Marked by Moonlight

Chapter 2:The Watching Wood

The square didn’t clear out all at once after the howl. People hung around, whispering in tight, anxious groups, their eyes flicking to me and then quickly away. No one needed to say my name. The look in their eyes said it all. Whatever the Moon Stone had stirred up made me feel suddenly distant, like I was standing on the other side of a thin, invisible line.

Elder Corvin raised his staff, and gradually, the murmurs quieted. “Head back to your homes,” he commanded. “Lock your doors. No lights. This night is not for wandering.”

That was all it took. One by one, torches were snuffed out, and shadows swallowed the square whole. Mothers clutched their kids close. Fathers walked stiffly, hands clenched at their sides. No one dared to argue.

As we made our way home, my mother didn’t let go of my hand. Her grip was firm, almost too tight, as if she thought I might vanish if she loosened it. The path felt longer than usual, and the darkness seemed heavier. Every little sound made me jump.Thesnap of a twig, the rustle of leaves and the distant hoot of an owl.

Something was out there. I could sense it.

Once inside the house, my mother bolted the door and pulled the curtains tight. The silence wrapped around us, thick and oppressive. She finally let go of my hand and turned to me. Up close, I could see the fear etched into the lines around her eyes.

“You listen to me,” she said softly. “No matter what you hear tonight, you stay inside. Do you get that?”

I nodded, even though my chest buzzed with restless energy, stronger than before. It felt like it was searching for a way out.

She hesitated for a moment, then reached up and touched my cheek, her fingers trembling. “I wanted to believe you’d be like the others,” she whispered. “That the stories were finally over.”

“What stories?” I asked.

Her mouth tightened. “Not tonight.”

Then I heard it..a low, distant growl seeping through the walls. My breath caught in my throat. It didn’t sound threatening. It felt… curious.

My mother stiffened. “Go to your room.”

I obeyed, even though every instinct screamed at me to do the opposite. As I moved closer to my bedroom, the pull grew stronger. The forest felt like it was creeping right up to the edge of the village.

I sat on my bed, hugging my knees to my chest. Moonlight slipped through a c***k in the curtain, casting pale silver lines across the floor. My heart raced, my senses sharper than ever. I could hear my mother pacing downstairs. I could hear the wind shift. I could even hear something breathing outside my window.

Soft. Steady.

I glanced at the glass.

Two amber eyes stared back at me from the darkness.

I froze, fear pinning me in place. The figure outside was tall, its shape blurred by shadow, but those eyes were unmistakable. Intelligent. Calm.

Not hostile.

The whisper returned, clearer this time.

Come.

I pressed my palms to my ears, shaking my head. “No,” I breathed.

The eyes didn’t fade away. If anything, they seemed to soften, as if the thing watching me understood my fear.

Then, slowly, it stepped back, fading into the trees.

The buzzing in my chest flared, hot and urgent. I gasped, clutching my shirt. Images flooded my mind…running through the forest, moonlight on leaves, the sound of paws hitting the earth. None of it felt imaginary. It felt like a memory.

Downstairs, something crashed. My mother cried out.

I was on my feet in an instant, heart racing. I reached the top of the stairs just as the front door rattled violently, like something massive had brushed against it.

Then the howl came again,closer this time.

And somehow, beneath the fear, I knew one thing with terrifying certainty.

This wasn’t over.

It was just the beginning.