John Callahan - The Blood Moon

s of his bedroom, casting a warm glow on the wooden floorboards, but it brought him no comfort. The farm, once

aring, the brutal attack by the creature, and the terrible realization that his son was gone forever-it all felt surreal, like somethin

e cold earth as they laid Daniel to rest. But now, as John sat up in bed, he realized something was wrong. The house was too quiet,

no answer. Panic began to curl around the edges of his grief,

he wounds inflicted by the creature. He moved through the house, each step heav

ped over the back of a chair, as if she had set it down just moments before. The bedroom was undisturbed

errifying than the last. Had the creature returned, taken Mary as it had taken Daniel? Had she left in the

d despair. He had to stay focused, had to find Mary. She was all he had left now, the

ands giving him a small measure of comfort. He had failed

any sign of her. The sun was low in the sky, casting long shadows across the fields. T

f Mary, no tracks, no clues as to where she might have gone. The animals were restless, sensing the unea

niel's body, where the creature had attacked. The thought of going back there, of facing whatever horrors might be wai

r. The trees closed in around him, their branches twisting together to form a canopy that blocked out

roken body, the creature's glowing eyes, the sound of its snarls as it tore into him-it was all too vivid, too

ldn't let his fear paralyze him. He had to stay

ith each passing minute. The forest echoed with his cries, but there was

nd Daniel. His heart pounded in his chest as he approached the spot, his breath coming in short, ragged gasps.

, the leaves trampled and torn, but there was no sign of Mary or the creature. The sile

f and fear became too much to bear. He had lost his son, and now he had lost his wi

hrough the trees. He had nothing left, nothing but the pain that consumed hi

like a dark, endless void. He had no idea how much time had passed, whether it was mi

sed to be silenced. It was the same voice that had driven him to keep fighting the nigh

dn't let himself believe otherwise. He had to find her, had

ached, his wounds throbbing with every movement, but he forced himself to keep going. H

stay stron

t. The sun was sinking lower in the sky, the light fading as the forest grew darker and more foreboding

that he would bring her home safe. He called her name again and

rching for hours, but there was no sign of Mary, no tracks, no clues to where she might have gone. It was as

ened to overwhelm him. He was too tired to go on, too broken to keep searching. The f

, he heard something-a faint sound, barely audible over the rustl

hn.

as he turned towards the sou

.. hel

She was out there, somewhere i

as he ran towards the sound. His heart pounded in his chest, hi

here! Whe

her. The forest seemed to close in around him, the trees twisting together to form a dark,

n, he s

sible in the fading light. Her long hair hung loose around her shoulders, her dress torn an

er eyes meeting his, a

ard, his legs trembling with rel

ere, staring at him with eyes that were hollow and

his heart pounding with relief and love. She was cold, her body tr

pered, his voice choked with emot

t responding, wasn't holding him back. Her body was stiff, her

n, some sign that she was alright. But her eyes were distant,

ed, his voice trembling. "Whe

ar him. Her gaze drifted past him, toward

ed, his hands tightening on her shoul

barely more than a whisper.

gripping his heart. "What

ce flat and emotionless. "It took Daniel. I

e creature wasn't gone, that it would return. But hearing Mary say it, heari

"We have to get as far away from here as we can. It won'

round and protect what was left of their family. But the look in her eyes, the hollow, empty

the memories of Daniel's death and the c

pite the fear that gnawed at him. "We'll go

distant, unfocused. "We have to g

ing with the urgency in her voice. "We'll leave toni

stopped them in their tracks-a low, rumbling gro

t it was. The creature was still out there, w

y able to force the word p

unged from the shadows, its massive form h

aws snapping, its claws slashing through the air. He pushed Mary behin

sending it skidding across the ground. John tried to fight back, tried to prot

ss her chest. John grabbed a large branch from the ground, swingin

elentless, its eyes fixed on Mary, it

he word torn from his throat

ood there, her eyes wide with ter

side with all the force he could muster. The creature snarled i

need to protect Mary at all costs. He could feel the creature's

't let go.

ted again, his voice

creature turned on her, its j

choing through the trees. He tried to fight, tried to pu

inal, sickening cr

the creature's jaws, he

d into a million pieces. The creature released Mary's body, l

. He had failed. He

pping, but he didn't fight back. He coul

of Daniel, of Mary, of the life they had lost. An

black, and John Cal