Luna 3

“Now where were we?”

“You were asking me something, but I…I have some questions of my own.” His eyes shifted nervously, and his hands fluttered aimlessly. “It’s nothing too bad. At least I don’t think so. I just wanted to know why you’re so strong. You’re constantly breaking thinks that aren’t easily breakable; my door for instance. Another thing I’ve noticed is how you never change. I change all the time. You’ve looked the same for the past ten years. I didn’t want to say it before and sound rude, but I’ve been wondering for a while now. It’s off me chest and I feel so much better.” I said feeling worn out.

“You’ll find out tomorrow.” He whispered so quietly I wasn’t sure I heard anything at all. “So…are you packed yet?” He asked after an awkward silence.

“Almost. I’ve just have to find my sweatshirts, and I’ll be ready to go. Why?”

“I just thought you might want to go camping before you leave. The forest is beautiful this time of the year.”

“Yeah sure.” I agreed quickly, but as I thought about it I became wary. Something about the cryptic way he answered my question put a sinking feeling into the pit of my stomach, and I felt a pain settle over my heart from the sickening distrust that I felt towards Sam. “I’ll just go find that sweatshirt.” I mumbled keeping my eyes averted from his loving sea foam green ones.

I ran into my walk-in closet and stumbled over the hangers scattered haphazardly on the floor. I looked around but only saw empty racks and shelves. I got down on my hands and knees and started throwing hanger around to find it. It wasn’t really important that I find it, but I was dreading the camping trip, and I felt extremely guilty that I didn’t trust one of the only people that truly loved me. I was about to give up when I found an elfin, smooth, mahogany box. It was intricately designed with inlayed pearls. There were swirls that were painted with powdery blues and pinks. The box tickled at a memory on the edge of my mind, so I opened it immediately. My fingers trembled as I unfolded the yellowed letter when it fell from the box with two rings.

Dearest children,

You have been chosen.

When you receive this letter you may still be human, but you must realize that your fate has been decided, and there is nothing you can do to change it. Not even death will keep you from it. It is part of your responsibility to find friends that will help you with this mission.

Along with this letter are two rings. One is for you and the other is for your brother. They mark you as peacemakers for the world that we live in. The rings cannot be removed, so they will stay on you for the rest of eternity. If anyone tries to remove it, both the ring bearer and the person who is trying to take it will be punished.

This may not make sense to you now, but in time you will begin to understand. We will always be watching. Stay safe my beloveds.

The Hunters

My head was swimming. I didn’t know what was happening, but I knew something wasn’t right. Someone wasn’t telling me something, and I didn’t like it.

The ring was silver; a simple beauty. I absentmindedly took it and placed it on my ring finger on my left hand. When it was on securely, heat coursed through my arm in time with my heart beat, and as I watched waves of colors came in sync with the bursts of heat.

I found the long forgotten sweatshirt harmlessly tucked under my cover. I slid it over my head, grabbed the box and its contents from the floor and shoved it in my pocket. When I pulled my hand from the pocket I noticed that the ring had changed.

In the middle there was a diamond with small pieces of onyx surrounding it. I flipped it over and found that it was engraved. It said ‘Asha-Our Guardian.’

“Are you ready?” Sam asked sounding depressed. I quickly hid my hand behind my back and smiled; the look of pure innocence.

“I’m ready.”

“What are we standing around here for? Let’s get a move on.” I came to the conclusion that since it meant so much to him I would endure the sting of distrust for just a little while longer. I grabbed my suitcase and hopped to the car.

While we were in the car the pain that I had felt earlier spread through my entire torso like a malignant disease. I was in agony for the whole car ride. I plastered a smile that felt more like a grimace.

“Are you okay Asha? You don’t look so well.” Sam asked speeding up the car.

“Yeah I’m fine it’s just butterflies,” I lied. “I’ll be fine when I get some fresh air.”

“Well I hope you feel better. I want you to enjoy the time you have left.” He gave me a reassuring smile, and when he turned around he mumbled something that sounded like, “Before the real pain starts.” His words didn’t actually calm me, but the pain subsided for the rest of the ride.

The torturing ache came back in full force when Dad and I arrived at the edge of the forest. We hiked through the trees, coming to a stop when we reached a clearing that I had never seen before.

“Dad where are we?” When he didn’t say anything I turned around to find his eyes probing the edge of the forest. “Dad?”

“I’m so sorry Asha. I really wanted this to be a good time, but I see know that that’s impossible. I won’t be here when you wake up, and you may be disoriented, but I know you will be successful. Aiden isn’t in Mara. There is no boarding school, and I’ve been planning this since the day I adopted you and your brother. He’s by Luna Lake and he’ll explain everything. I hope you don’t hate me for this, but it’s necessary to save us all. I’m sorry, and I love you.”

My mouth wouldn’t cooperate, so I just shook my head slightly. He moved with inhuman speed, and was suddenly in front of me. In a loving gesture he brushed my hair away from my neck. My mind was still buzzing from all that he had told me. I began to speak, but I was distracted by some faint rustling in the woods. A sharp, unrelenting pain pulsed through my neck. It was ten times worse than the earlier horrid pain clawing its way through my body.

I rubbed my neck in an attempt to quell the pain, but as I suspected it didn’t help in the least. My hand stilled as it grazed the deep puncture wounds. I could feel the blood spurting through my fingers, its hot thickness turning my white sweatshirt a sickening red.

“Dad!! Dad help me!!”

“Nothing can help us now.” He said cryptically as two black robbed figures emerged from the darkness. As my legs collapsed from the pain, I noticed that their black robes had menacing flames licking at the bottom leaving a trail of death behind them every time they moved. The pain began to spread through me like spilled black ink on a white page. It felt as if my dad had thrown me onto a bed of angry wasps.

“Please, please make it stop.” I implored

“I’ll be more than happy to put you out of your misery dear. Just let me finish up with your ‘daddy’ over here. Come help me Braeden.” The first figure purred.

“My pleasure sis.” He said as a black light came from his eyes and went into Sam’s.

“What are you doing to him?” I tried to scream, but my inquisition came out as nothing more than a pitiful whimper.

“We’re giving him what he deserved. Your ‘daddy’ has been a bad little boy. Haven’t you Sam?” I watched with perverse fascination as Braeden’s jaw widened and his teeth, like sharp knives sank into Sam’s neck. His entire neck was shrouded be Braeden’s enlarged jaw, but he never tried to fight off the monster. I shied away from the gruesome sound of Sam’s flesh being ripped apart. It reminded me of the high pitched keen made by scratching a chalkboard combined with the sorrowful protest of metal being bent against its will. I expected to see of bucketfuls of blood on the ground, but all I saw was a shimmering transparent liquid that Braeden slurped up with a look of contentedness on his face. It was like the liquid solved all his problems by being the best thing to ever graze his taste buds. When no more fluid came from his lifeless body brain jerked and ripped Sam’s head off and let his body fall like a sack of rocks.

“Now it’s your turn.” The young girl said. No. No. No. I tried to scream, but nothing came through my lips as I struggled to stay conscious.

“Leave her be, Layla,” he said quietly, but ringing with power. “She has done nothing wrong. Besides the change has already begun.”

“Fine Braeden.” She grabbed my face with her calloused hands and pulled me up, so I was standing in front of her. “I’ll be seeing you soon.” She growled as black spots began to infiltrate my vision. I heard them leave, the flames beneath them crackling as they flew through the forest. As soon as they were completely covered by the omnipresent forest the pain shot through me like a javelin and I collapsed to the ground falling into an indescribably painful slumber.