Blue Moon Rising

Prologue

July 30th, 1996, 10:35 pm

Screams pierced the otherwise quiet and peaceful night, drawing confused men, women, and children from their beds. The mothers hurried their children out of their homes and out into the commotion of the night, trying to herd them to the safety of the woods beyond. It was complete chaos. No one knew what was going on.

No one knew why any of it was happening. Dead bodies littered the ground in every direction. Marcus ushered his family out of the house, moving quickly, keeping one hand on his wife and daughter while trying to make sure that his body blocked them from view.

Once they were at the edge of the forest with the others, he turned and hurried back into the madness that had become of the small cluster of houses they had all worked so hard to turn into homes. The sound of automatic rifles exploded into the night, making his ears ring and disorienting him.

The sharp scent of silver stung his nostrils and made his stomach twist into knots. The muzzle flashes seemed to come from every direction. Even women and children were trapped. They were being herded, pushed back farther and farther from the woods back toward the center of the clearing.

He watched it all, shocked by the way that the attackers were moving as one large Unit; working together as a pack. He darted through the walkways and paths that led between the small houses, sheds and other buildings toward his father’s house at the far north edge of their quaint little neighborhood.

Marcus came to a sudden stop a few hundred yards from his father’s house and quickly ducked down behind some bushes so that he wouldn’t be seen. Marcus’ younger brother Allan stood before their father, forcing him to kneel at gunpoint with several soldiers dressed in black standing in a semi-circle around him as backup. All of the soldier’s guns were trained on their father.

Allan held a small, wriggling wolf pup in his hand by the scruff. The pup whimpered and worked her front paws in the air helplessly. Allan sneered derisively at their father and pulled a blade from a sheath at his hip and soundly slit the pup’s throat. Marcus lifted his hand in a halting motion as he felt several of his brothers and sisters come up behind him. “There’s nothing we can do for them now.

They are all armed with silver. Even as fast as we can move, we’d only take out a few of them before the others would put us down.” Sorrow for the loss of his family welled within him, but his words were firm. Allan tossed the lifeless pup to the ground and then three more men dragged a woman from the house and forced her to her knees in front of Allan and Marcus’ father.

A dark smirk curled Allan’s lips as the woman let out a scream at the sight of the murdered pup. “My baby!” She wailed and tried to lunge for the lifeless pup. “Tisk tisk mother, I thought you were stronger than that.” Allan chided, then grabbed her by the hair and motioned for some help from the soldiers.

Two of them quickly moved forward and grabbed the woman by the arms to keep her still while Allan continued to hold her by the hair. “Or have you forgotten that I’m your baby too? ” Ann?” Their father’s voice wavered a little as he spoke. “Ann look at me. Just look at me, okay? “Ann sobbed softly, but she turned her head as much as Allan’s grip would allow.