Riley's Curse, A Moon's Glow Prequel (8 page)

The aisles were loaded with everything I
needed, right down to the paint. I perused the colors and decided
on white with green trim for the outside, eggshell blue for the
kitchen, and pale green for my bedroom and parlor.

I loaded everything I needed onto the wooden
counter. “Well hello there, you’re new around here. Are you
visiting, or did you just move to town?” a pleasant woman, with
chestnut hair asked. She was wearing a blue floral dress, and blue
hat. Her coffee colored eyes were kind when she smiled. She
appeared to be about the same age as my mother.

I tipped my cap at her, giving her a small
smile. “Yes, I just moved into the old Riley cabin yesterday.”

“Oh my heavens! Way out there? I hope you’re
not all by yourself?”

“Yes I am, Ma’am,” I said nodding to her,
hoping she would not ask why.

“Oh, are you a relative of the Riley’s?”

“I am a cousin. My name is William.”

She held out her hand to shake mine, her hand
was warm, her grip strong for a woman of her age. “Hello William,
welcome to Baycrest. I hope you like it here. My name is Clara
Matthews.” She rang everything through, and gave me the total. It
was quite a bit, but I needed a lot. I really didn't want to have
to go to town often. The whole point in coming here was to live a
solitary life so I could get a handle on my new situation. It would
be difficult if I became social with the townspeople, and if I had
to come often for supplies that might happen.

Once I said my goodbyes to Clara, I carried
my packages back outside to load the buggy. As I bent over
arranging the items in the small carriage, I heard a couple of
young voices, coming up behind me. With them, I could smell the
scent of honeysuckle, and cinnamon. Finishing my task, I stood up,
noticing two girls my age walking toward me. They blushed, smiled
and giggled as they made their way passed. If they knew what I
really was, I’m sure they wouldn’t be smiling at me. I ignored them
and hopped up onto the seat and prepared to head for home.

Back at the cabin, I started on my work,
beginning with the inside first, hoping the paint would be dry
before I came in for the evening. The furniture was easy to move
into the center of the room with my new werewolf strength. The
kitchen didn't take long, since most of the walls were covered with
shelves. As I worked on the bedrooms and parlor, I let my mind
wander to the day I decided to court Lucy. I had had feelings for
her for quite sometime, but had never acted on them. One day Henry
and I were playing the new sport called basket ball, using one of
my mothers old baskets. We had nailed it up on the barn door and
were taking turns throwing the ball.
Thump, thump, thump,
Henry bounced
the ball against the packed-in
dirt
.
"
Are you going to throw
it? Or are you just going to bounce it?" I called to him
playfully.

He grinned at me before tossing it in. "I
believe that’s five to your measly three." He replied, smirking at
me. "And it's your turn to get the ball out."

The only problem with basketball was that you
had to constantly climb a ladder to pull the ball out of the
basket. By the time I made my way back down the ladder, ball in
hand, Lucy was standing beside Henry, smiling at me. "Can I play?"
she asked, her pale blue dress was fancy. Her hair was up under a
matching bonnet. She had been to see my mother for tea and
scones.

"I'm sorry Lucy, but I don't think your
mother would appreciate you getting your pretty dress all dirty." I
leaned against the barn door, with the ball in my hand. "Besides
this is a game for boys." Henry chuckled beside her.

Lucy narrowed her eyes and stuck out her
chin. "Oh really?" I nodded my head and I couldn't help the grin
that appeared. "How about a challenge then. Since I'm just a girl,
you don't have to worry."

"What do you mean by challenge?" I asked.

She took the few steps that separated us and
yanked the ball out of my hand. "If I get more baskets than you,
you have to admit that girls can play games as well as boys." Both
Henry and I laughed at that one, but were cut short by her scowl.
"And, you have to court me."

I gaped at her, unsure if I had heard right,
but by Henry's laughter, I gathered I had. "You… want me to court
you…Why?"

With a roll of her eyes, she answered, "Do I
really have to spell it out for you?" She said. When I continued to
stare at her dumfounded by her statement, she went on. "You know
that I came out last year?" I nodded. "Well, Cecil Barnes has been
sniffing around Papa, asking about me, and I don't want to marry
him."

"But you want to marry me?"

She bounced the ball in her hand. "You've
been sweet on me since we were kids and dared me to jump off the
rafters. And I guess being tied to you wouldn't be so
terrible."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Only
Lucy would ask a man to court her this way. Actually, I hadn't
heard of any other girl doing the asking. I was so shocked by her
behavior, I could only nod.

She grinned. "Okay, stand back," she
instructed, holding the ball out, before tossing it upward. As the
ball bounced above the basket, I held my breath uncertain of the
outcome I was hoping for. It skidded along the top before sliding
in. Lucy cheered, and my heart soared. Apparently I wanted her to
win.

When my turn came, I purposely threw the ball
too far. Henry eyed me curiously, knowing what I had done. But how
could I not let her win, when her face was so flushed with
happiness.

Of course she won, and I never told her that
I threw the game. She might have won fair and square, but I didn't
want to take that chance. How often do you find a girl so strong
minded that she would make you start to court her?

That afternoon, I made my way to her father
dressed in my Sunday clothes. The first words out of his mouth
after I asked him were, "what took you so long?"

I chuckled to myself at the memory. It was
getting easier to think of her without the searing pain in my
chest.

By the time I was finished with painting the
inside of the cabin, it was mid-day and I was hungry. I ate a
sandwich and admired the walls, they looked much better.

The next few hours were busy with sanding the
wooden siding and hammering the shutters back down. Once the
outside of the cabin was prepared, I began to apply the white
paint. The sun was just beginning to set when I was putting the
finishing touches on the last shutter. I cleaned the brushes, and
stowed all of my equipment in the barn, and then retreated into the
house to eat dinner.

The day had been filled with strenuous
activity, and I wasn't even tired. Before my transformation, my
muscles would be aching from the work, but not now. Other than my
memory of Lucy, I hadn't really even thought about my family, nor
had a chance to miss them. My mind had been occupied with the work
at hand.

After dinner, I sat down at the desk and
penned a letter to my parents. The lantern's glow gave out a lonely
feel, sending ghostly shadows all around the room. The only sound
was the wind whistling through the cracks of the wooden plank
walls. The smell of paint overpowered every other smell in the
room. Now that my mind was free from the chores that needed to be
done, memories of my family and friends returned to my thoughts,
leaving me feeling extremely lonely. The need for some contact from
my former life was overwhelming. I dipped my quill in the ink and
started writing, I tried to convey in my words that I was happier
than I felt.

Dear Mother and
Father
, I wrote, my hand
started to shake with the longing to see them. I took a drink of
water from the glass on the corner of the desk and started
again.

I’ve arrived at my new cabin, and have just
finished making it a home again. I painted the walls inside and
out, and cut down all the weeds. I could barely open the door, they
were so long.

Bessie and Franklin are adjusting as well.
The grass is abundant here so they have been stuffing
themselves.

I went to town today and met the storeowner.
Her name is Clara Matthews. She seemed friendly and welcomed me to
town.

I miss you all very much, but I will enjoy
being able to sleep in without the girls screaming outside my
door.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Love
Nathaniel
.

I folded the letter, and placed it in an
envelope, addressing it to both my parents. I did as my father
instructed and used the name William for the return address. I
would wait to take it to town the next time I needed supplies.

As the weeks passed without the company of my
family, my frame of mind deteriorated. Even though I had a few
chores left to finish around the cabin, my heart just wasn't into
it. I barely got out of bed in the mornings, some days all I did
was tend to the horses. I chopped wood, cooked for myself maybe
once a day, which probably wasn’t the best idea. Since I had become
a werewolf I had an enormous appetite.

A week after I mailed my letter, I received
one in return. I almost didn’t go to town. Unable to shake the
loneliness I felt, it was difficult to pull myself off the creaky
mattress. When Mrs. Matthews handed me the letter, my spirits
soared, and I was thankful I had left the cabin.

I rushed home, wanting some privacy when I
read my family's words. There was a letter from each of them. I
opened my mother's first.

Dear Nathaniel,

I was so happy when we received your letter.
I was driving the post master mad asking if there was a letter for
me. I hate that they think it is from our cousin, but we must keep
you hidden.

Is it so very lonely? You sounded homesick,
although I know you tried to hide it, but I am your mother, you
cannot fool me.

I laughed out loud, she was right, I couldn’t
fool her. I would have to try harder the next time.

The girls miss you terribly, they cry for
you almost every day. Rose say’s she will never forgive you for not
saying good-bye. I don’t know how I will tell her, but I know I
will have to soon. She doesn’t seem to believe that you went to
school early. She is almost thirteen and she might be able to
handle the truth. I just don’t know. I am a lot older and can
barely handle it myself. If I could get my hands on that woman who
did this to you, I would let her have it. I do not care what she
is.

We had the funeral for Eva’s brother a few
days after you left. The town is worried about the wolves attacking
again. I wanted to tell them it was okay, she was gone, but how
could I explain?

I hope you are doing well, and I can’t wait
to visit you. We are hoping to come soon. Please let us know when
you are up for it. I have wonderful news, I am pregnant and I hope
it is a boy. If it is, I will call him William, Nathaniel
Riley.

He will know you, Son. I don’t care what we
have to do, but you will meet your little brother.

I must sign off,

I love you so much.

Your mother

My chest swelled with emotion after reading
her letter three more times. I wasn't able to get to the rest for
fear of breaking down completely. Instead, I set them aside to read
at another time, and then went out to the stables to prepare
Franklin for a run. My spirits were a bit higher, and I was in the
mood to explore the property. Except once I put the saddle on him,
he bucked it off. It was one thing for him to lead me in the
carriage, another entirely for him to let me ride him. He had been
my horse before I was bitten, and we had ridden well together, but
now that I smelled differently he didn't trust me. After a few
attempts to mount him, he finally stilled, obviously realizing that
I wasn't going to give up. I had to lose my family for a time
because of what I now was, I wasn't losing him too. "It's okay boy,
it's just me. The same Nathaniel you've always known." I cooed at
him, rubbing his fur softly. With my words, he started down the
meadow at a slow trot. Eventually I prodded him to pick up his pace
and before long, we were racing through the property.

If it was possible, over the next few weeks
my mood darkened. The silence was unbearable and I missed home so
much more then I ever thought I could. I was not meant for
isolation.

Everything that needed to be done around the
cabin was finished. I now found myself bored, and with nothing but
books to occupy my thoughts, my mind often wandered to my parents,
my sisters, and to Lucy. I relived that horrible night more times
than I cared to admit, in my dreams, and in the brightness of the
day when I should be trying to move on. I dwelled on the past and
felt dreadfully sorry for myself. The only time I left the cabin
was when I went to town to mail and receive letters. I was running
out of food, but I didn’t care, I never had an appetite. Most days
I spent inside lying on my bed, asking God why this happened to
me.

One evening as usual, I was lying back on my
mattress, feeling week with hunger and yet didn’t have the energy
to move. Instead, I was reading Robinson Crusoe, hoping to change
my dreary thoughts.

When the sun went down I started to feel
tingling along my skin. I looked down and saw little hairs
springing up all over my body. I should have paid more attention to
the date. I forgot there was a full moon today, I wasn’t prepared.
It came on a lot faster this time and I barely made it out of the
cabin before my body transformed into a wolf. It was excruciating,
but since it was so quick, I almost didn't register the pain.

As soon as the wolf took over, all it could
think about was…FOOD! I should have eaten better while I was
human.