Bloody Moon

BLOODY MOON


Prologue
I wish I would have known then what I know now; oh how I wish to “god” I had known. I wish that the sun still rose and set, and that you were still alive and with me... but I know that this is just a sad, sad fantasy. I’m trying to move on... but this is proving difficult, since every time I turn around someone knew is trying to kill me. My name is Anna, and this is my story.

CHAPTER 1
BAD BEGININGS

It was a cold and tempestuous November morning, and as soon as I woke up I could already tell that it was going to be a long and tiresome day-- and in contrast, an even longer night. I was in love with a werewolf; not just any werewolf, but Aramis. Aramis was one of the most gorgeous man I had ever met. He was 5’7 and had a medium build. He didn’t have too many muscles; he had just the right amount. His hair was the color of dark chocolate, and he had the eyes to match it. His hair fell almost to his shoulders, and it was slightly curly. I on the other hand, was short; I was only 5’3. I weighed about 100lbs. My eyes were a deep sea green and my hair was a dirty blond. I never wore makeup-- I didn’t think I was pretty enough. Aramis said it was just the opposite. We only had two things in common in the looks department. We both wore a lot of black, and we both had a mark on our palms in the shape of a wolf paw print. I told people it was a tattoo because that’s what they wanted to hear.
It all started when I was 16 years old. 16; that’s all. I had a normal life. I had normal friends, although I didn’t have many friends; just a few close ones. Their names seem unimportant now... but I will tell you, just so you know who they are. Sebastian, Nathan, and Aramis. Now there is only me... Everything about me was normal, except for one thing. I was a lycanthrope, or more commonly known as a werewolf. Feared by society, I had told no one of my condition. The only one who knew about it besides me was Aramis. This is because he made me what I am... Aramis and I had known each other a considerable amount of time; we were the closest of friends. When I lived in Indiana with him, we could always be found together. I was in love with him. Then my mother gave me up and I had to move away. I didn’t see Aramis for six years. Then one day, he disappeared. Four of those years I spent in silence. Morning my losses. I didn’t know what Aramis was until it was too late. At first, I never noticed he was always gone on the full moon, and when I did notice, it almost cost me my life.
One unusually warm October evening I snuck out of my home and went to wait outside is house. I didn’t have to wait long. About ten minutes later, I was following Aramis down an alley. He turned into a side alley; I cautiously followed. As m eyes slowly adjusted to the dark, I heard Aramis gasp, and then the sound of bones popping and snapping. I was very frightened; I started to creep back out of the alley. I was ashamed that I was too afraid to help my best friend. Suddenly, a low, vibrating growl rose out of the darkness. I screamed and it echoed across the alley. I was not to be heard by anyone but my attacker. Something stepped foreword; it was a wolf! Only, it was much bigger than any wolf I had ever seen. Its fur was the color of chocolate, which was strange because that was the color of Aramis’s hair. Maybe this animal had eaten Aramis! I was immediately angry; how dare this animal attack my friend! I jumped foreword; I had no idea what I was going to do, but I wasn’t going to let that thing roam free. I landed on top of it hard, and I was rewarded with its grunt of pain. It quickly recovered, rolling us over, so now I was underneath of it. It raised a clawed hand into the misty air; its claws glimmered like jewels in the moonlight, only these jewels were going to rip my throat out. Some stray clouds passed over the moon; the beast gave another grunt of pain. Next came the sound of bones popping and snapping, and it was like its fur receded into its body, and in a matter of seconds it wasn’t a beast on top of me, but Aramis! I was so surprised I couldn’t speak. His eyes focused in on me and he growled at me-- probably in frustration. “What are you doing here?” He said, “It’s not--” but he was cut off as the moon came back into full view. He looked feverish. “Run!” He chocked out before the change overtook him and once again a beast was on top of me. He raised his clawed hand into the air, then bringing it down into my shoulder, gouging out a chunk of my flesh. I screamed; it hurt, oh how it hurt. Everything became foggy and slowly faded to black. The last thing I remember before I passed out was his eyes. They were red; the color of the blood that stained his muzzle as he lowered his face to feed... and then there was nothing.
CHAPTER II
BAD DREAMS

When I awoke it was light outside and I was in my bed. MY hand shot to my collarbone, but it was as smooth as it was yesterday. I jumped when my mom opened the door without knocking. She smiled at my obvious discomfort.
“I was just wondering if you were going to grace me with your presence today. It’s 3:30 in the afternoon.” She paused; she was probably trying to think of some other way to insult me without actually insulting me. “Aramis brought you home last night... he said you passed out at his house; what were you even doing there?” My mind raced as I tried to come up with a suitable lie. I stuttered when I spoke.
“I was s-st-studying” She smiled coldly, but said no more. She went downstairs. I wondered if I did pass out, or if I really had been attacked by the one person I loved and trusted... I decided to get dressed and head down to the public library, where I was sure to find Aramis.
After showering, I pulled on a black tank top and some pleather pants. I slipped on some socks, (they never matched) and then my black Harley boots. I started to put my silver necklace on, (it was in the shape of a pentacle) but as soon as the silver touched my skin, it singed my flesh, making me fling it away .. The burn marks slowly faded from my hands and neck. I grabbed a blue sachet from my night-stand and scooped the necklace into the bag, then stuffed the bag into my pocket. I thought about putting on a different necklace... then decided against it. I brushed my hair out, grabbed a jacket from my closet, then headed outside, hoping to find some answers.
When I opened the door to the library, I felt as if I’d just walked into my own funeral; it was the strangest feeling. I went over to the occult section, sitting down next to Aramis. He was sitting on the floor with his knees to his chest, his head resting on his knees. He seemed to be staring at nothing. For twenty minutes we sat in complete silence. I broke it, and it shattered into a million painful pieces. “Here,” I said softly, taking the velvety bag and tipping it upside down, making the pentacle fall onto the floor next to Aramis. He sat there looking at it for a long time before he spoke.
“I’m sorry.” I just looked at him, wondering if I had heard him right.
“You’re sorry?” I said. He looked at me, his eyes blank.
“Yes, “ he said, “I’m sorry... this wasn’t supposed to happen.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I spoke so softly that I was sure he hadn’t heard me, but then he spoke. “Would you have believed me?” I had to think about it for a minute... he was my best friend, my lover; but... I wouldn’t have believed him. I barely believed it my self. “No, probably not..” I told him. I looked down at my hand and saw the dark red wolf print on my palm. I immediately angry. “Am I going to be like you now... a monster? Am I going to attack my friends, my family?! Should I warn them?!” I said angrily. The librarian gave me an icy stare and I growled at her, my eyes shining. “How could you do this to me Aramis!? Can’t you control yourself?”
“Can’t I control myself?! Why did you follow me into that alley? Huh? Why couldn’t you keep your curiosity in check!? Can’t you just leave well enough alone?” By this time the librarian looked like she was going to explode; tears coursed down my face.
“FINE!! You want me out of your life so bad!? I’ll go!!I don’t ever want to see you again!” With that I got up and ran out of the library, out into traffic, and into the forest, not knowing where I was going, not caring where I was going. When I stopped, I was in a clearing; my breath came in shallow gasps. I collapsed onto the ground, though it wasn’t from exhaustion. I was trying to process my day; everything was jumbled and I couldn’t pick out what was true and what wasn’t. In less than twenty-four hours my world had crashed around me. Everything became so loud, I could hear everything, it was so loud. The birds chirped, but it was like they were screaming. The deer a few feet away grazed on some grass, but it sounded like a giant crunching on bones. Even the sound of the grass swaying in the wind sounded like a tornado. It was deafening. “Shut up, shut up SHUT UP!!!” I was screaming, but I didn’t care if anyone heard. Just as suddenly as it started, it stopped. For several moments there was only the sound of my breathing and silence. Then I could here Aramis calling out to me. I didn’t answer his call. I sat down underneath a tree and waited, knowing he would find me. A minute later, he burst into the clearing. His eyes sought min and what he saw made him flinch. He knelt before me.
“Anna... I’m so sorry.” He took my face into his hands, cradling it there; his eyes begged for forgiveness. “I didn’t want this to-”
“-Happen, I know.. but it did, and no matter how many times you apologize, I’ll still be like you... I’ll still be a monster.” He dropped his hands as if he had been burnt.
“I’m not a monster... I am a beautiful, strong and swift creature... what happened was an accident.”
I was furious. “An accident?! An accident is when you spill milk on a new carpet.. This is a disaster! How can you say this is an accident??”
He looked very sad, and even though I was angry and upset, I knew I still loved him. “Anna- you know I’d do anything to take this back.. but I can’t. I can’t change the past Anna!” I knew he was right, and that I should forgive him, but... I couldn’t except it.
“I can’t right now Aramis...” I looked away from his face, afraid that if I looked at him any longer I would cave in. “I just have to work this out on my own Aramis.. I-I’m sorry.” With that I got up and ran out of the clearing. I kept running until I reached my house. When I got back to my house, I ran past my mom and up to my room where I slammed the door. I paced back and forth in my room for a while, wondering why. Why did this happen to me? Was this meant to be? Why why why!? I slammed my fist into my wall - and was astonished to see a hole in the wall, with my fist in it. I quickly pulled my hand back out and moved a poster for the band Nirvana over the hole. I looked down at my dresser to see plaster all over it, so I picked up the pieces, throwing them in the trashcan I kept in my room. As I was throwing the last piece of plaster away, my mother opened my door.
“What was that noise?” She looked around suspiciously.”
“What noise mom?” I swallowed hard, trying not to look at the Nirvana poster. My heart beat in my chest so loudly, I thought she might hear it. My mother looked around critically.
“Did you change something in your room?” I nearly jumped out of my skin, and I answered too quickly.
“No mom, everything is the same.” She narrowed her eyes at me, trying to get me to say something, but I clamped my mouth shut. She stormed out of my room, slamming the door as she went. I sighed and sank to my bed, shaking visibly. I tried to process what had just happened. I had put a hole in the wall... with my fist. How was that possible. I gave a bitter laugh. How was anything possible? How was it possible for Aramis to change into a wolf? No, he wasn’t just a wolf, he was a werewolf. My thoughts were interrupted by a tapping on my window. I opened the window and looked out at the now setting sun, a sight I would come to miss in the future. “Pssst! Down here!” he said. I looked down, to see who it was, but I already knew. Aramis. My heart jumped at the sight of him, making me frown. I needed to keep my emotions in check. “Anna, are you listening?” he asked softly. I blushed, I hadn’t heard a word he said. “uhmm no; I’m sorry, what did you say?” He laughed softly.
“I said, move out of the way” I was confused, but I did as he asked. A moment later he jumped through my open window, landing nimbly on my carpet. He had barely made a sound. I just looked at him like an idiot; my mouth agape. He had just jumped from the ground... to my room, two floors up. He sat down on my bed almost casually. It was unnerving. I flopped down onto my bed face first, heaving a great sigh that was muffled by the blanket. Aramis tentivly stroked my hair, “Anna...” his voice was filled with sorrow, and when I looked up at him, his eyes were filled with tears. I spoke softly.
“Don’t Aramis.. I know. You’re sorry- I get it. I just-”
“Want to know why? Well so do I! Do you think I chose this? Do you think I asked for this? I didn’t have a choice... and neither do you. You just have to live with it... we both do. I sat up and a tear spilled down my cheek.
“I’m afraid” I whispered softly
“I know” He gently wiped away a tear.. It’ll get better.” he said as he pulled me into his arms. I melted into his embrace, crying softly as he stroked my hair. I looked into his eyes, seeing a fragile hope in them. A hope that everything would be OK.. I sighed,
“I love you Aramis” A ghost of a smile played across his lips as he kissed me.... Then my mom walked in without knocking. Again. She just stood there. I pushed Aramis away gently, but inside I was seething. “Mom,” I said angrily, “can’t you knock!?”
She snarled at me, “Since when do you have him over without asking me?” she looked at Aramis. “OUT!” That was all it took. Aramis got up, walking to the doorway. He stopped in the door, looking back at me, and I felt his voice trickle across my skin and into my mind... I love you Anna. I smiled. I love you too, Aramis. Then he was gone and I was alone with my mother. My thoughts drifted around as my mom yelled at me, telling me I was not to have ANYONE over without asking her first. “Are you listening Anna?”
“Yea, Mom- sure” I said distractedly. “I’m listening.”
She smiled viciously, “Then what did I just say.” I was still a million miles away, and I didn’t hear the tremor in her voice, or feel the shift in her mood as she became someone else before my un-watching eyes. “Gee mom, I don’t really know.” All I could think of was Aramis kissing me, his lips pressed to mine. The thought made things lower in my body jerk and tighten. She smacked me hard across the face, bringing me back to reality.
“Listen to me when I speak Anna!” I had to restrain myself from hitting her. I knew from my earlier experience with the wall that hitting my mother would be a deadly mistake. I just nodded my head, which made the room spin. She stalked out of my room, cursing under her breath as she went. I sighed and laid back down on my bed. I tried to stay awake, worrying that if I slept my mother would come back and do something to me in my sleep.. but soon, my eyelids grew heavy and I drifted to sleep.
CHAPTER 3
AWAKENING

In my dream- The landscape was depressing. All the trees were dead... the grass was non-existent, and the roads were paved in blood. I stumbled over something and I turned around to see what I tripped over; it was a body... and it was dead. I couldn’t think of ‘it’ as a person, or I would have thrown up.. The metallic scent of blood filled the air; I licked my lips, suddenly thirsty. My knees gave out from beneath me. I landed right next to the body. The scent of blood was unmistakable, it smelled delicious... I licked my lips again. Pains wracked my sides. It felt like my bones were rearranging themselves. I looked down at my hand and gasped. Claws grew out of my fingers and thick fur covered my hands... or were they paws? The bones in my back rearranged themselves and my tail-bone lengthened.