Deafening cracks of lightening and thunder boomed across the grey sky while roaring winds rustle the forest trees around the cliffs edge. “Mum,” I screamed, scared, and confused as to why I have woken up on a cold, damp slab of rock in my favourite white dress: mum would never let me ruin my dress, she would always tell me ‘respectable girls have clean clothes’. Familiar and strange faces gather around the rock I sit upon, ‘mum, dad, my brother Daniel and even the nice man who gave me cookies growing up is here’, but no one even flinched at my startled scream. As night approaches, the full moon rises creating restlessness among the crowd of men, women, and children from our pack, itching to give over some control to their wolf. The alpha of our pack, the night fall crescent pack, is my dad Lucas. Lucas stepped forward as if to address the crowed before him, I wanted to shout at them and ask what is happening, to go back home and out of the unruly weather but I was paralysed from fear and confusion. Deep down I know something is wrong by the red robes they adorned with a solid black moon symbol etched into the material, their eyes were a pail almost translucent red highlighting the emotionless face everyone seemed to have. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a flicker of light alerting me too the four fires ablaze around my rock in a square shape formation. Alpha Lucas’s voice cuts through the crowd, but its not his normal charismatic voice, its darker, deeper with an underlying wicked tone. “Tonight, we gather for a special event, which will not be a commemoration but the reawakening of Calytia our one true Moon Goddess!” At the mention of the dark moon goddess the horde that gathered around let their inner wolf howl in union. “Now we may begin the ceremony and may Calytia rise again in the body of my daughter Lillian”.
“No! Dad, Mum Please, Stop! You can’t do this; Celina is our moon goddess dammit! Do you remember what you taught me! Calytia is evil. This is not you!” I try pleading with my parents… but there is no response to my cries as if they are possessed. Hands then encircled around my forearms holding me in place, I can feel sharp claws digging into my skin from my captor’s wolf, enough to draw small trickles of blood. I can hear phrases, a riddle like sentence being chanted but I cannot make out the words over the rhythmic thunder which now matched the pounding in my heart. My mother stood at a wooden makeshift table that held a single bowl with the same moon symbol as their robes. Withdrawing a blade from her person she tipped the contents of the bowl over the blade. The substance was thick, black, like a goo, like the one described in the Wolf lore about Calytia’s essences of her soul. My mum turned her head and looked straight into my eyes, but there was no love, just a dark coldness, identical to her iris’s. Tears leaked from my eyes and mixed with my sweat while I struggled against my captor, I knew it was a useless fight as my wolf strength was not developed at the age of twelve. My mum started towards me and rounded the rock to face my back where I felt my dress rip to expose my shoulder. My throat burned from my screams and pleading so it was almost a relief when mum spoke to the crowd using her commanding Luna voice that instantly silenced everyone, silencing the chanting. “The rebirthing mark shall now be carved and be worn by the vessel; we sacrifice our lives and souls so Calytia’s spirit has the strength to emerge”. The square of fires roared higher than possible in the dooming weather, the crowd howled at the moon, rain started pouring creating muddy puddles everywhere. I let out an excruciating, ear piecing wail in response to my burning flesh as the Luna carved a cursed mark into my shoulder. A surge of electric like power pulsed inside me spreading through my veins; I could feel it move through my heart, my brain and intertwine with my soul. The last thing saw was a horrified expression on those who circled around and the unusual sensation of my mouth speaking the words, “I’m Home” but a different sounding voice sung out.
