Blue Moon

What the hell was Braum thinking? What the hell was I thinking? Every moment was on replay in Talen's mind as soon as he left the front door in the most painful shift he had ever had. Something about all of this didn't feel right. He felt almost guilty for locking her up. Almost.

She wears the sign of the witch on her neck. His other half tired to reason, tugging at his nerves that were already frayed. Just snap her neck and be done with her.

Talen let out a whimper. His mind was already clouded and without the rest he needed to think clearly, his beast side was trying to be persuasive. He had started head to a deeper part in the forest behind the house. All the hatred and rage he had had was gone, gone with the running. He felt worse as he realized what he had done.

She wasn't the one that cursed my family... I shouldn't... His chest started to knot as he rested his head on his paws. He let out a soft whimper and another howl.

Let me take over. I'll finish her off.

Talen shook his head and laid there, closing his eyes. He knew that all he really needed was some sleep. It would clear his mind of all the hatred. All the pain. Part of him wanted to agree with his beat half and just kill her. Maybe the curse would lift off. Though most of him didn't want something like that to happen. He didn't want to kill anyone or even have to kill someone.

But she is a descendant of the witch. He felt more conflicted as he laid there, though he was already starting to drift off for the day. At least until his transformation was over. Though his dreams didn't help him either.

Talen was standin in the atrium of the house and his other half was across the room. He had dreams like this before, but the beast looked even more menacing.

"You are just going to let her live." It asked him, a red glare in its eyes.

"She doesn't deserve to die."

"We don't deserve to die. And you know it is coming. What is one girl's death to our own?"

Talen shook his head as he looked toward the door to the basement. Part of him really just wanted to let her go while the other half wanted to make her life a nightmare. He started to walk towards it, images of himself in a cage popped in his mind.

"Stop it." He looked at the wolf-like creature. The creature just sneered at him.

"You believe that she'll accept you, that she will save you?"

Talen understood that his dream-self and him were one of the same. They would act in the same manner.

"No. I don't. But this is my body and my dream. Get out." The beast started to vanish like wisps of smoke.

"You'll be sorry, Talen. And I am the only creature you can ever trust. And I will be here for that last moment. Your last choice." The creature vanished into blackness.

And Talen was alone again in the darkness. He saw the girl in a spotlight. She looked at him with a soft smile, but her eyes were pitch black. Her hair was starting to flow around her face like she was underwater.

"Come." Talen was tense as she gestured for him to join her. The only thing that stopped him was her pitch black eyes. "Why hesitate?"

Talen couldn't move as she walked towards him.

"No, no..." As she came closer, he saw sharp teeth and her mouth growing wide as if to swallow him whole. "NO!"

Talen woke up, breathing heavily. He was still in wolf form, but away from the grove that he had been sleeping in. He was outside the house and he looked down, hearing something drip from him.

Is that... blood? He didn't want to know though. His stomach was already churning from that dark dream. The sun was starting to set by the time he came to the door.

He wasn't ready for any of this. Not after that nightmare. He started to painfully change back, all his bones cracking and forming back. When he was done, he stood, wiping his mouth and seeing the crimson. He wished he hadn't seen that, feeling more sick. He headed inside and went to the kitchen, cleaning up the blood.

Went on a spree, didn't you? Talen questioned. The beast grumbled in his mind. He knew that there was probably more that the beast wanted to say, but didn't. He shook his head, grabbing the towel to dry his face. Time to face the music.

He went back to the atrium, heading toward the door. His hand was on the door handle, more worried about what he would do. He held his breathing as he opened it, expecting a monster to swallow him whole. He stepped inside and flicked on the light. Everything was still kind of dark, but Talen's goal was still in the cage. She looked liked she had been resting.

Can you blame her? He tried to reason with himself.

He started over to the cage. Her head perked up when he loudly came down the stairs. She had started to back away from the door of the cage.

Why hasn't she said anything yet? Though, his memory quickly recalled him ordering her to be silent. His face went pale, but he quickly recomposed himself. He opened the cage and stepped inside. She flinched slightly as she pressed her back against the wall. He sighed softly.

"I'm not going to hurt you..." I hope. He went over to the shackles around her wrists, but she pulled them away from him. Why should she trust him? After all that had happened. "Please Valeriana..."

She looked up at him through her hair, her bright blue eyes watching him. His chest clenched in pain and he whispered, "You may speak."

He could see that the collar released slightly around her neck. But she said nothing.

"Let me see your hands."

He could feel the slight release on his own collar as he came closer to her. He gently caught her hands and started to unlock the shackles. She continued to stay silent. It was kind of unnerving, but he continued with the shackles. He would have just broken them off, but he couldn't reveal more than he already had. He finished the last shackle which she pulled her hands back to her.

"Let's get you something to eat and we'll talk about this." He grabbed her shoulders, trying to get her to stand up.

What he didn't expect was to be kneed in the groin, making him crumple and double over in pain as he laid on his side. He saw her run past him and she started up the stairs.

"Wait..." Though she was out the door as Talen was on the floor, writing in a pain.

He tried to recompose himself, sweating dripping down his face.

Dammit to hell. He tried to get up, but stayed where he was. Maybe she could escape and he wouldn't have to worry about it. the pain subsided, but he stayed on the floor. HIs other half growled at him.

Shut up. This is a better solution. Though, he couldn't keep that optimistic thought in mind as the collar wrapped around his neck started to squeeze harder and burn.

The beast howled in his mind and he screamed, the pain feeling like someone was trying to strangle him and brand him at the same time. He was grabbing at his neck and trying to get the collar off, but it was sealed to his neck. No way to alleviate the pain and no end in sight.

His eyesight started to blacken and panic built up in his chest.

Valeriana...