, but it soon became unbearable. And it to, had to come to an end.

She stepped out and wrapped herself in a towel, and glanced at herself in the mirror. It's funny, she looked just the same as she always had. She still had bright green eyes, and freckles, and a small little beauty mark by her right eye. She looked like the same Ella, but on the inside she'd changed. Grown more than a person should have to in just the span of a few days. Learned more of the world than some learn in the entire lifetimes. But you could never tell, she looked like the same old Ella.

She walked across the hall to her familiar little room. God it had been a long time since she'd slept in this bed. Perhaps not that long, but it had felt like an eternity.

She threw herself on her big white comforter and fluffy pillows and let her entire body weight sink into the mattress. She didn't need to hold herself up right now, and she took comfort in that fact.

She became aware of the hot, sharp glass against her bare skin. That small jar necklace of her mother's didn't much like being lay on.

She heard the little pats of tiny paw pads marching into her room, and jumping up onto her bed. A soft little fuzz ball curled up next to her body. Ella smiled genuinely for the first time in ages. She couldn't believe how relaxed she was, it's almost like she forgot what relaxing was. But reality hit her quickly when she realized she needed to get dressed. It was nearly 11:00, and she still had to pack and dig through her storage closet to find Pebbles crate, then somehow find a way to get him into it.