MOON GODDESS?

There was a siren in the distance, ringing in my ears, loud, crackling, brain bursting. My body felt heavy, sore, and when I tried to raise a finger, It was of no use. This was the end. For me. I felt it. Felt the life drain of me through the blood that pooled beneath me and all over, the taste of blood, in my mouth, at the back of my throat, the numbing pain that overwhelmed me. It hurt. Everywhere hurt. The pulsating throb in my ribs, broken, the roar in my head, the ring in my ears.

And I wasn’t even strong enough to cry. My lips shuddered and my throat burned but I couldn’t force the tears out, no matter how much I tried. I wanted to cry. I wanted to scream, sob, anything to let the grief and fear out, but I couldn’t. My lips trembled uselessly, and my throat burned like it was full of embers, but the tears wouldn’t come. They stayed locked inside me, heavy and choking, refusing to fall no matter how much I begged them to. 

And I was begging.

I wasn’t even sure who I was praying to anymore—maybe the Moon Goddess, maybe the universe, maybe anyone who was listening.

Please. Don’t let this be the end. Please save me.

The promises spilled out of me, desperate and raw. I would be better. I could be better. I’d find a way to prove I deserved to live, to be loved, to be wanted. Somehow.

But how do you promise something when you don’t even believe it yourself?

My lips parted but once again, my voice betrayed me. Behind my closed lids, shadows danced, black, blue, red—dancing beneath my lids like floating humans. I didn’t know if I was imagining things or my brain, dying, was trying to throw in my head a few scenes before my final moment. 

I laid still, eyes closed, scenes playing out in my head. The black, blue and red distorted blurs cleared out and soon, I was plunged into darkness. The dark stretched out like a canva. I couldn’t see, not even the slightest penetration of light reached me. 

From the distance, I heard footsteps. Maybe I was imagining this as well. Amidst the slowing down of my breath, dragging out, I heard footsteps approaching me. It neared me, and soon halted. Someone touched me. Soft palms in contact with my skin. I peeled my eyes open as slowly as I could, and a gasp would have escaped me if I wasn’t too weak to move my tongue. 

A woman stood over my head. Her eyes looked down at me, a lantern in her hand. Her figure doubled up with my blurred vision, but she looked oddly familiar. The long, wild brown hair that tumbled out of her scalp, almost as long as her dress, dragging over the rocks beneath her feet. She just stood there, watching, I could feel the energy radiating off her in waves. One of my fingers twitched, and then another, and another—I lifted my hand, stretched out to her, begging for help. 

My lips parted and this time my voice escaped. “Moon goddess?” 

Her lips didn’t part but I could have sworn I heard her voice. “Get up.” She told me, voice firm. “I’ll lead you to help.”

Tears leaked down my face and my voice parted in a strangled whisper. “Bu-but I can’t.”

“You can.”

She turned and began walking away. I tilted my head up, watching her disappear into the distance, faster than I could have imagined. It was slow footsteps, yet she covered so much space in a short period of time. I drew in a sharp gasp, my temples thudding, my chest heaving, the siren in my ears ebbing away. She was going to be gone soon. If I didn’t fight the pain, I was going to be dead. 

I made a countdown in my head, bracing myself up for the impact of the pain. Five. Slowly, my palms connected with the floor, stones prickling under the weight of skin, my fingers trembling, skin ripping. 

Four… I tilted my head to see if the woman was waiting. She was. In the distance, the lantern in her hand lighting the forest a warm glow. Her figure doubled in my vision and before I knew it, she was on the move once again. Time was running out. I pressed my palms against it and pushed with all the strength I could muster. Stone tore through my skin, prickling, more blood spilled against the sand, and I bit into my lower trembling lip to muffle my scream. 

I stood up, my legs jellifying, trembling as I staggered forward, into the forest, struggling to catch up with the woman. Occasionally she would stop to make sure I was still behind her and after confirming, she would pick up her pace. I was a cold, shuddering mess. My teeth gnashing, my head reeling, my body quivering. 

When I eventually closed in on her amongst the woods, she was waiting, the lantern raised up. Her face was in full view now and I could see her features. Once again, my brows furrowed. I knew her. Or, at least, I felt like I did. There was something familiar about her, something ancient and otherworldly that sent a shiver coursing through me despite the cold that had already settled deep into my bones. Her eyes were deep brown, just as her hair had been and she had a petite tall frame. Her lips, thin, bright pink were pulled into a thin line, and her face was stoic. 

She was shrouded in a long gown, draped around bony shoulders, covering the entirety of her lenght. She was tall. Extremely, I’d never met a woman as tall in my entire life back at the pack, even though we had really strong, tall women as well. Helen, the tallest of the pack women had been 6’4, but would have been dwarfed next to this woman that stood almost at 7 feet tall. 

I looked up at her, vision blurred, expecting her to say something. “You broke the rule.” She told me, speaking this time and not through some voodish mindlink as she had done earlier. “Again. For the second time in fifteen years.”

I didn’t understand what she was talking about and couldn’t make any sense of her words, but I shook my head in denial of such claims as breaking a rule. What rule? And fifteen years ago? I was just a child. Three at most. There was no way I was breaking any rule at such an age. Infact, I had no memories of my life past five years old, growing up in BlackOak Alpha household with Kayden as my older brother and the Alpha and Luna as my parents. 

Worry must have been drawn on my bloodied face like a sketch book because the frown on this woman’s face disappeared and a smile tilted up the tips of her lips. “Don’t worry, child. You’re not at fault here. Your fate is.”

Before I could ask more questions, she turned and began to lead me once again. I dragged behind her, trying to stable my harsh breathing. Staggering, stumbling over tree barks, my legs throbbing, my bones promising to snap any moment from there. She was too fast without any effort and I was too tired and exhausted to try to keep up with her. I was even surprised I hadn’t died. The trees swaying overhead was dizzying and the chirps of crickets, distant sounds of coyotes in the forest, sounds of rabbits digging… every single sound in the distant only caused the ache in my head to increase. 

Soon, we were out in the open. 

Through the blur of my fevered eyes, I saw it—the cabin, its light a faint glow cutting through the darkness. It stood alone, weathered and crooked, barely more than a shadow among the trees. Warm light seeped out from the windows, soft and golden, like it was trying to push back the night. The faint outline of a chimney puffed weak trails of smoke into the sky, and for a moment, I thought I could feel the warmth from here. The porch looked empty, except for a rocking chair that swayed slightly, creaking faintly, like it had a life of its own. A lantern by the door flickered weakly, its light casting trembling shadows that danced across the worn wooden walls. 

My legs felt like they’d give out with every step, but that light—God, that light—called to me. It was hope, fragile and flickering, but it was there, waiting. I just had to make it.

I could make it. 

I had taken steps forward, rushing at the oppourtunity that presented itself to me when I halted with the realization that my savior wasn’t walking ahead of me anymore. I whipped around, eager to see her tall frame and the glow the lantern added to her face when I spotted her standing ny the trees, unmoving. 

She waved her hand, dismissing me before I could even part my mouth to speak. “Go.” Once again, she wasn’t speaking with her mouth. “Go, now.” 

I hesitated, my legs trembling, feeling the overwhelming urge to rush into her arms to give her a hug. She looked so loving, I was sure her hugs were as warm and kind as her looks. She waved her hand again, and I caught the glisten of tears in her brown eyes. 

This time, she rose her voice, breaking through the silence of the night. “Before I change my mind, stupid girl!” 

I nodded, my eyes blurring with tears that dropped down my face, staining my cheeks. I parted my mouth. “Thank you.” 

She must have heard. I wanted her to. 

“Thank you!” I repeated, louder now, my voice trembling, cracking weakly. “Thank you! Thank you!” 

She waved me off. 

Now, I stumbled forward. Faster towards the cabin. When I stepped onto the porch, It creaked beneath my weight. This place was old. I could tell even from the smell of the wood. It smelled homely, surely, but was old. My breath dragged, wheezing, my chest heaving when I pounded my fist against the door. Once. Twice. Thrice. No response came but I heard footsteps shuffling behind the closed door. I crashed onto the porch, giving in to the pain spreading across my body. 

For the last time, I looked towards the woods as the door creaked open, the woman was gone. Just gone.