The Mystery of The Moon

My head was mush, my memory unknown. The fog lifted from my mind, but just barely. I remember pain, and then nothingness. I hadn’t seen my attacker. They had come up behind me, footsteps soft and unheard, stepping lightly, leaving no traces behind. The object they had hit me with was cold, assumedly metal, and round. Perhaps a baseball bat. That was all I remembered of that night, or was it day? The fog settled around my brain, allowing me no more. Slowly, carefully I open my eyes, scared of what to see. A cold, dark dungeon covered in mold and green goo? Decaying walls and squeaking mice, scurrying along the way?

But no, none of that. I open my eyes to see a flower. Rolling over onto my back, I sat up in confusion. Was I not in a dungeon? Was there no moldy walls and sticky floors? No, instead I saw flowers of all kinds, blue, yellow, red, pink. Marvelous flowers, growing in clusters all around me. I stood, something on my wrist rattled drawing my attention towards it. A bracelet, the silver bangle reading ‘Moon D. Subject 1.’ Moon, was that my name? Something tugged at my mind. Yes, I believe it was. A black dog walks out of the fields of grass opposite of me, coming straight for me. I freeze. It was such a small dog, surely it could cause no harm.

Its blue eyes captivated me, holding me in a stare down that I wasn’t sure if it would cost me my life. Yet, I knew, deep in my heart that this dog would do me no harm. About ten feet away from me he, wagged his tail and turns around, leaped forward and ran towards the field he had came out of. He looked back at me, and, not knowing why, I follow. Walking towards the beautiful tall leaves of the beginning of what I thought was a field. I noticed the sound of birds chirping as I walked. Singing a turn to their loved ones, a tune that demanded not only to be heard but to be felt.  A squirrel leaped from tree to tree over my head, its brown fur fluffy and thick. Before I knew it, the greenery was gone, revealing a clearing. Off to the right was a blue-green colored cottage swirled with yellow and grey. Beside it was a crystal blue lake, the water swayed with the wind, rippling with the fish that swam underneath.

A waterfall sent water crashing down into the lake, the sun while causing it to sparkle in an array of color. I gasp, the view breathtaking. I walked forward, my steps slow and steady, entranced by the beauty. Howls echoed around the clearing, sounded cheerful as though the animal had found meaning in life. The dog was no longer there, had it disappeared into the awakening night? Left me alone in such a place?  I carefully made my way towards the lake, for the first time noticing that I was barefoot and wearing a soft, yellow sundress. I reached out and trailed my hand down the growing flowers and plants.

I did not know how I ended up here, or what could come to be, yet I knew that I could come to love this place. The unnatural beauty of it, the unbelievably perfect flowers and the surprisingly clear and clean waters. The fruit from nearby trees and bushes looking extremely appetizing. Maybe, instead of a punishment I had been brought here as a gift. And yet, as night came, blanketing the world around me, I knew that I was here for a different reason. Dusk descended, casting shadows on everything. As darkness ate away at the light the flowers seemed to close up. The lake water turning darker, almost black. I stood quickly, knowing that night was not a time to be outdoors without any light. By instinct, I knew that this land’s beauty came with light.

As I make my way to the cabin, I froze at the door, seconds from opening it. Soft footsteps crunch through the grass towards me, steadily growing louder. However, it wasn’t the pattering steps of the black dog from earlier, no these were the steps of a human. My blood froze in fear, I turn around, blinking slowly, not wanting to see what this beautiful land that my attacker had placed me in had been sent here with me. But what I saw was not what I had been expecting. And as I stared, I knew that I could make a life here.

Reviews

[barleygirl]

Thank you for sending me a friend request. I always check out a person's writing before clicking "yes" . . . I will definitely be clicking "yes" after reading you! You are a great writer. I feel you have a style of writing that is unique, with a tapestry of fantasy woven with good realistic details. My only observation is that sometimes you keep it a little general, such as "fruit from nearby trees" and "sparkle in an array of color" . . . such descriptions can be made more intense if you drill down to a more detailed level. Show me the texture, the nuances of color, use details for all the senses . . . how does it smell, sound, feel? Fall in love with words, such as all the different ways to describe color . . . don't stick with the predictable primary color words. Your writing is great just the way it is & I'm not saying to change this piece of writing. I'm just giving suggestions to think about for future writing. Your construction is perfect & that's always a big pleasure while reading! (((HUGS))) Fondly, Margie

[Julie McCarthy (juliesp..]

Wonderful flow and I was entranced