His Cursed Luna

Astrid's POV It was the same haunting howl that echoed in my ears, repeating endlessly. It carried with it a sense of longing and anguish, as though it was calling me. I woke up drenched in sweat, my heart pounding in my chest and my hands growing cold. Soon, I heard footsteps drawing near, and the door swung open, revealing my mother. "Are you alright?" she asked, concern etched on her face as she saw my distress. I stared back at her, fear gripping my throat, rendering me speechless. My heart continued its erratic rhythm, seemingly out of control. "I heard him again, Mom," I finally confessed, my eyes fixed on her. "His howling voice," I added, my voice trembling. Tears welled up in my eyes, streaming down my face in silent despair. My mother looked at me, worry filling her gaze, and without hesitation, she enveloped me in a tight embrace, her hand soothingly caressing my back. "Who is he, Mom?" I managed to whisper through my confusion and unending questions. "Why does it hurt every time I hear his voice? Why does it feel like he's calling out to me?" I asked her, my mind consumed by uncertainty. I sensed that something was being concealed from me, a hidden truth lurking beneath the surface. After a moment, my mother released me from the embrace, her eyes fixed upon my face, gently wiping away the tears that stained my cheeks. "Who is he, Mom?" I asked, my gaze unwavering, searching for answers in her eyes. A sad smile graced my mother's lips, a smile that held a hint of sorrow. "I don't know," she confessed softly, but I could discern that she was withholding something. I could see through her facade, sensing the presence of unspoken secrets. It felt as if I were living a lie. "Please, Mom," I pleaded, a desperate plea for the truth. I yearned to know the man who haunted my dreams, the one I saw standing on a cliff, howling at the moon, as if his cries were meant for me. Every time I heard his mournful wail, my chest ached, mirroring his pain and longing. My mother gazed at me intently, brushing away a few strands of hair that covers my face. "It was just a dream, Astrid," she assured me, her voice tender, before rising from her seat. "You need to rest. Tomorrow is your college admission test, remember?" she reminded me gently. With a gentle kiss on my forehead, my mom left the room. "Why does it feel like you're keeping something from me?" I murmured, my eyes fixated on the spot where she had disappeared. Taking a deep breath, I turned my head toward the half-open window, its curtain swaying in the chilly breeze. Through the window, I could glimpse the radiant moon, and once again, his howl filled my mind. Though I had never seen his face, his silhouette was etched in my mind, and his voice had become a permanent imprint on my soul. "Who are you?" I whispered, my gaze fixed upon the glowing full moon. A gust of cold wind wrapped around me, as though it were embracing my fragile form. My body shivered involuntarily, succumbing to the chill. "It was only a dream," I tried to convince myself, as I resolved to push the questions from my mind. "You have a test tomorrow, Astrid," I reminded myself, closing the window fully, shutting out the moonlight. Returning to bed, I lay there, staring at the ceiling for a while, allowing my thoughts to drift before finally succumbing to sleep. *** "Astrid! Astrid!" My mother's urgent voice penetrated my dreams, pulling me reluctantly back to reality. I groaned and mustered the strength to rise, stumbling toward the door in a drowsy haze. I opened it to find my mother standing there, her face beaming with excitement. "Good morning!" she exclaimed cheerfully. "Mornin', Mom," I mumbled, still half-asleep. "You're running late. Better get ready," she advised, her tone brimming with a sense of urgency. I yawned, my mind struggling to catch up. "What time is it?" I asked, my voice laden with sleep. "It's six in the morning, Astrid," she replied, and a jolt of panic shot through me. I only had thirty minutes to prepare. I rushed through my morning routine, taking a lightning-fast shower. Once done, I hastily threw on a pair of pants, a sweatshirt, and my trusty sneakers before emerging from my room. Bounding out, backpack in hand, I caught my mother's gaze. "You ready?" she asked, her eyes filled with pride. "Yeah," I replied, the weariness still evident in my voice. My mother's smile widened as she reached out, placing her hands on my shoulders, stopping me from leaving the house. "You're going to do great, Astrid," she assured me, but there was an undertone of something I couldn't quite grasp. "You're acting strange, Mom," I said, masking my growing unease with a laugh. She chuckled softly, her eyes fixed on my face. Then, she pulled me into a tight embrace. "No matter what happens, be brave," she whispered, releasing me and studying my face once more. "Are we still talking about the test?" I asked. She laughed, nodding her head, her hand gently caressing my cheek. "Of course," she replied, drawing me into another hug before finally letting go. My mother handed me the car keys and a sandwich she had prepared. "Good luck on your test!" she called out as I made my way to the car. I waved at her before stepping inside, stealing one last glance at her as she disappeared from view. As I drove away, I couldn't help but feel a sense of disquiet, my mother's words lingering in my mind. "What are you hiding from me?" I whispered, my gaze fixed on the road ahead. Taking a deep breath, I pushed aside my concerns and focused on reaching my school on time. As I arrived, I noticed other kids in the parking lot, some are making out while some are having fun playing pranks. It was the usual scene I always witnessed. Ignoring them had become second nature to me, but it seemed different for them. "Nice sweatshirt, Astrid," Bianca uttered, eyeing me from head to toe. I simply smiled at her, disregarding her remark because I knew it wasn't a compliment but an insult. "Thank you, Bianca," I said, and upon hearing my response, they burst into laughter as if I had said something amusing. "Thank you, Bianca," she mocked. I controlled myself, as I always did when they picked on me. I was about to walk away when Bianca grabbed my arm, forcing me to face her. "Let me go," I calmly requested, but she only laughed at me. "And if I don't?" she taunted, tightening her grip on my arm. "Bianca, please," I begged, feeling her long nails digging into my skin. Bianca laughed at me instead of listening to my plea. "Why bother studying when you can simply stay in the mountains and practice some sort of witchcraft?" she sneered, joining in the laughter with her friends. They always accused me of being a witch, perhaps because of the way I dressed differently or the way I spoke, moved—I didn't know. All I knew was that they treated me differently, making me question if I belong here. "Bianca, please, I have to take the test," I pleaded, hoping that this time she would hear me, but she only laughed at me again. "Tests are boring. Why don't we do something fun instead?" she suggested, not waiting for my answer. She entwined her arm with mine and pulled me towards a secluded alley where students rarely ventured. They threw me into a corner, and my elbow hit a large rock. "Ouch," I groaned in pain, trying to stand up, but Bianca pushed me back down. She leaned down and held my chin, forcing me to meet her gaze. "I heard your mom cast curses. Try casting one on me, witch," she challenged. I had no idea what she was talking about. All I knew was that the entire town treated me and my mom differently because we lived in the mountains, away from people. They created stories about us, painting us as completely different and treating us like outcasts. "I said curse me, you b***h," she shouted, then slapped me hard, causing my face to turn to the side. I tasted blood in my mouth. I turned my head to face her again and looked at her blankly. "Y-Your eyes," she stuttered. Bianca took a step back, fear now evident in her eyes. "Bianca, let's go," her friends grab her arms pulling her away from me. Bianca ran away along with her minions with their eyes filled with fear which made me confused. I picked up my bag, wiping the dust off my hands. I wiped the blood from my lips and headed towards my room as if nothing had happened. I sat at my desk, completely ignoring everyone around me. I could hear whispers, knowing they were talking about me. It made me wonder if something was intriguing about me that caused them to talk about me all the time. I ignored their murmurs and pretended not to hear anything. After a while, our teacher arrived, handing out the tests we were supposed to take for college admission. "What happened to your face, Astrid?" she asked when she reached my desk. "I fell, Ma'am," I lied blatantly, but she didn't press further. I was halfway through the test when a knock interrupted me. "Is Astrid Carter in this room?" a police officer asked, causing another murmur among the students. I took a deep breath and raised my hand. "I'm Astrid Carter, sir," I replied politely. The police officer fixed his gaze on me. "You have to come with us, Ms Carter," he said. Before I could stand up, Bianca asked me a question. "Did you kill someone, witch?" she taunted, but I ignored her and walked out of the room. "What is it?" I immediately asked. "You have to come with us," the police officer said, leaving me confused. "I didn't do anything wrong," I defended myself against their potential accusations. "It's not you, Ms. Astrid. It's about your mother," he said, and as soon as he mentioned my mom, my heart started pounding loudly in my chest. "What happened to my mom?" I asked, fear evident in my voice. "She was killed, Astrid," he replied, and upon hearing those words, it felt as if the world had stopped spinning. Everything fell silent. Tears cascaded down my face, and it felt like I had lost my voice. "Let's go," the policeman said, gripping my arm and dragging me toward their car. I lost all strength and allowed them to pull me along. During the entire car ride, I stared blankly at the road, trying to process everything I had just heard. When we arrived at our house, I saw police officers surrounding the premises. I stepped out of the police car and mustered all my strength to walk toward our house. As I entered, I saw my mom lying on the floor, covered in her blood. "One of our police officers was patrolling the area when he heard your mom screaming. Upon investigating, he found your mother lying on the floor, dead," the police officer explained. I stared at my mother's lifeless body, tears streaming down my face. "While examining her wounds, we noticed something strange. They appeared to be claw marks," the officer continued, and when I heard those words, confusion washed over me. "My mother was killed by a wild animal?" I asked, utterly bewildered. The police officer looked at me and let out a deep breath. "We can't confirm that yet. We also found a man's footprints in the area," he replied, and none of it made any sense. "I don't understand, officer," I said, my eyes filled with confusion. Once again, I turned my gaze to my mother. Just as the police had described, there was a deep gash on her chest, resembling claw marks, but they were deeply embedded, leaving me wondering if it truly was the work of a wild animal or something else entirely. "Do you believe in werewolves, Astrid?" the police officer asked. And when he mentioned the word "werewolf," I remembered him—the man from my dreams. Could he be responsible for this?