MOONBOUND: THE CURSE OF BLACKWOOD

The forest had always frightened Maya. Not because of the stories people told about it, but because of the feeling she got whenever she looked between the trees. It was as if something was watching. That night, Maya walked home alone beneath a pale moon. The road was almost empty. The wind moved through the trees, carrying the smell of rain. Then she heard it. A howl. Maya stopped walking. She stared toward the forest. Another howl echoed through the darkness. This one was closer. "Okay..." Maya whispered. "I'm definitely going home." She turned around. A branch snapped behind her. Maya froze. "Who's there?" Nothing answered. She began walking faster. Then she heard footsteps. Not human footsteps. Heavy. Fast. Coming from the trees. Maya ran. She didn't look back until she reached the edge of the forest. Something stood between the trees. A huge wolf. Its fur was almost completely black. But its eyes... They were bright golden. Maya couldn't move. The creature stared at her. For some reason, she wasn't as frightened as she should have been. The wolf stepped forward. Maya took a step backward. Then suddenly, the wolf stopped. It looked toward the road behind her. A car was approaching. The wolf turned back toward Maya. For one strange moment, she felt like it was trying to warn her. Then it disappeared into the trees. Maya stood there, confused. The next morning, she told herself it had all been a dream. Until she found something outside her bedroom window. A black wolf pendant. Maya picked it up. There was a strange symbol carved into its surface. Behind her, someone spoke. "You shouldn't have touched that." Maya spun around. A boy stood in her doorway. She had never seen him before. He had dark hair, pale skin, and eyes that seemed strangely familiar. "Who are you?" The boy looked at the pendant. "My name is Ethan." "How did you get into my house?" He ignored the question. Instead, he stepped closer. "Where did you find that?" "Outside my window." Ethan's expression changed. "Then it's already begun." "What has?" He looked directly at her. "The curse." Maya laughed nervously. "You expect me to believe in curses?" Ethan didn't smile. "You will." Before Maya could respond, a loud howl echoed from the forest. Ethan looked toward the window. His eyes briefly flashed gold. Maya noticed. She stepped backward. "Ethan..." He looked at her. "What are you?" For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then Ethan whispered: "Someone you should stay away from." He turned toward the door. Maya watched him leave. But something inside her told her that Ethan wasn't the person she needed to fear. The real danger was somewhere in the forest. And it was already coming for her. That night, Maya looked out her window. Two golden eyes stared back from the darkness. But this time... she wasn't afraid. She whispered one word. "Ethan?" The eyes disappeared. And a howl echoed across Blackwood. TO BE CONTINUED...