The Blood Moon

Lena’s POV The first thing I noticed about Blackwood Falls was how quiet it was. Not peaceful. Quiet. There was a difference. The car rolled slowly along the narrow road while tall trees crowded both sides of the windshield. Their branches twisted together above us, blocking most of the afternoon sunlight. I pressed my forehead against the window. “Almost there,” Aunt Rose said from the driver’s seat. I didn’t answer. I had heard that sentence three times already. Almost there. Almost home. Almost everything would be better. I wasn’t sure I believed any of it. Six weeks ago, I had still been living with my parents. Six weeks ago, my biggest problem had been deciding whether I wanted to study late for a history test or pretend I was too tired. Six weeks ago, I had a family. Now, I had a suitcase in the trunk, a box of my mother’s belongings beside me, and a house waiting in a town I’d never visited. My parents were gone. The words still felt impossible. I looked down at the small silver necklace around my neck. It had belonged to my mother. She had given it to me when I was twelve. “Never take it off,” she’d said. At the time, I’d laughed. Now I couldn’t remember why. The car turned onto a road lined with old houses. Blackwood Falls appeared between the trees. It wasn’t the gloomy little town I’d imagined. There were cafe, stores, a small library, a church, and an old clock tower standing in the center of town. People walked along the sidewalks. Children rode bicycles. Everything looked normal. Too normal. Aunt Rose slowed down near the town square. “That is Blackwood High,” she said, pointing toward a large brick building. I stared at it. “That’s where I’ll be going?” “For now.” “For now?” She smiled. “You’ll see.” I didn’t like the way she said it. We drove another few minutes before stopping outside a large white house surrounded by trees. “This is it.” I stared through the windshield. My mother’s childhood home. She had told me stories about this place. But she’d never brought me here. Not once. “Why didn’t Mom ever bring me?” I asked. Aunt Rose’s smile disappeared. “She had her reasons.” “What reasons?” “Lena.” I looked at her. “Please don’t start.” “Start what?” “Asking questions that don’t have answers.” I frowned. “That doesn’t make sense.” “You’ll understand eventually.” I hated that answer. Adults always said that when they didn’t want to tell you the truth. That evening, after unpacking, I wandered through the house. Everything smelled old. Wood. Dust. Rain. I found my mother’s bedroom at the end of the hallway. The door was locked. I stared at it. “Aunt Rose?” She appeared behind me. “What are you doing?” “Why is this locked?” She became strangely tense. “It’s been locked for years.” “Why?” “Because your mother asked me to keep it that way.” My hand dropped from the doorknob. “Before she died?” Aunt Rose nodded. I didn’t ask anything else. That night, I couldn’t sleep. Rain tapped against the window. I turned over and stared at the ceiling. Then I heard something. A sound outside. A branch snapping. I sat up. Another sound. Footsteps. I moved toward the window. The backyard was dark. I could barely see the trees. Then something moved. A shadow. I froze. The figure stood between the trees. Tall. Motionless. Watching the house. I blinked. It was gone. My heart pounded. I stepped away from the window. And then I heard a whisper. Not outside. Inside my room. “Lena.” I spun around. Nobody was there. I grabbed my phone and turned on the flashlight. Nothing. My eyes landed on the necklace around my neck. For some reason, it felt strangely warm. The next morning, I told myself it had all been a dream. That was what I told myself when I arrived at Blackwood High. That was what I told myself when everyone stared at me. And that was what I told myself when I first saw him. He stood near the school entrance. Dark hair. Pale skin. A black jacket. He wasn’t talking to anyone. He was simply watching. Me. Our eyes met. His expression changed. Not curiosity. Fear. Then he looked away. “Who is that?” I asked. A girl beside me smiled. “Adrian Vale.” I looked at her. “Why does he look like he hates me?” She laughed. “He doesn’t hate you.” “Then what?” “Nobody knows.” She held out her hand. “I’m Maya.” “Lena.” “I know.” I frowned. “How?” “Small town.” Before I could respond, the school bell rang. I looked back toward Adrian. He was gone. That afternoon, I saw him again. This time, he was standing beside a black car. An older boy leaned against it. He looked almost exactly like Adrian. Except he smiled. And something about that smile made me uncomfortable. His eyes met mine. He walked toward me. “You must be Lena Carter.” I stopped. “How do you know my name?” He smiled. “Everyone knows everyone’s name around here.” “Maya said the same thing.” “Then Maya’s smarter than she looks.” I raised an eyebrow. “Who are you?” “Damien.” “Damien what?” “Vale.” My stomach tightened. Vale. Adrian’s brother. Damien studied me for a moment. “You look exactly like her.” “Like who?” His smile disappeared. “Your mother.” Before I could ask another question, Adrian appeared behind him. “Damien.” There was something dangerous in his voice. Damien glanced over his shoulder. “Relax.” “Leave her alone.” I looked between them. “Can somebody tell me what’s going on?” Neither answered. Damien smiled again. “Welcome to Blackwood Falls, Lena.” Then he walked away. Adrian stayed. For a moment, neither of us spoke. Finally, he said, “You shouldn’t be here.” My eyebrows rose. “Excuse me?” “Go back to wherever you came from.” “You don’t even know me.” His expression softened. “I know enough.” He turned to leave. “Adrian.” He stopped. “How did you know my mother’s name?” He didn’t turn around. “Because this town remembers people.” Then he walked away. I watched him disappear into the crowd. For the first time since arriving in Blackwood Falls, I had the uncomfortable feeling that someone knew exactly who I was. And I was the only person who didn’t.