The Moon's Fangs | 1
2 | phantom pain

“Reks!” My voice broke as my knees smacked wet pavement.

One second I was reaching out to save the stranger and the next, I was in the middle of a dark street in a heavy downpour.

I unclenched my sore fist, which gripped onto nothing. My body tingled while staring down at my empty palm. Where did that name come from? Did it belong to that man?

I suppressed a shiver when goosebumps raced from my head, down my drenched body, and all the way to my bare feet.

How did I…

A low rumble of thunder rolled overhead. I blinked at the shrouding rain, unable to see past a few feet in front of me. I pushed myself up to my feet, legs trembling.

“No…” I whispered, turning around in a daze. No. That wasn’t just a dream. It felt so real — it still feels so real. The snake felt so real. He felt so real.

Why am I standing in the middle of the road?

My mind swirled in equivalence to getting drunk the first time. Thoughts and images linked together in a way my brain couldn’t make sense of.

What was I even saying? Of course it was a dream. Vivid and creepy, sure. But it was over now. Gone.

Pull yourself together.

“Okay, don’t panic.” I worked on calming my breathing and tried to come up with a rational explanation. I stayed up too late reading that crazy good chapter about monster hunters, which likely lead to my bizarre dreams, then maybe went as far as coercing me into sleepwalking. Or something like that.

A logical and totally believable explanation.

Gravel stuck uncomfortably against the soles of my feet. They weren’t hurting too bad though, so that probably meant I didn’t get too far away from the house. Problem was, however, I couldn’t tell which direction to go. The midnight storm masked everything. I knew the surrounding area like the back of my hand... when I could freakin' see.

I shoved soaked blonde locks away from my face, then the muscles on the right side of my neck seized up from a sharp pain. I gasped, stumbling back a step. My heel caught a crack in the pavement, sending my ass down to smack the road. A short pain zinged up my back, but I hardly took notice. Not when my neck hurt exactly where that cobra had bitten me.

My throat tightened, hand flying up to feel the side of my neck — terrified to replace puncture marks. My breath shook as my fingers slid across slick, unmarred skin. Just to be sure, I pulled my fingers in front of my eyes to make sure blood didn’t paint the tips.

Lightning flashed, exposing not blood but something else entirely. In that brief flash of light, my reflection became visible against a puddle of water in the pothole I tripped over.

My pupils glowed an iridescent white, just like the cobra’s had.

I screamed, smacking the water just as another flash lit up the area. This time, my pupils looked normal.

“Holy hell…” my lips parted, suddenly breathless.

Blood pumped against my eardrums. It was as if the lingering nightmare and storm were teaming up against me. Unsportsmanlike conduct at its finest, kicking me while I'm down.

Even still, the side of my neck felt sore to the touch. Like the cobra’s fangs somehow embedded phantom venom through the dreamscape. The images it tattooed on my mind whipped through my head like a bullet train.

~Save him, save you, replace Sio.~ The message twisted around me, growing tighter and tighter with each repeat. It refused to be ignored. Refused to end as a nightmare as it leaked its way into my reality.

“Get away!” I gasped for air, swinging my arms out as if to hit an invisible foe. But the iridescent cobra wasn’t here.

A flash of lightning brightened the sky for a half-second, paralleled by a sharp peal of thunder.

Panic flared up in my chest, bringing on a series of rapid panting. I grasped at my chest, fighting for control over the fear.

“Calm down—” just as the words left my mouth, headlights blinded me, followed by a blaring horn and the screeching of brakes. Instead of dodging or rolling off to the side to avoid danger, my body instinctively curled up into a ball, cringing from the headlights.

The tires squalled across the wet road, and I couldn’t replace enough bravery to even scream out. Only a few feet away, the car came to a jolting halt. I blinked at the blinding headlights, taking a long moment to register what had just happened.

Holy crap. Did I just almost die?

The shock of it all started to sink into my body, how close I had been to death’s door. I had to push the feeling away when one of the car doors opened, bringing me back to reality. Through the thick rain, a dark silhouette jumped out of the back passenger seat.

“Nolan, what are you—” an exasperated male voice was cut short as the door slammed back shut.

Crap. My stranger-danger senses kicked in, knowing this situation can go either good or bad real quick.

With haste, I pushed myself back off the ground and crossed my arms over my chest, concealing a more feminine part of myself I didn’t particularly want visible through my sopping wet pajama set. The lightweight material clung to every curve I had to offer.

“Is everything okay? Are you in trouble?” The freshly soaked stranger squinted his eyes at me through the downpour. His voice didn’t sound familiar, but the concerned tone felt genuine.

My weight shifted. “For, uh, the most part, I think. Could you tell me what street this is?”

A crack of thunder made us both jump.

“Uh…” he laughed nervously, blinking up at the storm. “I dunno, Countyline Road? Are you lost?”

I shivered, then grimaced. How’d I end up on Countyline? I could be anywhere between a seven-minute walk up to possibly an hour. Surely not... the latter would be ridiculous.

I glanced back up, squinting from the bright headlights. “I just need to get to Summit Street. If you can tell me which direction that’s in, I’ll be good to go.”

“Oh, we could drop you off.” He gestured towards the car. “We have room. It’s not any trouble—”

“No, it’s fine. I can walk. But thank you for the offer.” I dreaded the response, but I couldn’t just get into a stranger’s car… with more strangers! What if they kidnapped me? I’d like to think I could fend for myself and put up a good fight. But I would surely have to rely on luck - which coincidentally, seemed to be on the slim side tonight.

When I took a step, he pressed his hands together as if he were about to beg. “Look, I know what you’re thinking. You probably think I’m a total creep!” He laughed, then winced, as if he hurt his own feelings. “But I’d never forgive myself if I let a girl walk home in the middle of a nasty night like this. I swear, it’ll eat at me for the rest of my life - and your knees are even scraped up!”

My gaze dropped to my knees. I hardly noticed the minor pain with everything else going on. Thin streaks of blood ran down my calf, mixing with the rain. It happened when I reached out for that man. For Reks.

Now’s not the time. I breathed in, pushing thoughts of him away.

“It’s not too much trouble?” I asked, inwardly cringing at how easily I caved.

Oh, the lecture my dad would have if he knew what I agreed to. Only a month out of high school, and you’ve already forgotten stranger-danger 101? The basics, Aims!

“Totally, no problem-o! We can drop you off in a flash.” He beamed with triumph, beckoning me to follow him.

I prayed the strangers weren’t psychos when rushing over on tiptoes and sliding into the backseat of their vehicle. If things were to go sideways, the spontaneous plan that formulated in my brain was to wildly kick at the perpetrators to provide distance - bonus of long legs - and jump out of the car and sprint for the woods. Since I’m sopping wet, it would be hard for them to get a grip on me without slipping. And with this night storm, I’d surely lose them. Yeah. That oughta do it.

“Thank you,” I said, sliding a seatbelt across my waist.

“Woah, woah, woah — who made me a damn Uber driver?” came the same exasperated voice from before.

The car’s interior light turned on, revealing two others sitting in the front. Nolan, I think, quickly slid in after me and closed the door. At first glance, the three appeared to be around my age, eighteen. Maybe a little older.

The girl in the shotgun seat shrugged off her jacket. “Sakes. You’re freezing to death! Here, put this on.” She insisted, leaving no room for protest as she pushed the jacket into my lap.

I pushed my drenched arms through the puffy sleeves and pulled it in close to my shivering body. Gratitude instantly swelled within me. “Thank you so much.” It was warm from her wearing it already, and the fragrance of pine trees and roses resonated over it.

My appreciation for her went through the roof when she turned the heat on, too. It takes guts to turn the heat on in the middle of July in Oklahoma. I hadn’t even learned her name yet, but the decision of making her my new friend had been officially made.

The driver turned around in his seat far enough to where he could glare at Nolan. By the similar structure of their faces, the two guys resembled each other like brothers. They shared the same strong nose, mid-set cheekbones, square jaw, and athletic build. However, the way they presented themselves was at total odds. “Nolan…” the driver said in a warning tone. “Care to explain?”

Nolan, who continued to buckle his seatbelt beside me, grinned sheepishly. “We’re driving her home because that’s what good human beings do! Am I right?”

“You’re joking. We’re in the middle of—” he shot me a pointed glare before directing it back at Nolan. "We're in the middle of shit."

“It’s fine, Nikoe.” The girl cut in, then turned to offer me a friendly smile. “I’m Danika. These two knucklehead brothers are Nolan and Nikoe. Don’t mind them. They’ll argue ’til the oceans run dry.”

“I’m Amelia.” I gave an awkward half wave. “I really appreciate you not running me over.”

“We’re dropping her off on Summit Street,” Nolan added in, patting Nikoe on the shoulder.

He shrugged his brother’s hand off and grumbled under his breath when putting the car back in drive. “Any particular reason why you’re hitchhiking in the middle of a storm? Or are you just crazy?” The question came off rude, but I couldn’t blame the guy. I was just glad they didn’t turn out to be a group of crazies themselves. Well, not yet at least. My hand stayed on the seatbuckle and I was ready to kick the hell out of anyone who tried something devious.

“Oh, you know… just your casual sleepwalk to the park.” I lied on the spot. Well, that could have been what really happened. Right? Even still, it felt like a big, fat lie. It caused the side of my neck to ache from the phantom pain.

Nolan whistled.

“Wow.” Danika shot me a glance over her shoulder. Her sleek, mocha hair barely skimmed her deep olive skin that seemed to already be blessed with the perfect summer tan, which would probably take me until the very end of summer to attain if diligent enough. “That’s why you’re out here? It’s surprising the weather didn’t wake you the moment you left your home.”

Nolan laughed. “You must be a pretty deep sleeper, huh?”

“Looked like she saw a ghost if you asked me…” Nikoe mumbled under his breath.

As if Nikoe’s comment acted like a flint, it triggered a shiver of serpentine whispers to slither in my mind.

~Save him.~

~Save you.~

~Find Sio.~

Strange images shuffled all too quickly through my mind.

I shuffled in my seat, uncomfortably gripping the side of my neck. It was all I could do to keep the fray of rising concern at bay, holding the questions back until I was alone again. I'd prefer to panic in peace, please and thank you.

To keep my heart rate down, I focused on the pitter-patter of rain hitting the car roof, using the sound like a white noise against the invasive silvery mantra.

“It doesn’t make sense to me either,” I said in a softer tone, staring blankly at the droplets rolling down the window.

“Yeah… what a crazy way to make some new friends, huh? It makes for a fun 'how'd ya meet' story to share.” Nolan grinned, running both hands through his wet, sandy blonde hair. As he did, water dripped around his seat. He was proving to be quite the optimist.

“Ay! How about try keeping the rain in your hair?” Nikoe glowered at his brother through the rearview mirror. “It’s going to smell like wet-Nolan in here, for Fate’s sake.”

I frowned at his remark. Fate’s sake?

“Ah, come on.” Nolan simpered, completely unaffected by his brother’s always-the-bridesmaid-never-the-bride attitude. “What harm could a little rain do? Besides…” he paused, lifting his arm up to sniff his wet sleeve. Then he moved his arm in front of my face, speaking in a hushed tone. “Does this smell like fresh linen to you?”

My nose crinkled in amusement, taking a sniff. “Like it just came out of the washer.”

Nikoe scoffed, taking the next left turn down Summit Street. “Oh sure, take the dork’s side — not the guy who’s driving you home out of the goodness of his heart.”

I snorted, and Danika tipped her head back in a laugh. “See what I mean, Amelia? It never ends.”

When Nolan drew his arm back, the ring on his finger stole my attention - like a raven spotting something shiny from above. A dark opal band sat loosely around his middle finger.

The blood drained from my face in that time slowing revelation.

A subdued, cold pain pressed against my thoughts as if the cobra itself subtly reminded me of the opal ring it had shown me from before. The image was clear in my mind, and it matched Nolan’s ring like its twin. A burning sensation stung at the back of my eyes. My jaw locked in tight terror.

Tunnel vision enveloped my sight in an instant. Suddenly, it was like I had been submerged deep underwater. An intense pressure weighed down on my eardrums. The serpent’s insatiable hunger swarmed my thoughts. Images of the black opal ring pulsed in a heavy rhythm.

“—you forget?” the end of Danika’s question reached me.

The pain and pressure subsided in a slow decline. “F-forget?” I repeated through clenched then unclenched teeth, meeting her curious stare.

My mouth went dry.

My mind must be playing tricks on me. Or I really had been bitten and the venom is beginning to take effect. Do I need a hospital? Crap.

“Where you live, Sleepwalker.” Nolan filled in the blank. The ring looked loose on his finger, as if a size too big. And after being out in the rain, it looked ready to slip off any second now.

“Oh. Right.” I blinked, concentrating on keeping my breathing steady in front of them, barely holding in the panic brewing inside of me. “It’s uh… oh! The next driveway on the left.”

Nikoe slowed down the car with a slight jolt to make the turn on time, then drove down the narrow dirt driveway until pulling in behind my best friend’s jeep.

As if on cue, the porch lights flicked on and the front door swung open. Dressed to impress in her Grumpy Cat pajamas, Blaire stepped out on the front porch wearing my old rainboots and gripping onto a random baseball bat. She would have looked more intimidating if it weren’t for her petite, five-foot-nothing stature and lovable tawny dimples.

My fingers shook while wrestling with the seatbelt for a second too long, which gave Nolan enough time to roll down the passenger window facing Blaire. “Hey batter, batter!” He called out. “We’ve got that blue-eyed blondie you hit outta the park.”

Blaire tensed up, readying her bat as she stepped out into the rain. Even her lame attempt at a mean-mug was too adorable to be remotely intimidating. Like a Disney princess trying to look mean when she is everything but.

“What does she plan on doing with that old bat?” Nikoe mumbled under his breath, watching her scrupulously.

I fumbled with the seatbelt a second longer before it finally came undone. “Blaire, it’s fine!” I opened the door and slid out, moving around the back of their car so Blaire could see I wasn’t in a hostile situation.

Her grip around the bat loosened, her mouth twisting into one that expressed both relief and frustration. “Amelia Shaye Drake! Do you have any idea what time it is? I’ve been worried sick!” she ran over and trapped me in one of her famous bear hugs, squeezing the life out of me. With our height difference, Blaire’s head always hit my shoulders, making it to where her beachy curls tickled my neck. “What happened? Who are these people?”

Sure, throw my full name out there. Want to give them my social security number while you’re at it?

“I know, I know…” I wiggled out of her strong bear hug, wiping away rain from my face to no avail. I refrained from chastising her for saying my last name in front of strangers. “I’ll explain everything once we’re back inside the house.”

“Aren’t you two kinda young to be living on your own without guardians of some sort?” Nikoe asked as his window rolled down.

“Oh, my dad’s here.” I lied, knowing full well he got stuck working the night shift at the fire station tonight.

I noticed Nolan’s gaze flicker over to the girly pale blue jeep in the driveway, no other vehicle in sight. My dad’s motorcycle was currently in the shop, so he borrowed the old pickup he passed down to me when I turned sixteen. Nolan caught me staring at his revelation and offered a knowing smile, like he was in on the secret.

“You’re lucky I heard you pull up when you did!” Blaire added on. “That scary man would be breathing fire if he knew you were missing.”

A laugh nearly bubbled up from how badly her attempt at backup sounded. My dad was a teddy bear to a fault. Heck - if he was here, he’d likely invite them in for some coffee and by the time they were leaving, he’d have given them another invitation to come over. “Yeah, it’d probably be best if we went back inside.”

Then a barely audible gasp reached my ears. It was a gasp I was all too familiar with – one Blaire specifically made when she caught sight of a cute boy.

“Omigod, hi! I’m Blaire Bailey.” She stepped towards their car and shook both brothers’ hands, then Danika’s hand when she leaned over Nikoe from the shotgun seat.

I blinked invisible irritation at the back of her head.

Sure, Blaire. Go flirt with the cute brothers while I just stand here with a possibly lethal invisible snake bite I may or may not be imagining you know nothing about! Oh no, of course I can wait.

The complaining continued in my head while Nolan and Nikoe traded off telling Blaire their versions of how they found me. Danika chimed in, being the voice of reason between the two brothers.

“Jeez, I can’t believe that happened.” Blaire said after hearing the explanation of events. She scrunched her eyebrows dubiously. “Hard to believe you actually slept-walked down Countyline. You could have died!”

I shivered, growing frustrated with every passing second of standing in the rain and trying to divert my eyes from Nolan’s ring. “Sorry to cut things short, but I’ll be sick if I stay out here any longer. Thank you again for driving me home.” I said, shrugging off Danika’s jacket.

“Oh, hold on—” Nolan pulled out his phone, pushing his door open. “I need to get one of your numbers.”

“Nolan, the lady killer.” Danika shook her head with an amused roll of her eyes.

Nikoe shot him a sharp look.

Blaire grinned from ear to ear, happy to be the one to type her number into Nolan’s phone. He had the newest iPhone, released less than a week ago. He still hadn’t changed the default background picture.

I pulled the jacket over my forearms then offered it to Nolan after Blaire saved her number in his phone. My heart raced as the smooth band grazed across my fingers during the handoff.

His lips parted in question.

“Thanks again. Hope y’all get back home safely.” I stepped back, crossing my arms against my chest with my fists clenched tight. I beckoned Blaire to follow me back to the front door.

“Nice meeting you!” Danika called out.

“See you around, Sleepwalker.” Nolan closed his door, then Nikoe started to back the car out of the driveway.

Blaire waved them off as we stepped on the porch, watching their car pull out of the driveway and back onto the street. After another couple seconds, their taillights disappeared in the night storm.

My hand slipped nervously around the doorknob before getting it to fling open. Once inside the house, Blaire softly slapped the back of my arm. “I am totally telling your dad y’all need like three deadlocks on the front door!” she pointed a manicured finger at my nose, squinting her pure brown eyes. “Since when do you sleepwalk anyway? We’ve been besties for over ten years, and you’ve never done that before!”

I pushed her accusatory finger out of my face. “I’m freaked out, too. And since when do you give out our first and last names to strangers in the middle of the night?”

Blaire huffed, hands landing firmly on her hips. “Since when do you get rides from strangers?”

I pinched the bridge of my nose, holding back tears. “Fair point.” I tried to cover up the swelling emotions with a laugh.

Blaire sighed, giving me a softer hug this time. “I’m really, really glad you’re okay.”

I wanted to confess everything to her — the dream, the scary iridescent cobra, him… but something stopped me. A strange resistance deep inside held it all in, refusing to budge. Invisible bars slammed down around those thoughts, caging them in.

“Well…” Blaire yawned, stretching her small arms up as high as they could go. “It’s nearly two in the morning. I’mma try to get some sleep if I can. Don’t want to be tired when we leave for our beach vaca tomorrow... er, today.” She locked the front door, slid off my old rain boots, then sauntered off to the guest bedroom, which was practically hers with how often she spent the night.

When she closed the bedroom door behind her, my back leaned against the wall, and I slumped down to the carpet. I closed my eyes, thumping the back of my head against the wall.

After working up the courage, I stared down at my clenched fist. The knuckles had turned white from being that way for the past few minutes, since parting ways with my new acquaintances.

My breath shook as I loosened my grip.

In the middle of my palm laid Nolan’s ring.