The Madness and the Moon

From the depths of the cave, the water dripped incessantly, tormenting my sleep-deprived soul. Well, that is if I haven’t already fractured the remnants of my sanity.

How many nights have I wandered aimlessly in the woods? Howling at the moon like a ravenous beast? But it’s the mornings that I fear, when clarity blends with insanity, mixed with blood and half-digested bones.

My broken mind oscillates between the black and white visions of violence and the crystal clear images of a young girl’s smile by the riverbank.

It’s the in between that confuses me. No! It scares me to hell!

I cower in the shadows, fearing the beast lingering inside of my heartless frame. Here in the cave, I can’t see the real me, but I don’t need a mirror to understand my decaying state.

My hands are stained with dried blood. Strands of hair cling to the rags hanging from my body. The hunger for flesh haunts me, as I dream of my next prey.

Within the next few days, the madness of the moon will fall upon me and steal my mind until it wanes for another month. I know I’ll never be free, so I’ve barricaded myself into the shadows and tethered my decrepit body to the walls with heavy chains. I pray they will bind me until the sickness passes.

Minutes crawl and turn to hours as the curse controls my body, and my humanity vanishes.

I’m lost. Perhaps forever. Say goodbye, Victor.

He’s coming back, pulling me into the depths of my subconscious, trying to destroy me. I’m too weak to fight the monster within.

My frail human form drops to the ground as I writhe in pain. Bones crack and elongate. Mangled fur grows rapidly. I feel my teeth shift as the canines push through, and my nose pinches. I can barely breathe.

The rags fall off my bulging frame, leaving me naked on the stone-cold floor. Sound shifted as everything became muffled. My night vision grew sharper, but my feral eyes needed to avoid bright lights.

I watched in horror as my alter ego snapped the chains that bound his filthy body to the walls of the cave. His howl echoed through the cracks and crevices as his heavy footsteps raced toward the opening.

He was on the hunt, while I was trapped inside. I was voiceless. Helpless. How could I warn his next victim? Perhaps I could help him understand.

“Master! Master! Let me help you.”

I held my breath as he stood still and fought to find the words to speak. “Fool. Every moon, you slip away. Soon, you’ll be no more.”

“But I could save you from this curse!” My heart pounded, knowing he could destroy me instantly. What if he chose to never transition back to my weak human state?

“There’s no cure.”

I heard him pause, but he said, “Don’t waste your breath. You’ll be gone by the morning light. I’ll make sure of it.”

He refused to answer me as he raced toward the village. As we walked through the gardens leading to my one true love, his body tensed. Perhaps he understood my fears, or he perceived a danger that I couldn't fathom.

I knew all hope was lost. I tried to force myself into the recesses of his mind. I needed to die forever, before I watched him destroy everything I held dear.

But my consciousness refused to fade into the void, as his eyes focused on his surroundings. The ravages of winter had taken their toll on the garden. The dried leaves crunched under his bare feet. His heart raced as he smelled blood. Her blood.

On all fours, he stalked down the path to the back door. His unsuspecting victim waited for him in her bed as she slept alone. I wondered if she was wearing the white lace dressing gown. The one meant for my eyes on our wedding night.

Her beauty wasn't meant for his eyes. Nor for his touch. I couldn’t stand by and watch as he tore her to shreds like his other victims. How could I warn her to run?

The back door swung open. As the wind rushed through the hallway, he remained still, listening to the night sounds. His foot crossed the threshold, and he crept in the darkness toward the small bedroom.

Her scent surrounded us, leading us into her embrace. I was desperate to fade away, but I watched as his filthy hand twisted the doorknob to her chambers.

“Master, please! Don’t kill her! Not her!”

He ignored my pleas with each step forward. As he stood up, my eyes lingered on her chest as it rose and fell in a sweet, rhythmic breathing. Her golden hair cascaded around her face.

If her green eyes were open, they would reveal the warmth within her soul. Alas, they were closed, as she dreamed alone in her bed.

Before I could stop my vile wolf, he lunged for her throat. His incisors grazed her innocent flesh, but he backed away at the glint of the silver blade.

My Elizabeth jumped up and kneeled as she held the knife in the center of his chest.

Her voice quivered, but she held steady. “Victor! Victor! I know you’re in there! You'd better run! Flee now or I’ll pierce your heart with this silver dagger.”

The hunter was now the hunted. For a brief second, I thought he’d flee.

Without warning, the blade flew through the air and crashed on the other side of the bed. He grabbed her throat and threw her down on the bed.

With his foul breath, he leaned in and whispered, “Tonight, you’ll become one of us!” He dragged his canines across her neckline without drawing blood, but he desperately wanted to drink from her.

Her erratic heartbeat, along with the blood pumping through her veins, drove him mad.

Before he tore her lace nightgown off her slender frame, we felt the searing pain of the knife sliding through our back into our chest. The silver burned our skin and ate away at the flesh.

My world turned dark. My vision faded. Mumbled words were spoken. A shroud of haze filled the room. It felt like hours before clarity returned, but it must have been mere minutes.

When I looked down, my master's body lay prostrate on the floor. A pool of blood surrounded his frame. My sweet Elizabeth was in the arms of the butcher's son, and I was nothing more than a shadow of the man I once was. My soul was stuck between the realms, within these four walls, forevermore.

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It's that time of the year again for a spooky little tale. I hope you have enjoyed The Madness and the Moon. I wrote this as part of an unofficial Vocal challenge, More Howls for Halloween. I want to thank Sam Spinelli for sponsoring this challenge. Please check out his challenge below for more awesome horror reads!

KA Stefana