The Shadowed Hearts

The sun sat low in the sky, stretching shadows across the little village at the edge of the millennia-old Moon Cave. The villagers spoke in hushed words of the eerie beauty of the cave, of the lore that murmured dark whispers of werewolves that skulked around in its depths beneath the glow of a full silver moon. His only response is a confederate, maybe seeing a ghost or whatever kind of creature no one could truly identify, but for Luna Maya, a legend and pointed caution for young children and small folk who amuse those sick fantasies and superstitions to the few to retell it to the others. It is a small circular chamber as the moon was Luna, which was her then peaceful, solitary life. An orphan since early childhood, she had learned to accept the solitude of never quite fitting in. Resident villagers with small heads and even smaller inhibitions shied away, leaving Luna to care for herself. A small, rundown shack at the far end, with its garden being its only brand of sanctuary. Luna woke in her perfect little spot, this Eden, where every morning she showed the same care as Eve on a first morning full of promise. Her pride and joy were the bright blooms and the scented herbs her mother had cultivated before she died, and which she had helped her water ever since she was a child. Luna welled up with solace at the repetitive order of tasks; the watering, the weeding, the pruning, her dainty hands darting through the geometric motifs with machinelike speed. Today was no different. The pretty mauves and purples of the lavender looked beautiful garnished in a golden glow as the sun began to set, and Luna knelt to take a deep breath of its calming smells. Shadow, her stray, lounged nonchalantly in a sunbeam, lazily stretching, the black fur glistened. At least I got you, Shadow," Luna muttered and petted the cat, who purred as she rubbed behind his ears. He sent a little rumbling purr, his green eyes nearly slit in ease. Night had fallen, and as Luna receded into her cottage. Inside was simple and homey with the leftovers of her parents' lives still on display; well-worn books that at one time would line the shelves haphazardly with their spines well-broken by unbearable countless viewings; her mother had left a homemade quilt on the narrow bed along one side of the squat house, covered in a multiplicity of thin patches sewn together by hand; there was a single candle with its flame glowing high, the living light dancing across the walls of the wooden place. Luna picked up one of the books, and her fingers ran across the worn lettering on the cover. It was one of her mother's favorite books, a volume of poetry. She turned the journal to a dog-eared page and started to read - so quietly she could barely hear it herself. Beneath her tender gaze of the moon Passion forever locked in an embrace The creeping whisper of love amidst the night, They stumbled onto fate and took their station. An unspoken lump formed in her throat from the words. They had a love that was so beautiful and real, and whose end was so tragic. She had always wondered if she would ever find anything more - a bond like that, or if she was cursed to travel the land howling alone, a ghost among the living. But just around the soft utterances was a sound outside, a sorrowful howl so deep and long, it sent chills down her spine. One of Luna's books, around which people shortened themselves, fell away from Luna's hand. The howl came again, louder, and Luna felt drawn in a strange way towards it. Luna clenched her jaw against the fear and seized the candle before she stepped on the porch. It was a cool night, the full moon shone high in the sky and its pale light bathed the ground in an otherworldly presence and bathed the ground in an eerie light. Following the noise caused Luna's heart to beat out of her chest. The path soon led right to the edge of the Moon Cave. The open entrance loomed in front of her like an open maw about to devour her as a whole. And Luna, caught between her fear and her curiosity, stopped. The cave was a place with stories and myths. When she was little, people told her about the cave being haunted, and stories of men entering it and never coming out. But something, perhaps fate, perhaps something more did). Luna inhaled and entered the cave. It slowly cooled, as shadows flicked about on the walls with the light of her candle. She wandered deeper and deeper into the cave following the sound of the howl to be greeted by one of the caverns bathed in moonlight. On the floor was a big wolf. A small mewling could be heard as its silver fur was matted in blood. Luna felt pity for it. Even if slightly terrified, she took a step toward it cautiously and carefully. She whispered, voice trembling, "It's fine, it's fine." "I won't hurt you." Luna saw the wolf's blue eyes lock onto hers, and knew instantly. She was unable to understand, but she knew, she knew she shared the connection to this thing, a blood tie stronger than logic. She dropped to her knees, fingers trembling over the deep bites in the wolf's flank. She gently reached out, saying, "I can help you. "Just hold on." Luna ripped a piece of her skirt off and bandaged the wolf's wounds. She was fast, sure, and smooth with every step. She took a step back to admire her destruction, gasping for breath. It's going to be okay, she breathed. "You're not alone." The wolf seemed to close its eyes, every muscle relaxed as it let out a deep, rumbling growl-like breath from its chest. The creature that she held onto with her soft firm hand stayed where it was for a while as Luna slept next to him. And Luna woke up in the cave with the first beams of sunlight. Sitting up, she took inventory of her aches and pains as she scanned her surroundings. The wolf was gone. But where the creature once stood there now lay a man, one with silver hair and piercing blue eyes that was undoubtedly him. Luna sat up with a gasp and stood up. The man stirred, opening his bleary eyes. He stared down at her with a sort of bewilderment and then relieved gratitude. "Who are you?" "Who sent you here?" Luna whispered. The man smiled weakly. I am Eric Storm," he said. "Wait...you just saved me I think..." Her thoughts were churning inside her head, as she looked at him. Eric Storm. It was a name that felt familiar, yet elusive, something akin to a whisper from a dream. In her heart, she secretly knew her life was going to take an unbelievable turn.