A PINNACLE HALLOWEEN TALE, PART TWO

My knees buckled. My heart pounded.
 
I looked around, trying to find an escape. Sloan, now under his wife’s spell, was on one side of me in the form of a werewolf. His wife was on the other. Somehow learning her true identity wasn’t as shocking. Still, I didn’t know which one would offer me an easier battle. 

The air became heavier and the wind stirred the musty leaves on the ground as they rattled across the pavement in frantic, swirling gusts. A chorus of neglected cats yowled in the distance, along with the hoots of owls in the night.
 
I could not trust my lover in his wolf form and took my chances with the witch, and turned in her direction. Only three steps and the witch reached out and dug her long sharp nails into me, pulling me to the ground. I gasped as my knees and palms hit the pavement. I was pinned between the road and her claws.
 
I shoved against her as hard as I could and spat in her face, trying to free myself, but she was stronger.
 
She pushed me roughly against the pavement and something inside me snapped. A hot streak of anger rose up within me. I summoned every bit of strength. “You will not beat me and you will not win your husband back!” I screamed at her.
 
“You get what you deserve,” she said, sneering. “Fooling around with my husband. You… You’re nothing but a slut and a home wrecker!”
 
Her words stung me, even though I knew I shouldn’t care.
 
“Here, finish the job,” she commanded the beast.
 
The werewolf pounced on me and wrenched me onto my back. I kicked him, hoping to push him to the ground and gain time to run-a-way. The more I kicked, the more aggressive he became. The more I screamed, the more cackling the witch was.
 
My arms screamed at me as I tried to push him off me. Sloan nailed me to the ground and clutched my shoulder in his mouth, his teeth ready to pierce my flesh. My lover was going to kill me. Was this the fate I deserved?  
 
I gasped for breath as blood rushed through my veins. 

​I had no choice but to use my long-hidden secret—my special power. I inhaled deeply, filling my lungs and my stomach with as much air as I could. I closed my eyes, imagining Sloan as a human. I concentrated, thinking about our powerful, intimate moments, and finally conjured the spell that would summon the clouds to eclipse the moon. 

The next words exploded from my mouth. “I love you more than ever!” Slowly I opened my eyes. There was Sloan, back to his human form. He released his teeth from my shoulder and looked me in the eyes. I could feel his breath on my neck. I huffed. Did he really recognize me?

“What’s wrong with you? You were supposed to kill her,” the witch said to Sloan.

“Was I? I guess something went wrong. Happy Halloween, darling,” Sloan said to his wife and leaned closer to me. 

“Sloan, no! Please don’t hurt me! Please let me go,” I cried and pushed him off me then quickly shoved myself off the pavement. 

“Wait. Don’t run. I made my choice,” he stood up and followed my steps. His voice melted me down. I turned to him and looked into his eyes. A shiver ran down my spine, paralyzing my feet to the ground. He gently reached to my face and kissed my lips. I could not refuse him. Is this real? Am I losing my mind or am I losing my power? 
I blinked, realizing I was no longer in danger of being mauled by a werewolf or under the spell of a witch… But I knew she was still there, watching. 

The witch laughed at me. “So now you think you have him wrapped around your little finger,” she said. “Well, we’ll see.” 

A primal urge rose up within me, and before I could stop myself, I closed my eyes and turned my head to the sky. The air grew thicker as I regained my power to bring the storm in. 

“Yes, we’ll see,” I said, and watched the lightning strike her, leaving behind a puff of smoke. 

Oh my God, did I make the witch disappear or was it fate?

The wind blew in my face, pulling me from side to side until I hit the ground hard, rolling. As I came to a stop, I heard the pounding of feet against the pavement approaching. 

“Are you okay?” Sloan asked. 

He reached out and helped me up. 

“That was….” As I searched for a word to describe this event, I glanced up—and saw the clouds moving, about to reveal the full moon. 

I looked at Sloan in fear, unsure of what to expect. Would he remain human, now that his wife was gone? Or would he turn into a werewolf again? 
​
Sloan grabbed my shoulders, pulling me closer and whispered, “Happy Halloween, Sharon.”


I hope you enjoyed A Pinnacle Halloween Tale: Part 2! What do you think happened after the lightning struck Sloan’s wife? Or, when the clouds were moving? Please share your thoughts in the comments below!

Michelle