Moonlighter

Shadows Gate

Kye's POV

The fading sun only meant one thing, the moon was soon to follow.
The Shadows Gate is my own personal hell as I wait for the power that the moon brings me. Moonlighters consider the Shadows Gate the entrance to the other side. It is an entrance that we do not have access to.
I remember my first day there. I woke up in a fog on a beaten dirt path clutching my chest. I looked around at the wooded forest taking in the darkness of the night. I could feel the presence of shadows surround me, and I knew I was not there alone. I learned the others had arrived there just like I had, dazed and confused. I knew I was dead, but I didn't know what I had become. The Moonlighters became my only companions as we waited desperately for the light. Being a Moonlighter meant powers that were unimaginable in the human life. Anyone would die, literally die, to be a Moonlighter. I was the exception. I had never wanted to be a Moonlighter, I just wanted to die in peace. What peace was there in watching the living when we were frozen in time for most of eternity? I had waited centuries for my peace to come, for my time as a Moonlighter to come to an end. Unlike the others, the prospect of living again never crossed my mind.

It was an ordinary outing as I took my walk down the road. The street was as empty and silent as it always had been. I looked at the Crenshaw estate remembering what it was like in its prime. People would travel from just about anywhere in order to step foot into the house. Laughter could be heard down the road and the stage coaches would line the fence. It was where dreams began and where I made them happen. I was supposed to be the most sought after man of the town. The worn down stone steps always reminded me that they are only memories now. I made my way onto the dim lit porch. I touched the railing that was all too familiar to my fingertips.
I hopped over and sat on the ledge staring out to the open road, that was when she spoke to me. Her brown eyes unleashed fury at my existence as her brown locks feverishly swayed in the breeze of the night. She was far beyond beautiful in her vulnerable state. I had not interacted with a human in centuries. I eyed her curiously. I could not help but laugh at her stern tone and glaring eyes. I did not feel obligated to answer her questions but I did want to challenge her. When I told her I was a Moonlighter her response was comical. I could not help but laugh. She was quite a peculiar girl and she had taken me by surprise when she said I was "Sexy." Now I was intrigued. A small part of me wanted to know what her reaction would be if I told her the truth. I was determined to make her see that I was truly dead when I heard the deciever making his rounds. I could not let him have her. For a split second, I wondered why I had cared so much. She looked so fragile, so breakable, yet she wanted to be strong. I admired her for that. I had known the minute I saved her from the Deceiver, that our lives were intertwined. This was the bond that brought the parallels of our universes together. She would not be able to understand. I did not know how to explain it to her. I admit I was not fond of the idea myself until I felt the invisible link between us. I felt the bond when I watched her as she nestled the crying boy on her lap. Her intentions were pure. I had not felt such innocence in my minuscule life as a human. When she looked up at me, I felt the pull of her universe as it laced my heart to hers. I knew then that I would have to do everything in my power to protect her.