Moonlit Massacre

Moonlit Massacre

In The Night

The stone was cold; the wind gave me a chill as I laid down in the darkness of the night. I breathed in the musty dampness of the air into my lungs while the clear moon stared down at me. My grandmother called it a Cheshire Cat Moon, because it curved so perfect just as the cat in that book of insanity. All it needed was the clear cat eyes and I could imagine the talking animal appearing in the darkness and grinning down at me.   

            As if the moon knew something I didn't. I crossed my arms under my head and smiled back. My hair tumbled down the crumbling wall, cold air in and hot air out. Cold air in, hot air out. Close eyes, black...Open eyes, black.

            My body was starting to feel numb and I sat up. The destroyed building of stone around me seemed lonely. Why this building was here and what it was for, I hadn't the slightest clue. No one in town knew it was here but me. My place.

            Crickets sang in their annoying yet calming tunes. I stood and brushed off the dead leaves that clung to my leggings. I started to walk to my house in the silence of the night. What was the noise behind me? A voice, I knew it. I shivered and kept walking on at a faster pace. My mind was playing tricks again, a habit in the family I got from grandma, my mother said. Voices or faint images would shadow the corners of my eyes and mind. Therapists try to understand, then don't.

            I lied enough to convince my mother that I was alright. But this time I was positive I heard it when I heard it again.

            Was that a pair of golden eyes I saw to the left? I spun around, a twig snapped to my right.  I spun around again and ran, towards home I think. Now that I try to remember, I'm not sure I knew where I was going. It wasn't long before I tripped and fell.

            Groaning, I rolled onto my back. Damp leaves and soil clung to my front. I stared up at the darkness of the forest above me and panted. I closed my eyes and touched my hand to my head. I'm going mad, grandma would be proud. I heard another twig snap and my eyes shot open. Standing above me was a silhouette in the faint moonlight. He crossed his arms and turned slightly to call out.

            "I found something." He said. His voice warm and he, rather forcefully, picked me up just above my elbow and lifted me to my feet. He let go and my feet slammed back to earth.

            Another person appeared and came toward me. He scoffed. "You found a child and you make it sound important." He leaned in and I took a step back.

            "Let me go!" I snapped and they both looked at each other.

            "We aren't holding you." The man stated. I felt warmth on my face through the cold night. I backed away more. He looked at me, I couldn't see his face but I could feel it. I shivered violently and took another step back. His head turned to the man who found me. "Get that around her neck."

            I ran at the sound of his voice, for no reason. Threw the wind I somehow still heard what he said. What? It was just a stupid family heirloom. Still, I didn't want to be in his way and I ran for my home. I could see the yellow lights outside my house glowing brightly in the forest.

            I was almost there. I heard the hallow thump of wood under my foot as I climbed over a fallen tree. I pushed past branches and leaves, another hallow thump. He wasn't fair behind. Run. Step, lift leg, step again, move other leg, step, and repeat. Faster, go faster. Turn around, I saw nothing. Must keep running. I heard more hallow steps and realized I was running past the gazebo my mom had just a few feet from the house. I was almost there.

            My arm stopped swinging as I ran and I was jolted from my race to a complete stop. He turned me to face him, my chest was heaving as I tried to catch my breath. I saw his face clearer in the yellow light of the house and the silver light of the moon.

            His hand traced my collar bone as it lifted and fell with the level of air in my lungs. Cold air in, hot air out. I shook in fear, what did he want? Why had that man sent him after me? What was he going to do? Questions, many questions. Stop thinking, start acting, get away. I shoved at him but he stood there, not budging. I met his eyes and I froze, his will seemed placed in me. I saw a shadow move somewhere behind us. Was my mind still insane or was it the other man? My lips trembled and I saw his face was confused. He let go and took a step back.

            "Go. You seem innocent...for now. Go!" He snapped, his eyes scanning me.

I felt the cold wind on my face again and I turned over my shoulder to look for him before I slammed and locked the door behind me. I saw him there one moment and then gone the next. Was I truly nuts? I practically ran to my room. I locked my door and window, closing the curtains tight. What had just happened?

Who were those men? Why my necklace? Why had he let me go? I had to know, and I would find out. I took off the amulet and placed it in a box, locked it, and hid it under my bed. I let out a wisp of air that seemed trapped in my lungs for centuries.

Swirls of purple floated around me and I seemed levitated off the earth. The smell of some foreign scent calmed the air and I saw the Cheshire Cat Moon grinning down at me. It turned and started to spin faster until it formed a silver disc. A darkened hole appeared in the center and the purple swirls embedded in the silver. My talisman. Then the center grew and all else faded, the center doubled and morphed into eyes. The eyes glowed at me and pure white skin grew from the remains of the silver moon, while the purple darkened to black and became a tangled mess above it all.

"You seem innocent...for now."