Reincarnate
The full moon hung high in the sky, the clouds were black and the wind shrieked through the trees across the bayou. Moonscar island was shrouded in mist and the wind tore through the trees making the old abandoned plantation house creek and moan. The windows were boarded up as was the door. The house was black inside and white dust cloths covered all of the furniture. The dank hallway of earth that led into the lower cave below the house had been boarded up and sealed shut. An eerie wind whistled through the woods cracks and through the house, stirring the dust cloths and curtains. Mice skittered nervously in the hall leading down to the old cave. Inside the dark dank cavern the moon shone through the ceiling onto the stone sundial and cascaded across the floor, illuminating the stone face of a standing humanoid cat statue. The eyes appeared dark in the moonlight but suddenly flashed red. The stone basket the statue held fell from its hands and crumbled on the floor. A red light enveloped the statue. A figure began to form in the great cats arms. It materialized out of the red light and lay limp in the statues arms. It was a woman with long blonde hair. Her fingers twitched and her eyes flashed open to reveal golden cat eyes. She moved, her body screaming in protest and fell out of the statues arms to the cold stone floor. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness around her and she gazed up at the cat statue with red glowing eyes. She gasped in a breath of air.
"Cat God! You have saved me! You have reincarnated me unto this world once again blessed creator!" She rose on shaky legs and stumbled across the floor to the sundial and gripped its edge to steady herself. She gazed upwards and basked in the glow of the moonlight that she had not seen for six long agonizing years. For six years she had been trapped in death, tortured endlessly. No more would she suffer the Cat God's wrath, he had chosen for her to return and be reincarnated and continue her work upon this earth.
The dark room suddenly grew brighter with the same eerie red light. Simone whirled around and stared, eyes wide as the statue held another body in its arms. Simone rushed forward and picked up the woman who lay in the statues arms. She fell to her knees and cradled the girl to her breast. The girl moaned and opened her eyes to reveal the same golden cat eyes.
"Oh Lena! My Lena!" Simone cried and clung to her friend. Lena sat up and gazed around.
"Simone, how are we here?" She asked hoarsely. Simone smiled.
"The Cat God has blessed us Lena! He has reincarnated us unto this earth once again!" Lena's eyes widened.
"Reincarnated? We are no longer dead!"
"Yes, oh sister!" Simone embraced the black haired woman. Simone stood and helped Lena to her feet. "Come, we need to get the house livable once again. I dread to see what those inlanders have done to our home."
"Yes, I bet it's horrid. Too bad they won't live long enough to see it cleaned up." Lena said with a sadistic smile. She leaned against the sundial and caught a glimpse of the moon.
"Oh!" She grasped her heart. Simone turned towards her.
"What's wrong Lena?" Lena let out a breath.
"I'm so hungry…" Simone smiled darkly.
"I know, as am I. It's been too long since we have fed properly, we must feed each Harvest moon to sustain the curse." Lena looked up at the full moon.
"This moon cannot be the Harvest moon. It is too white… Simone, if it just a full moon then why am I so hungry?"
"It must just be a side effect from having been reincarnated. The great Cat God knows all Lena, you know this." She nodded, ashamed. "Now come, let's go up to the house."
"Wait!" Lena said. Small whisps of red light began to shine from the statues eyes once again. Both women stared at the Great Cat. What did he have planned? The red light formed around the statues hands once again and a man formed from the light. The women rushed forward and helped him to his feet. His eyes were the same golden cat eyes. His hair was brown and he had a nice mustache.
"Jacques?" Simone whispered, stunned at the man standing before her. The man gazed at her.
"Simone, how is this possible? I am alive. You gave me immortality, not your Cat God." Simone nodded.
"Yes, he has reincarnated all of us… to finish our work on this earth. That must be his plan otherwise we would have remained in eternal torment." Jacques shuttered.
"I never knew so much pain…" He turned to Lena and smiled.
"Lena, child, you look as beautiful as I remember you." Simone huffed and Jacques chuckled. "You are still beautiful as well Simone. I cannot believe this has happened. It is truly a blessing from your God."
"He is your God as well Jacques. He has saved you so you owe him your servitude and worship." Jacques nodded and turned to look at the Cat statue.
"He is an old God, like myself." He chuckled dryly.
"I think you may want to reconsider that second statement Jacques. Look." Simone pointed to a puddle on the floor filled with moonlight. Jacques gave her a puzzled look but walked over to the puddle and gazed into it.
"I am young again… the strapping man I was in my youth… has he changed all of us?" He asked.
"He certainly lengthened Simone's hair." Lena said. "And he made you younger Jacques." Simone nodded and gazed at Lena.
"He didn't seem to change you much." She said.
"If anything he made you more beautiful." Jacques said with a smile. Lena smiled back at him. Simone rolled her eyes and walked towards the old wooden door and pulled it open.
"If you two are quite finished, I would like to see what condition my house is in." Lena and Jacques nodded and followed her.
The old corridor smelled musty as they walked up the long dark hallway. There were no lights in the tunnel but the three could see with their cat eyes just fine in the darkness. Simone reached the door that led into the house and pulled on the handle. The door didn't budge.
"Jacques, try opening the door." She said. Jacques nodded and yanked hard at the handle. It didn't budge for him either. He growled in frustration and suddenly tore at the door. His muscles ripped with anger and his body tore as fur spread across his skin and his jaw elongated. His bones broke and he grew and ripped through the wood holding the door shut. He ripped through to the other side breathing heavily. Both women stepped through cautiously and stared at there friend.
"There is no way he could transform unless it was a harvest moon Simone." Lena said.
"I know, this is peculiar." She stared down at her own hand and thought of the people who had boarded up her home. She felt that familiar rip of her muscles and the breaking of bones as she transformed. Lena stepped back a look of shock on her face.
"Simone how is this possible?" Simone gazed at Lena with cat eyes that glowed bright in the dark room.
"The God has blessed us Lena…"
"We only ever were able to change on the harvest moon Simone. It is only a regular full moon. What does this mean then? That we must feed every full moon now?" Jacques asked. Simone turned to him.
"It appears that the curse has grown because he reincarnated us. He must expect more sacrifice with this. We have to survive this time. We cannot fail our God." Lena stepped forward and changed into her werecat form with a shriek. Her eyes were wild and terrifying.
"Very well then. Let the hunt begin. I don't want to go over formalities this time. I'm too hungry for that." Simone nodded.
"Jacques, let's get the boat and take a trip down the bayou and see what neighbors we happen upon, shall we?" Jacques nodded. Simone smiled.
"Let the hunt begin."