Moonlight Rising by unknow

Author:unknow
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: may 2018, short stories
Amazon: B07D9L59J1
Publisher: Gryfyn Publishing
Published: 2018-05-24T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Four

-two hours after sunset-

Claire was a block away from the Corbin Street shelter when the realization hit her. I’ve made a terrible mistake. Emotion had gotten her out of sorts, fueling her with some sort of misplaced duty. Hadn’t she done plenty for Will already? Surely she’d earned some points for goodness by carrying him to safety.

But even as she realized it was foolish, she continued to pedal, legs moving in an endless cycle. This world was endlessly cruel. Wouldn’t it be nice if something good happened for once? Maybe she’d get lucky and find his mother just around the corner from the house. A girl could hope.

Before leaving the protective glow of Dorchester Avenue, Claire summoned her sun-wisps once more, lighting a hazy dome around her as she rode. Night had tightened its grip on the world since she’d arrived at the shelter. The eerie stillness was now filled with sounds. Howls and rolling thunder echoed in the distance. Faint music played from somewhere, though she couldn’t discern a tune from the discordant sounds. Somewhere near her, something brushed along the ground, scraping against dry leaves and occasionally dragging a sharp claw against concrete. Fear crawled over her, making her hyper-alert as the sound drifted toward her and then away once more in a slow rhythm.

“Claire,” a voice crooned. “Claire…” It was a strange, high-pitched sing-song tone that she couldn’t place. Chill dread crawled down her spine at the sound of it. “His mommy’s here with me,” the voice lilted. “Shayla’s here with me.”

She jerked the handlebars involuntarily. Something was in her head. She shook herself as she straightened the path. They’d learned about this in her lessons. There were dozens of types of fiends and demons that prowled at night. Some would follow targets, listening for anything they could use to manipulate their intended prey. Others could actually pick up on the thoughts and fears of their targets. Something was trying to toy with her, but it couldn’t hurt her if she didn’t act on it. It was probably this very sort of thing that had lured Shayla out of her house, prompting her to leave her child behind.

Claire clamped down on the handlebars, setting her sights ahead. A bright spot of light glowed in the distance; the open window of Shayla and Will’s house.

“Claire, did you find my boy?” a sweet woman’s voice called. “Did you find my little Will?” For a moment, she could have believed it was the sound of a mother’s voice, honey-sweet and full of concern. But it wasn’t real. “I miss him so, Claire. Please come find me!”

Claire ignored the voice and continued to pedal. The bright light expanded as she neared the house. She eased to a halt at the foot of the driveway, letting the bike rest. The lights in the house painted a bright strip down the middle of the yard.

“Claire, please don’t leave me,” the voice cried. “It’s coming back for me. You have to save me!”

It’s not real.

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