Page 1 of In the Light of the Moon

PART ONE

RISE

CHAPTER ONE

Sylvie

“That’ll be thirty dollars and sixty cents,” I pasted a pleasant smile on my face, aimed at the two teens that had just ordered, and spun the register’s tablet around for them to see their total. They paid me no mind as the taller one tapped a credit card and signed. I noticed that they declined to leave a tip but kept my smile steady. “We’ll have that right out.” They slunk into one of the dingy booths near the back corner, and I drummed my freshly painted fingernails on the counter.

The Tuesday evening passed by in a dull rhythm that I had grown used to. We were a little busier since it was summer, but weeknights were always a bit slower. And most chose to order online rather than come in at all.

I packed orders after Louis and Evan in the kitchen pulled pizzas out of the ovens, wings out of the fryers. Evan’s portable speaker blasted Sweet Leaf by Black Sabbath, and I found myself humming along to it while I wiped down tables, though people mostly sat inside just to wait for their orders.

The hours went by, and I tried to recount my lesson with Granna that morning, testing if I had memorized the newest recipe. I imagined the spicy aroma within the mortar as she instructed me how best to carefully break seed husks so as to not fully pulverize. My fingers still carried a hint of the peppery scent, and I passed the time thinking through her critiques and what I would try to make next. Soon, I was ticking away at my closing duties, the last orders of the night were rolling through, and I heard the guys start to shut things down.

My black combat boots weren’t exactly non-slip, but I’d thought it silly to buy new shoes for a job I hadn’t intended to stay at for very long. Classes were about to start, and the smell of pepperoni and fryer oil clinging to my hair was beyond unpleasant. I’d asked Josie to let me know if she heard of any openings around, and I planned on taking another walk through town this weekend to inquire at pretty much any place besides here.

But, for the time being, Vinny’s was a simple enough place to work. I could spend most of my time reviewing my notes from Granna’s lessons or working on short stories, so it wasn’t all bad.

After I mopped behind the register, I stepped carefully and wheeled the bucket where the guys could grab it once they finished cleaning everything else back there. I was in charge of the front of house, so I collected the two half-full bags of garbage from the cans I was responsible for and whistled along to an old country song blaring from the kitchen.

I made my way out the back door and sucked in the humid, but surprisingly cool, night air. Autumn was quietly approaching, and I sucked in a long breath, tasting the impending change of season. I tugged forward the silk bandana I tied around my hair, as it always tended to slip, and heaved the garbage bags up and over into the smelly dumpster. My hands wiped absently at my denim shorts and righted my red workshirt that hadVinny’s Pizzastamped across the chest. At least that was all for the required uniform.

Asphalt crunched under my boots as I practically skipped toward the door, excited to be going home in a few minutes, when a choked sound made me pause.

I stilled, cocking my head to try and identify the direction it came from. The old pizza shop was on the edge of the historic downtown, and to my left, there was a grassy area that extended into the dark forest. Though I hadn’t lived in town long, I knew that the woods extended for quite aways, part of it even near Granna’s house. The moon was bright and almost full overhead, but the trees and brush swallowed most of the light it provided.

There it was again. That noise. I whipped around when I realized that it almost sounded… pained. Like an injured animal? My eyes glanced again to the forest, and when I heard a stuttering exhale coming from somewhere near the dumpster, I walked tentatively away from the door.

Though I didn’t know what I would find on the other side, the thought to be afraid never crossed my mind. I’d never been a very fearful person, anxiety about other life circumstances was more my speed, and I only felt a sense of calm concern with the mouth of the woods looming beside me. My chest felt warm, and the branches rustled when a lazy breeze made its way from the forest’s depths toward me. It smelled of purest earth, and my gait was almost relaxed as I made my way to the other side of the dumpster.

There was only one light overhead back here, and it appeared almost flickering with all of the moths and flying critters that clustered and fanned around it. Though I was usually worried about insects landing and getting tangled in my hair, I paid them no mind. The sight before me left my body frozen.

It was a man.

Some guy was crumpled and leaning against the dumpster and the brick facade of Vinny’s. His chest was rising and falling very quickly, but it was like he was trying to remain as silent as possible.

But then, like the pain was too much, he would make that choked, shuddering sound while his shoulders shook.

I crouched and heard my knee give a hearty crack at the movement. The old leather of my boots shifted, and I pressed my forearms into my thighs, “Hey… are you okay?” The guy stilled at my voice but didn’t lift his head.

From where I was, a few good paces between us, I saw that he was probably taller than me, though he was hunched over with arms wrapped around himself. The pale color of his hair made me almost think he was older. But another bout of pain made him twitch, and I saw that his skin was unwrinkled.

I inched forward, still crouched, “Hey? Can I get you some water or something? Do I need to call someone?” He definitely flinched at that, and I sucked in a breath when his head lifted enough for me to see wide, bright green eyes. Like, eerily green.

They were… pretty. Like the almost glowing color of those antique glasses that you’d find at vintage stores. Too dangerous to drink from, but beautiful all the same.

They pulled me in, and then I was within arm’s reach of him. His eyes darted to the woods behind me, but he remained silent. I sank down to my haunches and sucked in more air. Now that I was closer I could smell… blood? I took another big inhale, and the sound of it made him eye me warily. Yeah, that was blood.

I looked over his body again, noting now that he was clutching at his side while his other arm was almost limp against his middle.

“You’re hurt. I can call an ambulance or something?” My hand was extended out towards him, wanting to touch and see how bad his wounds were but also wanting for him to remaincalm. He kept looking toward the forest, as if something was standing there, and I looked across my shoulder to follow his panicked gaze.

There was nothing but the rustling of trees and the buzzing of the light overhead. I could hear the blaring music the guys played through the door that was propped open, but there was nothing else.

I twisted back around to look at the man, and I marveled at the paleness of him. His skin and hair were about the same, off-white pallor. His lip look busted, bright red blood contrasting heavily against the plump skin. The blood trailing down from his nose made it even worse. What happened to him?

“Did someone hurt you?” I tried to keep my voice low, soothing, but he flinched again, staring right at me, and bared his teeth.

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