Dating : Love By Moonlight

She was lying there in the same position she fell asleep, her hair in the same wild tangle that could never quite be tamed.

Much like the woman to whom the blond curls belonged.

I remember the first night I saw her.

I was night hiking on a little used trail near my house. It was one of those nights where you can’t bear to be inside. The moon shone so bright i didn’t need a headlamp for my little nocturnal excursion.

I meandered through the forest.

It’s funny how different the woods are at night. A whole new menagerie of creatures take over and it sounds like another world.

I heard among other things, owls, coyotes, and the occasional wolf.

But, for my money there’s nothing like the sound of a loon when the sun goes down. It’s this deep, soulful, aching call. The forest was alive with a symphony of various insects and frogs which grew louder and louder as I got closer to the water.

I was making my way to a waterfall I’d been to often during the day, but with the moon so bright I wanted to see it at night.

As I approached the falls, I heard a giant splash.

It was far to loud to have been a fish jumping. I figured a deer fell into the water.

I clicked on my flashlight only to see a woman standing in the pool created by the falls. She squinted at the light.

“Oh sorry,” I said, moving the light, “I thought someone fell in.”

“And you came to save me?” she said smiling, “That’s rather thoughtful.”

To be honest, I could barely register my thoughts. To say she was stunning would be an understatement. In the moonlight she looked otherworldly.

“It doesn’t look like you need saving.”

“It’s the thought that counts.”

She swam closer to the edge of the water, “Aren’t you coming in? You came all this way.”

“I don’t swim with strangers.”

“Fine. I’m Artemis. And you?”

“Jack.”

“Well, we are strangers no more.”

She was right. I got into the water. To be fair I didn’t need much convincing.

We talked and swam and floated in the moonlight.

It was nearly morning when I finally left. I would be exhausted the rest of the day but it was worth it.

“I need to get home. What about?”

“I’m already home,” she said without opening her eyes.

I didn’t think much of it.

I hiked the trail for the next week hoping to run into her again, but she never showed.

It was a month before I saw her again.

She snuck up on me while I was hiking in the evening.

“Where have you been?” I asked.

“Around.”

“Do you live around here?”

“Something like that.”

We hiked all that night. I could barely keep up with her. She glided over the land.

“Can I see you again?”

“Soon.”

“Okay,” I didn’t want to question anything at that point.

Sure enough, a couple weeks later I’d run into her again.

“You must really like the woods,” I said, “I thought I’d see you around town at some point.”

“I don’t like town.”

This time I had enough enough food with me for a picnic.

We ate under the moon and stars.

This time though, she kissed me before I left.

And so we’d see each other every few weeks. Each time she’d find me on the trails.

It wasn’t long before I noticed the pattern. I only saw her during the full moon.

Then she spent the night. She said she had to leave early. I didn’t press her on it.

After six months, I learned her secret.

That’s what I was thinking about while she laid in my bed, the wild hair and milky skin.

She woke up before the sunrise like always.

She went to leave, but I caught her hand.

“Please stay, at least till the sun comes up.”

“Are you sure?” she asked.

“Positive.”

She leaned forward and kissed me full on the lips. I was looking into her eyes when dawn finally came.

Slowly, they turned golden. Her mouth went from smirk to wild smile.

In an instant it was over.

I opened the door and the wolf ran out. She stopped to look back. I smiled knowing I’d see her again in a month.

Every night until the full moon I hear her howl at night.