Moon Eater

Homecoming

It was a pitch-black night, and darkness seemed to swallow every sign of light. Claire found herself alone on the empty street, an uncomfortable silence covering her. The bushes beside her rustled, causing her heart to beat faster. Suddenly, a wolf appeared and attacked her. Claire jerked from her sleep. Her chest beating heavily. She felt a sense of unease as the bus pulled into the station.

Stepping off the bus, Claire took a deep breath of the familiar Brooklyn air. She took in the constant rumble of traffic and the food trucks sizzling snacks. So many memories rushed back at once: navigating the halls of her high school, late-night talks with best friends Annette and Zoey, and playing video games at Matt’s house. Her ex, Jackson, flashed that sly grin that gave her butterflies.

But there were other memories she didn’t want to remember. Her parents’ divorce had been unpleasant, with her dad moving to New Jersey and focusing on his work until his tragic death. The memory still haunted her. She and her mom hadn’t spoken to her for a long time. As she looked around the station, Claire felt like a stranger in her hometown. Some things had changed, but strangely, some stayed the same. She sighed as she hailed a taxi to her mom’s house. On the way there, she attempted to stir up pleasant memories from her childhood when her parent’s love was still evident before it fell apart.

But she couldn’t. Those days felt like a lifetime ago. Claire’s thoughts turned to her newfound secret and how she had to protect it from her mother at all costs. Emily had never been one to accept anything outside the norm. Telling her the truth about what Claire had become since they last spoke would destroy their fragile relationship. She steeled her nerves. Putting on a smile and tapping on the door gently, it wasn’t long before it opened to reveal her mother, Emily, dressed in a bathrobe and caressing the arm of a man with bed hair. They froze as they saw Claire by the door.

“Claire! What a surprise.” Emily said as she fixed her ruffled auburn hair. Emily’s pale skin was flushed, and her green almond-shaped eyes widened in surprise. Years had passed since Claire last saw her, but Emily still maintained a subtle Irish accent in her speech.

“I’m so sorry, Claire, I forgot you were coming today,” Emily said, her voice startled as she adjusted her bathrobe. The man beside her awkwardly ran a hand through his dark hair and walked out. Claire took in her mother, who still looked young despite being in her late forties. From her celestial nose dusted with freckles to her slender frame. Despite her fatigued state, Emily maintained a certain stylish poise as she ushered Claire inside.

“It’s fine, Mom. Who’s your hot visitor?” Claire chuckled, trying to ease the tension.

“Just some guy I snagged at the bar last night.” She said as she headed towards the kitchen. “Hungry?”

Claire shook her head as she glanced at her chiming phone. “I already made plans with Zoey and Annette. See ya.” With that, she walked out of the house.

As Claire strolled down the street towards Brookyln Grills; her favorite place in Brooklyn. She looked around, chuckling. It was still vibrant as usual, but the neon signs and colours that decorated the building were fading.

“Claire!”

A familiar voice cut through the chatter on the sidewalk. She turned to see her friend Zoey Harper waving enthusiastically. Though six years had passed, Zoey was instantly recognizable - taller and curvier perhaps, but still the same energetic girl Claire knew, the most interesting thing about Zoey was probably her birthmark shaped like a star, Claire and her classmates always thought it was cool. Zoey’s blonde curls bounced in the sunlight as her warm brown skin seemed to glow. Her blue eyes were as bright as ever. Claire broke into a smile, rushing to embrace her old friend. “I’m sorry about your dad,” Zoey said as she hugged Claire tighter.

Claire nodded. “Thanks, Zoey.” Her eyes clouded briefly before lighting up again. “Enough sobbing! Where’s Annette?” As if on cue, a dark-skinned beauty emerged from the diner, waving.

“Over here, you jerks!” Annette Campbell called in her lilting voice, low and musical, with the subtle hint of her Afro-Caribbean accent, making certain words roll fluidly off her tongue. The trio laughed and cheered, linking arms as they entered, nostalgia and joy suffusing the bittersweet reunion.

“So what have I missed,” Claire asked as the trio sat down and signalled to the waitress.

“Not much,” Zoey replied. Brooklyn’s still vibrant as usual.”

“Zoey hooked up with Matt.” Annette interrupted, causing Claire’s eyes to widen in excitement.

“Really? I thought you didn’t hook up with our friends.” Claire smirked as she teased Zoey.

“Screw friendship, Matt became so hot overnight.” Zoey quipped unapologetically. The three of them laughed as the waitress brought their food. As they dug into their meals, Annette asked Claire, “So, what are your plans now that you’re back in town?”

“Well,” Claire paused as she took a bite out of her burger. “I applied for a data analyst position at Maxima Tech. I know it’s a reach,” Claire continued as she savoured the taste.

“No way, you applied to Maxima Tech?” Zoey grinned, her blue eyes lighting up. “Girl, you’ve got balls of steel.”

“Or I’m just desperate for cash.” Claire laughed as she playfully shoved Zoey. A thought suddenly lingered in her mind. “So what about Jackson? How’s he been?” she asked. At the mention of his name, Annette rolled her eyes dramatically. Zoey chuckled. “He’s still around Brooklyn. But he seems...different now.” Claire pondered this with interest, wondering what Zoey meant. Jackson wasn’t the only one who was different now though, a part of her thought privately

Their conversation was interrupted as the waitress passed by, her arms filled with dirty plates stacked together. Trying to balance the tall stack, her foot caught on the leg of a nearby chair. She yelped as the plates began to slip from her grip. Instinctively, Claire shot her hand out with lightning speed. In the blink of an eye, she had caught each plate before they could hit the ground. The waitress gasped, and Zoey was left wide-eyed.

“How’d you do that?”

Claire smiled as she handed the plates to the waitress, thinking of what to say. “I, uh, I take judo classes.” Zoey clapped in excitement. Annette stared at Claire, her brows furrowed in curiosity.

“Sorry guys,” Annette said as she handed a tip to the waitress. “I have to run, we should catch up more now that you’re in town, Claire.” Zoey concurred with a nod as the trio exited the diner and went their separate ways.

Claire let out a sigh of relief while she left the diner. That was a close call. The sun had begun to set, spreading its golden light across the city, yet she had no desire to return home. Instead, she found herself walking to Forte Greene Park. Seated on a bench by the water, Claire watched as the ducks lazily drifted past, lost in deep thoughts. Her daydream was interrupted by a familiar voice calling out her name.

“Claire!”

She turned to see Jackson Thawne walking towards her. Like everyone else, Jackson had changed too; Silver studs dotted his ears. His black hair was styled in an undercut now, with bleached blonde tips. Gone was the lanky man she knew, his tall frame filled with lean muscles that were evident under his jacket.

“Jackson,” she said with surprise as he drew near. Old feelings stirred within as they embraced, his familiar scent washing over her like a half-forgotten memory. But something was different about Jackson, just as Zoey had said. There was an air of intensity about him that hadn’t been there before.

“I heard about your dad. I’m so sorry,” Jackson said sincerely as he widened his arms and Claire fell into his embrace. Claire nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. Even after their breakup, after all these years. She couldn’t deny she still had feelings for him. Jackson fixed her with an intent stare. “You shouldn’t have come, Claire. Strange things have been happening here lately.”

“Weird stuff, huh?” Claire smirked, nudging Jackson. He responded with a frown

“Alright, no need to get your briefs in a twist.” Claire held up her hands in mock surrender. Jackson paused as if considering how much to say. “You should rush home before the moon becomes full. I was already on my way home.”

A chill ran down Claire’s spine at Jackson’s ominous warning. She couldn’t help but feel like Jackson knew something more than he was letting on. Taking Jackson’s advice, she headed home.

***

As Claire got home, she was greeted by Shelly; Emily’s Bengal cat. “Hey Shelly,”Claire said as she her eyes caught Emily, who was switching between channels.

“How was your outing?" Emily asked distractedly.

“Jackson thinks something’s strange in Brooklyn,” Claire said pointedly as she stroked Shelly.

“Brooklyn is the same as always, as far as I can tell,” Emily said dismissively. With a murmured goodnight, Claire retreated to her bedroom.

As Claire closed the door behind her, Emily gazed at her phone on the kitchen counter. Almost as if responding to her thoughts, the phone suddenly rose and floated silently towards Emily. She grasped it with a small smile.

***

Claire glanced out the window at the full Moon glowing brightly. Jackson was right to warn her. When she had stayed with her father in New Jersey months ago, she knew that most New Jerseyans dreaded the full Moon. That was when the Slaves of the Moon were most active. Could that be what Jackson was referring to? Claire’s phone chimed all of a sudden and she rushed to check it. She was invited to the Maxima interview. Before she could react, a howl pierced the night, sending a chill through her. She wandered to the mirror, lost in thought. “It’s no use; I can’t shift,” she murmured as she plopped on her bed and drifted into a deep sleep.

That morning, the sun shone through the windows as Claire stirred awake. She freshened up as she prepared for her interview.

“Today’s gonna be the worst day or the best day since I came back to Brooklyn,” she murmured under her breath. Steeling her nerves, Claire headed out. She stopped at a nearby cafe to grab a coffee, hoping the warmth would ease her jitters. She stepped off the curb and crossed the busy road, glancing at her phone. She overlooked the sleek black Maserati Levante driving towards her at top speed. At the last second, Claire looked up with a gasp. She leapt backwards with otherworldly agility, just barely dodging the vehicle as it whooshed by. Her coffee went flying, splashing hot liquid all over her blouse.

“Asshole!” Claire yelled after the car. To her shock, the Maserati suddenly slammed on its brakes. It spun and lurched to a screeching stop at the curb behind her. Claire whirled around, heart pounding. The driver’s side door swung open with a smooth hiss. She froze, her jaw dropping in disbelief as she saw the face that emerged from the car.