Blood and Moonlight

Dru pressed her forehead against the chilling glass of the car window, exhaling softly and leaving a small fog on the frosted surface. She gazed out as the scenery rushed past in a blur. Her life had felt similarly chaotic lately. Just a moment ago, she had been living a typical life for a 17-year-old—beach outings, shopping trips, and boys. Then, in an instant, everything changed.

It had been two months since her parents vanished without a trace. Their sudden disappearance left the authorities baffled, providing little assistance. No leads emerged, and the only relative they could locate lived in a remote part of Alaska. "Druscilla," a melodic voice pulled her from her reverie; it was Mrs. Downy, the caseworker, calling her full name. "We will be arriving at your uncle's shortly."

Uncle Ricky—her mother's older brother, someone she had never known existed. Now, she was moments away from being dropped off at his house, left with a stranger. The caseworker parked the car at the edge of a dense forest. "This is as far as we can go; we'll wait for your uncle here and walk the rest of the way." Great, she thought, surveying the snow-covered wilderness outside.

An unfamiliar voice echoed in her mind. Initially, she panicked, fearing the stress had finally taken its toll. "You're not losing your mind," the voice assured her. "My name is Eynia. I am your wolf spirit." Dru felt a wave of disbelief. They hadn't mentioned this? "Really?! No one told you?!" the voice exclaimed.

"What are you talking about?!" Dru shouted, drawing a curious glance from Mrs. Downy. "Sorry, just wondering why no one mentioned this uncle," she quickly added to cover her outburst. The voice chuckled teasingly in her head. "They never told you what we are," it replied. Dru hesitated, trying to discern whether this was reality or a figment of her imagination. "What are we?"

"We are shapeshifters, specifically wolf shapeshifters." Dru's eyes widened. "A werewolf?!" she exclaimed. Mrs. Downy, amused, chuckled, her roundness causing the car to shake. "Wolves, perhaps, but I doubt there are any werewolves out here, dear. Aren't you a bit old to believe in such nonsense?" Dru forced a laugh. "Yeah, just letting my imagination run wild," she said nervously.

"We are lycanthropes," Eynia stated proudly. "Isn't that just a fancy term for werewolf?" Dru questioned. "There are significant differences," Eynia replied, clearly irritated by the barrage of questions. "Werewolves are cursed creatures, doomed to the moon’s control and overwhelmed by bloodlust. Lycanthropes are born this way and can transform at will after their first full moon, without the side effects of memory loss or unintentional violence."

"So, if I am what you say, why don't I know about this? I should have transformed by now!" Dru protested. "Oh no, dear," Eynia explained matter-of-factly, "female lycanthropes usually don’t awaken their wolf spirit until around 17 or 18." Dru looked at the date displaying on her phone screen November 15th. She had been so distracted with her life crumbling around her, she had forgotten her own birthday. Her curiosity peaked. "So this runs in my family?" "Yes, both your mother and father were indeed lycanthropes."

"Fantastic," Dru muttered. "Isn’t it?" Eynia replied. Suddenly, a new scent filled the air—death and blood. Dru recoiled as a figure emerged from the snowy landscape. "Ah, this must be him now," Mrs. Downy said, shutting off the engine. Dru winced as the caseworker stepped out of the vehicle, beckoning her to follow. Reluctantly, Dru complied, her unease growing as she approached a tall, gangly man.

"Druscilla," Mrs. Downy urged her toward him. "This is your Uncle Rick." The thin, bearded man scrutinized her before extending a gloved hand. "Just Rick," he said curtly. "Will you be accompanying us to the house, ma'am?" he added, a strange smirk playing on his lips.

"Dru, we cannot stay with him. She cannot follow us to the house," Eynia warned. Dru sensed it too—something was off about Rick. "We can't be alone with him." Eynia reassured her, "I will protect us." Dru felt uncertain. "But he can transform into a full wolf, and I can't until my first full moon—five days away."

"Trust me," Eynia insisted. "He may be older, but I can handle this. He’s not right, perhaps even sick." Regardless of Eynia's confidence, Dru felt overwhelmed. How could she escape with Mrs. Downy? She glanced at the caseworker, wondering if she could endure the trek.

"How far is it to your house?" Dru asked, hoping to dissuade Mrs. Downy. "About two miles, give or take," Rick growled. Dru studied him closely, sensing something distinctly wrong. If only someone had informed her about her nature, she might have understood what to look for.

"Oh heavens," Mrs. Downy said, half-joking, half-concerned. Clearly, she didn't want a two-mile hike in the snow. Here was Dru's chance. "Mrs. Downy, I'm sure Rick has set up his house comfortably. Why don't you head back, and if there’s a problem, I’ll just call you in the morning?"

"I brought a snowmobile and sled to get us back. A big storm is coming; I didn’t want to risk getting caught in it," Rick stated, gesturing toward a vehicle partially obscured by trees.

"Oh, could you bring me back to my car after our visit, sir?" Mrs. Downy asked, clearly reluctant to leave. "I really must see the house before I leave Druscilla with you." Rick merely nodded.

"Wonderful," he replied, turning to lead the way. Mrs. Downy hurriedly climbed onto the sled attached to the snowmobile, leaving Dru to straddle the back with her uncle. She carefully positioned herself, grateful for the handlebars to steady herself, wishing to avoid close contact with him.

Casting one last concerned glance at Mrs. Downy, who seemed oblivious, Rick started the snowmobile, propelling them into a cloud of snow ahead.