Moon Risings, Page 2

ALEX

  Running was the hardest thing I have ever done... I just left him there, alone, in the woods, with the wolves. But if I stayed the consequences would be far worse. As I ran deeper into the woods I could see the moon reaching up above the trees, its glowing body lighting up the woods ahead; this was my place, my world; and as the moon rose higher I could feel it, the wild flowing through me. And I almost stopped...almost. When I felt the wolf blood flowing through me; I should stop before it was too late, but the shouts from Kailen behind me were enough to force me forward. Running even deeper into the woods, the trees became more and more dense, their green covered branches scratching and cutting at my face and legs, I could feel the blood beginning to run down my cheek, feeling it pooling in the small of my neck but I couldn't care because he was going to die....beginning to sob as the message came through clearer, I am going to kill him...

  KAILEN

  She just left, just left me here, what is she doing? So I ran, straight out of the cover of the cave and the fire and out into the wild. Panic had set itself into me. I could feel my jaw and fists clench as the sounds of the wilderness took me over, I could hear running and despite by minds best intentions to stop me...I ran, straight in the direction of the footsteps. The woods seem so different during the night; the moon had now raised high above trees lighting up my way with a faint white glow. I remembered my promise and the knife as I pulled it out of my belt "No matter what, you have to protect yourself".  I could hear her saying it, feel her knowing presence around the camp fire, hear her breathing; now all alone in a dark, unknown wild I missed knowing that she was here with me, looking out for me. I stopped, and just listened...moments passed before I could hear the snapping of twigs to my left. So I ran and ran and kept running till I broke through the sharp undergrowth into a large clearing. A large old oak tree stood in the centre, its large roots spreading around the area like veins, the trees large branches full of leaves shielding the earth below from the moons raise. And below was Alex.

  "Alex what are you doing here?" 

  She still didn't speak; she was hunched over, braced on the tree trunk. Then I heard it, the snapping and crunching of bones breaking. It went through my head again, the voice. “No matter what, you have to protect yourself" But now I had to help her. Running forward she looked up briefly before the breaking began again, but in those brief moments, her eyes...they were, strange. 

   

  ALEX

  I ran, like my life depended on it, but of course it isn't mine that's at risk...I had to get to my safe place. The only place where I can turn in peace; I dove head first over a bramble bush, rolled and sprang forward into a sprint towards the tree. This place was magical...it was magic, the tree at its centre was over a thousand years old, surrounding it were its roots and between each, was thick lush grass and meadow flowers. Under the full moon the flowers open and the grass springs upwards towards the sky. The tree trunk at the stroke of midnight will glow in bands of bright gold; this was heaven to me, this was my place of choice. But peace and serenity didn't last long, I managed to reach the tree before it all started, but quickly I felt my first vertebra pop and shift, then another and then another. Soon all the vertebras were set into place, followed by the excruciating pain of my shoulder breaking and resetting in place. This truly was a curse, every month on the night of the full moon my bones break and reset for my transformation; it was a family curse. Something I cannot escape from, something I have to live with...forever. 

  "Alex, what are you doing here?" Kailen....why did he follow me? And then heard it again. The voice, "He is going to die....and you’re going to kill him". Tears welled my eyes, I couldn't hurt him, I couldn't kill him; I would rather die than hurt him. But I didn't have a choice; once the transformation began I couldn't stop it. So I simply looked up, my eyes pleading him to leave, to run, but he didn't understand my telepathic message.

  My attempt to talk was being cut off by my right shoulder breaking in three places...I was shifting and I couldn't tell him to run. Instead I collapsed into a crumpled mess on the floor, rocking backwards and forwards, resting on my side clutching my knees. I could hear movement, but pain had blocked my senses, my eyes white, my ears ringing. I was lost to the pain; I was lost in the wild......

   

  KAILEN

  What is going on? I have never seen anything like this in my life. This girl is breaking in front of me; bones snapping and popping and now she's falling; hitting the ground before wrapping herself up into a tight ball. 

  "Alex...Alex?" I was crouched next to her reaching for her, but she shuffled away, attempting to speak. Eventually she gave up allowing me to lift her into my arms and clutching her tightly. She relaxed slightly, her heartbeat reducing from pounding to a light thumping. She looked up, turning her face up towards mine before opening her eyes....her yellow eyes. I flinched before looking deeper into them and seeing tears forming around them. Golden yellow, with green and orange flecks, animal eyes.....wolf eyes. And then it hit he, she was a wolf....looking up to the sky panic spread through her, before I felt the snapping of another bone and her sharp scream; but I didn't let go, I wouldn't leave her in pain, alone. "No matter what, you have to protect yourself", and now I understood, the reason we were here, her panic at her bike not starting, the knife...she knew she would shift and knew she would hurt me if I was around. But I wouldn't leave her...I wouldn't do that.

   

  ALEX

  An hour passed before finally I had to crawl away from him, he tried clutching onto me but I couldn't let him. I couldn't allow him to die just for helping me. I managed to get behind the wide trunk of the ancient oak. I screamed as my neck broke in several places, as my hips snapped and my large teeth pushed through my gums....This was it, this was his last chance to run and he wasn't taking it....

   

  KAILEN

  The screaming stopped, suddenly, and then a low growl came from the far side of the tree; a few moments before a beautiful wolf appeared , her fur, amber brown, gradually turning white on her sides before turning black on the top...but despite her beauty fear had set in and I ran for the edge, for the forest. I ran and was hurdling over the bramble bush when something hit me, or I hit something; it felt like I had just run into a wall and as I got up from the ground, I pressed my hand against just that, an invisible wall surrounding the edge of the clearing. Turning I could hear the low growl of a prowling wolf, and she was prowling, hunting me down in this enclosed space...I would never make it; I could never outrun or outsmart a wolf who knew these woods like her own skin. She within five metres about to spring when the moon hit its apex....the oak trunk began to glow an eerie gold, the distraction did not affect anything she sprang as me teeth bared, preparing to rip me to shreds. She had pinned me down, front paws on my shoulders, now I would just wait for the pain to start....

   

  ALEX

  I felt it, I felt myself snap out of the anger and the pain and the fear, like a bell. I could feel my own feelings coming back to me... colour, light and I looked up, the moon at its apex and the old oak glowing behind us....US!! I looked down teeth still bared at his face, Kailen eyes wide with fear, unmoving from my eyes as I watched him. Had I hurt him? What was I doing?  Before I could find out the answers I needed to release him, closing my mouth I stepped off him allowing him to move and escape...but why was he here in the first place? Surely he should have run when I turned into a monster? 

  KAILEN

  I opened my eyes, looking up to her. No pain, she hadn't attacked me. Looking into her eyes, I could see confusion, see the pain and the anger was flowing away from her, when she looked directly at me her eyes were soft and gentle, more human, her teeth now hidden inside her mouth as she stepped off me. "Alex?" I said quietly, not knowing how much of Alex there actually is in this wolf. "I'm not hurt, I'm fin-" I couldn't finish as she pounced on me....but she did not bite or hurt me instead she set about licking my face and
bouncing around. She was herself again...just as a wolf. The whole situation confused me but I didn't care, she wasn't hurt and she hadn't hurt me. After an hour of bouncing and running around she eventually tired herself out and fell asleep against me as I leant against the old oak. Her furry head in my lap, I have to admit I nodded off for a few hours before checking she was still there. She was, the moon too was still up although it was now falling below the tree line. Alex hadn't stirred, she slept soundly against me, so I slept too...actually slept. When I stirred Alex's weight was still on me, but she was herself again...if wearing slightly less than she was before. It was early morning probably five or six a.m., I lifted her slightly off my lap and placed her head onto a rock covered in soft moss before vanishing into the woods.  I walked for a few minutes till I reached the cave...the fire now only glowing, the food had gone cold but the rucksacks were still there. I grabbed clean clothes from her bag before sprinting back to the clearing. She was still asleep so I sat beside her, watching her sleep, stroking her hair, her clothes covering her to a fairly decent state. 

   

  ALEX

  It was morning, I could tell that but I didn't want to open my eyes....last night was all a dream, the old oak did not glow...I didn't stop before killing Kailen. It had all been a blissful dream and by opening my eyes I would only see what I had dreaded...Kailens' dead, bloody body, the oak peaceful as ever and all flowers closed to the sunlight, but I forced myself look up into the world. As I blinked the world into focus, I could see the tangled branches of the oak, the sun shaded through the leaves, and could here breathing, his breathing. I turned over, finding I had clothes draped across me and threw them on, still not looking at him, I had to make sure I was awake before seeing the damage I had done...what terrible things I had inflicted on him; but when I turned he was watching me carefully yet calmly. The smile that spread across his lips showing me he was safe. That I was safe and without thinking I dived into a hug....a precious hug with the one person I had never wanted to hurt, to the one person who had seen me at my worst and still stuck around.

  "You're okay? I didn't hurt you?" I was looking into the deep blue eyes, the sincerity of them, and the softness in his face.

  "I'm okay...are you okay? He smiled again

  "Yes I'm okay, I'm sorr-" I didn't get a chance to finish, he lent in and pressed his lips to mine, warmth flowed over me entrancing me. Pulling away he looked at me for approval, no words were being processed so I clung to him and kissed him again, feeling more alive than I ever had before...I had misinterpreted him so completely, yet he was the only one who knew who I truly was, and he hadn't run. He had stayed around for the ride….