Moonlight

Suddenly I hear a low rumbling behind me. Now what could that strange noise be? I’ve never heard anything quite like it. It sounds similar to some kind of sound the stray dogs in Castle Town might make, but it’s deeper and more threatening. I’m torn between backing away and moving closer to investigate. I really want to know what’s making that sound. No, I don’t want to know. I have to know!

I only take one step towards it when my father shouts, “Saria, get away from there now!” Turning my head to look over my shoulder, I start to say, “Awww, but da—” I never get to finish.

There’s a vicious howl and a flurry of frenzied barking behind me. I’m about to turn to look, but dagger sharp teeth catch in my neck and I choke as blood squirts everywhere. Fire! I’m sure teeth of fire just bit me! It burns so much I want to scream, but no sound can escape my lips. My jaws are agape, but nothing comes out. There’s a gut wrenching sound as a heavy foot lands on my arm and snaps it. I can’t see what’s attacking me, but I see my father lumbering towards me. He’s coming as fast as he can, but I don’t think it’s fast enough. This beast that is tormenting me is dragging me into the bushes. My father only has one leg; I’m a gonner for sure.

But then he raises his knife above his head and throws it. There’s a smack and a yelp, and suddenly the teeth are gone from my throat. But even though the teeth are gone, the fire remains. My father reaches me and lifts me off the ground. I can see a dark wolf like creature running off into the woods on two legs, the moonlight above us turning its back to silver. There’s a black stone blade sticking out of its neck.

Turning away from the beast, my father begins to run lopsidedly back towards Castle Town. Every step jars me and sends the fire shooting through my body. “Put it out!” I shriek. Dad grits his teeth and keeps running. “Daddy! Put the fire out! It’s burning me!”

He chances a quick glance down at me. “Hang in there Saria. I’ll get you home, just you hang in there.” I grip his shirt in my small hands and scream. I can’t believe he doesn’t see the fire! I’m being consumed by it. How can he simply ignore it and keep running? I want him to stop. I want the pain to stop. I want to end it all. It hurts so much… I want to die. But I can’t die. The pain is too real. It keeps me awake. Even when I close my eyes, I still can’t slip away into the heavenly cold that is death. No, the burning fire keeps me chained here in this agonized body.

The lopsided run changes in sound and moves faster. We must be in Castle Town now. Hurry Daddy. Get me home. Then maybe you can put the fire out.

He doesn’t stop to turn the handle when we get home. He simply throws his burly body against the door and it smashes open. Oh Daddy. Why would you do that? We don’t have the money to fix it. I know it hurts, but it will probably kill me anyway and then you’re daughterless and you have a broken door.

I open my eyes to see my mother jump to her feet. She takes one glance at me and starts running for the door. “I’ll get the doctor!” she exclaims in a voice quieted by fear. My Daddy blocks her path.

“No! He’ll just tell us to kill her!” I don’t understand why he would say something like that as he lays me down on the table in the middle of the room.

“Why?” My Mummy breathes. “Why would the doctor say such a thing?”

Daddy lowers his voice and steps back. “Because, Lily. She’s been bitten by a werewolf.”

Mummy covers her mouth with her hands. “Oh no, Garth! It can’t be true! Not our little Saria. I won’t let them kill her!”

“Then we can’t let anyone know about…” he trails away and puts a hand on her shoulder as he searches for the right word. “…her condition,” he finishes.

My mother chokes back a sob. “Can’t let anyone know? How are we going to hide the fact that she turns into a furry beast every time the moon is full?”

Both their voices drop too low for me to hear as they discussed me. Me, a werewolf? No… it couldn’t be true! But maybe it could. It would explain the fire. And the fact that the smell of my own blood was making my mouth water. It made me think of fresh, raw meat, still steaming from the kill. It made me hungry. And that made me sick in disgust.

I clenched my fists by my side and tried desperately not to scream. It hurt so much. How could it be possible to feel this much pain and still be able to keep on breathing? How could I possibly survive this? I don’t know what’s happening anymore when suddenly everything goes black.