The Moon's Veil
Chapter 1: The Green Glow
It was a cloudy, stormy night. Fionna and her father, Reggie, were watching a movie while eating popcorn. Out of the corner of her eye, Fionna spotted a green flash of light coming from the window. She thought she was seeing things, so she looked back again but saw nothing.
"Was it all in my mind?" she wondered. An hour passed. Fionna saw the same lash again, but this time, Reggie noticed it too. "What was that?" Reggie asked as he paused the movie.
They exchanged confused glances, the silence between them heavy with unspoken questions. The seconds stretched, feeling like an eternity, as the house creaked and groaned around them. Fionna could hear nothing but Reggie's steady breathing. Then, a scream shattered the quiet.
Startled, they scrambled to their feet, nearly tripping over each other as they rushed to the window. The heavy rain pounded against the glass, making it hard to see outside. Suddenly, a flash of green light illuminated the sky—brighter this time, lighting up the night like it was mid-afternoon. Fionna's breath caught in her throat. Outside, a woman stood in the middle of the road. Her mouth hung wide open.
Her head tilted up toward the moon. Fionna turned toward Reggie. Reggie was already looking up towards the moon, and Fionna followed his gaze. Above them, the moon hovered—cracked and strange. Fionna's heart raced, her confusion turning into pure panic. "Dad... what's happening?" Her voice was barely a whisper. Reggie didn't answer. His face was pale, eyes wide as he backed away from the window.
"Fionna, we need to close everything. Now." Her mind spun as she followed his words, though it felt like she was moving through fog. Nothing made sense. The air felt thick and heavy, as if something oppressive was closing in on them.
Reggie rushed out of the room as Fionna turned and hurried out of the room. She rushed down the stairs, her feet thudding heavily on each step, her mind fogged with fear. At the bottom, she stumbled toward the back door, fumbling with the lock. She stepped outside into the cold, rain-soaked yard.
She squinted up at the sky again, hoping she'd imagined it, that the moon was still whole. But the fractured surface of the moon loomed above her—otherworldly and wrong. A gust of wind made her shiver, bringing her back to the task at hand. "The gate. I need to close the gate."
Her bare feet splashed in the mud as she hurried across the yard toward the fence at the edge of their property, her mind racing with scattered thoughts. Fionna reached the back gate, locking it in place. Suddenly, she heard a soft giggle behind her. She turned quickly.
A little boy was standing there, wearing a red and white baseball uniform, completely soaked, smiling, and glaring. Before she could react, he grabbed a strand of barbed wire from the fence. With surprising strength—and bleeding hands—he yanked it free and swung it toward her like a whip.
The wire sliced through the air and lashed across her left hand. Pain exploded in her palm as the sharp barbs tore into her skin, leaving deep, jagged cuts. Warm blood mixed with the rain, dripping down her arm.
She stumbled backward, cradling her injured hand, but the boy wasn't done. He swung again, and this time the wire caught her leg, the barbs hooking into her calf and tearing through her jeans. She gasped, struggling to stay on her feet, but the pain was unbearable. The deep scrape throbbed, and with every movement, fresh blood ran down her leg, staining the ground beneath her.
"Stop!" she screamed, but the boy only stared at her, eyes wide and unblinking with a smile, as if he didn't hear her at all. Without a word, he turned and ran off into the night, vanishing as quickly as he had appeared.
Fionna stood frozen, the sharp sting of her injuries keeping her rooted to the spot. Her mind swirled in confusion. Why would a child do something like that? Was any of this even real?
Shivering and disoriented, she stumbled back toward the house, every step a reminder of the deep cuts on her hand and leg. Her leg trembled, the cold air making the throbbing worse.
She reached the door, her fingers slick with blood as she fumbled with the handle. When she finally got it open, the warmth of the house did little to comfort her.
As she entered the kitchen, her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of voices—familiar, but out of place. Fionna gripped the counter for support, blood dripping onto the floor. She could hear Clara, their neighbor, speaking in hushed tones to her father.
What is she doing here? And why now? Her heart still racing, she grabbed a knife from the counter, her injured hand trembling as she held it. The pain was overwhelming, but fear pushed her forward.
Peeking around the corner, she saw Clara standing too close to Reggie, her hand brushing his arm, her tone low and suggestive. Anger surged through Fionna, but before she could react, something else caught her father's eye—movement outside the window.
It was Tom, Clara's husband, peeking into the window. He looked furious, muttering to himself while gesturing wildly. Reggie stiffened, his eyes narrowing on Tom. Just as Fionna opened her mouth to call out, a faint noise came from the back door.
She spun around, adrenaline rushing through her. Her grip tightened on the knife as she rushed toward the noise, flipping on the back porch light. Standing there, drenched and desperate, was Lola—her best friend. But there was something in her hand.
"Lola?" Fionna's voice was quiet and cracked, but Lola didn't answer. Instead, she threw herself against the door, forcing it open and knocking Fionna to the floor. Disoriented, Fionna scrambled to her feet, raising the knife. Her pulse pounded in her ears, fear clouding her judgment. She lunged, but Lola grabbed her wrists.
"Fionna, stop! It's me! Lola—your best friend!" Lola cried, struggling to hold her back. For a moment, Fionna fought her, but then something inside her broke. She collapsed into Lola's arms, sobbing, the knife slipping from her grasp onto the floor.
Chapter 2: Coming Soon...
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