Bound by the Moon

One.

~Four Years Later. ~


Waking up naked in the middle of the woods is bad enough. But waking up naked, covered in dirt and leaves and dried, caked up blood. Well, that takes the cake. But to me it's nothing new.

I slowly moved my limbs and got into a sitting position, feeling rather stiff. It was just after dawn, tiny rays of daylight were beginning to show through the tree branches overhead. I tipped my head towards the sky, the tree tops blocking most of my view. I sighed and stood up, stretched a bit, then began my trek through the woods, back to my clothes. My stomach felt queasy and I threw up before I got too far. That was my usual reaction after nights like these.

After I pulled myself together I walked a quarter of a mile, branches breaking beneath my bare feet, and thorns and other sharp things poking my soles. I pick them out easily, used to the sting. I was hoping no one else were in the woods yet. It would be very hard to explain why I was naked and dirty and bloody, not that it was my blood. At least I didn't think it was mine. But still a lot of questions would be asked and none of the answers would be sufficient.

I touched my matted pixie-cut dark hair, remembered the blood, then got sick and nearly threw up again. And again after I saw the carcasses of the dear I had somehow managed to take down last night, its insides, or what remained, showing. It was always a good sign to find the animal I killed and consumed. Because it meant it wasn't a human. That thought did make me hurl. Making sure there was nothing left in my stomach to come back up, I moved away from the animal, trying not to look to closely at the blood and guts, or my own vomit, for that matter. And I passed by I whispered an apology to the doe whose lives I had cut short.

I walked another half a mile, passing a few rabbits and a squirrel who I might have killed as well, and finally made it back to the stream that runs through the woods. I cleaned myself off as best as I could in the cool water, before I got out the backpack that was hidden up in a tree and put on my clothes and boots. I kept a toothbrush there and brushed away the nasty taste in my mouth, and gulped down gulps of cool water.

The sun was higher in the sky now, but there was a chill in the air. I wished I had brought a hat to cover my now wet hair, I was going to catch a cold, I was sure of it. I adjusted my plaid button down and tightened the laces of my hiking boots. I tried to eat one of the granola bars I keep in my pack, but felt I might not be able to keep it down right now, so I just put it away.

I made it to the parking lot, my borrowed dark blue car the only one in the lot at this godawful hour. I was surprised it didn't have a ticket on it. After I got inside, I rested my head against the steering wheel, feeling so worn out and tired that I fell dozed off before I could drive off. It was nearly nine when I woke up, and there was still no one around. It was nearing November now, getting colder and very few ever park in this lot anyway, so no surprise there really.

I started the engine, it puttered loudly before it got to working. It really needed to be worked on, but hey, it wasn't my problem, not my car. I yawned, looked around one last time at the woods I had become so familiar with that it felt like home, then drove off, my only thought was how late I was for school. But little did I know at that time that I was being watched.

~

I yawned for the hundredth time today. The day was dragging on longer than usual. I had made it to school, and of course got in trouble for being late, again, but at least I had showed up, right. I took another nap while in Geography class, and during lunch too, but it did no good. I was staring at the book I had been trying to read, but it was useless. I couldn't absorb a word. I was sitting in History class and thankfully, it was last period.

The bell rang and I sprang out of my seat as if my pants were suddenly on fire. I couldn't get away fast enough.

“Hey, Moon.” said a familiar voice as I opened my locker. It was Emile, my one, and only friend.

“Hey, Meal Ticket.” I said as I turned to my best friend, with a toothy grin.

Okay, let me explain the nicknames. Emile calls me Moon, well, because my name is Luna. Luna Elise Lennon, to be exact. The name my birth mother had been so keen on giving me, for ironic reasoning I'm sure. And Meal Ticket is because Meal is short for Emile, also he occasionally buys my lunch, so it seems fitting. Plus the name annoys him to no end, so I use it as much as possible.

“Ugh.” he rolled his brown eyes.

Emile is only a few inches taller than me, about five foot eight, skinny, and wears dark horned rimmed glasses. His style is a cross between nerdy, rockabilly, and punk rocker. Today he was wearing his favorite blue skinny's with paint splatter at the bottom, green high tops Converse All Stars, and a button down short sleeved collar shirt, his The Empire Strikes Back tee underneath, with a worn leather jacket to top it all off. His mop of dark hair was unruly and he was trying to grow a beard, but it wasn't coming along quite as he'd hoped.

“I hope you didn't crash my baby.” Meal said over the din in the hallway, and inched closer so as not to be trampled by the crowd.

It's Emile's car I borrowed. Without him I guess I would be hitchhiking, nothing I hadn't done before. His dad dropped him off this morning, seeing as I was running late. Whoops.

“No harm came to your precious.” said the last word in my best Gollum voice, slamming my locker shut and hefting my backpack on my shoulder. “You know I need it again tonight, right? Oh, and tomorrow, too?”

“Dammit, Moon!” he exclaimed as we walked down the hall with my arm linked around his, “Can't you get your own car?”

“Yeah, 'cause they grow on trees.” I said sarcastically, “I'll fill the tank, and give you extra money.”

“I know you will, it's just my dad doesn't like that I let you borrow it. He said he would take it away if it didn't stop.”

“Your dad's a dick, he doesn't like me anyway.” I wasn't exaggerating. He honestly didn't, he had even told me so once, said I was a bad influence. Whatever.

“He thinks you're using me.”

“Haven't you told him you're my sugar daddy?” I reached up and ruffled his hair. We both laugh as we make our way outside.

“How about this? I drop you off and pick you up in the morning. He won't know, then you can still make it here and back all right.”

“You gonna feel like doing that? Getting up that early? You aren't exactly a morning person.”

“Hey, I'll be fine, that way I can keep my precious. You gotta work, right?”

“Nope. Thank, Buddha” I worked part time at a coffee shop, serving uptight people who waste their money on overpriced coffee, but hey, it pays, so I try not to complain. “You wanna drop me off at home, bestest friend?” I smiled my sweetest smile at him. He made a face at me, but gave in.

“By the way,” he reached around and pulled a twig out of my hair.

“I had that in my hair all day? I could have sworn I washed my hair good. I must really be tired.”

“Yeah. And there's a smudge of dirt of the back of your neck.” he sniggered.

I rubbed the back of my neck. My hand came away a little dirty. “Wow. Just wow.” How many people had seen that today. I was thankful I always sat at the back of the class.

“I know, right.”

~

Once home I really wished I could just sleep but I had homework to finish before I headed out. I lived with foster family who had five other kids here. They were a cool couple, Marine and Dan Henderson, and didn't give two shits about me staying out all night, didn't ask too many questions either, lucky me. That was the story of my life really. At least I wasn't at an orphanage. The Hendersons were both at work right now, and only two of the other kids, Leah, who was thirteen, and Jackie, who was my age and whom I shared a room with, were home. I ate, my appetite was crazy now, so I ate a lot, and finish most of my work, but I'd probably fail, because this time of month I tended to.

I was prepared for my second night in the woods, but wasn't looking forward to it. Not that I ever was. I hated when things lined up with my school nights. I hate it even more during the winter, which was coming sooner than I liked to think about. You'd think I'd be used to it by now, but no, it was still an adjustment.

Emile came back and we headed out. I didn't bother saying goodbye to anyone, they ignored me every time before anyway, so I stopped ages ago. We got to the woods as the sun was getting lower on the horizon. Since it was nearly winter we had to set out earlier than I liked. Meal walked me through the woods for about ten minutes.

“You all set?” he asked as I set my bag down for a moment.

“Yeah. Thanks, Meal, you know I really appreciate all of this.”

“Dropping off my best friend in the middle of the wood so that you can transform during the full moon. That's what friends are for, right.”

I laughed a little. “You'd better go, it'll be dark soon, and I've gotta get going.”

“Alright, see ya in the morning.”

“Bright and early.” I said cheerfully, slapping his arm.

“Yay.” Emile said, halfheartedly throwing his hands up in the air.

As soon as Emile was out of sight I made my way further up through the trees to my spot. I could begin to feel the change coming on. As always I was a bit on edge, my sense sharper. I felt like running, hunting. I slipped out of my clothes and hid my bag up a tree. I walked on, not really shy about my nakedness. It was nearly dark now. I found a good spot. Then waited.