MARKED BY MOONLIGHT by Jenifer Carson

On my eighteenth birthday, the moon felt like a silent witness, hanging heavy and bright over Ebonridge, almost as if it was poised for something big.

I leaned against my window frame, a weird, restless energy buzzing just beneath my skin. It wasn't exactly fear, more like the whole world was holding its breath, just waiting.

A dog barked somewhere far off, then silence. Even the night seemed super hushed, expectant.

The forest bordering the village looked eerily dark, its shadows stretching like grasping fingers under the moonlight. For just a second, I thought I saw something move among the trees, something tall, unnaturally still. My breath hitched, but when I blinked, it was gone. 'Just nerves,' I told myself.

Then, the drums started.

Slow, deep, and steady.

Each beat seemed to vibrate right through the village, settling into my bones. The Call. We all knew about it, though no one ever talked about it straight-up. You just waited for your turn, hoping it would skip you.

My hands clenched into fists.

A soft knock on the door.

"It's time," my mother's voice, steady enough, but her eyes were anything but. They scanned my face with an intensity that made my throat go dry. I nodded, following her downstairs, my legs feeling kind of disconnected.

Outside, torches cast a flickering glow on the village square. Old stones, etched with symbols no one remembers, were scattered everywhere. The villagers stood back, murmuring, their stares feeling like a physical weight. The elders, faces completely blank, formed a circle around the Moon Stone. It pulsed with a faint, inner silver light, and as I got closer, that strange buzzing in my chest got stronger, pulling at me.

One by one, the other young people touched the stone. Nothing happened. They were sent away, their relief practically radiating off them normal, safe, regular. My heart hammered with each step they took away.

Then it was my turn. The silence in the square felt suffocating. I glanced back at my mother, her lips a thin, white line, her hands clasped tight. Turning back to the stone, I reached out.

The second my fingers made contact, a jolt of heat shot up my arm, exploding in my chest like wildfire. The stone flared, blindingly bright, and the drums cut off mid-beat, plunging the square into a heavy silence. From the depths of the forest, a long, low howl answered.