Shadow Moon Series Book 3

Throughout her life, Lisa had been sheltered from the world’s evil. She had often read in newspapers and seen on television about young women being abused and killed. Fleeting moments of sadness for them would arise, only to be tucked away in the back of her mind.

Now, she was about to become one of them, a fleeting memory before being lost to the world.

“Hel….” Her pleas came out muffled as a strong hand covered her mouth, stifling her voice and restricting her air. Tears streamed from her eyes as the harsh reality set in. Tonight, she would be killed, and there was no way to save herself.

The man loomed over her terrified body, his black eyes filled with hatred glaring down at her. His free hand roamed up and down her body as he used his lower half to pin her to the hard road, small stones digging into her back. The pain was intense, but Lisa was more concerned about what was to come than her current discomfort.

“Mmmm…,” she pleaded.

A smirk tugged at the man’s lips as he pressed deeper into her. Her strength was gone as she tried to wiggle, only bringing him closer. Suddenly, she froze as she felt something hard press into her stomach, her eyes widening in fear of what could happen next.

“You smell delicious,” the man’s voice rasped.

Pain pierced her cheek as sharp nails dug into her soft flesh, warm liquid trickling down. The man lowered his face to hers, his warm breath caressing her and a wet tongue replacing his fingers.

Bile rose in her throat as she felt him lick up her blood. He lifted his head, allowing her to see the red on the edge of his mouth. As he smiled, she was hypnotized by his white teeth stained with her blood.

Lisa’s heart rate doubled when she saw his canines. She had never seen such teeth on a man, if that’s what you could call him. Rough fingers grazed her stomach as the man ripped her shirt up, renewing her fight for freedom.

“Ahhh..” She tried to scream once more.

It was futile, only making the man’s smile widen, revealing more of his teeth. An image of her lifeless body flashed in her mind, her eyes vacant with her throat ripped out.

“Shhh,” the man whispered, his hand leaving her stomach, slowly moving down.

All Lisa could do was lay there as he explored her body, his unwanted touch gaining access to her hidden areas. The man took a deep sniff as his fingers lightly grazed her core, sending her body into convulsions as she sobbed harder.

“I know you want it. They always do,” the man rasped next to her ear.

Lisa violently shook her head, but he ignored her. Cool air brushed her legs as the man ripped off her pants, the tearing sound echoing in her ear.

His fingers wrapped around her tightly, grabbing her so hard, she silently screamed. It pleased him since his smile still grew, making him look crazed. One finger slowly trailed over her leg, stopping at the edge of her panties.

“Aahhh…” She needed him to stop, but the more she struggled, the more he seemed to enjoy it, crave it even.

The will to live left her body as the man grabbed her panties, tearing them away. So, this is how she would die—raped and killed by a sociopath.

Lisa closed her eyes, praying that it would be over soon, praying for a swift end.

The heavy weight holding her down suddenly disappeared, enabling her to breathe deeply again. The sounds of bones crunching and liquid splashing to the ground were all she heard as her eyes squeezed shut, anticipating the pain to follow. But nothing.

Slowly, she peeked out. Stars lit up the sky as she glanced all around, the man was gone. Lisa blinked a few times, confused at what was happening.

“Gggrrrr.”

Lisa shot up, her gaze seeking the source of the unfamiliar sound. To her right was the man, or what she presumed was the man.

Dark fur sprouted from his body; his size doubled. She remained frozen as her eyes focused on him. His back had expanded to double its size, the clothes he was wearing torn, clinging to his body by a mere thread.

Lisa knew she had to escape while he was distracted, but what she was seeing was impossible, her curiosity piquing.

“Run.”

The silky voice spoke, the sound leaving butterflies flapping in her stomach. The man’s voice was rougher, not the same as the new one.

As Lisa moved her head an inch, a blur of white caught her attention. The figure hurled itself toward the man, moving faster than she could see.

“NOW.”

This time, the voice was urgent, and she finally listened. Without missing a beat, Lisa jumped up, ignoring the pain in her scraped palms and bruised back.

Her bag and its contents lay scattered all over the road, but she ignored it, instead making a break for it. One of her shoes was gone, making her run uneven. Fighting ensued behind her, but she missed it as she ran down the street, her breathing loud and heavy.

Houses lined the road with most lights turned off. Lisa needed to call the cops, but her fear for the innocent lives won out. If she involved the occupants for help and the man returned, it would be her fault for their deaths.

“Aaahhh…”

The hard ground rushed up as she was knocked down. A heavy force had slammed into her, forcing her down.

Pain exploded in her temples when her head hit the ground, her vision becoming blurry. Her body went slack as the pain overrode her senses, making it difficult to move.

Flashes of shadows jumped across her body as she was flipped over, soft moans escaping from her. Her eyes fluttered open and close, the need for sleep taking over.

“Mine.”

Lisa vaguely recognized the voice, but she couldn’t place it. All she wanted to do was sleep.

“Stay awake.”

The soft voice was back, but as much as she wanted to hear more, her eyes felt heavy. Darkness crowded her senses as she happily gave in, her eyes closing.

The pain from before evaporated, replaced by calm.

Cold fingers wrapped around her neck, lifting her up. “No,” Lisa mumbled, not having the energy to fight this person.

All she wanted to do was sleep, and they wouldn’t let her.

“Open your mouth,” the soft voice urged.

Lisa lightly shook her head, not understanding the request.

“You need to drink this.”

Warm liquid dripped on her closed mouth. A small drop entered, the warm liquid landing on her tongue.

Heat engulfed her, a thirst she had never felt before raking her body. Lisa shot open her eyes, her gaze zeroing in on the source.

A white wrist was before her, blood dripping from a cut. Without a second thought, she latched on, drinking deeply.

“Go slowly.”

Lisa ignored the person who spoke, more interested in the blood. The pain vanished instantly, replaced by a feeling of euphoria.

She swore she could feel her skin mending, her bruised muscles healing, but she didn’t care. The warm liquid tasted like nothing she had ever had before, and she wanted more.

“That is enough.”

The source of the liquid was snatched from her mouth, leaving an empty feeling in its place.

“More,” Lisa moaned, not nearly satisfied. She lunged forward, prepared to fight for more, but suddenly black spots clouded her vision. Her head felt light as the world began to spin.

The hand holding her neck placed her down on the ground, and she welcomed it.

“Whasgggghh.” Her words were incoherent as the world spun faster.

“Shh. You are going to be all right.”

With the last of her energy, Lisa shifted her head to the source of the voice. Above her gaze was a man with pure white skin. If it were any other night, she would believe it was all a dream, but as she locked onto his eyes, she knew it was not.

An endless black pit stared down at her, the same eyes as the man. Fear gripped her before she passed out. “Monster,” was her last word.

Roger watched as the woman passed out, relief washing over him, knowing he had saved her. She looked so peaceful as she slept, so like she did.

Her blonde hair felt like satin in his fingers, the scent of flowers bombarding his nose. With a final glance at her restful state, Roger stood up, cradling her in his arms.

“I will protect you, Rebecca,” Roger whispered as he walked into the darkness.

***

Demon eyes gazed down at her as blood dripped from sharp teeth. Her body lay stiff as she watched them lower closer to her, slowly, as if teasing her about what was to come.

Lisa frantically tried to move, but she was frozen. All she could do was watch as the evil advanced upon her, see the death in their eyes.

Her eyes shot all around the room, noticing the darkness. No, she was not in a room but an endless void.

For a split second, her eyes left the demons, focusing on her body. Since there were no other senses, Lisa could feel her heartbeat. It sounded so loud in her ears; her chest felt like it would explode.

More darkness engulfed Lisa as she closed her eyes, willing her body to move. The gnarling of teeth inched closer to her, but she ignored it.

Never had she found herself in a place like this, making her wonder. Dreams of strange places had always plagued her, this situation was no exception.

Breathe.

Lisa willed her body to act, forcing herself to calm down. Ever since she was young, her nightmares had fueled her sleep, paralysis the norm.

The settings had always been different. A castle, in the middle of the woods, a dungeon.

Never was it this void with the only constant being the demons. Their shapes would differ, but their intent was the same.

Sometimes, they would kill her, and sometimes she would wake before they got close enough.

“This is just a dream,” Lisa spoke to herself. The sooner she woke up, the better it would be.

As she opened her eyes, the darkness was still around her, the demons still advancing. White eyes glared down at her, closer than before.

Lisa could make out small details, noticing they had no pupils: they were white. A memory flashed in her mind. The same eyes had lovingly stared at her before sleep had taken over, eyes she had never seen before.

“Wake up,” Lisa demanded of herself while she kept an eye on the demons. If she was killed in her dream, it was fine, but it still hurt her.

Hot air brushed Lisa’s arm, sending shivers down her spine. A foul smell emitted from the demons and as she looked up, their details became more visible.

Rough scales littered their heads, sharp white teeth open, inching closer to her. Lisa closed her eyes, readying herself for the pain that would soon follow.

Suddenly, an unseen force wrapped around her middle, tucking her away.

One second she was in the middle of nowhere, the next, her body landed on something soft. It had happened so fast that the impact knocked the breath out of Lisa.

Her eyes remained closed as her mind slowly returned. Her senses jumped alive as the effects of the void disappeared, replaced by feelings.

A soft tick of a clock sounded far off, the dials of the hands a sign of reality. Fresh air filled Lisa’s lungs, and she greedily gulped it up.

The action made her body shift, enabling the feeling of the surface beneath her to wrap around her. A soft yet cold material clung to her exposed skin, and the more she rubbed into it, the deeper she went.

It had been long since Lisa had felt anything as luxurious as this, but she couldn’t enjoy it. The ticking of the distant clock brought flashes of memory with it.

A dark night, the eyes of a beast, the feeling of helplessness. It came crashing down on her all at once, making Lisa’s breath hitch.

A tear escaped, slowly slipping down her cheek and landing next to her. The sound of her erratic beating heart replaced the clock’s ticking as she struggled with an onslaught of the previous night.

She had been walking home in the early hours of the morning, on the edge of tiredness, when she was suddenly attacked.

“It can’t be.” Lisa was fully aware of what almost happened to her. She had nearly been raped.

Lisa shook violently as she tried to get rid of the image. A monster on top of her, pressing her to the hard ground, while his disgusting hands groped her most sacred place.

Shivers shot up and down her spine as she relived the moment. Her worst fear had nearly come to pass, which she could not stop.

More tears followed the first as Lisa cried. Her body automatically moved into a fetal position as she tried to comfort herself.

As time wore on, she let it all out, allowing herself to experience it repeatedly until she was ready to face the world.

A faint light burst into her vision when Lisa’s eyes shot open. She had suddenly remembered a figure of white hovering above her and the sweetest nectar dripping down her throat.

Slowly, Lisa picked up her body, noticing a bed beneath her as she held her gaze to the light. It was an old-time bedside lamp, the shade a rusted brown-red color with frills hanging all around.

Upon closer inspection, Lisa noticed it was covered with dust, a thin layer clinging to the material.

Suddenly, movement from the edge of her vision captured her attention. Dread filled Lisa as she shot her head in the direction, but she took a calming breath when noticing an older gentleman.

His face peered around the doorframe, and all she saw were light eyes staring at her.

“Who are you?” Lisa cautiously questioned while crawling backward, her back slamming softly into the bedframe.

“I am so sorry to bother you. I was checking if you are all right.” The man stepped out from his hiding spot, fully revealing himself to Lisa.

“I am OK.” Her gaze remained on the man as he edged closer. Lisa took the time to capture his details.

He was about five foot four, with snow-white hair combed back. A tuxedo fitted his body, the pure black a stark contrast to his hair.

When he reached the light from the lamp, Lisa could make out his facial features. The lightest of green shone from his large eyes, spiderweb lines surrounding them.

A big round nose was plopped in the middle of his face, while thin lips lay beneath.

A small chuckle escaped Lisa as she felt a familiarity toward him. She realized he reminded her of the older man in Up, one of her favorite movies.

Only this man looked friendly, with his thin lips stretched into a smile.

“You seem to be feeling better.” The man had reached the edge of the bedding, stopping in his tracks.

After what had happened yesterday, Lisa knew she needed to be wary of strangers. But something in his voice told her she could trust him.

“I am. Thank you.” Lisa finally moved away from her safety spot.

She sat upright with her legs over the side of the bed, her feet planted on the floor. “How did I get here, though?”

Curiosity piqued as Lisa watched the man avert his gaze, choosing instead to look at the ground.

The feeling of helplessness returned, making her shoot up and step away from the man.

Her movement caught his eye as he looked up at her. “I mean you no harm.” The man kept his voice calm and soothing, but Lisa was not easily fooled.

“Then why won’t you tell me?”

“It…uh…” The man reached to loosen his tie, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down.

“It is complicated.”

Lisa was tired of waiting and took the situation into her own hands.

She advanced on the man, stopping mere inches from him.

If she was going to die, she would put up a fight this time. “Where am I?” Her voice was more profound as she asserted her authority.

The man’s eyes shot wide as he looked upon her, his mind split.

The master had told him to keep her oblivious toward him for as long as possible, but having a stare down made him hesitant.

With his mind made up, Micheal told the truth.

“My name is Micheal, and I am the butler of the master of the house,” he confessed.

“The one who saved you from the monster.”

Lisa’s eyebrow shot up as she listened to Micheal telling her his story, but he took too long to get to the point.

“Who is he?”

With a final glance at the door, Micheal looked back toward the woman in front of him.

She was the first female he had brought home, meaning she had to be remarkable.

“Roger Rosseau.”