1 Into the Darkness

The sky was gradually turning dark as the sun was slowly retreating to the other side of the world. The weather was nice if not for the ominous breeze blowing every now and then, erupting goosebumps across Melva's flawless pale skin, ruining her perfectly combed waist-length brown hair. Her elegant red dress was wrinkled from her sitting down on the grass field in front of her residence but she couldn't find it in herself to care.

This was her last day to enjoy such a peaceful moment surrounded by the beautiful scenery from her home where she had spent most of her life. She might as well make the best out of it, for she might not have the leisure to return to her hometown in the future.

Melva spotted Mrs. Halpine in her black evening gown hiking up the hill towards her humble house while she was admiring the sunset view from her front yard. She quickly stood up and brushed the dirt off her dress, since the woman who had helped her put it on might be offended to see how careless she had been.

"Mrs. Halpine, is there something else you need from me?" inquired Melva. It must not have been more than a couple hours since Mrs. Halpine's visit to help prepare her for the promised day. Climbing up to the top of the hill where she resided was not an easy feat.

Mrs. Halpine furrowed her brows as she took in Melva's messy appearance, but there seemed to be another more pressing matter. "Melva, I must ask you to come with me. The mayor has requested your presence."

Melva's face fell on the news. It was not difficult to figure out what it meant. "Oh. Is it time already?"

"Unfortunately, yes. It is a pity, indeed." Mrs. Halpine's expression didn't show any sorrow, contrary to her words, as though she was disinclined to have Melva read her expression.

The walk down to the town hall was quiet, aside from their footsteps and the rustling of the leaves. The sky was dark with a tinge of red by the time they reached the foot of the hill. The sun had fully set and the blood moon had stained the pitch black sky with its crimson glow.

The heart of the town was still a fifteen-minute walk away. They had to cross the bridge and weave through the small forest before Ichorhold Town was within sight. Her residence was a little farther and secluded from the town dwellers. The modest house was gifted to her by the mayor for agreeing to do a favour in return when she stumbled into the town a decade ago. The distance she had to travel every day ceased to be a hassle once she was well adapted.

"Oh, dear. How forgetful I am. I should have brought a couple of lanterns with me," said Mrs. Halpine regretfully. The lighting inside the forest was rather dim during the night because of the lush trees blocking the moonlight from seeping through.

"It should not be a problem, Mrs. Halpine. I know the path by heart. I can lead the way even with poor lighting," offered Melva confidently.

Mrs. Halpine clucked her tongue in disapproval. "Ignorant lass! We can never know what is lurking in the dark without proper lighting. How is it possible that you fail to notice the blood moon above your head?"

"Of course I notice, Mrs. Halpine. It is difficult to brush aside, considering that today is a celebratory day for Ichorhold and its residents—the day I will be sent away," said Melva grimly.

Perhaps, the grim tone caused Mrs. Halpine to misunderstand her and presume that she was complaining about an alleged unfair treatment, because she then frowned in disappointment. "I believe we have discussed this, Melva. It is unavoidable."

"I am well aware, which is why the dark nor the blood moon no longer scares me. And it shall not scare you, too. We keep our side of the bargain after all," reassured Melva calmly. She would rather not comment further on her supposedly unavoidable fate.

The rest of the walk was entirely engulfed by silence. Bringing up the bargain must have taken Mrs. Halpine by surprise, enough to render her speechless. The word had turned into a taboo that none of the selected few townspeople possessing the knowledge dared to speak of it. They believed it would only bring them ill fortune if more people were to know. Mrs. Halpine even opted for walking instead of arranging a carriage to fetch her, considering the distance, as an attempt to prevent the coachman from talking.

Ichorhold was notable as a lively small town surrounded by forest, but tonight it was more of a ghost town with no townsfolk in sight. The legend of the blood moon travelled incredibly fast across the country by word of mouth, from one household to another. It was said that demons emerged from the dark on every blood moon to prey on humans, therefore they kept their doors shut and hid in utter silence. Unbeknownst to them, the bargain contract nullified such a threat in Ichorhold.

There were merely a handful of residents including the mayor gathered in the great town hall by the time Mrs. Halpine and Melva arrived. Instead of lighting chandeliers and sconces within the establishment, they each held a candle holder as though they were not keen to be seen. Perhaps, they wanted to create an impression that no one was present.

Forming a circle, they were standing in the circular large entry hall, bowing slightly to greet the late arrivals. They were speaking in a hushed voice so it would appear that they were hindering the demons from listening in. The lack of lights and sounds emanated an eerie feeling in the air around them, sending chills down Melva's spine.

The townspeople attending the secret assembly under the blood moon were Mayor Parlow and his wife, Lord and Lady Welter, the nobles, and Mrs Halpine's husband, the mayor's legal counsellor. Melva was not well acquainted with them all aside from Mr. Halpine, for he was Mrs. Halpine's husband.

"Thank you for escorting her here, Mrs. Halpine," said Mayor Parlow gratefully towards his assistant. "Miss Winchell, I hope you are in good health, as today is a big day for you. A turning point for the better, I dare say."

Melva knitted her eyebrows together. "My apologies, Mayor Parlow. I fail to see the bargain as a fortune." It was indeed a fortune for Ichorhold, but it was not for her.

"Hush, Melva. We do not say that aloud," whispered Mrs. Halpine, staring at her aghast.

"Oh, spare me, Mrs. Halpine. You will hear me say it no more after today," said Melva in a frustrated manner.

It was quite sad to know that she would not be able to exchange banter with Mrs. Halpine any longer. The only person she was on familiar terms with was Mrs. Halpine, as she had been teaching her everything she needed to know, though her tendency to be overbearing and stern left her a little to be desired.

Every other resident in Ichorhold regarded her as a freak, some even called her a witch, for her sudden appearance in town with no memory and the odd things she unconsciously did that she was unable to explain. And the townsfolk in this room saw her as a product for bargain.

"We will forever be in your debt, Miss Winchell. I wish you happiness for your new life," wished Mayor Parlow genuinely.

The other town residents also wished Melva luck and health along with happiness, following the mayor's lead. She doubted any of them were sincere with their words. They were neither compassionate nor amiable if it concerned her.

No longer after that, a carriage had arrived to fetch Melva. She requested the coachman to visit her residence before heading towards the dwelling of the mysterious demon Ichorhold formed a contract with. Together with the coachman, she loaded her luggage into the vehicle to be carried to her new house.

The coachman asked her permission to cover her eyes with a black cloth as their destination was now the demon's lair. When she questioned him the reason, he mysteriously answered, "We don't want the directions to our residence to be known, milady."

"Are you a demon?" asked Melva curiously after she sensed the carriage departing.

The coachman chuckled in amusement. "Heavens, no. I'm a mere human, a lot like you, milady. But I'm going to bring you to meet one."

Melva was blessed for never having been graced by a demon's presence. Knowing that they were indeed real was still surprising, bearing in mind the countless number of times she had heard about the legend and the contract, even partaking in the bargain herself.

"Do you work for a demon?" inquired Melva further.

"Yes, indeed. My employer is what they call a werewolf," answered the coachman nonchalantly.

There was a rumour about werewolves going around in Ichorhold and she was intrigued in knowing more. She thought it was necessary to be well informed on what she was going to confront. "I heard they feed on human flesh. Is it true?"

"I'm afraid I don't know the answer to that, milady, as I'm never in their presence when they are having their meal," said the coachman apologetically.

"Do you know what happened to the young women before me?"

"My apologies, milady. If I were to answer that question, I may lose my job. Or worse…" The last words were left unsaid, but she was not so dense as to not notice what they were.

'My life.' She finished the sentence for him in her mind.

Melva had come to a realisation that the coachman would not be able to give her the answers she was looking for, so she remained silent and blankly stared into the darkness as it was the only sight she was allowed to see. It left her wondering about her own fate, whether she would be granted a long life or she only had a few more hours to live. Fate was being especially harsh on her, indeed.

Ichorhold Town had formed a contract with the demons which the townspeople agreed to provide a young woman on every blood moon in exchange for the town's safety and prosperity. On that particular blood moon, the young woman was Melva Winchell.