The Luna And Her Tragic Fate

Chapter Two ~ The Cloaked Man

~Lexy's P.O.V~

We lived in a tiny town called Hogsback, with a population of 1029. Everyone knew everyone. All the parents matured together and their grandparents before them. Our house is enormous. Each of us has a room except the twins. They shared one. There was one empty room, though. Well, not precisely open either. It was our brother's room. Xander. Until he disappeared. Everyone suspects he got lost in the Endless Forest. People call it the Endless Forest because, well...It appears immeasurable. It continues infinitely. Our house is at the edge of the town, beside the forest. Mom is always particularly stern about us lingering close to the endless forest since we live beside it, owing to what happened. The entire town is petrified of it. They are constantly whispering about the vulgar noise carried out by the forest at the late hours of the night and that the darkness will devour you if you get within a stone's throw away. It was always hair-raising for me.

Until it happened to my brother. Xander. Just thinking about him gives rise to bereavement. He had the same blue eye pigment as mine, yet he had hair that was a lighter shade of blonde than mine, a light honey-blonde tone, to be exact. We did everything together, and he always safeguarded me when Marcus teased me. He was nearly fourteen when he vanished. I was thirteen. It feels like yesterday we spent time together in my room. The sad truth is it has been almost three years since he disappeared. It feels like a fragment of myself died that day. I have a void in my heart that will never be filled. Nothing is the same without Xander. He was the one that brought the most light into my life. Since then, I have felt like a dimmed lamp. The flame is there, but it's not as strong and bright as it could be. I have changed a lot since it happened. It's almost like a part of me disappeared with him. I still have hope that he will bring that part back with him one day. I still have Marcus and the twins, but even Mom used to be a dazzling radiant light before he disappeared.

No one speaks of it, though, making me even angrier. It's like they are trying to forget him or even pretending he was imaginary! I caught Mom taking down his pictures once, and I exploded. I grabbed every picture from her and put it back. I screamed at her for trying to forget him and cried myself to sleep that night.

~*~

I awoke to a soundless house. Ray and Rosy, the twins are probably already at school, whereas Marcus is at the gym. Mom was doing her daily errands. So I was all alone. It was time to get ready for school, so I put my strawberry blonde hair into a long ponytail. I dabbed some foundation on my face and layered my mascara. It made my bright blue eyes pop.

Then I heard the creaking of our stairs. No one should be home? Maybe Marcus came home early or forgot something. At that moment, I heard Amy honk her horn. I grabbed my bag and ran downstairs.

As I ran down our creaky stairs looking for who was home this time of the morning, I was met with silence. I was utterly alone. Maybe my mind was playing tricks on me, maybe I never heard the stairs or the house made its sounds because of old age.

I walked to the front door and was about to take my lunch box when an arm wrapped itself around my neck in a lightning-fast movement. Before I could yelp his other hand was covering my mouth. He leaned in and whispered in my ear.

"Hello little one, I've finally found you."

An ice-cold shiver ran down my spine. I tried to fight him off by kicking backwards and grabbing his arms but I was defenseless.

He laughed in a cold menacing voice. "You are too weak in this state little one. I could do anything I'd want to you.

He removed his hand from my mouth. "Scream and I'll snap your neck."

He traced his fingers softly down my neck, down and down toward my breasts but his arm around my neck slacked a bit so I bit it as hard as I could and tried to break free.

"You never said anything about biting" I retorted.

He laughed again. As if I was his plaything. As if he could do whatever he wanted with me and that infuriated me. So, I decided to scream. To hell with him snapping my neck, if he wanted to he would have by now. I knew Amy was outside waiting at this point I had just hoped she heard me.

"You're going to regret that little one. I will take my time with you before I deliver you to him. You're going to wish you never took that bite."

His grip around my neck tightened and I grabbed his arms out of reflex. Straining for air. I couldn't breathe. My vision started blurring. This is the end I thought. Surviving a wolf attack was all for naught.

I suddenly felt air rushing through my lungs so fast it made me dizzy, and then I fell to the ground. I looked up and saw Amy standing with my Dad's rifle. I didn't even hear the gunshot in my air-depleted state. The black-cloaked man was wailing something about a silver bullet and wolfsbane. My head snapped to him to see what he was going to do next and where he was shot. If she had dealt a lethal blow. It was only on the shoulder. He could still decide to fight her and take the gun from her. What did I do by involving Amy in this...but to my surprise the man backed up, he looked like he was in terrible shape suddenly. He ran straight through the sliding door, glass shattering everywhere. It leads to the backyard and into the forest. Gone within an instant, he was extremely fast. Relief struck me hard and I almost passed out but Amy was there to catch me.

"You okay?"

The look in her eyes was pure terror. She was scared shitless.

I just nodded in confirmation. I got up and rubbed my throat, looking at the shattered glass door in disbelief.

"Thank you. I thought I was a goner."

Amy just nodded in response also staring at the door.

"I can't let my family find out about this. After what happened to Xander they'll freak out and go full security mode on me. I'd never be able to leave the house."

"Don't worry. I have a friend that can fix that in thirty minutes. He owes me a favor. Let's start cleaning after I give him a call."

"How did you find my Dad's rifle though?" I asked her.

"In the clock tower's hidden compartment at the front door is where it's been for years. Remember I've been coming here since we were kids. I've seen him take it out and clean it when he's here."

"I'm so glad it was you that heard me. That man seemed extremely strong and scary."

~*~

We cleaned all the glass and got rid of it where no one would find it. Amy's friend came and fixed the door, and soon we were off to school like nothing ever happened, although all these weird things were happening to me I was determined not to let it rule my life. I was in a bad place once I refused to go there again. I pulled myself together in the bathroom and made sure my makeup covered my bruises. I had asked Amy to pretend like nothing happened and she agreed on the condition if something like this happened again I'd call her and tell my family immediately. Amy already left for her Jeep and waited outside.

I ran outside to meet Amy, and I got into her Jeep.

"Hi, sexy legs," I grinned, wiggling my eyebrows at her, trying my best to act normal after what just happened.

"Oh, stop, they're not that pretty." She chuckled, covering her mouth with her fingers.

"Goodness. You're so girly. You never cease to impress." I said teasingly.

"O.M.G, I said stoop!" She cackled so loudly.

"So when are you getting your boyfriend?" I asked her, trying to converse as we have spoken about everything since we became best friends.

"You know the deal, Lexy, I'm waiting for my soulmate," she said, suddenly sounding annoyed.

"How are you going to know? I don't understand. Why not just try to date someone?" I said, rolling my eyes at her.

"Lexy, I will know. I don't judge you for dating Tryn. So please don't judge my ways." She seemed almost upset and angry at me.

"I'm not judging! I promise I'm not. I'm envious. I wish I had waited till I met my soulmate and had the patience you have, but I don't. So I can't understand how you can." I said, pouting my lips and crossing my arms.

"You don't think Tryn is your soulmate? You waited till you met him. I'm pretty sure you just found yours before me. That's all. You don't know it yet. Tryn understands you a lot more than you think. No fights for over a year? He knows how to handle you. He gets you. I want that. You're so lucky. So please don't mention it again because I'm the envious one." She said coldly at the end.

"I never knew you felt that way. I could break up with him and become your soulmate? Together forever." I said, trying to cheer her up.

She giggled. "You would never break up with that Greek God of a man." She laughed again.

"Probably not." I snickered.

The rest of the drive to school was voiceless, and I started inspecting her outfit. She wore red stilettos, a red mini skirt, a white tank top with her red lacy bra peeking slightly, as well as a red overcoat with bright red lipstick. Her makeup was applied like a celebrity's; it made her green eyes look otherworldly. Oh, how I wish I had her figure. She has faultless breasts with a quintessential ass. It might seem like I'm ogling my best friend right now, but I can't accept how she matured like a divine deity and me like a ghastly ghoul. I mean, how does someone have platinum blonde hair inherently? Most people say she colors it, but I'm her best friend, and I know that's inaccurate. Most girls detest her for her extraordinary body and bewitching appearance.

We arrived at school, and she spotted me gawking at her.

"You know I could enlighten you with an intro to fashion if you wanted me to."

I broke eye contact and pretended to suddenly study the tree next to the car, attempting to avoid her reaction to me ogling her. "I'm perfectly fashionable the way I am. Thank you very much." Even I knew that was overreaching. My daily outfits were ordinarily unfeminine. I whiffed my shirts in an attempt to detect any odor before putting them on for the third or fourth time.

She put her hand on mine and leaned forward to make eye contact.

I looked back at her blue eyes and studied her waiting for her to speak.

She expressed tenderness and smiled delicately. "I mean.. you know, Tryn. All the girls want him. So I don't want you to lose him to a bimbo because they can't see you the way I see you."

I looked down. She had a point. The most sought-after and irresistibly handsome guy in school is dating me. I don't know why he finds me special. I don't even wear matching colors, yet we've been dating for over a year.

"Tryn sees me. Don't worry." I smiled back at her before getting out of the car.