The Dog

Blood Moon

The men at the watchtower were sounding the alarm as I arrived into the town with the mounted bandits not far behind. I Immediately ran towards my home, my mother and father already waiting outside.

"Where in the world were you?!" My father whispered harshly towards me. "We were worried sick! What is happening?"

While gasping for breath I tried to explain myself. "I just wanted to take a walk." I quickly changed the subject to the more important issue at hand right then. "I saw bandits heading this way so I ran to the watchtower and informed them."

This would had been the second time bandits came to our town that I could remember. When I was six, Dronerd and his bandit crew, the Red Tails, came to our town. Father told me that the town had decided they would exchange food to the Red Tails and in return we would receive their protection. I was only a child and I knew that they where a nasty bunch. They "evil outside this town" as Father used to tell me.

Father told Mother and I to quickly guard ourselves behind him. "They're here but don't fret. Wont be long until they leave, these men just want food."

As I kept behind my father, things appeared to be off. "Why are they here at night?" I wondered.

Their horses trotted through our town with their leader, Dronerd, at front. "Where is our tribute?" Dronerd demanded.

"We already gave you this month's tribute for your protection, Dronerd" said our town elder.

"Well It seems we have a problem because we are here for more," stated Dronerd in an intimidating tone, "You see... we ran out and my men are hungry."

Our poor town elder shivering in fear, looked up to the mounted bandit and said, "if we give you what we have, what will we eat?"

After dismounting his horse, Dronerd confronted our elder and spoke menacingly, "if you don't give us the food, you will not live another day to eat it!"

In a cold stance Dronerd twirled his finger in a small circle, signaling his bandits to attack. Quickly and efficiently the men obeyed their command with swords swinging effortlessly into the unsuspecting town folk who dare be near enough. I watched in horror as one of those very men charged towards my beloved father. With an instant response, my father grabbed the pitchfork leaning abandoned against our house. Before the man had time to register my father's attack, he stabbed the fork in the direction of the incoming mounted man. The spears pierced the horses' flesh and its rider cast off, becoming trapped beneath his fallen horse. Without a second thought, my father retrieved his pitchfork and thrusted it into the bandit's neck.

As if sensing one of their own had perished, the Red Tails noticed their fallen comrade and momentarily halted their murderous rampage. Dronerd walked towards my family keeping his eyes focused on my father. The steel icy glare fixed into his stare had sent shivers up my spine and I cowered in the shadows. My father remained straight forward, his expression lacking any fear. When Dronerd was inches from my father, he observed his lost bandit with a heavy sigh.

"What a shame," the leader said solemnly before setting his gaze back on my brave father, "and you now know what this means"

My father did not falter as he gripped his pitchfork with confidence, "I will not allow you or anyone to lay a hand on my family."

"Is that so?" Dronerd chuckled while unsheathing his sword.

Without a moment of hesitation, my father charged the horrid leader with a will of steel. However, I observed in horror as his armor was broken by the true steel of the Dronerd's knife as it swiftly penetrated his chest.

"Father!" I cried, rushing towards his falling body. I placed my palms upon his gaping wound, applying pressure on a body I knew had already taken its last breath.

As I tried to support his lifeless body, I saw my mother had already fallen to her knees beside us. Never before had I seen such a pure soul cry like I did that wretched night. It was as if I was encountering an angel lose its wings. Still I tried with no reward to try and keep the bleeding at bay, however, my efforts were to no avail. The very thought of my father, this man who did not have to take me in yet did, leaving this earth caused bile to rise in my throat. The sight of all the blood resulted in the turning of my stomach and I was sure it was the ever flowing liquid that caused my conciseness to fade. As my body fell back I felt a single twitch in my right arm. The last thing my eyes graced was the moon as I discovered it a shade of red much like the blood staining my hands.

It was morning when I had finally awoke and to my surprise I was still breathing. Sleep fogged my mind as I tried to recall what had happened the night before. Distracting me from my recollection, a sharp sudden twinge shot through my arm. Casting my eyes towards the culprit, I began searching for the source. Lifting my sleeve slightly, I noticed my arm was covered in black veins and let out a small gasp. Surely this had to have been the damage done to I, I told myself as my eyes scanned the town that remained in ruins. I looked at the blood covering me and suddenly remembered my poor father. Quickly I pulled myself to my feet and my eyes took in the remainder of my town. I shivered. Everyone was dead. I rushed through the piles of mutilated bodies scattered across what I once called home. The blood soaked through the soil surrounding the corpses of my neighbors and friends. As I ran through the gory nightmare, I found my mother hugging my father's dead body.

"Ma!" I cried out with a sudden burst of joy. The tears stung my eyes as I came nearer. She hadn't moved or given a response. This did not stop me from rushing towards them. I cried onto her back and sobbed. "Ma?" I prodded her as the tears fell down my cheeks. Still I did not receive a response.

With all the strength in my small frame, I moved her over. And once I moved her, I saw.

My mother's face had been sliced three times, the flesh hung loosely from her jaw. Her eyes had been removed, thrown aside as if her murderer had never witnessed their loving touch. The remainder of her body was riddled with stab wounds. Some kind of beast...some monster...decided to take this angel from our earth.

I stood up, roughly wiping the tears from my eyes. Everything I had was now gone. And this crime, I would never soon forget.