This story is a work of fiction. The names, the places, the events and the incidents are just the part of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is purely coincidental.
Diana Hartwell.
Moon shining through a lattice of leaves, patchy sky and stars seen in glimpses through tree breaks.
The strong and cold wind was hitting my delicate skin. The sound of birds and crows, leaves falling and the dancing trees make noise throughout the forest. I put my hands in the pocket of the hoodie I was wearing, I leaned on the hammock and slightly raised my two legs. From here in my seat I could see the full moon, the twinkling stars and the very bright sky.
I bit my lower lip, I looked at my book and the small flashlight that I put on my desk. I can no longer continue the story I am reading because the stars in the sky attracts me. If I had to choose... I would not go to school and would stay here in the jungle for the rest of my life.
They say. Just stay in the place you want, just stay in the things you want, just stay in the place where you are comfortable and where you feel fun.
Forest, in the forest I feel serenity and comfort. I don't know, in the forest I had trauma, but in this place, I feel easiness.
I turned to the small house built by my adoptive parents, it was only made of woods. But the workmanship was solid. I could see the bright house here, I left the lights on inside, I could see the open window where my small and clean room was exposed. I can also see my uniform hanging there. I'm still hesitant ... will I still go to school? But if not, the hard work of my lovely parents will be wasted.
I sighed, leaning my back to rest. I want to sleep here outside, because I feel like I’m more free with what I want. I put both my hands on my thigh, I felt my big scar on my left thigh. To this day, I still cannot forget what happened to me when I was only seven years old. Ten years ago but what happened to me is still fresh in my mind.
I took out my cellphone hidden in the pocket of my hoodie. I was planning to send a message to grandma, but I frowned. There is no signal, I barely got up from my seat. I put on my slippers and raised my hand to look for a signal.
At the same time as I stood up, the wind got stronger, my skirt almost blew away, I just let it go because there was no one else here. As time goes on the wind gets stronger giving a shiver to my chest and spine. I can already feel my hair on my skin is growing.
I was completely swallowed up by nervous and fear of hearing a howls from not far away. My eyes widened, almost three bulky voices howling from my opposite quite far from my position. I wouldn't have ignored that, I thought a hunter's dog had just strayed. But my foot trembled, a series of crackles rang out in the forest. Footsteps of large feet, successively falling leaves from tall trees, the wind grew stronger. Not on my own, I looked up, my forehead furrowed to see how the moon grew brighter and bigger.
I swallowed, shaking hands as I picked up the small flashlight. Confused, I opened it and placed it in front of me, my eyes narrowed, trying to see what was in place there. Suddenly the surroundings became quiet, the wind disappeared, the crackles stopped, the birds stopped chirping, and the sound of footsteps also stopped. Spontaneously my foot retreated from a louder howl echoed throughout the forest. My eyes widened, a large brown dog-- is that even just a dog? It was running towards my position, its trenchant eyes were shining. He was so big that he was almost bigger than me.
I stiffened and almost lost myself, it just kept running towards me, his mouth slightly open so that he was ready to eat me or bite me by the time he got closer to me. To my great surprise, I could do nothing but closed my eyes tightly and just wait for it to grab me.
But a few seconds later I felt no pain, I opened my eyes. The monster was only about an inch closer to me, but a similar creature grabbed him from his left. Now it was black in color, the black monster on his left bit him, because of the powerful of the force they both flew to the side. The brown monster hit the tree, while the black kept biting him. I almost lost my breath at what happened.
My knees weakened, I was suddenly sitting on the ground, I felt pain in my right cheek because I was hit by the brown's long and sharp nails. My head was shaking as I turned to their place, every growl of the brown dog was loud due to the black's bites and smiting. As I saw his skin being torn apart, its flesh came out, and blood gushed out.
Even as I sat, I continued to retreat, I could already feel my sweat dripping down my forehead up to my neck down to my chest. Blood was already dripping down my cheek, I just kept on retreating. They are both big, black is bigger than brown, and the black monster's eyes are brighter than the other. Familiar ... this incident is familiar, that's exactly what the monsters I saw ten years ago looked like.
My chest rises and falls in nervousness but not in fear. I accelerated my tracing when I saw that one of them had stopped, the brown one was no longer moving ... only one thing to say then, he was no longer alive. As the black color rises and falls his body, he seems to be out of breath and tired. Slowly his head moved, he slowly turned to me. I shook my head one after another, signaling it that 'please don't hurt me'.
He still doesn’t stop, he keeps looking at my seat, he’s so big compared to me. His gold eyes scintillated in the middle of the dark forest. I could see the grinding of his mouth and his sharp and long fangs, his mouth was bloody, there was also a blood stain on his head. Because he kept approaching me, I suddenly lay down which made it even harder for me to back away. His movements were only slow until he finally approached me, I still continued to shake.
'Please don't hurt me.'
'Please have mercy on me.'
'Please, stop.'
I shouted those words in my mind, i accidentally begin to sob. My tears also dripped from my right eye.
A force came from him, his sharp nail suddenly hanging in front of my hoodie's collars. Because of his excessive strength I suddenly stood up, my foot rose from the ground, I almost lost my balance to feel my lift from the ground, I closed my eyes tightly when he aggressively lifted me up, hit my back hard in the tree, I winced in pain.
Our faces are almost the same level, his beautiful and splending eyes are staring hard at me. I could see my reflection from his eyes, I could hear his deep breathing. I just kept crying while shaking my head, his mouth slowly opened as he approached my face. I saw no mercy in his eyes.
Why did I say ‘he’? Because I can feel it...
I kept closing my eyes tightly, closing my eyes until my last tear dripped out from my eye. My lips parted as his teeth pierced the middle of my neck and shoulder. It pierced, sank and went deeper. I was holding tight to his skin I didn't care even though I was already holding the blood from him. It doesn't hurt, I don't feel any pain. But I don't know why I'm so attached to him.
When he suddenly removed his teeth, there I was completely weak, he suddenly let go of me so I fell, I was sitting on the floor, I was almost close and leaning against a tree. Even as my eyes dimmed I saw him descend, he leveled his face at me. His mouth came closer again, but now closer to my ear.
My eyelids were heavy but before I utterly fainted I heard a man's voice from him. Baritone, husky, and lifeless.
"Mi Luna," he whispered.
Mi Luna is a Spanish word of 'My Luna'.
