Across the World

Prologue

THE clock inside the old house chimed, signaling the hour everyone was waiting. The night was clad in darkness. There was almost nothing seen in the whole area that their imagination aroused. Everyone there was silent. It was as if an angel had passed by or someone had unleashed a strong power so that they could all be soundless. No one spoke. They all looked like mannequins. Therefore, the suspicion in Luna’s heart began to grow when a woman shouted obscure words that ran through her mind.

“This is the night that the bridge for both worlds will open. This is the night that the moon will show its prowess to the world.” Luna sensed a great mystery that might happen any second. The wine glass she was holding was about to break because of her heartfelt variety of emotions, fear, nervousness, and different images that assaulted her mind. Luna seems to be regretting why she even attended the Feast of the Blood Moon. But that had been her passion since she was a child. She loved mysteries. Then she remembered what she had done in her youth.

Someone told her that if she looked in the mirror at midnight with a lit candle, she would see the man fated for her. When she heard this mystery, the feelings in her heart filled with both fear and joy. She didn’t know what would happen to her. She waited for none. No one appeared in the mirror. She then decided to take a rest.

She laid her body in bed. To her surprise, she saw a dark shadow standing by the door of her bedroom. The shape of a male, tall and with a slim physique, but she didn’t recognize his face. What did her eyes see? Was it someone or a ghost? It was a human form possessed by a dark shadow. She felt confused. Could it be the one destined for her? It was impossible! She felt frightened and covered her whole body with a blanket.

OUT of the blue, someone held Luna’s hands in the middle of the darkness, which brought back her senses. The vise-like grip pulled and dragged her--- it was so strong that she could not resist. She did not know where they were going until they stopped. She wondered where she was. The hold on her hand instantly loosened. She found herself lost.

“Where is that someone holding my hand?” she murmured. She felt her heart drum harder against her chest so that she could almost hear it pound. She took a chance and stepped forward blindly. But a cold gust of wind brushed against her face. She was temporarily distracted until someone pushed her to the ground.

“What’s happening?” she yelled. She tried to stand up despite the pain she felt in her head and yet, she could not rise because her leg was infirm. Then, all of a sudden, she struggled to breathe. Her eyes widened. In the middle of the darkness, a warm kiss touched her lips. She fiercely closed her eyes.

Until she noticed, the moonlight returned and the darkness began to fade. To her shock, she was out of the old house. All she could see in the yard was a tree standing before her. She looked around, but no one was with her.

"Who brought me here? Who kissed me?" she asked herself. She got up and turned away from the tree. As she was walking into the yard, suddenly she could not move her body. "I am constantly monitoring and watching you," a mysterious voice answered from behind her. She quickly looked around. She didn't see any humans around. Suddenly, someone gripped her neck and hugged her waist. She felt numb all over her body. Tears welled in her eyes.

"If you try to hide or stay away from me, I will burn the ground and dig you from its ashes. You're mine!" the male voice roared out. She could neither talk nor breathe. Fear engulfed her. She closed her eyes, and completely lost consciousness.

“WAKE UP... Wake up..." a female voice called out while shaking her shoulders. Luna slowly opened her eyes and saw the woman staring at her. Her eyes were blinking. Her head was in pain. "I saw you lying here. Are you okay? What are you doing here? The Feast of the Blood Moon has ended. Everyone was packing their things and starting to go home," the woman informed her. She did not speak. Feeling weak. She stood up. She tried to walk even if her body felt weak. She needed to leave the place immediately. A series of questions flooded her as she trudged.

“What happened to me? Why am I lying in the yard of the old house? Was it just a dream, or did it really happen? Words played on her mind. She quickly reached home even though her foot was heavy from pain. The old house wherein they celebrated the Feast of the Blood Moon was not far from their home. That was why she had the courage to attend the feast even if she stayed up late at night.

She went straight to her room while her mind was embroiled. She took a deep breath while staring at every corner of her room. Darkness filled the area. She opened the window so that the moonlight served as light for the darkness. She laid on her bed like a log and she wondered what happened to her. She could not get it out of her head.

“Was it just an illusion of the moon, or was it a mystery that enclosed my mind?” She shook the thoughts out of her head and slowly touched her lips. The memory of a warm kiss lingers. She gently closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep. She wished, when she awoke, the memory would magically disappear as she woke up.