Full Moon

The moon shone in the sky at a gloriously high peak. Its beauty and brightness illuminated the trees below. The silence of the forest was interrupted occasionally by the activities of the nocturnal creatures that dwelled within. A bat hung upside down in a tree, its bright red eyes glowing as it scanned for any small animal that might run out below, while also casting pointed glares at its rival, an owl perched on a tree not far away. The owl paid it no mind as it looked for prey of its own, letting out a hoot every once in a while. Crickets chirped nearby, and frogs croaked in reply. They were like a musical band of animals.

Suddenly, a piercing scream of agony echoed through the forest, startling the creatures and invading the peace and quiet of the night. The bat and owl put aside their natural rivalry and took off in different directions, their fear reflected in their movements.

Deep within the forest was a cabin, from which more screams rang out. A young woman lay on a bed in one of its rooms, writhing in intense pain. Her beautiful face was squeezed in agony, and her breathing came in short gasps. Three other women were in the room, trying to restrain her. A middle-aged woman held her right hand. Another held her left. The third, a teenager, held each of her legs.

“Her temperature is getting worse.” The woman holding her right hand lifted her free hand and pressed it against the struggling woman’s temple.

The woman on the bed screamed again, this time louder. Her eyes shot wide open, and her struggling became more intense. Sweat broke out on her temple, and she gritted her teeth in pain.

“Hold on, Mariah,” the oldest woman said in a pleading tone. She then turned to the youngest.

“Christiana, go to the shed and get a wet cloth. Make haste,” she ordered.

“Yes, mistress.” The teenager nodded and released her hold on the suffering woman’s legs.

Stepping outside, she noticed the air was getting chillier. She shivered as she walked into the shed nearby. Filling a wooden bucket with water, she dunked a clean cloth into it and sighed.

“I cannot believe Mistress Mariah would do such a thing.” She shook her head solemnly. “And of all people, it had to be…”

Another scream cut her off, and she had to cover her ears. This scream was the loudest one yet. A loud crash followed soon after, and there were more screams. Screams of fear. Her eyes widened in terror as she realized the screams were those of the other two women.

Dropping the bucket, she sped off towards the cabin. As soon as she entered, her heart nearly left her chest at the sight before her.

The three women were all gone. The room, which had once been neatly arranged, was now in disarray. The chairs were tossed around, scattered all over the room. The wardrobe had fallen, and the mirror was cracked. Her eyes widened as she stared at the walls. There were heavy scratch marks all over them. She turned her gaze to the bed. The sheet was torn, tattered, and stained with blood.

“My God,” she gasped and began to walk backwards.

She bumped back first into something and blanched. She shivered and sweat broke out over her olive skin as she felt a hot breath on the back of her neck. A growl followed.

Turning around slowly, she screamed…

“What’s with the shit-eating grin, Shane?”

Shane, who was seated at a desk, typing away, turned around and raised his brows at the question.

“Well, if you must know, Eddie, your boy here has just managed to sell the hottest car in town. And by hottest, I mean the latest model.” He grinned at his friend.

“You’re pulling my leg, you S.O.B.” Eddie Jones dropped the can of beer he’d been sipping from casually on the table.

“Like hell I am.” Shane scowled at him. “I don’t joke about my paper, ya feel? You of all people should know that by now.”

Eddie swiftly stood up and rushed towards the desk. He stood beside his friend and bent down to peer at the laptop.

“No way! No freaking way!” He laughed in an almost maniac fashion. “Twenty million dollars?! Holy fuck!”

His hazel eyes moved from the screen to the smug grin on Shane’s face.

“Shane ‘Freaking’ Carter.” Eddie shook his head in amazement. “Just when I thought you couldn’t surprise me. How did you pull this off?”

“Perks of being an affiliate marketer,” Shane replied casually.

Eddie raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

“Alright, fine,” Shane huffed, rolling his eyes. “I met this lady on Facebook. One fine-ass MILF. We got to chatting and stuff. Turns out her husband is a wealthy car dealer. Like the old dude is fucking loaded. So I managed to charm my way into her life with a flirtatious comment or two…”

“A flirtatious comment or two?” Eddie cut in, giving his friend a skeptical look.

“Hey, shut your mouth! And don’t butt in,” Shane scolded. “Anyway, I managed to get her to convince him to connect with me. One or two more conversations and boom.” Shane emphasized his last word by slamming a clenched fist into his open palm.

Eddie chuckled and shook his head. Shane Carter was a real charmer. And he had the looks to match his talent. His six-foot lithe frame, brown hair, blue eyes, and well-shaped jaw made him irresistible to the opposite gender. A fact he knew well and was proud of.

“And to think all of this came at the perfect time. The day before your birthday,” Eddie remarked.

“Tell me about it.” Shane chuckled.

“Which reminds me.” Eddie snapped his fingers, remembering something.

He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a transparent sachet. Shane’s eyes widened in excitement as he recognized the green contents within. It was marijuana.

“This calls for a mini celebration.” Eddie smirked and pulled a lighter from his front pocket.

“Wait. Wait a minute,” Shane said, his eyes narrowing all of a sudden. “You’ve had this the whole time?”

“Obviously yes.” Eddie raised an eyebrow.

“Dude, you got here three freaking hours ago!” Shane punched him lightly in the arm. “Why are you just taking it out now? You know I work better when I have my weed!”

“Chill out, Man. It slipped my mind, okay?” Eddie rubbed his sore arm. “Besides, you’re being dramatic. If you ask me, the delay was worth it.”

Shane glowered at him.

“Alright, calm down. I was kidding.” Eddie laughed, raising his hands in surrender.

Shane shook his head and moved towards the living room, his friend following close behind. Minutes later, the two were smoking the contents of Eddie's sachet in bliss.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. The two friends looked at each other in confusion.

“You expecting anyone?” Eddie asked.

“Nah. You?”

“Dude, I don’t live here.”

“Right.”

“Come in,” Shane called out.

The door opened and two women entered, a slender redhead and a buxom blonde. The redhead was wearing a blazer over a white blouse with a black skirt, and the blonde was dressed in a tight red blouse and a knee-length grey skirt. Her blue eyes sparkled with glee as she moved towards Shane.

“Hey, Juliana.” Shane smirked as she settled on his lap.

“Hello, babe.” She returned his grin and planted a kiss on his cheek.

Meanwhile, the blonde sat down beside Eddie and plucked the joint he was smoking from his hands.

“Hey!” he protested, though there was amusement dancing in his eyes.

The blonde ignored him and took a drag. She blew the smoke from her red lips and faced the others.

“So.” She smiled. “What’s the occasion?”

“Nothing new, Agnes,” Eddie replied, swiping the joint out of her hand. “Except Carter there made a mint. He just sold a fancy new car.”

“Really?” Juliana bounced in excitement on Shane’s lap. “Congrats, babe. That’s exciting!”

She held his face in her hands and planted a heated kiss on his lips. One he was eager to return. He put his hand around her back, sliding it low to grope her butt.

“Hey!” Agnes grimaced at the scene. “Take it to the bedroom.”

“It’s his house. We can do it wherever we want, Agnes. As my best friend, you’re always welcome to a front-row seat.” Juliana pulled away from Shane to wink at her friend.

“Typical.” Agnes shook her head, her loose blonde locks dancing around her shoulders. “Anyway, Shane, Juliana and I just dropped by to wish you an early happy birthday.”

“Yeah, it’s true.” Juliana nodded and faced her boyfriend. “Happy birthday, babe.”

“Thanks.” He grinned.

He then shook his head in amusement at Eddie and Agnes, who were struggling over the joint, which had reduced in size.

“So, any ideas for the celebration?” Juliana drew his attention back to her. “People? Venue?”

“Yeah. I have something planned alright,” he replied. “I’m—”

The door suddenly opened, cutting him off. Everyone stopped and stared in the direction of the opened door and the person standing on the other side. As soon as Shane set his eyes on them, he let out a long, exasperated sigh.