The Lost Moon Duchess

Uncover and discover

Warm light spilling from behind the curtains fell on Selene’s face, gently stroking her cheek. She fluttered her eyelashes and stretched her arms above her head, opening her eyes and looking at the window. She sighed with satisfaction, feeling more refreshed and awake than she ever had before. It took a few minutes for reality to settle and for Selene to abruptly sit up in her bed with eyes wide in horror. Was what happened last night a dream, because she could swear it all really happened. She could not swear she did not dream it as she found herself in her pyjamas, soundly asleep in her bed. She slouched back on her pillow leaning her back on the headboard of the bed, when a sharp pain cut through her chest.

She held her front with both hands pressing her eyelids together. Selene abruptly jumped on her feet and ran to her full-length mirror, across her room. She held her pyjama top up to reveal a massive bruise right on top of her ribcage in the form of a gigantic paw. She gasped loudly at the discovery, hypnotised and horrified by it. She quickly took off her clothes and stood naked in front of the mirror. A picture of pure horror was revealed in the cosy room, caressed by gentle sunlight on this Sunday morning. The slender, white body bruised and cut all over the silky soft, marble skin. Selene stood in awe and shock staring at her bare image, unable to move a muscle. Her head empty of words and her stomach clenched in horrified realisation that not only did the events from last night did take place but she had been cleaned, undressed, dressed in pyjamas and placed in her own bed in her own house by someone without alarming her parents.

Her parents! She put on her robe frantically and ran to the kitchen, where her mum and dad were blissfully sipping their morning coffee and having their breakfast. She stood in front of the table as they lifted their heads to look at her.

-          Morning sweetie! Want some breakfast? – said her mum with her usual sweet and gentle voice.

-          Ah… no, I’m not really hungry just came to see if…get water. – Selene stuttered as she fought her urge to fall down and cry on her mother’s lap.

-          You okay hun? – asked her dad, amused concern behind his eyes because of the behaviour of his slightly incoherent daughter.

-          Yeah yeah dad of course. – mumbled Selene as she went to pour herself a glass of water.

Selene was happy her parents were alright; however, this only posed more questions. How was a person able to get inside her home and do everything they did without her parents noticing?

-          Hey guys…how was last night? – Selene asked vaguely hoping to receive an answer that would bring her some clarity on the matter.

-          We had a very fun night actually, we met a lot of new people, danced a little, had a drink. – her mum talked absent-mindedly.

-          At the…? – inquired Selene

-          At the birthday of your dad’s cousin of course. Are you sure you’re feeling ok? – laughed her mum.

-          Yeah. Sorry I’m still sleepy - replied Selene, the wheels turning in her head.

Yes of course. They went out for a birthday party and probably did not come home until very late. She had forgotten about this detail, but she was glad they were not at home and were out of harms way.

Selene could not get a horrible nagging thought, that brought her a sickening feeling of helplessness and fear. The person who brought her home knew where she lived.

Selene walked stiffly back to her room, closed the door and slid down to the floor holding her head between her hands, staring at the floor.

-          What the f**k. – she muttered with a blank, exasperated expression.

A beam of reflected light glimmering on the hardwood floor of her room caught Selene’s attention. She lifted her bruised body and walked to the window, which she chillingly found open. Feeling the cold morning air on her bare legs, uncovered by her white fluffy robe she shivered, however not due to the weather, rather the sight of a shiny silver compass, with ruby red arrows placed gently on the windowsill. The compass was incrusted with red crystals which looked clear and genuine, a vine drawn on the side of the compass, twisting between the crystals, making them appear as fruits on a branch. Selene picked it up, feeling the weight of the cold smooth object in her palm, the red arrows spinning wildly the moment she lifted it. She was intrigued by the inscription on the back of the compass which read “To my Duchess and only love. Even a forever with you will not be enough. SW”.

A sting pierced Selene’s heart upon reading the words etched into the back of the compass. She felt strangely jealous of the deep affection those words spoke of. She shook her head and placed the compass on her desk and looked at the window hoping there might be some clues as to who might’ve left the compass. Selene felt incredibly violated from the invasion of privacy a stranger had on her and the compass was another reminder of that unwanted influence a nameless, faceless figure had upon her.

Something long and red swinging in the breeze caught her eye outside. Selene squinted to try and make out the form. She pushed open the window and jumped over the sill, she approached the object, which was hanging from a tree branch outside her window. Her blood ran cold as she realised it was her dog’s leash. Selene was so caught up in everything surrounding the most bizarre 24 hours of her life she had completely forgot her best friend Sally. Sally had run off trying to fight the invisible monsters in the forest last night and Selene had not seen her since.

Tears started streaming down her face as a devasted, hopeless fear filled her lungs. She started sobbing uncontrollably as she had gone over the edge of her emotional capacity. Selene could not handle the idea that her most favourite creature in the world might be gone forever. Horrifying memories of last night flooded her mind and made her sob even more as she feared her Sally had suffered at the hands or paws of the monsters that attacked them.