Disclaimer : I don't own them.
Requiem for a Full Moon
Bonnie had always seen her grandmother stare at the full moon with reverie. There were grandparents who told their favorite little ones to hush during thunderstorms because God was speaking. Not Sheila Bennett, she expected Bonnie to remain still and silent during the night of the full moon. If she would open her mouth to speak, Grams would seize her hand and whisper, "Hush child – magic's happening."
So tonight with her head turned towards the sky and her heart full of sadness, Bonnie gazed at the moon and waited for its power to overtake her - to rid her soul of the pain and loss that plagued her. She stretched her arms to the moonlight sky, closed her eyes, and quietly began to chant over and over in perfect rhythm. The spell came to her in a dream. She'd written the words in haze in her grandmother's grimoire; scribbling the word Requiem as the title on the page.
In the light of day she'd realized it was a foreign language she'd never heard uttered on the halls of her school. Still the melody of the incantation rolled off her tongue like a lullaby and she felt the energy in the air begin to stir. Whirling about her, it encased Bonnie in warmth that was vaguely reminiscent of her grandmother's arms.
With tears spilling from her eyes, Bonnie's resolve collapsed and the spell she'd conjured evaporated into the night air. She fell to the ground and began to sob. They were painful wails that started deep in the pit of her stomach, wrapped around her vocal chords, and pushed their way from her open mouth with a brutal force greater than anything she'd ever felt. She placed her face against the grass, ignoring the discomfort of the prickly blades. Her breathing stilled and she drifted in and out of consciousness.
The poke of something blunt and cold awakened her and when she opened her eyes, Bonnie found that she was face to face with a massive but seemingly friendly wolf. She fought off the fear building within her and studied the beauty of the golden gaze focused on her face. The animal turned his head to the side, whimpered, and moved in closer, brushing her cheek with his snout. Instinctively she reached for it. She held her hand out waiting for him to become familiar with her scent. A giggle bubbled to the surface when he licked her palm.
Bonnie pulled her fingers through the fur under his neck, snaking around to his back, and smoothing out the downy mass. He flopped down on his stomach and placed his head in her lap. Her eyes settled on the night sky and the soft murmurs of the beast's breathing soothed the pain of her broken heart.
Monthly, Bonnie found herself alone in the woods. On some occasions she would chant and others she'd simply wait. Those golden eyes would study her from the trees, waiting for an invitation. She would offer a hand or settle on her knees and pat her lap.
The full moon was magic.
There were no attacks or dead bodies the following day, just the witch and her pet. She didn't believe in werewolves, it was lore used to sell movies and books to over zealous teen age girls who wouldn't know a supernatural being if it smacked them in the face. Then again, at one time she didn't believe in vampires or witches.
She sighed and her furry companion whimpered, sitting up to stare in her eyes, and for a second she felt like she knew him. More than from their monthly excursions, but that he was someone close to her, ever present, and always watching.
"What's your name she whispered?"
And he howled his answer. Her ears were playing tricks on her. She understood his response but she shook it off, gave him a few more full, purposeful strokes on his back before she stood to return home.
Two nights later, Bonnie found her grandmother's sweater in the back of her closet. It was heavy with the scent of spice and vanilla. For all the strides she'd made in recent weeks, the pain ripped through her soul again. She took off in a full run.
Down the stairs…
Out the door…
Into the night air…
Her feet pounded against the pavement until the crunch of leaves could be heard under her sneakers. She stopped, panting, struggling to catch her breath before returning to her sprint. And when Bonnie reached the clearing there was no moon – just the black night sky.
Most importantly she was alone.
Her mouth tried to recall the words from her dream, but they were a faded memory. Roughly she rubbed the tears from her eyes and bit down on her trembling lip. It had been months since she felt the initial force settling around her. The wolf had taken its place, but tonight the latent power she craved rushed in, ushering an uncertain change into the atmosphere.
Bonnie felt the unmistakable heat of human arms circling her waist. A nose buried itself in her hair and voice that she'd known for several years cooed soothing words against the base of her neck.
"I'm here." Tyler whispered. "I'll always come when you call."