Blue Moon

I turned around in surprise and saw a boy around my age with hair that came down to the base of his neck and had lose fitting work close on.

“Well?” he asked rather rudely.

“I-I'm sorry I was just taking a walk around the property,” I said.

“Your not suppose to be down here,” he said setting down the bucket of water I just now noticed.

“Again I'm sorry. I know Mr. Donner and I didn't think he would mind me taking a look around,” I said.

“It'd be best if you didn't come in this part of the area though,” he said.

“Okay I'll just be going then,” I said awkwardly.

For as handsome as this boy was, he sure was mean. I guess I can say looks can be deceiving.

“Get on then, get” he said waving his hand.

I scrunched my face up in anger then. “Excuse me but that's no way to talk to a lady,” I said offended.

“Talk like what?” he asked confused.

“Like I'm some farm animal you tend to,” I said.

“Well sorry miss but I don't give a damn. Now get off this area,” he said.

I gaped at him,”Didn't you ever learn manners?!” I asked offended once again.

“Does it look like I know manners? He asked, gesturing to himself.

“Obviously not,” I retorted.

“I suggest you get out of here before you do something I'm going to make you regret,” he said.

I scoffed, “Why what would you do? Call me names? Perhaps hit me? Now that's just wrong,” I said, almost just daring him to do it.

“Oh lady your just pushing your luck,” he said darkly as he opened the door to the horse I just calmed down. He stepped in with the bucket of water.

“Oh I beg the differ sir. I don't need luck to do my bidding with people,” I said angrily.

He was about to reply when the black horse came walking fast out it's stable. It was rearing right in front of me.

“Whoa! Whoa there!” I said holding my hands up. It was like deja vu from earlier plus the rude boy.

I grabbed it's reign leash and pulled down, trying to keep it down. “Just settle down,” I said.

It reared a bit before finally just stomped its feet a bit.

“That's why I wanted you to get,” said the boy taking the rope from my hands.

“Oh what no thank you for stopping your horse from escaping?” I asked still irritated.

“No because I was detracted and didn't notice the horse escape.” he said.

“Really? You didn't notice the black horse, which probably weighs over 1000 pounds walk out it's stable. That's some attention span you have their,” I said.

He suddenly was livid in front of me. I flinched a bit but stood my ground. “Leave...Now!” he barked in my face.

I glared at him,”Fine...stable boy,” I said angry.

Now I never looked down on people and their jobs but I knew it was a sensitive button to press. I turned and quickly walked out of the stable. I could stop the angry thoughts running through my head. Who did he think he was?! Talking to me, a LADY like that! I outta just...just...ugh!! I didn't know that boy but I knew that I hated him. I stomped back up to the garden got some confused looks from some guests. I have to calm myself before mother saw me. I took a few deep breaths and walked back into the house.

I looked around the crowd for what seemed forever before I spotted my mother and Mrs. Collins chatting. “I'll have you know that my daughter is a beautiful and intelligent girl and you have to be an absolute lunatic not to see it!” my mother snapped as I approached them.

I looked at her shocked. “Mother?” I asked confused.

“Were leaving Eliza,” my mother said only using the nickname she seemed to use when see was furious with something.

“Thank you for inviting us once again,” my mother told Mr. Donner when we passed him. He raised his glass of brandy as we rushed out the door.

“Mother,” I said calmly but she didn't respond as we climbed into the carriage. “Mother?” I asked once again. I saw some stray tears run down her face. I widened my eyes. Mother never cried.

“Mother what did she say!” I said loudly.

She turned toward me and sniffled a bit. “Elizabeth I love you darling with all my heart. With every fiber of my being but I'm afraid I've been failing as a mother to you.” she said.

“Oh no mother! Your always so sincere and a bit blunt but it's for the best,” I said grabbing her hands.

“No I mean...Elizabeth you know there are some dark forces in this world. Forces we tend to forget to keep our minds in a proper state.” she said.

“Yes mother I know,” I replied quickly.

“My darling girl,” she said stroking the side of my face. I was a bit confused she hasn't acted this way since father died.

“Before you were born we learned their would be complications with you. You were going to be still born due to the placenta detaching to early without anyone knowing. Now we found this out by visiting a fortune teller. It was your fathers idea really. He thought it would be a fun day before you came into our lives. We didn't expect to hear those news though. The fortune teller, Madame Gould, was a true fortune teller. She was and still is one of the few. We didn't want to lose you so we struck a deal with her. She told us she would let you live only, and if only, you found your true love by your twentieth birthday. If you didn't you would die at midnight that night.” she said.

I dropped her hands in shock. “Mother you wouldn't,” I whispered.

“I know and I'm sorry! Oh Elizabeth we didn't know what else to do! We thought we could get out of it when you got older but the only way for you to get out of the deal is for you to die and I just can't let that happen.” she cried.

“Mother if there's anything in this world that I would want most, it would be someone who would love me like father loved you. I can't have that now! My birthday is only months away! When were you planning on telling me this!” I said anger.

“My rose I'm so very, truly sorry. I was going to tell you this week but Mrs. Collins some how found out about the deal and she said that you were a dishonor to society. That you were a twisted future that got tinkered with, that you should have just stayed dead,” she sobbed.

I sighed,” Mother don't cry,” I said hugging her.

“Elizabeth you have to break this deal. It was poor decision on your father's and I part. I'll send you to the Redford Carnival where she still lives,” she said.

“She lives in a carnival?” I asked confused.

“She lives in a house right next to it,” she said.

“Okay mother I'll do it,” I said.

“You shall leave tomorrow morning at dawn. It'll take a few hours to get there,” she said. I nodded my head in agreement, letting this all sink in.
_______________________________________________________________________

In my childhood my dad would tell me stories along with my mother before I went to bed. Some included fairy tales, others included vampires and werewolves. It wasn't until I was ten years old that I learned that they were true. My best friend then was Lila Oakley. She looked like the average ten year old girl I was but there was something much darker that lived inside her.

Lila and I were playing in the woods by my house when I tripped and fell over a tree root in the ground. I got a nasty scratch on my palm. Lila seemed to have sniffed the air before turning and looking at my palm.

“Lila I fell. We should go back so my mom can patch it up,” I said getting up.

“Uh...I can take care of it here,” she offered.

“Lila we have to get a cloth or cleaning supplies for it,” I said.

“I can take care of it in a different way,” she said with a look in her eyes that scared me.

“No Lila, I'm going to head back,”I said turning to walk away.

All of a sudden I was pushed against a tree by Lila. “Just let me have a taste,” she hissed.

Her eyes were black and fangs littered her mouth in a unsettling manner. She was very frighting. I started to shake as my heartbeat sky rocketed.

“It'll hurt a bit,” she said taking my hand and holding it in front of her mouth. She slammed my hand against her mouth and I could feel her fangs breaking through my skin as she sucked the blood from my hand. I screamed bloody murder.

“Li-Lila stop!” I cried. I started to feel faint. She stopped suddenly and snapped her head to the left. A rifle was pointed at her, my father holding it.

“I had suspicions about you girl,” my father said icily. Lila or what ever she was, hissed at my father and raced towards him. I heard a gunshot fire and I flinched and snapped my eyes shut.

I felt a hand on my shoulder a second later and I jumped about a foot in the air.

“Eliza your safe,” said my father said.

My dad picked me up in his arms and started to carry me back to the house. As we walked away I saw Lila's body on the ground motionless.

“Are you sure she's dead daddy?” I asked.

“I used wooden bullets soaked in holy water. She more than dead now,” said my father. I sighed and soon fell asleep on his shoulder.

Ever since then I've blocked out the fact that monsters lived in my world. I've come in contact of some but my town wasn't really a hot spot for them. The conversation I heard earlier popped into my head. The attacks scared me a bit. Was it vampires? Warlocks? Werewolves? I didn't know and it scared me. I didn't want that type of person back in my life.

“Elizabeth dear were home,” said my mother breaking me from my flashback.

I looked down at my palm and saw the light scar left from that day.

I stepped out of the carriage with her and walked up into the house with her.

“I'm going to go tell Lucia to start supper,” she said quietly and walked off.

I pursed my lips, still confused to what actually happened 19 years ago. I climbed the staircase to the maids room and knocked on the door. Emily, one of the other maids answered. She was more shy than Lucia but she was also younger. She was only twenty two years of age.

“Yes miss?” she asked.

“Would you mind untying my dress for me?” I asked.

She nodded and followed me to my room. She untied the dress for me and I let it drop to the ground.

“My corset also?” I asked. She nodded once more, pulling the string.

I exhaled loudly,”Thank the Lord I can breathe again!” I said happily.

She smiled a bit,”Will there be anything else miss?” she asked.

“No that will be all, thank you,” I said.

She slightly curtsied and walked out. I dropped everything to the ground and changed into my around the house dress that was a normal washed blue that had a light gray tie around the middle. I put it on and tied the bow in the back. I could sleep in this dress it's so comfy.

I walked down into the kitchen to be greeted by the smell of Lucia's cooking.

“Oh Lucia that smells amazing!” I said entering into the dining room.

“Thank you miss Rose,” said Lucia smiling. Lucia has been a maid here ever since I could remember. She always called me Rose because when I was younger I would get embarrassed easily and I would blush a lot, turning my cheeks a rose color. Rose also happened to be my middle name ironically.

I sat down at my usual spot in the dining room and waited for my mother and dinner to be served. A couple minutes later my mother came into the dining room in her around the house dress. We sat in silence until Lucia and Emily came in a served up some homemade soup, with a loaf of bread and a pitcher of lemonade.

“Dinner is served misses,” said Lucia.

“Thank you,” I said.

They bowed their heads and exited the dining room.

My mother sighed,” You know I've been thinking about you going up to Redford alone isn't such a good idea. I remember it being...lower on the society chain.” my mother said.

I set down my spoon,”So what do you propose I do then?” I asked.

“Well I was going to ask Mr. Donner if maybe his stable boy could accompany you,” she said.

Stable boy...where does that sound familiar? It clicked then,”Oh no! No way! Anyone but him! That boy is a cynical little snitch,” I said icily.

“Elizabeth!” my mother scolded.

“It's true! I went for a walk on the property, seeing that Mr. Donner wouldn't mind and I ran into him and he's just...just...I can't think of a word for him,” I said knowing if I got to worked up about it I'd probably have an aneurysm.

“Okay dear. I want someone to come with you though,” said my mother.

I thought for a minute. “How about...Emily?” I asked.

“Emily, why Emily?” asked my mother.

“Well we know we can trust her. She can provide for me over the night and she's close to my age so I won't be completely alone,” I said.

“Well...I'll think about,” said my mother.

“Okay then,” I said picking my spoon back up a dipping it in the soup.

Later that night I packed a suitcase since I would be staying the night most likely.

“Elizabeth!” called my mother.

“Yes?” I asked walking to the edge of the staircase.

“Dear I'm going to go pay a friend a visit for a while. Will you be okay here?” she asked tying her bonnet on.

“Yes mother I'll be fine...Who are you visiting though?” I asked.

“Oh you don't know them dear,” she said.

“Okay then. I'll see you in the morning,” I said.

“You too dear,” said my mother walking out the door. I turned around and walked back into my bedroom, shutting the door behind me and changed out of my dress into my nightgown. I took out my copy of Pride & Prejudice from my bookshelf and walked over to my bed. I got a match from my nightstand next to my bed and lit the candle one it. I shook the flame out and tossed the match back into the box. I climbed into bed getting comfortable. I picked up from where I placed my marker and fell into a deep reading trance I go into when I read.

I sat there for what seemed mere minutes, until I looked up and saw the time on my clock. It was 10:15 at night. Goodness! I didn't even hear mother come home I was so deep into the reading. I placed my book on the nightstand and blew out the candle and settled down into bed.

I was about to drift into sleep when a chilling howl came from out back near the woods. My eyes shot open and I listen intently to see if may it was my imagination. We didn't have wolfs around here. It wasn't the right environment so why would there be a howl? Unless it was... no it couldn't be a we-. I heard the howl again, interrupting my thoughts, but it was closer.

I lit my candle and shakily got out of bed. I crouched down by my window and peeked around the curtains. I looked around the lining of the woods and saw nothing until I saw piercing yellow ones looking right at me. I shrieked loudly and covered my mouth. I froze in my spot. I felt as if I couldn't move. I saw it walk a bit away from the woods. It was huge, a pitch black werewolf. It's claws were almost visible from where I was looking, as was it's teeth.

My brain picked up it's common sense and I quickly moved from the view of the window. I accidentally moved to fast because I slammed myself against my door making a loud thumping noise. I mentally cursed myself, mother was a very light sleeper. I stayed in place though, to frightened to move.

Within a minute a knock came from my door. “Elizabeth is everything alright?” asked my mother from the other side of my door.

I swung the door open and embraced my mother.

“Eliza what's wrong?!” asked my mother concerned.

“Were-werewolf,” I stuttered out.

“A what?” she asked confused.

“A werewolf,” I said more clearly.

“Darli-,” my mother looked at me but I interrupted.

“No mother it was right at the woods start. I saw it with my own eyes,” I said pulling her to the window but the werewolf wasn't there. That only scared me more. What if it was right outside out house?

“There's nothing there,” said my mother.

“Elizabeth your probably just stressed about the trip tomorrow. Just go back to bed and get some sleep,” said my mother.

“But I heard it howl! Twice at that!” I said.

”Elizabeth it was a bad dream. Now go back to bed.” said my mother.

“I wasn't asleep yet! I just got done reading and blew out the candle and I not even a minute later I heard it!” I said quickly.

“Elizabeth stop this nonsense right now! You know there are no werewolf’s for towns and towns over,” said my mother irritated.

I sighed giving up,” Yes mother,” I said.

“Good then. Go back to bed.” she said walking out and shutting the door behind her.

I climbed back in bed and laid there frozen. I tossed and turned and couldn't sleep. I gave up and grabbed my book and lit the candle. I walked into my walk-in closet and shut the door. I sat there feeling secluded, almost as if I was invisible from the outside world. I always felt safe in here for some reason. I started to read my book once again and eventually drifted to sleep.