Haunted

Moonhawk pushed open the gate. Sweat beaded on her forehead, fear and trepidation taking hold of her. She had not been back to Kinos since that day; a day she’d tried to erase from her mind.

The village was alive with activity. People went about the daily chores that made up their lives. Moonhawk was surprised, of all the things she had expected to see, this was not even a remote possibility. She recognized them all; from the boy playing with his dog, old man Edunti, who always had an answer for everything, even the old mayor, Aston, was there. Then she saw the faces, at least what should have been their faces. All had been touched by death, some had gone gently, but the majority wore their last moments of agony like a death mask.

They turned toward her.

“You did this to us. Have you come to pay your debt?”

“I didn’t do this. I helped you, don’t you remember?”

“They came because of you, we denied it, but they knew you’d been. We died because you chose to come here, why did you do that? Why didn’t you return to help us?”

“I was desperate, if I’d known the consequences I ‘d have done things differently.”

“That’s a great help to me and mine,” Astor replied, “your death will mean more.”

A dagger hit Moonhawk’s shoulder, another struck her leg, as each villager sort revenge… she cried out her apologies again, but they fell on deaf ears, hands grabbed for her.

“Moon?” The hand on her shoulder was warm and familiar, not the cold touch of death she had expected.

“Sun?” She asked, opening her eyes to the familiar oak trees that surrounded their camp.

“It was that dream again, wasn’t it?”

Moonhawk could only nod.


(word count 300)