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The Night of the Black Moon By: C.V.Caul



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Sat Aug 10, 2013 8:16 pm
CVCaulWriter says...



The Night of the Black Moon

Chapter 1

In the early years of the 1900’s Green Grove Lake was a high-business, high-revenue town. Known for its tobacco production, it easily was one of the liveliest places to live in North Carolina. Nobody would have ever thought that in a little under a hundred years this town would be the exact opposite of what it was then. That’s because nobody expected what would happen next. On the eleventh day of June in nineteen-sixteen, the lives of everyone in Green Grove Lake changed forever - and eventually changing the town as they knew it. It was a hot summer day, and the fields were full of workers picking and tilling the fields. Across town the same thing was happening, or so everyone thought.

On the Bakers’ Plantation everything seemed normal, their fields were also being picked and tilled but something was also going on in the Baker woods. Charles Baker, the son of Tiller Baker, who owned the Baker plantation and most of the land in Green Grove Lake, was in the woods playing with some of his friends when they discovered a beaten and ran down house. Charles and his friends, being young curious children, decided they would creep inside and have a little fun. They entered the house that was once probably a grand structure. The glass windows were caked with dirt and grime making it impossible to see inside. Charles and his friends were certain the house had been deserted. Upon entering the house they realized that the inside did not look as though it had been left unattended. As they made their way into what appeared to be the sitting room they saw that the fireplace had a medium lit fire and beside it sat a wooden rocking chair with a black quilt folded and laying across the back of it.

“Charles, check this out.” One of his friends said. Charlie walked into the sitting room. Looking around he noticed a lot of realistic looking dolls on the shelves around the quaint room.

“Yeah, what is it?” Charlie asked as he entered the kitchen where his friend Orion was standing.

“Look at all these vials.” Orion said never taking his eyes off the custom wooden shelves built right above the sink. Charlie took a closer look and noticed that they were labeled with different labels, but not with anything you would find in your regular town’s shop.

“Change of Mind”

“Hair Grows Faster”

After reading a few more of the labels Charlie turned to the rest of his friends.

“Guys, I think these are some kind of potions, we need to get out of here.” Turning to leave the shack Charlie and his friends heart dropped in their chest when they s realized someone was standing in front of the door.

There stood and elderly woman with wrinkly skin and a large mole on the side of her cheek. She had big bushy eyebrows and her hair was in a tight bun atop of her head. She stood at the door and stared at Charlie and his friends, with jet black eyes that looked as if they were consumed with evil

“I am sorry, we did…did…didn’t know anybody li…li…lived here” Charlie said as he found himself stuttering and backing himself up along with his friends. The lady stepped closer toward them and it seemed as though her small frame filled the room, as she drained the air from the small enclosed space. The room seemed to become hotter, and smaller with each step she took.

“We didn’t take anything, we will just be leaving now” Orion said as they began moving closer towards the door and further away from the older woman. Finally reaching the door Orion grabbed the handle, snatching it open and they all ran out. The woman hurried out behind them, and standing on her front porch she finally spoke her first words.

“From this day forth till the last day end
Friendships will end and changes begin
Never again will you be the same
Because of the monster that is hard to tame”


Walking backwards into her house, she slammed the door shut.

“What the hell was that about?” Charlie asked as the group shared a laugh as they began walking back through the woods to the Bakers’ Plantation.

Later that evening Charlie and his friends had met up again. They decided they would go back to the woman’s house to mess with her and spook her. They thought it would be best to wait until nightfall to go, thinking that will make it spookier.

The friends headed into town to find something to get into before they went back to the woods. Stopping at the local diner the group of friends ate and drank and had fun until it was time for the diner to close.

Leaving the diner the group began walking back down the road towards the plantation.

“Charlie, look at the moon” one of the other guys said to him. Everybody looked up at once. The Moon was bigger and brighter than it had ever been before. The group of young men stopped and watched the moon until something peculiar happened. The moon began switching shades and then began dimming, going from a bright white to a dull gray it then turned to a dark steel color, and eventually black. As the moon became black it felt like all light had been lost.

Charlie dropped to his feet with a painful blow to his stomach. He began gasping for air, and his insides felt like they were being set on fire and tied into a knot at the same time. He felt pain shoot through his whole body and other changes began. His finger nails started to turn black as they grew longer and sharper. Thick, coarse hair started appearing all over, growing at a rapid rate as his eye sight changed. The darkness no longer hindered his sight, though he now was seeing things in a showing him things in fluorescent green. He could feel and taste the body temperature of the others around him on his tongue. His ears grew pointier as his hearing became sharper. He could hear heartbeats and noises from farther away. Something was wrong. Orion and his other friends were going through something as well because they all were on their hands and knees and screaming in pain. But he could tell something was different for them all.
After about a minute of pain, accompanied with screaming and yelling, everyone passed out.

The next morning the town was in an uproar. Over seventy people in the town had been killed. And the witnesses who claimed to have seen it were making crazy claims of lion and bear attacks.

The only thing that wasn’t mistaken through the whole story was that Charlie and his friends had been found in the middle of the streets in town, body and mouths covered in blood and scratches, with no remembrance of what had happened. After being arrested for the murders Charlie and Orion separately blamed each other for the murders claiming that the other had made them do it. With both Charles and Orion father’s being prominent in the community the town looked the other way on the ordeal, and never spoke of what had happened again.

Chapter 2

Present Day

“Hey, we’re having a bonfire tonight in Baker’s Woods. You should come and hang out, it’s the last weekend we have before school starts back next week” Evan said to Michelle as they walked home from work.

“Yeah, and what would Harmony have to say about me coming to that?” Michelle shot back at Evan, knowing that Harmony didn’t like her and she really didn’t care for Harmony either. How their dislike came for each other Michelle will never know. She just knew it started when Evan had started dating Harmony, but Harmony knew that Michelle and Evan were friends’ way before they dated.

“She’ll be alright. Besides, DeAndre, Shiniece, and Julius, and the rest of the group are going to be there. It will be fun. So are you coming?”

“I don’t know Evan, I will think about it, and let you know later on tonight” Michelle replied, as they walked up to her front porch.

“Alright, well as long as you decide yes I’m cool with you thinking about it” Evan said as he flashed his famous smile at Michelle, he gave her a hug and watched her as she walked into the house.

Evan was about six feet-four inches tall. He is dark skinned with a clean cut and thin beard that connected with his sideburns. His eyes were a golden brown color that appeared to have red fiery specks when he got upset. All the females loved his eyes and his smile didn’t help their ability to prevent from falling in love with him. Evan played Football and Baseball at Green Grove High School where he was getting ready to start his senior year.

As he continued his walk home his mind went from Michelle to his girlfriend Harmony. Evan knew that Harmony didn’t like Michelle; he guessed it was because she thought that they had something going on. Truthfully Evan had always liked Michelle but he never let his personal feelings about her known to anybody except for his best friend DeAndre.
Michelle and Evan had been friends since they were four and Michelle’s family had moved to Green Grove.

Standing at five foot-three inches with light honey skin and shoulder length dark brown hair Michelle had the most gorgeous full set of pink lips that Evan had ever seen. Every time he laid eyes on them he had the urge to kiss her. She also had big beautiful dark brown eyes that almost looked black. Michelle was the captain of the cheerleading team. Her athletic build was something that Evan had always loved about her. Evan had been in love with her ever since he was eight he just never moved on her because she never seemed interested in him as anything more than a friend. Michelle had this quality about her that everyone loved, she was just nice and you could tell that she genuinely cared about others. She was always nice to everybody, and mostly everyone got along with her. Everyone that is, but Harmony.

Harmony on the other hand was a feisty five foot-seven inch with, long dark black hair with honey brown streaks. She had medium light brown eyes that matched the caramel complexion that she had. She was the captain of the girls’ basketball team and the soccer team. She was a year younger than Evan so she and Michelle were in the same class together. Harmony wanted to be a fashion major when she finished school and eventually start her own fashion line. Growing up, Harmony and Evan hated each other and Evan picked on her for most of their childhood until they got to about seventh grade. That is when he started seeing her as a beautiful female. They didn’t start dating though, until Evan’s sophomore year which was her freshman year, and they have been inseparable ever since.

Finally reaching home, Evan noticed that DeAndre’s car was parked outside and figured his best friend had probably let himself in the house. Entering the house Evan found DeAndre and his other friend Julius sitting on the couch playing video games.

“I guess, I had a sign on the door that said ‘even though no one is home, make yourself comfortable" Evan asked as he grabbed a Gatorade from the fridge and made his way to the couch to watch the madden contest between the two.

“Well, we knew you wouldn’t mind so we decided to make ourselves at home, pizza is on the way. Your half has sausage and the other half is pepperoni.” Julius said without looking away from the screen.

“So what took you so long to get home?” DeAndre asked noticing that Evan seemed to be deep in thought.

“I walked Michelle home from work, and then I took a little walk to think to myself.” Evan answered back knowing that the conversation was going somewhere where he didn’t want to go.

“Does Harmony know that you’re walking Michelle home from work and having deep intimate conversations with her?” DeAndre asked already knowing the answer to the question.

“What makes you think our conversation was intimate” Evan asked defensively.
DeAndre put the game on pause and gave a long look letting him know that he knew him better than he thought he did.

“Whatever. We just have regular conversations. I invited her to the Bonfire tonight, and we still have to go pick up some things up for tonight too. So whenever you guys are ready to go the faster we can move it along.” Evan said as he went to answer the ringing doorbell.

Hearing the distant conversation from the door Julius paused the game “Does Evan really like Michelle?” he asked DeAndre.

“You know he’s too sprung over Harmony to be thinking about any other females” DeAndre replied. Knowing that in the back of his mind Evan might actually have deeper feelings for Michelle than he did for Harmony. Seeing Evan walk back into the room with the Pizza Hut pizza boxed snapped him out of his thoughts.

“So what all do we need to get from the store for tonight?” DeAndre asked as he sat back on the couch checking his text messages through his phone.

DeAndre and Evan had been friends since they were less than a year old each. DeAndre was two weeks older than Evan but their parents had been friends since they were in high school.

DeAndre was six foot-one with thin tight clean looking dreads which he had been growing since he was seven, and today they had reached down his back. He usually kept them in a ponytail to the back. He also had thick eyebrows and light grey eyes that he had inherited from his grandmother; his skin was a light bronze color.

DeAndre played football with Evan, but his real love was music. He was an aspiring producer who wrote and produced his own music, he wanted to major in music and sports medicine, if his music career didn’t pan out he wanted to have a backup career.
Julius had met Evan when his family had moved to Green Grove when his father became the VP of Sales at the Ford Motors plant that the town was known for. Evan’s father is the President of the Ford Branch in Green Grove and was responsible for hiring Julius’s dad. His first night in town Evan’s dad had invited Julius’s family over for a neighborhood cookout and it just so happened that Julius and Evan were the same age and had a lot of the same interests.

Julius was taller than Evan by about two inches but constantly acted like it was two feet. He had cool brown eyes. His hair was cut into a low cute fade and its color a dark sandy brown. He only has a mustache that goes into his goatee that is neatly cut. Julius had a muscular physique that he gained from kickboxing, wrestling, football, and track. Julius had met DeAndre through Evan; he had signed them up to play in a three-on-three basketball tournament at the neighborhood community center. They instantly hit it off and became the best of friends as they went on to win the basketball tournament.

“We still have to get some food to grill out there. I got the alcohol already. We need some sodas, lighters, and just the little things that I haven’t had time to get. Do y’all want to ride with me or are y’all going to stay here?” Evan asked as he sat the pizza down and grabbed two slices before he went into the kitchen to grab another Gatorade from the fridge.

“Yeah, I’m down to ride, but Julius got a dentist appointment in an hour so I don’t think the baby will be able to go” DeAndre said in his parenting mocking voice as he rubbed Julius head like a loving father.

“Yeah, whatever you say. Since you’re my pops let me hold fifty dollars then” Julius quipped at DeAndre as he began sliding his shoes on.

“How did your grades look this week son?” DeAndre asked as Evan cracked a little laugh knowing that this conversation could last forever.

“I got all A’s, but I guess that’s cause your mom got all the D” Julius replied, and they all began laughing.

“Alright, I will meet y’all back here after I get out of this appointment. Evan man, tell Harmony to put me on with Shiniece” Julius said as he grabbed his keys and grabbed some pizza and a Gatorade.

“Man you still trying to talk to her, man just talk to her. I think she’s already feeling you” DeAndre said as he sat still sending text messages.

“Y’all know I’m not good with words, especially around cute girls. I guess I can talk to her tonight though if she comes. Do y’all know if she’s coming?”

“Yeah she coming, I already talked to Harmony about who she was bringing with her. But yeah you should talk to her, Dre is right though -she clearly likes you. Y’all just need to go ahead and talk.” Evan said with a smile as his phone lit up with a new text message from Michelle.

Chapter 3

Aroion Cross was sitting in the town's barbershop getting his hair cut from his favorite barber Tyler. Aroion’s family had lived in Green Grove Lake since before history had been recorded. The Cross family and the Baker family were the most feared and famous families in Green Grove Lake. Aroion was checking his text messages when he heard the bells over the barbershop door jingle. Focusing his eyes on the mirror that he was facing he saw his best friend Neil walking in barbershop. Neil spotted Aroion sitting in the barber chair and walked over to him giving each other their normal handshake.

“What’s up, man what’s going on?” Aroion asked as he checked his cell phone that kept buzzing in his lap.

“I just got word from Courtney that Evan and a few other people on north side are having a get together in Baker Woods tonight. I was thinking that we might want to drop in and show our faces.” Neil replied with a sly grin on his face.

“Yeah, I like the way that sounds. Call Jamal and Corey and tell them to meet up with us at my house.” Aroion replied as he sat sending a text message back on his phone.

“Alright, seven-thirty cool?” Neil asked as he got up from his chair and began scrolling through his phone to call everybody.

“Yeah, that’s perfect.” Aroion said as he watched his friend walk out the door.

Aroion was an eighteen year old senior at Green Grove High standing at six-foot three inches he was the defensive captain of the football team. His family was of German descendent and so were the hazel eyes that he inherited from the men of his family. He also inherited his bald hairstyle from the men in his family, everyone wore a bald head and everyone wore it well.

Aroion was the youngest of seven kids, with four brothers. He always felt like he had to work harder than most kids to earn their parents attention. His father was the Governor of the state of North Carolina so seeing his father home was not something he really saw a lot of. His mother was more concerned about her status in the town’s social status than she was about her children.

She was constantly throwing luncheons and dinner parties. Even with all the people around, Aroion never felt more alone than he did when he was at his house; which explains why he spent so much time away from home.

The football field is the only place he felt he could be himself and escape his problems that he dealt with. Just like with anything else, there are up’s and downs in everything, and Aroion’s downside of football was the person he hated the most in the world. Evan Baker. Why Aroion hated Evan so much he never knew, but ever since they met each other in first grade they hated each other. His father always told him that it was just an old family rival that’s probably been passed down from generation to generation, but Aroion always felt like there was more to it than that.

When Evan became the offensive captain of the football team he almost quit the team altogether; for the simple fact that captains had to meet about two-three times a week. They never hung around each other. However, it was a small town, so it was inevitable that they ran into each other- a lot. Pretending that neither existed, was how each encounter began and ended.

Aroion snapped out of his daydream of his intense hatred for Evan. Aroion paid his barber and made an important phone call as he went outside and climbed into his 2013 bumblebee yellow Porsche Cayman S with agate grey and lime gold on the interior and raced home.

Reaching his house Aroion entered to find his mother in the sitting room on the phone making some kind of arrangements, for some kind of party. Waving at her son Mrs. Cross turned her back to him and continued talking on the phone. Rolling his eyes, he walked into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water, and then headed down stairs to his bedroom. Aroion family’s house was three floors. The third floor was underneath the main floor and Aroion made it his own once his older brother Silas went away for college about seven years ago.

He had his own kitchen, bathroom, and living room and with a separate entrance he could come and leave his house without his family never knowing. Turning his TV on ESPN he began running on the treadmill he had set up in the corner of his living room. After doing three miles he checked his watch. He still had about an hour and half before everyone was supposed to show up and everyone knew how serious he took punctuality. Turning his surround sound on he stripped down and headed for the shower. Aroion always took long showers, it felt like he was washing his problems away during these times and he always seemed to concentrate better during these private times of his life. Hearing a knock on the bathroom door before he could open his mouth he heard the door open.

“Can you hurry up; I am kind of getting bored out here.” A female voice called out, that Aroion recognized as his girlfriend Erica.

Rolling his eyes, he finished washing his body and decided the shower had been long enough and turned the water off. Standing in front of his full length mirror, he admired his body as he slid on his boxer briefs and began to lotion his body. Exiting the bathroom after about fifteen minutes he spotted his best friend Neil playing pool on the pool table and Erica sitting on the black leather couch flipping through channels.

“I see the princess is finally finishing putting on her face” Erica said with a sly grin on her face. Aroion flipped her and Neil off. Grabbing two Gatorades from the fridge and throwing one to Neil, Aroion kissed Erica then plopped down on the couch beside her.

“So what’s the plan for tonight?” Neil asked still shooting pool.

“Well, we’re going to do what we normally do when it comes to Evan.” Aroion said looking up from his phone to his best friend. “Make his life hell.”

http://www.amazon.com/Night-Black-Moon- ... s=C.V.Caul
  








You must believe in free will; there is no choice.
— Isaac Bashevis Singer