In the Light of the Moon by Rachel Fry

In the Light of the Moon by Rachel Fry

Isaac and I sat out on the dock, watching the sunset.  I was pressed into his side, and our feet would occasionally bump as we swung them back and forth in the water. Sparky, our dog, was quietly snoozing on the dock next to us.  The sun reflected off the lake, making the last stretch of daylight appear longer and brighter than it was.  The sky was a sherbet orange, and it painted the clouds a soft yellow.  Behind us, night was emerging.  The sky transitioned from this glowing orange to a pastel pink and purple before disappearing completely into the black void that made up night.   

The stars smiled down at us.  Some twinkled while others remained steady in their place.  Isaac reached forward pointing out the different constellations while his other arm remained loose around my waist.  A sense of serenity surged through me as I gazed at the stars and listened to his quiet words while the crickets sung in the background.  Off to our left, there was a splash as a fish popped up at the surface of the lake for a moment before diving back into the inky water. Sparky let out a soft sigh as he shifted in his slumber. 

A shiver ran down my spine as the chill of the night began to seep in.  I wrapped my jacket tighter around myself and withdrew my feet from the lake.  The pace of the waves began to pick up, creating a faint sloshing sound as they broke on the shoreline.  A pleasant breeze ruffled my hair, causing me to tuck the loose strands behind my ear.  Isaac lightly squeezed my hip before turning towards me. 

“We should probably start heading in,” he suggested. I nodded and slowly stood up, toweling my feet off before tucking them back into my sneakers.  Isaac did the same before nudging Sparky.  The freshly roused mutt stretched out and languidly followed us off the dock.  The moon was a waning gibbous that partially light the dirt trail back to the cabin while Isaac fiddled with the flashlight, trying to get it to turn on.  After a couple smacks against his hand, it flickered on, illuminating the path ahead of us in yellow light. 

The once open meadow that the pathway had snaked through soon disappeared as it led into the woods, being lined on both sides with trees and foliage.  The cabin was about a ten-minute trek from the lake.  The occasional bat flew overhead, and I swore I heard the hooting of an owl.  Sparky huffed as he trailed a couple feet behind us as the long walk was getting tiring for his aging body.  My fingers were intertwined with Isaac’s, and we steadied each other whenever the footrail got too uneven.  The further we ventured into the forest, the quieter it got. 

The quiet of the night, however, was pierced by the shrill scream of a woman.  The noise resounded through the woods, and we both froze mid-step.  Sparky let out a gruff bark, causing dread to sink into my stomach.  Isaac shushed him, and I prayed that the dog hadn’t drawn attention to us.  There was a distant rustling off to the right.  My body tensed, my heart beat skyrocketed, and my wide-eyes peered in the direction of the noise.  That was the moment Sparky bolted.  In the blink of an eye, the canine disappeared from our sight in the direction of the rustling.   

My head slowly swiveled towards Isaac, feeling like rusty gears at work.  His eyes locked onto mine, and if it had been any other night, I would have noticed the way the moonlight caused those beautiful orbs to glisten.  However, as we warily stepped off the path and into the foliage, the only thing that stuck in my mind was the concern settled deep in that dark gaze of his.  His hand was tight on mine, and we led the search for Sparky. 

My skin crawled as low-hanging vegetation brushed against my bare legs.  I was pretty sure I had a couple cuts on my ankles from fallen branches.  Nevertheless, I was grateful for having had the foresight to put on sneakers instead of sandals before we had left the cabin earlier.  Behind me, Isaac’s heavy tread could be heard snapping branches.  I now had the flashlight, being in front.  I shined the light around in hopes of finding the lost dog.  I dared not to call out to our four-legged friend in fear of attracting attention from whatever caused the scream. 

TO BE CONTINUED...