3 - The Power Of The Moon

~Emmy’s Point of View~

“Emilia Renee Worthington! You get your tail down here! You’ve been sleeping in that stupid treehouse for a week and it’s time you came in the house like a civilized person,” Natalie yelled.

I ignored her. I pulled my blanket over my head, frantically trying to capture his smell. It was too faded now, and it broke my heart. I hadn’t wanted to come back in the house because I’d been crying myself to sleep every night and I didn’t want anyone to hear it.

For the first few nights, I thought I had hallucinated him. But I had his bracelet, and his scent on my blanket. He was real, even if my mind tried to convince me otherwise.

Suddenly a brown head pushed its way up through my treehouse door. 

“Girl, I know you hear me! Come on, mom wants you in! It’s almost lunch time,” she protested. 

“Fine,” I said, throwing the blanket off. 

“Oh my goddess and wash that dang blanket, it smells,” she said, waving her hand. 

I snatched up the blanket and pushed her through the hole, then dropped down myself. I made my way to my bedroom, stripped and got in the shower. After about half an hour I finally made my way downstairs but something through the window caught my eye. 

I moved quickly to the glass and saw a “for sale” sign in the Popov’s front yard. 

“Mom, do you know why the Popov’s are moving all of a sudden,” I yelled. 

She was instantly behind me, looking out the window as well.

“Huh. Maybe your father knows, I haven’t talked to them in months,” she said, shutting the curtain and shoving me toward the kitchen.

“Well if they’re leaving, maybe it would be nice of me to take them some cookies,” I said, trying not to show my actual agenda. 

“We don’t have any cookies,” she said, picking up a magazine. 

“I can make some! I don’t mind,” I said, a little too rushed.

“You’re acting so weird lately, weirdo. They’re humans anyway, what do you care,” Natalie said, plating her grilled cheese. 

I ignored her.

“Daddy will be home tonight, I’m going at about 7 to get him from the airport,” mom said, sitting at the counter. 

"Then daddy would like cookies too," I said, starting to get some things out of the cabinet.

“Mom it’s a full moon! You know I’m real hopeful. I feel something in the air, I feel like it might happen,” Natalie said, chomping down her sandwich.

“Well you are sixteen now, it could really happen anytime but the full moon certainly tends to bring it out more easily for most,” mom said, looking up from her magazine.

“You act like it’s just any other day! Mom it’s only the most important night of my life and you might not even be here for it,” Natalie said, whining.

My eyes darted between the two as I poured myself some orange juice. Natalie was exhausting sometimes.

“Sweetie, we don’t even know if anything is going to happen yet! It could be another year for all we know,” mom said, sounding bored. 

I got myself a bowl of cereal and stalked to the kitchen table to gain a bit of distance. Out of the side window I saw a moving truck pulling into the next driveway. My heart began to race. I couldn’t let them leave without interrogating them. I needed answers and they were literally the only ones who could give them to me. I stroked the rubber bracelet and it calmed me. 

I waited patiently for mom and Natalie to move on and quickly began whipping up some chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies. I used to take cookies to the older couple all the time, and sometimes Mrs. Popov would bring me Russian cookies. 

I knew the chances of seeing Austin were next to none, I had to believe if he was still here he would have come to me. I still spent half an hour obsessing over what to wear before settling on a long dark blue skirt and pale yellow blouse. I grabbed the plate of treats and made my way next door.

I raised my hand to knock but the door flew open, with a large man carrying a bookcase. 

“Excuse me girl,” he said, with a gruff voice. 

He reeked of cigarettes and sweat …  and my nose was offended. Once he passed I invited myself in.

“Mrs. Popov, are you home,” I asked into the nearly empty house.

“Ohh! Emmy dear,” she said, popping out from the hallway.

“I saw you were moving and I wanted to say good-bye,” I said, holding up the plate.

“Oh what a sweet girl!! This will be extra appreciated because we have a long drive ahead,” she said, eyeing the cookies.

“Where are you off to,” I asked. 

“Oh we’re finally going to embrace retirement, head down south for a bit of warmth, no more of these snowy Virginia winters,” she said, eating a cookie. 

“That’s nice! Do you have family there,” I asked, trying my best to be patient.

“Nope! We don’t know a soul actually, going to have a fresh start,” she said.

Some movers were mulling around and she began giving them some directions. I quickly realized I was in the way but my heart wouldn’t let me leave.

“So it’s just the two of you, driving so far away,” I questioned. 

“Actually one of the movers is going to drive our car. Our eyesight isn’t what it used to be,” she laughed.

“Oh hey there Emmy,” Mr. Popov said, grabbing a cookie.

“Congratulations on your retirement,” I said, a bit too chipper.

“Why thank you. I’m ready for some sun,” he said, smiling.

“You know I … I hate to bother you but I urgently need the restroom, do you mind,” I said.

Mr. Popov had wandered outside, and his wife was cleaning out the fridge.

“Go ahead dear, you remember where it is, don't you,” she said, her head hidden by the freezer door.

“Yes, thank you,” I said, bolting down the hallway. 

I ran immediately to their spare room, it had been a sewing room but it had a guest bed that I doubted was ever used since I’d never seen them with company. I stood in the doorway, growling at the totally empty room. I darted my neck toward their bedroom, also empty. 

I went into the bathroom and frantically went through every drawer … nothing. Damn, I should have gotten here sooner. I took a deep breath and decided to just go for it. What did I have to lose?

I made my way back to the kitchen to see that the movers had cleared out just about everything else. 

“Dear I have a lot of things we simply can’t take, I made a bag for your mother. She can just throw out what she doesn’t want I suppose,” Mrs. Popov said, handing me a brown grocery bag.

“Are you taking the boy with you,” I asked.

“The what,” she said, cocking her head to the side.

“Last week, I saw a boy in your window, is he still here,” I asked.

She immediately began laughing hysterically.

“Darling I’m not sure if you’re well. There’s no children here! Now you run along, we have to get things cleared out for the realtor to begin showing the house. Thank you for the cookies! I’ll be sure to send a Christmas card,” she said, practically shoving me out the door.

What the heck was going on?

…

“Girls! I’m late to get daddy,” mom yelled. 

I ran down the stairs and gave her a hug. Natalie roamed in from the kitchen.

“Now listen young lady, if you are going out, you take your sister with you. Don’t you dare let me find out you left her home alone on a full moon! Home no later than 10,” mom said, wagging her finger.

“Mom, you can’t be serious! If by some miracle I do shift, I’ll want to run around and enjoy myself,” Natalie scoffed.

“I highly doubt it’s tonight dear but 10pm! Daddy and I might stop to eat so it could be 11 before we get home and your butts better be in the house! Do not let your sister out of your sight,” she said, walking out the door. 

“No we can’t go out, I … don’t feel good,” I said, desperately.

I pretty well knew by now that Austin wasn’t going to come back, and it broke my heart. But I was convinced I had to stay home in case. Natalie shot daggers at me.

“We … are … GOING out! You can’t live in that stupid treehouse! You’re so lame. I swear if you do anything to embarrass me,” Natalie said, tapping her foot. 

I rolled my eyes just as her phone rang and she got busy making plans for who was picking us up. I ran upstairs and found something to wear. 

About three hours later we were at some male’s house whose parents weren’t home. I was sitting in a lawn chair by myself in front of a fire while everyone else was deeply involved in conversation. I didn’t even have a cell phone, this was the pits. If I had to sit here much longer, I was just going to fall asleep from boredom.

After a little while the full moon was tall in the sky and I began to feel a strange aura in the air, and it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand right up. Suddenly the sound of a female screaming tore me from my thoughts and I was on my feet, running toward it.

I recognized Natalie's jacket on the ground, next to a half shifted mass of fur, bare skin and contorted bones. My eyes couldn’t believe what they were seeing. Two wolves appeared from the woods and began to sniff the body, and lick it. 

“You can do it girl, you got this,” a female cheered. 

More whoops and words of encouragement flowed from the crowd. I fell to my knees in front of my sister, never more curious … or terrified. Her head shot up to look at me, but it was a long snout with golden eyes and some bits of brown fur. I had seen both my parents shift before, numerous times and it looked nothing like this … the only word I could think of was … gross.

Hands immediately grabbed me and held me back, pulling me away from her as she growled, baring long and pointy teeth. Her body shrank and more fur encompassed her, until her pale white skin was no more. Howls erupted from the wolves and pups alike. I stayed on my knees, frozen at the scene in front of me, hearing Natalie still groaning and moaning in pain. 

When she was finally quiet, she shook herself out, then let out an ear piercing howl before running off into the woods. The other two shifted wolves followed her and I crawled at full speed for Natalie’s jacket, trying to find her cell phone. I finally got my hands on it and quickly dialed my mom. I tried four times to call her, but she never answered. I finally began calling my father, but he didn’t answer either.

I left messages on both their cell phones and on the home machine. I didn’t think we would be getting home any time soon. Mom would be so upset she missed Natalie’s first shift! I know I would be beside myself not to have mom with me for mine. 

I tried to relax and even talked to a few of the people around as I waited for Natalie to return. Every so often there were howls from the woods and it made me smile. I was so happy for her! Throughout the night I continued to call my parents but they weren’t answering. I was so frustrated I couldn’t stand it. Not only did they miss the most important night in their oldest daughter’s life, they couldn’t even answer the stupid phone for a minute?

For some reason, in all the chatter and excitement of the evening I thought of Austin. I stared at the moon and wondered if he was looking at the same sky. It was completely clear, not a cloud to be seen. I hadn’t felt normal since the night I met him, I felt like a part of me was missing. But now, being amongst all these other shifters, I had a calming sense of pride and belonging.