Three Word Wednesday- Moonlight Becomes Her

Three Word Wednesday- Moonlight Becomes Her

Hinge; noun: A movable joint or mechanism on which a door, gate, or lid swings as it opens and closes, or that connects linked objects; verb: [ with obj. ] attach or join with or as if with a hinge; [ no obj. ] (hinge on) depend entirely on.

Lethal; adjective: Sufficient to cause death; harmful or destructive.

Need; verb: Require (something) because it is essential or very important; noun: Circumstances in which something is necessary, or that require some course of action; necessity; the state of requiring help, or of lacking basic necessities such as food.

Moonlight Becomes Her

   My family didn’t go out during a full moon and a blue moon. My mother would treat it like someone had died covering the windows with black paper and the mirrors with black crepe. She said the moon rays were lethal. I just thought she was a little unhinged. The children in the neighbourhood would laugh and point fingers at my mother, but her need to keep the shafts of light out would make mother continue to turn out the lights and not let the moonlight enter our house. I pleaded, I begged, but every moon I was locked in a darkened room. 

   Time went by and I grew older. I went to school an outcast, bullied, because my house was the creepy one, that once a month covered the windows with black. I had no friends no one wanted to come to the crazy lady’s house.

    Allowed only to go to the library and school, when I was fifteen I rebelled. I ventured to a bowling alley. Mother would have been angry if she knew; but I didn’t care. At the bowling alley I saw a boy about my age.He was red haired. His hair long and curling unto his shoulders, he was tall and muscular.His looks compelled me to smile. The boy answered my smile, with one of his own and came over to me and began speaking to me. I was thrilled. We spent the evening together just talking about anything and everything. 

    Paul became my secret boyfriend. He even seemed to take my mother’s peculiarities in stride, though he could never came to my house. Paul planned a huge birthday party for my sixteenth and I was thrilled that he cared so much. Then I discovered the blue moon fell on my birthday. How could I get out of my room? Mother would lock me in until morning. I couldn’t say I was going to the library. I placed tape across the window lock hoping I could get out that way and offered to cover my window myself with the black paper.

    I heard my mother turned the lock on my bedroom door, I knew the moon would soon start rising. I pulled the black paper away from my window and saw the start of a streak of light beneath a cloud. I crept across the field next door, and the clouds pealed back allowing the moon to rise. It was glorious in its beauty. The moonlight started to bathe me and felt more alive than I had ever felt in that radiance. Painful but yet somehow exhilarating I felt my clothes ripped from my body and I was naked, My limbs started to grow .My black hair then started to grow long, mixing with a grey blue, which covered my body. I knew I had changed into what I wasn’t sure until I saw Paul before me.He too had changed.He had red fur and was an animal like me.

Paul spoke to me softly “This was your first time. It does get easier but you have done well.”

“What are we?” I asked simply because I needed it voiced.

“We are werewolves. We are of the clan Macdonald. I recognized you as one of us. Your mother’s insistence on keeping the moonlight out kept you from turning. ”

“This is what mother prevented. Poor mother.”

“Your mother is not a werewolf, she doesn’t understand. Though she may have done you a good turn. Legend says that a werewolf born on the blue moon, is stronger and will be a mate to a great leader and help him lead.”

“You think I’m this werewolf?”

“Yes I do.” Paul answered. “Come now it is time for you to learn the ways of a werewolf.”

     We ran over fields and through the nearby forest we hunted deer and took them down filling our need to feed. The sun would soon be up and Paul took me back to my house. I turned back into my human self and slipped through my bedroom window. Fixing the black paper on my window, I hinged the window and threw on a nightgown, falling asleep in my bed.

I awoke to shaking.

“You stupid girl, Cara. You went out didn't you? I tried so hard to protect you from your father’s curse. Take your things and go and don’t come back. You aren’t welcome here anymore werewolf. Find your father’s family and go there. This is the last place I saw them in.” my mother said holding out a piece of paper.

     I went to Paul instead. He took me to my paternal grandfather. I live with him now and he teaches me about the life of a werewolf. Grandfather said he had been searching for me for years. He told me that at birth I was betrothed to Paul. I didn't know how I felt about that but I knew continued to date Paul. I loved him.

     It is my eighteenth birthday today. Today I choose to marry Paul. He will be my mate. I am a werewolf and Paul who is the packmaster’s son will be my husband. We have been picked to help our people. Paul will lead and together we will protect the other innocent werewolves of our pack. The werewolf children are vulnerable and we will protect them; not but putting black paper over their windows but by letting them be themselves. We will protect them from themselves and those who would harm them.

©Sheilagh Lee September 12, 2012