Bell Luna



The night breeze washed over the land in the dimly lit little town. Shops closed for the night, stray wandering folks gone home where it was warm. All was quiet, save for the struggle in a lost alley.

A balding, middle aged man had a child no older than six years old by the throat. His intentions clear that he means no good towards this youth. This made clear as he pulled a blade from his back pocket and flicked it open to cut the child's clothes off.

“Hold still ya little brat!” he scowled when the little boy almost broke free from his grasp.

“I want my momma!” he bawled as the man tore his shirt to shreds.

“You'll get your momma, now hold still!” he went to cut the boys pants when he heard movement from behind the entrance of the alley.

Turning, he held the blade out in case he needed it for defense against an attacker. Frantically, his eyes darted from left to right as he stood at the entrance, the child tightly grasped by the arm.

“Must have been a cat.” shaking his head in annoyance, he went back to trying to get the boys pants off once more.

The child screamed in terror as the blade cut through his frail skin, the clothing almost removed when another sound halted him, “oh for the love of-!”

He froze when he looked up to the entrance and saw a tall figure standing there. Clearly female from the lithe body adorned in what appeared to be a dress. The light of the moon preventing the two from getting any real detail on this person.

“Lady, I would scat if I were you, unless you want to get hurt.” he sneered as his fist grasped a tighter grip on the blade in his hand.

She merely stood there, silent and mysterious.

“Alright, you're asking for it!” rearing his hand back, he threw the knife at her, aimed for her head.

Smirking as he waited for it to connect, his eyes widened in surprise when she vanished. The blade went cascading off and slid across the ground.

“Shit! Where'd she-?! How'd she-?! Fuck this! I'm getting out of here!” he bolt for the exit, freedom seemingly within his grasp.

His foot connected with the familiar pavement of the old, concrete sidewalk when something wrapped around his ankle, halting him, and tripping him.

Looking down, he saw it was an inky black tentacle. It lead passed the boy who had himself pressed tightly to the wall, hoping to avoid getting in the middle of whatever was going on. Too afraid to move or make any noise whatsoever.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">The limb pulled him back into the alley and a light at the end flickered on, revealing his assailant.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">She was almost nine feet tall, her skin as pale as the moon. Her arms reached almost to the ground, another three or so feet, and they would. She wore a deep, red dress decorated with black frill and bows near the bottom by the knees. Her arms were covered by white sleeves not attached to the dress that had a red ribbon stitched along the top and bottom on her arms. Long, black hair flowed down her back, reaching just a bit longer than her arms.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">Her face.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">She didn't have one.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">It was the most terrifying thing the man had ever seen. This woman without a face, sent chills down his spine.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">Out of the corner of his eye, he discovered that the tentacle, was leading to her. It was hers and it was pulling him towards her.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">Fear shot through him with vigor and he tried to pull himself away. Clawing at the cracked concrete, he  pulled himself a fair bit of way only to be yanked back. A scream pierced the air as some of his nails were ripped off at the sudden force. Droplets of blood sprinkled the ground as a few pieces of nail lay scattered.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">Cradling his hands, he turned to look back at the woman only to be struck with horror. Indents in the form of a wide mouth, ovular in shape stretched across the area above her jaw. The hollows of her eyes darkened as she tilt her head down to look at him. It was like looking at a ghostly, malicious face of evil.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">“WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?!” he screamed at the creature.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">She said nothing still, she merely pointed at the boy who gasped before covering his mouth.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">“You-you want him?! TAKE HIM! I don't want him! He's all yours! Just please, let me go!” he was a sobbing mess of tears, his face gone red from the strain.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">She shook her head.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">“Wh-what?! What do you want then?!” his question was met with a growl of anger.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">“I want, for you to suffer for your crimes, SCUM!” she spoke, her voice smooth and elegant, yet the sound hadn't come from her.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">It had come from behind him.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">Turning to look back at the boy, he trembled as more tears flowed at the sight before him.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">The boy was staring at him with pitch, black eyes. Dark veins slithered along from his eyes to his hair line, his face paler than before. His mouth twitched into a scowl as he stood, as if ready to fight, before the two.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">“WHAT ARE YOU?!” he yelled at the woman.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">Her grin remained, ghostly and sinister. His face contorted in pain as he felt a stabbing irritation in his back and blood flowing down his skin. Soon, two, black tentacles burst through his chest and coiled in the air in front of his face. They were coated in his life essence and still he felt pain.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">It shot through his entire being; through his arms, his legs, his head, everywhere.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">“Wh-wh-ah-t are you d-doing to me?!” his voice, strained, and filled with pain, was barely more audible than a whisper.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">“Making you suffer, child of the heathens. You will learn the true meaning of agony.” her tone was a lie, it held the sweet, comforting tone a caring mother would give a frightened child.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">He could not find himself able to speak any longer as he coughed up blood and more of the limbs climbed out of his mouth and stretched it farther than it was intended to.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">“Destroy this vulgar mouth which speaks only false.” blood streamed as his mouth tore at the corners.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">The skin along his hands began to bulge as if something were beneath the protective layers. A tentacle forced its way out of each hand from within him.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">“Cripple the tools that hurt the innocent.” she sneered, the facial feature obvious on one who lacks facial structures as he skin stretched and pulled.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">He felt the bones being crushed in his legs as something constricted around them.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">“Put down the legs that carry this burden.”

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">Had he the ability, he'd have screamed from all the misery and pain he was enduring.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">He felt his body being tugged and pulled in various directions from within and soon, all went dark in his vision.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">Pulling her tendrils in different directions, she ripped him in half. Blood flew to paint the walls and ground as she dropped the corpse. Stepping over the remains of her kill, she walked passed the boy but stopped and turned to him.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">His still black eyes stared at her and she strode back over towards him.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">“I no longer have any need for your services. The impure seed of your species is dead, and you will never be able to be a target for another so long as they deem you dangerous to be around.” she stood over the boy and he looked up at her, still speaking for her.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">Picking him up with one of her bloody limbs, she placed her hand over his heart. The symbol of a crescent moon with an X over it appeared as if burned into the skin.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">“For but a child, you did well in hiding that mark. You have been a loyal servant.” she held him firmly and his eyes faded to their normal state.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">He stared with fear at her, “I wanna go home!” tears fell from the crevices of his eyes as he rubbed them.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">She gently pet his head and held him close in an embracing hug. Wrapping his arms around her neck, he sobbed, unaware of what was to come.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">There there little one, it will be all over soon. the boy jumped as he heard her voice in his head.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">He pulled away from her and screamed as he watched her mouth rip open. The sickening sound of flesh ripping a part caused his stomach to churn. He tried to get free as the flesh smoothed out over her lips and she bared her serrated teeth.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">You shouldn't have disobeyed your mother Jimmy.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">“MOMMY!” was all he managed to yell before she snapped her jaws at him.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">X

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">The police gathered around the site, tape and cars used to keep pedestrians away from the horrid view. Writing down notes, taking pictures, and muttering between each other, none but the guards on blockade duty noticed the woman that came running up.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">“JIMMY?!” she was grabbed by a police officer.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">“Ma'am, no one but detectives and officers passed this point.” he tried to soothe her worries that everything would be alright.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">“Don't lie to me! My son is in there!” she shoved him away, distraught for the safety of her little boy.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">“That, is your son?” he stared at her, bewildered.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">“Yes! Is he alright?! Please tell me he's alright!” her hopes were dashed away as he let out a sigh and turned to the police near the alleyway.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">“Hey John, Mike, the mother of the boy is here.” he was motioned to let her pass and he did so.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">Wasting little time, she ran over to them, “please, my son, is he alright!? Where is he?!”

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">“Ma'am, I'm Officer John Marly, this is Chief Officer Mike Windowski. About your child......” they both looked over as the detectives took pictures of the remains of a small body.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">The flesh was mostly tore off, the head missing, and the body mangled with teeth marks scouring the flesh. She covered her mouth as she stepped over to the two men and sobbed.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">“Ma'am, do you know who could have done this?” the one detective asked.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">She nodded and looked up at the wall, on it, was a message in blood.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">You knew this day would come Anita.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">“As a matter of fact, I do, but you'd never believe me.” she muttered and pulled out the picture she had in her purse.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">She showed it to them and they looked at each other.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">It was a picture of the alley they were currently in, the picture was distorted as if some static had interfered with the camera.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">Flipping it over, they saw a message written in cursive, This is where the beginning, begins again.

<p style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;line-height:21.988636016845703px;">“Try us.” they said in unison.