A Candlelight Offering to Mōna

Dearest Mōna,

Penning this in my humble cottage by candlelight,

I can’t help but wonder

what has become of me.

Upon pondering,

I find these strange occurrences all trace back to that night

in the Hamersley Forest.

Suffering from writer's block again,

I took a stroll by the silvery light of your full Mōna.

There was a snapping of twigs,

followed by a deep, guttural growling.

Then I felt it.

A sharp pierce in my calf,

like hot needles slicing my flesh.

Panicked,

I ran through the woods back to my cottage,

so delirious, I almost fell through the front door.

Once inside, I reached for my tunic to stop the bleeding.

Collapsing into bed,

I must have fallen into a deep slumber.

A sliver of sunlight was peeking through the curtains,

as I started to wake.

Recalling the happenings from the evening before,

I quickly reached for my calf,

removed the tunic... and there was nothing there.

No blood, no bite wound, no scar.

Assuming it was all just a dreadful dream,

I went about my day.

After a few days bloomed,

while at the tavern drinking ale,

I began to think of that night again.

Discussing matters with some local townspeople,

our words turned heated.

There was a disagreement.

A white-hot rage came over me.

Before I knew it,

I’d snatched a fork from the table and impaled it into the hand of the man sitting near me.

Such astonishing behaviour,

never before had I acted in such violence.

From then on,

I encountered more changes.

Hearing the rustling of animals in the nearby woods.

The sweet smell of pies baking in a distant village.

My senses had become so sharp,

I’d never felt so alive.

When you again appeared full in the sky,

I went for another walk in the forest.

I remember the click of the latch closing on my cottage door...

Next, I came to in the woodland,

naked and on all fours.

This evening,

I was preparing to cook a piece of rabbit for my evening meal.

Before placing it on the skillet,

an insatiable desire came upon me.

Without thought,

I started devouring the raw meat.

I was unbridled,

the gamy flesh so tender and moist.

Your next full Moon approaches,

fear and excitement envelop me.

As I’m offering this confession to you, Mōna,

I don’t know how much longer I can control

my lust for blood.