The Red Moon

Chapter One

The Red Moon

(Point of view of Nora)

 

           

I sat tiredly at my desk listening to my professor’s monotonous voice, his lazy drawl slowly fading into the back ground. I glance at the analog clock and began to count down the minutes. Soon after, I lay my head upon my desk. Closing my eyes, I could hear the soft whispers around me, the scratching of pencils quickly copying down notes, and the slight screech of the dry erase marker sliding onto the whiteboard. Everything was in its place, I felt for even just a moment, at peace. Nothing and no one could hurt me here, I was momentarily safe. With a sigh, I raised my head and rested it on the palm of my hand, leaving my hair in a messy disarray, the long black strands began to entangle each other creating another small sigh to escape my lips.

My eyes began to roam the room, bouncing from object to object, desperate for a distraction. Finding nothing of interest, I began to idly doodle on my notebook, drawing nothing of interest. Looking up, I met eyes with one of my classmates, she was a quiet girl with brown mousey hair. I couldn’t quite remember her name, though I knew she was one of the quieter college students, sticking to her studies, always acing assignments. There were few times where she would strike up a conversation with me, though I didn’t have much interest in communicating with anyone.

 I have always been the loner, an outcast. I didn't much care for learning how to befriend anyone when I was little, I would much rather sit in the library and read, it’s where I have always felt safest. Nothing has changed since then, aside that I did have one friend now. Suddenly the chime marking the end of class shook me out of my thoughts. Everyone hurriedly packed their bags and made their way to the doors. Being the last one to leave, out of habit, I immediately made my way to the library.

As I pulled open the doors, the smell of old books and freshly used carpet deodorizer enveloped me. Walking to the far back, book shelves upon bookshelves stacking high above me, the room always had a warm feel, with the sun cascading gently through high windows and the dim lights.

The table I chose, was an old mahogany table. It was cold to the touch and you could see a few graffiti markings here and there, but it was my favorite. It had character, it was unique. Plus, it was far away from all the other college students. I didn't much care for their gossip and their obnoxious, overwhelming atmospheres. Placing my duffel bag gently at my feet, I pulled out one of my favorite books, “Moby Dick” by Herman Melville. It was not only a classic, but the first book I ever read. Settling comfortably into my chair, I let myself become absorbed in the story.

I must’ve fallen asleep at some point, when a loud thump awoke me, in front of me stood my best friend Celeste, her blonde hair framing her face where an angry scowl lied.

“Oh, hello Celeste.” I spoke softly, with this she sat down with a huff, her sapphire eyes burning with anger. Stretching, I noticed the sun had settled. A glance at my phone indicated it was well past seven.

“Don't you just “Hi Celeste” me! Do you even realize how long I waited for you?” her high voice screeched loudly with each word she spoke. Still not fully awake, I slowly gathered my things, all the while apologizing to her profusely. With folded arms, Celeste sighed heavily, rolling her eyes.

“Well no matter, at least I know you’re safe.” Looping her arm through mine, we made our way to the substation.

 Acting like her usual self, Celeste began idly chatting about her day. I tuned out most of it, adding little nods and “Oh, really?” s when necessary. We were walking along the concrete sidewalks of the street, nearing the stairs that led to the subway. Just as my foot touched the first step down, Celeste pulled roughly on my bag, halting me.

“Whoa! Look at the moon Nora!” with her excited cry I reluctantly looked at the moon, a small gasp escaped from my lips. A red moon?

“Beautiful…” I spoke quietly, not able to contain my amazement. The longer I stared at the moon, the more I felt as if it were shining brightly, just for me, as if the moon were calling to me. Realizing how ridiculous that sounded, I shook my head. “It’s just my imagination…”.

Celeste began waving her hands frantically in front of me, obstructing my view. Heaving a sigh, I slowly looked away from the moon, bringing my attention back to Celeste.

“I’m sorry, let’s get going.” Celeste gave me a troubled look, but began walking once more.

“Don’t tell me you fell in love with the moon, Nora.” She said in a haughty tone laughing all the while. I scoffed at her joke, maybe I did, I say to myself with a chuckle, but I know one thing, I will never forget that red moon.

 

********************************

 

            Boarding at the station, I closed my eyes, sighing in relief. Though I cared deeply for Celeste, I tired of her over optimism quite easily. She was a person I could only take in small doses, though it was enjoyable having her company, I guess I couldn’t complain. Thanks to her, my life felt even the smallest bit, less lonesome. Looking around the quiet train, I noticed there were four people other than myself aboard. Eyeing each person with little care, my eyes settled on a man in the far corner with long auburn hair. He held a large leather bag with him that had strange symbols brandished on it, abruptly the man turned to me, a dark gleam in his eyes. Embarrassed at being caught staring, I immediately looked away, heat flushing my face.

Curiosity getting the better of me, I used my long hair as a curtain to peek through, sure enough, the man still gazed intently at me, a scowl transfixed onto his face. Though I was certain he wasn’t meeting my secret gaze, I began to study him. Matching his stare, I made pretend that we were in a battle of wits, whoever blinked first, lost. Abruptly, a booming voice from the intercom broke the silence, startling me from my little game. Announcing my street name, I made sure to keep my gaze averted as I collected my things.

 Exiting the train, I began walking the dimly lit street, the road was painted in reds, yellows, and blues from the neon lights at the local pub. A few blocks later, I arrived in front of a set of black gates, they were made of iron and had sharp points at the tips, some color was faded and chipped due to age. Pulling open the gate, I heard the familiar creak of the gate opening and closing. Looking over the large brick building that had been my home since birth, I felt a weight of despair weigh heavily on my heart. Every moment I spent looking at the cold brick wall, the more depressed I became. On the right, I could see the TV lighting the living room through the window, casting a bluish glow upon the bushes. An obvious indication that my father lies awake watching a late night special, waiting for my return.

With careful steps, I walked up the stony stairs, standing at the door a few moments longer. Quietly, U lifted my hand to the door knob, clasping it firmly, I opened the heavy door, glancing hesitantly, I could see from the patio that the hallways were pitch black. Careful to remain quiet, I crept into the small patio, gently placing my bag at my feet. Taking my shoes off, I quietly crept towards the stairway.

“You’re not even going to say hello?” The harsh voice caused the hairs on my arms to rise. Turning towards the room the voice came from, I prepared myself for my father’s wrath.

“I’m sorry father, I didn’t want to bother you.” I spoke quietly, though I managed to keep my voice even, it was still obvious how nervous I was. Flicking the tv off, I could hear him get up from the couch and begin walking towards the hall, my eyes had finally adjusted completely to the darkness, his figure slowly coming into view. He was tall, mid-forties, he had sharp features that were hidden by a five o’clock shadow. His eyes were green, like mine and his hair as black as night. Though my father and I looked remarkably alike, the relationship between us two was hardly one I would deem healthy.

“Oh, my daughter.” he began with a sigh leaning against the doorway, a small tumbler glass full of whiskey in his hand. “How many times have I told you to be home before the sun fully set?” he spoke with slurred words, annoyance ringing clear in his deep voice. He slowly made his way towards me, I could feel the fear filling my heart. I clenched my fists, I tried desperately to control the trembling.

“I-I’m sorry father, I fell asleep reading in the libr-” but before I could finish. my father slapped my cheek, the force of it caused me to stumble ever so slightly, a small sound escaped from lips as I cried out at the impact.  Holding a hand to my face, I stared into my father’s eyes, trying desperately to hold back the tears.

“I have told you many times before, I do not care to hear your excuses!” He yelled, his voice reverberating through the house, as he raised a hand once more to me, I attempted to take a step back from him. In my haste, my foot tripped over one of my shoes, resulting in me falling onto the set of stairs behind me. Choking back tears, I quickly raised an arm over my face, a small attempt to protect myself. Though no further abuse came.

Lowering my arm, I peered through my dark hair, my father looked at me for a moment longer, quickly running his hand through his hair in frustration. Grimacing at me, my father drank the last sip of his whiskey, slamming the glass down onto the dining table.

“Begone with you child. I no longer wish to see your face.” Scrambling up, I made my way up to my room as quickly as I could, but before I reached the top step I heard him whisper softly “You look just like her”.

            “Her”. Every time I hear him say that, it's like another weight is placed upon the guilt I already felt. He’s referring to my mother, the mother who lost her life when she gave birth to me, the mother I never got to meet. I slammed my door in anger, tears streaming down my face. I knew he blamed me for it, for her death. Hell, I blamed me. Growing up I always wondered what my father was like before I was born, what he would have been like if she hadn’t died. I sat down on my bed. Analyzing my surroundings, I blinked away tears that still threatened to spill.

            After enough time had passed, I exhaled deeply, relaxing almost instantly Thinking back to earlier in the night, I was reminded of the red moon. Curiosity getting the better of me, I quietly walked over to my desk, settling in to the plush seat, I turned on my small laptop, and began researching the mysterious red moon.

 After a while of skimming article after article, I finally found one that wasn’t complete nonsense. “The red moon, also known as the “bloody moon”, is a rare moon that only occurs every 15o years. There are also many legends from back in B.C era, that the red moon will awaken the powers of powerful demons, showing their true form, the red moon shines most bright during the harvest season. The moon is most famous for its astounding beauty...” Demonic powers, huh? Chuckling to myself at the idea of it, I concluded that the only thing accurate about the article, was that the moon was quite beautiful.

Heaving a sigh of defeat, I closed my laptop and slid into bed. As I settled into the silk sheets, my mind drifted to the moon once more, something about it, I just couldn’t shake. Stealing a glance at my curtain drawn window, I grew curious if the moon would still be there if I were to look. Curiosity and exhaustion warred its heavy battle, but in the end my yearn to see the moon, even a mere glimmer, won me over. Grabbing my blankets, I wrapped them snuggly around me, careful not to trip as I walked the short distance to my bay window.

Moving my dark curtains ever so slightly, as if greeting me, there it was, seemingly shining even brighter. I felt mesmerized, rooted to where I stood. So much so, that I was completely unaware of my father standing behind me.

            “Beautiful, isn’t it?” His deep voice startled me out of my trance. Quickly closing my curtains, I turned to face him, readying myself for another lecture.

“I’m sorry child, I didn’t mean to frighten you.” He spoke softly, an amused grin on his face. his demeanor gave off nothing out of the ordinary, but when I looked in his eyes, I saw something, even just for a moment. It looked like happiness, or something close to it. It took me aback, I had never seen even a glimmer of my father looking happy.

            “Does the red moon mean anything to you father?” I asked quietly, trying to hide the shakiness from my voice. In response, my father took his eyes away from the moon, just long enough to look at me, a rare smile softening his usually hardened features.

            “You’ll find out soon enough my daughter.” As he said this he cupped a hand to my cheek and kissed my forehead. I winced in response, not used to such gentle treatment. Although my curiosity was piqued, I decided to not dwell too deeply into my father’s thoughts, we simply stared in silence at the moon, bathing in its reddish glow.

I’m not certain how long we stayed there, but eventually my father made his departure, quietly reminding me to “get some sleep”. Reluctant to turn my back on the moon, I slowly made my way back to the bed, once more burying myself in the sheets. Though this time I was finally able to drift off into a deep slumber, forgetting the pain of today and yearning for the beginning of tomorrow.

 

*************

(Point of View of Abraxus)

 

            With a start I awoke from my slumber, a bubbling rage inside me.

“Lord Abraxus, you have a visitor, he’s waiting in the parlor.” The urgency in my butler's voice shook away the tiredness I still felt. Grabbing my clothes, I hurriedly dressed and headed for the parlor. Once there I saw someone I had never expected to see again.

            “Ah, the filthy mutt Pazuzu, it’s been at least six decades, how are you?” I asked with clear disdain dripping from my words. With this Pazuzu smiled a wolfish grin and shook his shaggy brown hair, I could tell from the gleam in his eyes that he had exciting news.

            “Oh, Abraxus, you do know how to welcome a guest.” He spoke slowly, with a lazy tone sprawling across the loveseat. Due to be woken so suddenly, my patience was growing very thin, in a swift motion I grabbed Pazuzu’s leg and flipped him off the loveseat, settling myself there in his place. Pazuzu, recovering quickly, stood at his full height, that stupid grin remained on his face, his lack of care just deepened my irritation.

            “What, do you want?” I said irritably rubbing my eyes. I could hear Pazuzu laughing with glee.

            “I’m surprised that nose of yours hasn't picked up that delicious scent yet, you must be getting old.” Hearing his remark, my eyes flashed open, finally something he said piqued my interest. A scent huh? Thoroughly intrigued I sat up and looked Pazuzu over.

            “Do tell.” With this a slow smile crept upon his face. He reached in his bag and pulled out a file. In the file contained a picture of a young woman, she was quite the beauty. From what I could see from the photo, she had long wavy black hair, strong aristocratic features and deep green eyes. Moving from the picture, I began to read the letter. As I read a slow smile crept upon my face, a small laugh bubbling at my lips. I looked up to see Pazuzu just as happy as I.

            “It seems we’ve got a cambion to catch.”

 

********************************

(Point of View of Nora)

 

It was pitch black, no matter how far I ran, there was no end to the darkness. The only sound was the echo of my rapid breath, I sat down exhausted and confused trying to figure out what the hell was going on. Suddenly, a large mirror appeared in front of me. It had a golden spiraled lining along it. Though I could only see the glint of the glass, cautiously, I peered into it. it appeared as if the glass were completely transparent. To my surprise, I found that I could not see my reflection, it was as though the glass were transparent, all you could see was continuous darkness.

Curious, I knelt directly in front of the strange mirror, slowly reaching my fingers out to it. Placing my fingers onto the glass, I felt a shock surged through my arm, yanking my hand away, I put distance between the mirror and I, my breath ragged. Nursing my arm, I eyed the mirror warily. Slowly, a figure appeared, the silhouette coming into full view, I could see it smiling mockingly at me. Furrowing my brows in confusion, my eyes darted the room to ensure that I was truly the only person here.

A soft cynical laugh echoed along the darkened walls, a small flash of light pulsating around the room. Although I could hear a voice whispering to walk away, a louder voice screamed to get closer. With shaky steps, I brought myself before the mirror once more, clamping down on the fear I felt.

“Who’s there?” I asked with a shaky voice. In return, I was answered with silence. Crouching down, I peered once more into the strange mirror, where I was met with crimson red eyes. The sight nearly took my breath away. There sitting in the mirror was me, but she wasn’t, she had sultry eyes and her dark hair framed her face with lavish curls. She was wearing little to nothing aside from a black pendent with a red pearl and a tattered black dress.

 Her eyes were cast downwards, her long lashes caressing her pale skin making her look almost doll like. With another small smile she gazed up at me once again, her deep red eyes sucked me in. They were a beautiful crimson color, almost like the red moon. her smile was mocking and seductive. When she smiled, it was almost as if she were laughing at me.

“Hello Nora.” she spoke softly humor dancing in her eyes. As I began to regain my composure, I stared at “her”.

“Who are you?” I asked her, trying to hold back the fear I still felt. With this she merely laughed.

“Nora...I know we’re smarter than that.” her voice was silky and melodic, she still frightened me but for some reason, I couldn't look away from her, her eyes paralyzing me to the spot.

“Come to me my dear Nora, I promise we’ll both be much happier, isn’t that what you want?”  Her soft voice was coaxing as she slowly reached her hand out to me, though I expected her hand to stop once she reached the glass that separated us, she further surprised me. As if the glass weren’t even there, she reached through, her pale skin shining brightly in comparison to the darkness that surrounded us. As her fingers neared my face, I could feel an immense heat, keeping me completely enraptured in her gaze, she placed one small finger onto my cheek. The contact caused me to flinch, her touch scorching my skin. With a sharp inhale, I clenched my eyes tightly shut, finally able to free myself from her gaze.

Knocking her hand from my cheek, I quickly placed distance between myself and the mirror, cradling my burnt cheek with the palm of my hand.  Looking back to her, I could see a dark gleam in her eyes, glaring at me fiercely, she spoke through gritted teeth.

“I will become one with you Nora, you cannot ignore me, I will no longer be pushed aside any longer!” practically spitting those words at me, she once again smile, her small figure slowly vanishing from view.

Suddenly, my eyes flew open, seeing the familiar ceiling above me, I sighed in relief. It was just a nightmare. I one fluid motion, I threw the cotton blanket off me, only to find my clothes sticking to me and my hair matted in sweat. Stumbling to the adjoining bathroom, I shakily planted my hands upon the sink trying to steady myself, with a shaky hand pushed some of the hair from my face.

A vision of the girl from my dreams flashed through my mind, reminding me of the mirror, I cautiously peered into the vanity mirror that hung above the sink. My shoulders slumping in relief, only the sight of disheveled hair and dark circles stared back at me.

            Taking a quick shower, donning my clothes, I made my way down the stairs, making certain to grab enough change for the substation. As I planted my foot on the last step, a sudden wave of dizziness hit me, causing me to stumble. Reaching out, I was able to grab onto the banister for support. What the hell? The dizziness soon turned into a slight throbbing causing further pain to occur, grabbing my head I let out a small groan.

            “Nora, whatever is the matter?” my father's deep voice only worsened the throb in my head, inhaling deeply I tried to regain my composure.  Biting my lip, I clumsily stood, avoiding my father's gaze.

            “I’m fine father, just didn’t sleep well”. Giving a grunt in response, my father exited the room. Shutting the main door behind me, I still felt a dull pain against my temple. Breathing in the spring air, I once more attempted to shake it off. Readjusting my bag, I began my walk to the subway station, the soft breeze gently whisking my hair away from my face.

 Coming to the crosswalk I pushed the cold silver button allowing me to eventually cross, as I stared longingly across the street, the throbbing against my temple growing stronger. Grabbing my head once more, I tightly squeezed my eyes shut. Once the throbbing turn into a dull headache, I slowly opened my eyes. Blinking rapidly, I stared blankly across the street. Another girl stood, waiting to cross. As I stared, I began to slowly recognize the woman, she had long black hair and wore a black tattered dress.

With a small gasp, I realized who it was, it was the woman from my dream! Seeing her standing at full height, I could tell even from this distance that she was my exact height. Her long black hair reaching down to her hips, her hands placed innocently behind her, a wicked smile on her face.

This is impossible. Inhaling sharply, I heard the sign chime that it was safe to cross. Frozen, I felt uncertain if I should, questioning if this were truly my reality, or just a vivid dream.

Remaining unsure, I felt other pedestrians shove past me, all seemed completely unaware of the strange woman standing on the other side. Finally, gaining the nerve to cross I started to walk hastily towards her. Due to delaying for so long, I was unaware that the light switched back to green, almost immediately, cars zoomed past me.

Obstructing my view, I momentarily lost sight of her. Shaking the last bit of dizziness, I quickly bolted across the street, desperation taking control over my actions. Dodging the oncoming cars, I could hear the screeching of tires and horns blaring at me, but I didn’t care, I needed to know who she was!

As soon as I was within arm’s reach, she abruptly took off. As if this were a game to her, she began taking dodgy turns, not once looking back, as if she knew I would follow. My heart was practically beating out of my chest, my instincts were telling me to turn back, to ignore her. But I couldn't! I don't know what it was, but I was drawn to her.

After running for what felt like hours she stopped in front of the Inwood Hill forest, I was standing about twenty feet away my breath ragged from the run. Turning slowly towards me, a wide grin on her face she reached out her finger beckoning me to follow her. Acting as if she knew I would follow, she vanished into the woods. The feeling I felt in my gut was screaming at me to turn around, but never the less I followed her into the forest.

Entering the forest, the sun shine and blissful breeze instantly disappeared, in comparison the forest felt cold and dark. The once soft breeze now felt ice cold and suffocating, the brilliant glow of the sun, was now hidden by the trees, making the forest seem dark and eerie. Quickly, I instinctively wrapped my arms around myself, trying to keep warm, ever so slowly making my way through the forest.

Looking around I had completely lost her, the farther into the forest I went the darker it became, the trees looming over me, not even a glimmer of the sky could be seen. Aside from myself, the forest appeared to be completely desolate, every now and then I would hear the squawk of a few crows and the crunch of leaves beneath my feet.

 Growing tired of the game she seemed to be playing, I began to second guess my mental state. Rounding one last corner, I came upon a giant rock, at first glance, it appeared like any normal rock would. But, upon further inspection, I could see a faint outline of what looked to be some type of door.  the stone had weird markings along the top of it. Curiosity getting the better of me I stepped closer to the stone, running my fingers along the markings. Suddenly a laugh echoed around me startling me away from the stone.

“Where are you?” I asked, my voice ringing loudly throughout the forest, in response I heard a rustle behind me. Turning around I frantically tried finding the source, but there was no one there, I clenched my hands into fist and began breaking into a sweat even with the cool forest air caressing my face.

“Nora...” It was her voice, just as silky and cynical as in my dream, frantically turning around in a full circle, I could hear her laughter even louder as if she were right next to me. It was filled with humor and malice. I stood there silently listening for any further movement, finally I caught a glimpse of her dress in the corner of my eye, without delay, I bolted after her. Rounding a corner, I came in face to face with a dark cave. Reaching for my phone, I began using its screen for light, the closer I got to the cave the louder her laugh became.

Taking several cautious steps, I could see that there was nothing but dirt and rubble in every corner, the cave had a wet musky scent and a bitter cold to it. Shining my small light towards the right side of the cave, I could see the same markings as before brandished onto the stone.

A sudden gust of wind blew through the cave causing me to instinctively wrap my arms around myself, due to my clumsiness my phone slipped out of my hand, losing my only source of light, I blindly searched the stony floors, my fingers roughly dragging against shards of rock and other debris. Immersed in complete darkness, I could feel paranoia creeping its dark head, not once had I ever feared the dark. But, flashes of my dream last night, made me vividly aware of how alone I was.

“Nora….”as if to further reason for my fears, her sultry voice whispered to me in the depths of the darkness. With shallow breaths, I halted my movements, afraid that she might be able to see me. Attempting to slow my breath, I clenched my eyes tightly shut, hanging my head, I felt my forehead brush against the cold stony wall.  Hearing her echoed laughter around me, I began to softly whisper to myself.

            “This isn't real...please, this isn’t real!” though I tried to delude myself, her low chuckle only confirmed precisely how real this was. Sinking lower to the ground, I tried desperately to ignore the voice, placing my hands over my ears. Her sinister laugh echoing throughout the dark cavern, inching closer to me, I began to shake uncontrollably, my breathing growing more unsteady.

            “Nora, it's not nice to ignore your friends!” she spoke to me mockingly, sarcasm dripping from every word. With my anxiety reaching its limit, I tried to stand, but a strong force immediately pushed me to my knees. As my knees touched the gravely ground, my head smacked loudly against the hard-stone walls/

            “Now, now Nora, the party isn’t over yet!”  biting my lip, I held back the urge to cry out. Reflexively grabbing the back of my hand, I attempted to nurse my injury, my hand growing warm and sticky with blood. My vision began to blur, her soft, melodic voice filling every inch of my mind. “Please, stop…” I desperately pleaded, my voice barely an audible whisper.  Slowly her face came into view, though her facial expression showed one of concern, her eyes danced merrily.

“Don’t worry Nora, it’ll all be over soon, just give in to me.” She whispered softly caressing my cheek, I tried to brush her hand off, but I was too weak. With an aggravated huff, I could hear her whispering to me in a cooing manner.

“Oh, now this just won’t do, I can’t have our body dying so soon.” I tried to speak but I couldn’t, my strength slowly draining from me. For a moment, there was silence, neither she nor I made any sound or movement. I could feel my body slowly becoming lighter, my breath becoming steadier. With the quiet, I began to relax, nestling into the coolness of the stony walls. Though the more I relaxed, the more the pain slowly intensified, my body began to grow numb. I tried to scream out, but I couldn’t, my body no longer had the energy.

“Nora, you need to fight, don’t give in so easily. We’re stronger than this. Remember that.”

 With these last words, I felt my body succumb to the pain and my mind fall into complete darkness.

Author's Note

I've really grown to dislike Celestia's name, if you guys have any suggestions please let me know!!!