Embracing the Monster Within [ONC 2024]

2

Ava stared at Celeana, not sure what exactly was happening. Was she asleep? Was this some strange fever dream that she was unaware she was having? This strange, ethereal Celeana claimed they were the moon, but that was impossible. She pulled her stunned gaze away to look outside her open door and at the moon. It was beyond impossible.

"There's no way," Ava spoke aloud, glancing back at Celeana. But was it? The figure that was standing in her living room certainly wasn't solid. They looked almost like –

"I know," Celeana said. "Like the aura around the moon." They sighed, inspecting their hands in front of them. "I've never quite figured out how to manifest myself as anything more than this. Perhaps I cannot."

"So you're just...here? Real?"

"I'm very real."

It was challenging for Ava to wrap her mind around what was happening. There seemed like no real possibility that the moon, of all things, could be there. That wasn't something that could happen, yet there they were – the moon was standing in her living room.

"How can you be here but then also be there?" Ava asked accusingly, still not quite believing that this person or thing, whatever they were, could truly be what it was they were saying.

"You have your doubts," Celeana answered, still inspecting their hands.

"I think any sane person would have their doubts," Ava huffed. "Have some strange whatever you are coming into their home insisting that they're the moon –"

"Because I am the moon."

"And how am I supposed to believe that?"

With an affected sigh, Celeana snapped their fingers, and the moon seemed to disappear. At least, that's what Ava thought until she looked closer, and it was like the moon had rotated swiftly. When Celeana snapped their fingers again, the moon swiftly turned back to being full, and with it came the sharp slapping of disturbed waves nearby and the grumpy noises of animals disturbed by the sudden change. Ava jumped, startled by the sudden cacophony that echoed out into the night and worried that a tidal wave would have occurred with the commotion.

"Do you believe me now?" Celeana asked.

Ava swallowed hard and nodded. How could she not believe Celeana now? "But why are you here, then?" Ava questioned, motioning towards the full moon. "Clearly, you should be there and not here."

"Well, sometimes I desire to find myself elsewhere. And I need something from you."

"What could you ever possibly need from me?"

"It's quite simple, really. Over time, my followers have dwindled, and I'm in need of new recruits."

"Okay? So what do I have to do with that? I don't know how your followers could have dwindled."

"The problem is that I'm looking for a very specific type of person to join me. And I believe that you're the right type."

"And what could the 'right type' be?" Ava asked, doing air quotes with her fingers at the words "right type." She still wasn't positive that she wasn't dreaming and hadn't fallen asleep hours ago. This felt almost like the sort of strange dream she could find herself having.

"Strong, powerful..." Celeana said, slowly crossing the room to stand in the still open doorway. With Celeana now in the doorway, the only direction Ava could go was further into her living room. She flinched slightly at the feral snarl that erupted from Celeana. "And someone who can survive one of my own."

One of their own? Ava thought to herself. She was about to reach out and grab the lamp sitting on the small table next to her couch but was rooted to the spot as Celeana stepped away from the door. She had been horribly mistaken about where the snarl had come from as it was evident that it had come from the hulking black mass of fur in front of her.