The Moonwalkers

Sudden Impact

Amerai and her mother were having a typical evening meal; both wasting the time, not by eating, but by being lost in their reveries. Suddenly, a series of loud, yet quick knocks erupted from the front door.

Amerai's mother looked at her fearfully before shifting her eyes to the door. Then, she got up silently, pointing to the closet in the hallway. Amerai nodded and slipped into it, watching her mother saunter carefully to the door, allowing entrance to a tall, dark figure. In fear, Amerai shut the closet door.

"Where is she?" a low, guttural voice growled, sending a chill to Amerai.

"She's not here. She's gone," her mother's defiant voice came. A crash, and a scream. Amerai gasped. Her mother shrieked, telling her to run away. She didn't hesitate; Amerai instantly ran out the back door, but not before she heard an angry growl.

Amerai dashed into the woods, running in uneven zig-zags, trying to put as much distance from her and that man as possible. A few meters more, and she tripped over a loose tree root, falling face first into the soft, muddy ground. Then, there was a gunshot, and her heart stopped. Who was the bullet's victim?

*************

"Tristan," came a low yet girlish voice, waking him. "Tristan, wake up, come on," it continued. Tristan opened his eyes to a slender brunette leaning over him. She seemed his age, about 16, and back in his popular days in middle school, he would've have called her hot. He didn't care as much now.

"W-who are you? Where am I?" he stammered, looking around. Everything seemed to be white. The furniture, the light emanating from above.

The girl raised her eyebrows. "You... Don't remember?" she asked incredulously. She backed off a little, giving him space. "Huh. I'll tell you, then. It's a long story, though, so get comfortable," she said, relaxing into her chair.

************

I was lying on the forest floor, trying to figure out things, when you came, and you helped me up.

"Are you okay?" you asked.

I nod, rubbing a sore spot on my forehead. "Yeah, fine, at least, physically," I replied,"I'm Amerai, by the way."

"Cool. Name's Tristan. Do you know your way home?" you inquired.

I shook my head, and when I didn't continue, you didn't push. "Okay. How about we take you to the hospital to treat your head? It's all purple," you said. I shrugged, so you just continued on your way. So, I followed you until we reached this clearing, and we hear a scream and a growl.

In the clearing was a huge wolf clawing at a toddler's face. I stifled a shriek, but you sprang forward and onto the wolf's furry back. I was frozen in place as I watched you slug the beast over and over again. Only when it threw you off did I act. You screamed as it bit your leg, and I tore my silver, crescent necklace from my neck and stabbed it on its eye, which began to sizzled, burning from an invisible fire. It yelped and I pulled you up, not bothering with the decapitated toddler. He was already lost from this world.

I pulled you away from the clearing hastily, and after a few minutes, I sat you down to look at your leg. It was really bad. I took off my sweater and wrapped it around it, but I knew it wasn't enough. However, I did know my way out of the woods from there, so I dragged you out until I reached a road. From there, I used a pay-phone to call an ambulance, and we came up here.

***************

"So that's what happened," the girl--Amerai--concluded.

Tristan looked at her, unbelieving. "You're kidding, right?" he asked.

Amerai sputtered out a laugh. "Yeah, sure I'm being serious," she giggled. She shook her head. "If you don't believe me, then look at your leg. Unwrap the bandages and tell me they aren't bite marks," she said, in a no-nonsense voice.

Tristan looked down at the bandages. He didn't want to find out.