The Fragmented Luna

Don't Mess with This

As much as I wanted to chase after Valerie I wanted to hide these photos for sa so that no one would ever see them. I stuffed the photos into my bag in record breaking time with shaky hands. After I was sure that I also had my paint supplies in my bag too I raced off to stop Valerie.

I knew I wasn't the only reason that Valerie was hell bent on releasing some sort of pent up rage on Ember for all her wrong doings. I felt responsible for unleashing the anger within Valerie's who clearly had dome sort of bone to pick with Ember. All those years of friendship did something to two people who had deep seeded hatred for each other.

I ran down the hallway hoping to find the two of them but not sure of where to look. I was surprised that Valerie was so fast she seemed to be out of my line of vision already. I guessed hall hath no fury like a woman looking for a fight.

I grabbed my necklace to stroke its edge as a way of calming my nerves. Every time I touched the necklace I felt some sort of power coursing through it into my fingertips. It was oozing with energy that grew stronger as I headed outside of the school. As I moved closer to the forest the energy crept up to an all time high.

I didn't want to go into the dark forest but my legs propelled me forward. The air was different in the forest among the tall elm trees. It cackled with a light energy that I had not expected to be within it. Something had called out to me to touch the trees.

I moved my hands over some tree moss reveling in the scent of the elm tree in my nose. It felt so different from that night with no dark energy pulsating around me. I could feel the life force of the forest within the palm of my hands. I didn't quite understand my feelings but heck I didn't understand a lot of things lately.

I heard the two of them screaming at each other before I even reached them. I walked over to the scene before me cautiously. Valerie stood with her fists balled up ready for attack while Ember looked to be electrically charged by some unknown force.

"I've been looking forward to this for so long Valerie. Hit me I dare you. Its all anyone does anyway", Ember yelled her voice breaking on the end. Despite everything she had done to me I felt bad listening to her speak. There was a sadness in her tone that matched a similar pain in my heart.

"Ember we could have protected you long ago. You were always welcome into my house", Valerie yelled in a tormented voice. "Skylar and you were my best friends in this world. Look at what you've become", Valerie said with tears in her eyes.

"No", Ember croaked out as her hand snaked around to wrap around Valerie's neck. I knew I should run for help or stop them before someone got hurt but I needed to watch this moment. Something in the air told me to keep very still with my eyes wide open. "I know that all of you loved Skylar more than me. My own father has beat that into me every single day with every single wound he has given me", Ember screamed in a primal tone. I watched Ember pull tighter on Valerie's neck when suddenly the earth seemed to shift.

It was like a flash of lightning as Valerie's eyes changed color with her hair floating in the air. She looked like she did that night she stood up from bed to whisper strange incantations. I watched floated imperceptibly through the air as her bones ripped apart. It looked like she was torn to shreds as her flesh pulled back changing into something different in anatomy.

I watched in horror as her skin ripped off her body only to be replaced with some sort of dark black fur. There was a wolf in front of me pacing the ground in all her glory with what appeared to be a white crown weaved onto her head. I rubbed my eyes several times but Valerie's body was gone. Maybe, this visceral creature had eaten Valerie from the inside out or maybe it was Valerie. I felt my scar throbbing with that familiar ache feeling like something was creeping out of me. It was not a natural feeling but the burning finally stopped as the creatures eyes met mine. It was undoubtedly the same eyes of my new best friend trapped inside that wolf's body.

Embers energy crackled too with a different type of power that shone within those depths. I watched her body rip apart leaving a trail of flesh behind in its wake to reveal a skimpy looking red wolf. There was fire within the eyes of the red wolf even though it was weak looking. I held onto the tree branch as the battle before me left me started.

I kept telling myself that none of this could be real but it was real. Somehow these two people in my school these past 4 years were not biologically human. I wanted to run but something told me it was my destiny to watch them battle for dominance.

I could not hear them speaking but their actions told me everything I needed to know. The red wolf struck first in a very sly fashion that lacked enthusiasm. It almost seemed playful with its lanky movements around the forest but I felt anger within. The crowned wolf did not fight.

Even though blood seeped from the crowned wolf's body, it let the red wolf attack it over and over. As the red wolf expelled its energy with the repetitive movements, I realized the crowned wolf was planning. The crowned wolf had known its attacker to be inferior, so it had let the red wolf destroy itself. After a few minutes of the red wolf attacking more sluggishly now the red wolf gave up.

The transformation of both creatures back to their human forms happened just as quickly and brutally that I felt my insides churning. The fur on each wolf's body receded as they contorted back into something resembling a human. Their skin was reattached to their bodies forcefully stretching and reshaping.

I saw Valerie and Ember, but they were no longer the same. Ember lay on the floor sobbing with Valerie soothing her hair with affectionate strokes.

"It is time for this fight to be over", Valerie said in an authoritative voice that seeped with power. Ember bowed her head submissively as the sobs racked her body for what seemed like an eternity. "You will stop hurting people and get the help you deserve. Skylar would not want you to suffer anymore", Valerie said with teary eyes.

"I will come back home", Ember said with her neck held open submissively for Valerie to see. "I want to get better but i don't know how to get better", Ember said in a somber tone.

"First you can start by leaving Rowen alone. She is the first friend I have been able to make that I trust", Valerie said as she held out her hand towards Ember in a gesture of kindness. Ember took her hand cautiously accepting the kindness that was being offered in a timid manner. "Also you will throw away those photos of Rowen like I asked you before", Valerie commanded in that deep authoritative voice again. Ember looked at Valerie with confusion in those eyes, but also worry.

"Valerie I threw the photo's away as soon as you told me too", Ember said in what appeared to be an honest response. I felt a darkness creep into my heavy heart at the seriousness of her tone. "Maybe it was someone else", Ember said strangely. I wanted to run away from the two of them in fear but I was rooted to the spot. All of a sudden the necklace around my neck glowed in a strange fashion.

"You can come out now", Valerie said in a saddened but knowing tone. I emerged from my hiding spot to face the two girls who had just transformed before my very eyes. Suddenly that English assignment with Nixon was looking as easy as peaches right now.