Blood Moon
1124 Words
The words from the note refused to leave her mind. She kept staring at the folded piece of paper lying on her kitchen table. She had read it at least thirty times since dawn. Every time, she hoped the words would somehow change. They never did. She kept thinking, someone knew who she was. Someone had hidden the truth.
Someone had been protecting her…
Or hiding her.
She wasn’t sure which possibility terrified her more.
A sharp knock echoed through the apartment. “Lyra!”
She groaned. Only one person knocked like she was trying to break the door down. “I’m coming.”
She pulled the door open to find Ava standing there with two takeaway coffees and a paper bag filled with pastries. Ava didn’t wait for an invitation.
“You look awful.” She said as she walked straight inside.
“Good morning to you too.”
“I’m serious.” Ava placed the coffees on the table before studying her best friend. “You haven’t slept.”
Lyra laughed bitterly. “What gave it away?”
“The dark circles under your eyes.”
“The fact you’re still wearing yesterday’s clothes.”
“The crazy look you’ve got going on.”
Lyra managed a weak smile. “I’ve had a strange couple of days.”
Ava folded her arms. “Mrs. Harper called me.”
Lyra sighed. “She worries too much.”
“Because you do things like break into government buildings.”
Lyra blinked. “…She told you that?”
“She told me enough.”
The silence settled between them. Finally, Lyra reached for the folded paper. “I found this.”
Ava unfolded it carefully. Her cheerful expression slowly disappeared. “‘The Crescent child…’” She looked up.
“What does that even mean?”
“I don’t know.”
“I’ve never heard of Crescent.”
“Neither have I.”
Ava placed the note back on the table. “Lyra…”
“What?”
“I think you’re becoming obsessed.”
Lyra’s jaw tightened. “I’m adopted.”
“I know.”
“I have a birthmark no doctor can explain.”
“I know.”
“I dream about people I’ve never met.”
“I know.”
“My wounds heal in seconds.”
Ava frowned. “…Wait.”
Lyra froze. She hadn’t meant to say that last part aloud.
“What do you mean your wounds heal?”
She looked down at her arm. The scrape she’d gotten yesterday had vanished completely. Not even a faint scar remained. “I…” She didn’t know how to explain it.
“Yesterday… after the accident in town…”
“You were hurt.”
“I was.”
“And?”
“And then I wasn’t.”
Ava stared at her. Neither of them spoke. Then Ava burst into laughter. “Oh my God.”
“What?”
“You’re serious.”
“I am.”
“You’ve officially lost it.”
“I’m not joking.”
Ava walked over and gently squeezed Lyra’s shoulders.
“You’ve spent your whole life looking for answers.”
“I know.”
“But maybe…” She smiled softly. “…maybe you’re looking so hard that you’re seeing things.”
Lyra wanted to argue. Instead…
She just nodded because part of her desperately wanted Ava to be right. Maybe she was imagining everything.
Maybe the stress had finally caught up with her. Maybe…
She wasn’t losing her mind. Maybe she’d already lost it.
Ava clapped her hands together. “Enough.”
“What?”
“We’re going out tonight.”
“I’m really not in the mood.”
“Exactly why we’re going.”
“Ava…”
“No.” She grabbed Lyra’s jacket from the couch. “You need one night where you don’t think about birthmarks, missing files, creepy notes or whatever a Crescent child is.”
“I don’t drink much.”
“Then you’ll drink juice.”
“I don’t dance.”
“You’ll watch me dance.”
“I don’t…”
Ava grinned. “…have a choice.”
For the first time all day…
Lyra laughed.
By nine that evening, music thundered through The Hollow Oak. The small pub was buzzing with laughter and conversation. Ava was already making friends with complete strangers. Lyra sat nursing the same glass of lemonade she’d ordered an hour earlier.
“You could at least pretend to have fun,” Ava shouted over the music.
“I am pretending.”
“You’re terrible at it.”
Lyra smiled despite herself. Ava had been right.
Getting out of the apartment had helped. For the first time since she'd found the note…
She wasn’t thinking about prophecies or missing records or glowing birthmarks. She was just…
Lyra.
An ordinary woman enjoying a quiet night with her best friend.
Her phone disrupted the moment. A phonecall without an ID. She frowned. Then answered. “Hello?”
No one responded. “Who’s this?” Nothing.
Just before she hung up…
A low voice whispered, “We found you.” And the call ended.
Every hair on her arms stood up. “What happened?” Ava asked.
“Wrong number.” But her hands wouldn’t stop shaking.
It was almost midnight when they left. It had just started raining. “I’ll drive,” Lyra said.
Ava tossed her the keys. “See? Responsible adult.”
They laughed as they climbed into the car. The roads were nearly empty. For several peaceful minutes, they were both quiet. Then headlights appeared in the rearview mirror.
“It’s been behind us for a while,” Ava murmured.
Lyra glanced up. “It’ll probably turn.” It didn’t.
Every turn Lyra made…
The SUV followed.
A knot formed in her stomach. “I don’t like this.”
“Maybe it’s a coincidence.”
The SUV suddenly accelerated. Its headlights filled the rear window. Then—
BANG! The impact threw them forward.
“What the—”
The SUV had rammed them.
“They hit us!” Ava screamed.
Lyra gripped the steering wheel. “Hold on!” She pressed the accelerator. The SUV stayed right behind them. Then it struck again. Harder this time.
The car fishtailed across the rain-soaked road. “Lyra!”
“I’ve got it!” She fought to regain control.
For one heartbeat…
She thought she had. Then the windshield exploded with blinding silver light. Dozens of glowing symbols floated across the glass.
“What is that?” Ava cried.
Before Lyra could answer…
The steering wheel twisted violently beneath her hands.
As if someone else had grabbed it. “No!”
The car swerved, straight toward the guardrail.
- Writer
