It’s decided, by the gods that the petty grudge must finally be stopped. Now is the perfect time to move.

There was a whisper that reached everybody’s ears, “One will die while the other survives.” Michael looked up toward the ominous voice that lurked within the trees.

One will die while the other survives. Kelia heard also, in the temple, and stiffens. Her little brothers are dear to her, she can’t loose bows her head again in prayer; many more women around her do the same.

One of the mothers whispered to Kelia, “Is it true that Gillog will be taking revenge today?”

“Why do you say that?” Kelia asked.

“The stars say it. The moon,” She looks through the pillars, “is getting heavy. You know what happens when the moon gets heavy, it will sink.” An old wives tale, some of the other females join in the conversation.

“I have a really bad feeling about this.” A younger sister of the suitors said.

“I think you’re right Amy, Gillog is planning revenge. They say he lives in the forest as a wolf with red eyes.”

“Oh! I heard that legend also! Gillog Cate can’t die of old age; he fathers a family of wolves!”

“That’s horrible! He’s going to kill all the men then!”

The women in the temple sensed a doomed feeling from the forest.

In the forest- There was a low growl, surrounding them.

Michael ties his scarf around the slowly dying cub’s chest, trying to stop the bleeding. “It’s ok, it’ll be all right.” Cub looks at him. He laughs bitterly “We all live in this sorry fucked up world but… it’ll… get… better.” The scarf turns red. The cub’s eyes slowly close.

Michael cries. His head was bent low so the tears fell on the grass. Why did he agree to do this? He wonders what Leslie is feeling now.

Does she know?

Leslie stood us and examined herself in the mirror again, “Does this dress make me look fat?” She looks toward her friend, “Maureen dear?”

Maureen was staring out the window, “The moon looks like it’s about to sink.”

“Silly girl,” Leslie laughed, “The moon can’t sink.”

Maureen turned her head to look back, almost sadly, (there was a dagger hidden in her hands), “Yes it can.” She said quietly. Maureen’s head was in chaos, she was Leslie’s close friend for many years, but somewhere in those years, Maureen got sick of Leslie’s arrogant personality. Can she do it?

Leslie smiled, playing along with her friend, “Oh? And how will it sink?”

Her friend smiled, “When so many living creatures die at once, the moon get’s pulled down by the angered souls.” The howling outside seemed to hit closer to home, there’s scratching noises on the other side of the door. “The sinking of the moon; it symbolizes the end of the world, something that wolves represent in the old stories when they are angry.

Spirit, cold, hate and need.”

She closed her eyes for a few seconds and reopened them. Her pupils glowed gold. “The dead spirits are angry.”

Leslie was aware of the creatures outside her house. “Maureen?” She heard whispers: is it your fault that they died? Is it? Is it? When They finally burst through the door, Leslie started screaming. Nobody heard her because she didn’t scream for long… If anybody wishes to look inside, there was a bloodstained dagger on the ground, next to a bloodstained stool.

Maureen calmly walks out the door and walks west, toward the forest. She silently cries because all the wolves are dead. Maureen walks into the forest, and disappears.

The two brothers heard another growl just a couple of meters behind them. They both spun around, a larger than life male wolf watched them with a deadly scarlet gaze. The animal was huge, its head probably reached Matt’s shoulder. Its muzzle was filled with blood. There was another whisper in the forest; it killed everybody else. The wolf killed everybody else except for you two. The wolf looks at its dead cub.

Michael feels what the white wolf feels- how a father sees his dead son in front of him.

Matt chuckled, “I’m guessing that this is the last one. Where are the other furs?”

The wolf growled at him. You’ll never find them. I swear you will all pay for killing all those that I love. The voice held decades and centuries of wisdom.

Matt narrowed his eyes, “Oh, is that so? Then in that case, you’re dead.”

“Matt,” Michael hissed, “You’re communicating to a WOLF.”

Mat smiled evilly, “So?”

“So?! Wolves don’t talk.” The younger twin cast a glance at the male wolf and mentally swore that the wolf was grinning at him. “If the wolf can talk, don’t fight him, we can compromise.” He pleaded.

It shook its head. It’s not going to happen.

Matt loaded his gun, “Quiet little brother.” He faced the white wolf, “Now, how do we end this?” It’s Matt and his weapon vs. white wolf. For a second, Michael saw an albino man on all fours. He blinks, it’s not there anymore.

The white wolf gave a howl of fury and pounced. Matt drew his dagger that he used to skin the wolves and ran towards his opponent.

They’re both destroying each other. Everything’s moving too quickly, it seems like a blur. Michael thinks. It seems almost too perfect. Who planned this? There were claws ripping flesh, a gunshot, sharp teeth raking skin, kicks, guns, a yelp and a growl. The white wolf gained control and it pushed Matt to the ground. The white wolf bit the shoulder. Finally, the gun is able to reload and shoot.

It’s all silent.

The world’s twisting, make it stop.

The world is nearing its end, make it stop.

The world’s spinning too quickly, make it stop.

The wolf is dead, Matt has a mortal wound. Who won?

Matt’s still alive, but he’s nearing his dying breath. Michael walked over to sit beside his brother’s head. “I’m sorry Michael that you had to see. Someone controlled me, you know. It wasn’t my fault,” He laughs bitterly, but coughs up blood.

“No, I still saw a part of you resisting. You didn’t kill me; you wouldn’t let me fight with the wolf. You were trying to protect me weren’t you?”

“I’m dying over a girl who I now seem to not care about. Did you know that Leslie placed a curse of Lust over all of us?” Michael narrowed his eyes over what his brother said. That bitch! The curse of Lust was forbidden all over the world. That woman should be burned at stake. Matt continued, “I’m so stupid to not realize it until now. She touched all of us didn’t she? That charm was the reason for the darkness. Why I wonder…”

“But,” Matt smiles in relief, “It’s gone, the headache, the weight, it’s all gone.”

His brother nods sadly, “At least for a second, you’re back to normal. Try to not push it, save your last breaths.”

“Don’t blame the white wolf for all of this. It wasn’t their fault either. Farwell, I’ll see you there, in the otherworld.” Matt holds out a hand. “Remember that.”

“In the otherworld,” Michael assures him, clasping the hand and shaking it gently. A promise was made. Matt struggles to smile before his eyes close, peacefully.

Michael looks at the dead wolf and sees a spirit above the corpse, “Gillog?” He whispered hoarsely. He’s too tired and sad to care. The wild man gives a low bow. When he straightens himself up, the wind blows away his appearance, blowing away his ancient red eyes that pity.

Everyone’s gone… Michael cries over all the dead bodies lying before him.

Why?

Why..?

Something sparks a fear within the people of Sacrage, a humble little town. Shall they come to save the survivors in the forest or shall they not? They debate over this problem in the marble temple. Women say yes, old men say no.

It can be possible that they all died, the men argued.

You’ll never know unless you see, we can’t possible all die. Our people need a proper burial, the women replied.

Giving a proper burial at the expense of our lives? The men asked.

Yes. It is your fault, the women replied.

No. It wasn’t, the men began to loose their tempers.

The congregation was interrupted by a young boy that opened to door silently. Everyone turned their heads.

How do you know that they died? He asked. The contest can still go on, the men most likely won’t return until dawn. How do you know that you need to interfere?

There was silence on that question. Nobody knew how they know. They just know.

A lonely and ghostly howl echoes through the night sky, revealing emotions that have no words to explain what they are. Someone- Thanks? Anger? Redemption? Sadness? Forgiveness?

We all want to know, but we can’t figure it out.

In the end, the villagers came with their rusty pitchforks and torches. They search the forest and see dead wolves and dead men brutally murdered with their eyes open in eternal fright. They see Michael leaning over the dead. He’s silent but tears are spilling out of his eyes. There will be no other survivors.

The sky has no clouds, stars twinkle. Where has the moon again? Is it gone? Disappeared? In a minute or so, Leslie will disappear and fall out of the living world. Kelia will whisper thanks to the wolf mother and run to hug her brother, sobbing. At least one is alive. It could have easily been a lot worse had not the gods taken pity. Michael might or might not hug his sister back, she’ll understand though; he’s still overwhelmed with emotions.

The women will sob over their loved ones. Tomorrow, there will be a funeral pyre with flames and smoke that will touch the heavens. Tomorrow, everybody will wear white to show their mourning.

And for the people in general, as they look at the sky with no moon, they realized that they had witnessed the end, yet the beginning of something big.

And in a way, though far from it, Michael also understood.