The Hunters moon

Goth

Angel

We arrived at a graveyard. The name looming overhead etching itself into the old wood. Mortuus Coemeterium. A snort leaves my chest at the creativity.

“Is this the restaurant?” I joke as we exit the bus.

“Oh, they are rumored to have the best of the best here.” Jessie jokes back.

All five of us touch base on the sidewalk. On one side is the large cemetery, on the other is some shops and what I assume to be the overflow of the restaurant. Bree looks down at her watch. “We have reservations, but not for another twenty five minutes.”

Krista claps her hands. “Perfect because I wanted to check out a couple of the shops here.”

Bree looks far down the street, “Let’s split up then and meet at the restaurant at twenty. I want to try to get tickets to go see something.”

With that we all take off in our own direction. Jess throws a look over his shoulder as I’m about to cross the street. “Graveyard?” He asks.

“Yep.” I wave.

“Don’t fall in.”

“I’ll try not to.”

Walking under the signs sends a small serene shiver through me. The cemetery is quiet, not an eerie quiet either, a nice calm quiet. The fence is made of a dark metal that’s chipping with age, colorful leaves circle around, old gravestones of all shapes and sizes litter the grounds. Miles and miles of gravestones drive on, almost too much to be possible.

By what seems to be the main building is a list of touring times. The next didn’t start for another forty five minutes. Not enough time before lunch. I turn on my heel and almost collide into an older gentleman. Even without the collision, a spill of papers makes its way upon the ground.

“I’m sorry! I wasn’t paying any attention.” Immediately I drop to collect the fallen papers.

The older man bends down to collect his share. “No, no, I was the one not paying attention.”

Not looking in any particular order the papers collect unevenly in my hands. My eyes avert from the contents to avoid any trouble. The wind blows a couple of pieces away which I hastily collect. “Here.” I hand them to the man, his features softening.

“Thank you, I do apologize but the tour doesn’t start for a little while.”

My eyes turn back to the time stamps upon the building. “Oh, just killing time before lunch. I hope that’s okay, if not I’ll leave immediately.”

He shakes his head. “Don’t worry Miss, the cemetery is open, just keep to the East and you can spend as long as you want to.”

“Thank you and sorry about the papers.”

He shakes his head dismissing the words. “It’s nothing Miss, they were a jumbled mess beforehand.”

I turn to go exploring before turning back to the man. “I did have a question if you have time to answer.”

The older man’s brows raise to his hairline. “Aye, and what may that be?”

Clutching the bag around me, “Do you know where the Solis Domini’s may be buried?”

He stills to this, the palness of his eyes shimmering with an off look. “The Solis Domini’s?” He repeats.

I nod. “Yes, I read in a book that they were buried within this graveyard.”

He nods himself then scratches the peppering beard on his chin. “They are. They are buried towards the west far in the back. . . any particular reason you may want to see them?”

My hand comes up to play with the loose braid. “Their grave was just something that spiked an interest in my reading last night. This spot isn’t on our hit list so I was just curious.”

“Of course.” He laughs lightly. “Take this path and stay close to the middle of the grounds, you’ll come across a large statue of an angel, that’s the beginning of them.”

“Thank you.” I wave and finally walk away from the man.

Just like he said I follow that path past multiple graves. They change from new to old to crumbling and moss covered. In the middle of walking something stops me dead in my tracks.

I feel it, the same rippling sensation, pulling me into the land. The feeling is so much like the one last night, and yet entirely different. With him it was a buzzing feeling, one entirely consuming. This one feels like I’m floating light as a feather causing my head to be dizzy. It was intoxicating.

My feet guide me in the direction of this feeling. In all actuality there should be cause for me to pause. After the last twenty four hours one would think I knew better. Yet, here I was following this feeling like it's meant for me. Like this is exactly where I must go. When the boots on my feet take me to a particularly strange area the sound stops. In this moment everything stops, the wrestling of leaves, the birds within the trees, even the people within the distance.

Gone within a second is the intoxicating feeling, back is the same looming dread from the house. Something was watching me, waiting for me to make the next move. A deathly cold chill ripples through my entire body causing me to move. From standing in this place for too long my boots had sunken into the soft ground. Clumsily, I fall to the ground upon old tombstones.

For a moment my hand skims an old headstone and my body is instantly shot forward. Taking a deep breath I’m instantly coughing, fire and smoke coat the air in a thick blanket. Each breath burns all the way down as if I was drowning on land. Coving an arm over my mouth, my legs carry me through this fire. Slowly the flames die down, not spreading as fast as I move. Until the first, gut wrenching scream drains all blood from my face.

Slowly I turn to watch as the first of the dead crawl out of the hole within the ground. Flesh peels back from its cheekbones, ripping away as the creature lets out another animalistic yell. Where eyes should be are gone, the only reminisce of them being dark sunken holes oozing black liquid. Whatever hair the creature had clings to its gray and black skin. Clothes so old they hang off the dead in withering rags. Everything about this being is utterly horrific.

I can’t scream, I can't do anything besides run. As if broken from my spell my own legs finally work, they drive me up from the soggy ground covering my pants in mud. Not caring of my state I ran, not looking back at the place. It didn’t matter, I was safe and there was no smoke, no dead, no nightfall. It was all too much and my heart threatened to give out. Before that happens, my body falls into a hole smashing into someone.

The body is hard as a brick. We fall to the right, my arm smashing into dirt, legs tangling with whoever’s body this is. Trying to gain my footing does nothing besides cause my body to collapse on what lies beneath. Before my heart can catch up to my brain on what or who is in this hole, a large hand grasps my upper arm keeping me from falling entirely on my ass.

He goes to say something, but the moment his skin connects with mine all thoughts leave my mind. They disappear the moment that tingling sensation overtakes my body. The same exact sensitive dizziness, causing my head to spin. Where my heart beat rose from fear moments before is consumed by the beat of another. As if he stole it within a moment's grasp. All stress leaves my body coaxing me to float before him, a tranquilizing state consuming me from within.

My lashes flutter the moment he pulls me closer until our bodies are inches apart. The beating thing within my chest hammering away so loudly I’m sure he can hear it. Before my eyes meet his I know who I’ll see, as if this was meant to happen. The moment my eyes take in those silver ones I feel my knees weaken once more.

Sparkling silver eyes shine in the sunlight, dark lashes rime them popping against his golden skin. On the tip of his nose and diamond cut cheekbones are light freckles. Beautiful white hair glistens begging me to comb my fingers through. Heaven hunching within this hole, he stands taller than me. His emerald button up shirt rolls up his arm to expose toned muscles.

By the time his hand is on my face my brain catches up to time. Gently, his thumb runs over my bottom lip, sending a sensual feeling straight to my core. My breath hitches, drawing in a mouthwatering scent. One completely consuming, the rich scent of cedar and cinnamon with a hint of honey in the mix.

Everything about this man reminds me of the one within my visions, the same silver eyes reflecting back at me. But how? Those visions are all in my head. Nothing more than the land playing tricks on my mind.

Still in disbelief my hand reaches out to feel him, to grasp any sort of reality on the person before me. Fearing he too would disappear like the stranger last night. Hesitantly, my fingers dance over his chest causing a low growl to rumble from his lips

My actions cease, like my mind is still in disbelief that someone like him is before me. To fully seal the fate, my hand lays flush against his chest. His beating heart beats his time hard against my hand, the action making his chest heave up and down.

“Are you real?” I breathe.