MOONS OF ABBEY : A Chilling Horror Story to Freeze Your Heart
Abbey vanished on the night of October 8th, 1995 amidst the ethereal glow of the moonlit festival. I, her father had hoped the outing would lift her spirits for she had been struggling with social anxieties. ‘Abbey!’ I frantically screamed but the only response was the haunting silence of the early morning.
We combed the festival grounds searching desperately, yet I couldn’t recall the moment we parted ways. The guilt gnawed endlessly at my conscience.
‘What did you say to her James?’ Nattie grasped my jacket, her eyes blazing with accusations.
The officers intervened, prying her away but I couldn’t meet that hurtful countenance.
“You’ve always blamed that child for your wife’s passing”, her voice pierced the air as she was dragged aside. “You’re the reason she’s gone James. You alone.”
I protested, my voice lost in the sea of condemning faces. “I’m not responsible, Nattie.”
How could I explain to my neighbour that bringing Abbey to the festival was my attempt to reconnect with her? She had always been withdrawn, finding solace only in her room’s warm presence. My daughter’s quirks had long troubled me – her whispered conversations with an unseen entity. Not to talk of the secret offerings to an unknown companion in her room.
“That girl had always been peculiar”, I thought.
Raising my hands in supplication, I appealed to the officer.
“I couldn’t possibly push her away. Abbey is all I have left.”
“The officer’s reassuring words offered little comfort. “We’ll find her sir.”
Just then, a camp night organizer stumbled toward us, his body mangled and torn as if ravaged by a bear. But it was his eyes that chilled me – a rare whitish film forming like a veil of madness.
“James”, he gasped, collapsing from his wounds which seemed to rot before our eyes. “Your girl… attacked me.”
The officers instinctively raised their tasers, caution etched on their faces. “Stay back!”
“He looks feral!”, someone accused him from the crowd. “Must have been bitten by a rabid dog!”
The organizer spat black blood, his eyes pleading. ‘No! I’m not… I saw your daughter sir. She….she answered to “Abbey”.
Nattie recoiled with incredulity. “That’s a lie!”
But I pushed past the officers, driven by desperation. “Let him speak,” I urged, squatting beside the wounded man. “What exactly did she do to you?”, I pressed.
He winced, recalling the horror. “She… jumped on me. Her hands… they were somewhat like claws. I couldn’t hit a little girl…”, his voice trailed off.
The officer pulled me back, wary. “Don’t get too close sir. This man’s clearly unstable. Must have been attacked by a wild animal.”
But the organizer struggled to rise, his eyes locked on mine. “No, I’m not…..”
“Sir, I advise you to stay down”, the officer rested his hand on his holster.
I stepped forward, my voice firm. “Don’t shoot. He’s telling the truth.”
The crowd’s gaze shifted, their eyes filled with shock.
“James have you lost your mind?”, Nattie clutched my clothes.
“I’m saying Abbey is….. different”, I hesitated. “Every night, she transforms.”
“What is he saying?”, the murmurs grew louder as the group’s confusion was palpable.
“What do you mean boy?”, an old woman intruded.
I took a deep breath, “It is the moons that triggers her.”
The injured man’s eyes now almost pure white, seemed to confirm my words.
“This man before us isn’t lying,” I assured them.
The officer’s expression transformed from skepticism to alarm. “You’re saying your daughter is a… creature… every night?”
“More like a different animal,” I clarified, my voice barely a whisper.
Nattie’s pitying gaze cut deep. “James, you’re not well. The bourbon has consumed you.”
I shook my head, panic rising. “No, I’m not crazy. You’ve never wondered why I kept you from visiting at night? Why the windows and doors were always locked? The heavy chains in the backyard? Abbey, my daughter, is a moon shapeshifter.”
“If what you say is true,” the officer behind me stammered, “why is she acting strangely this morning? why not at night when the moon was bright?”
I had no answer but another scream pierced the air.
“Abbey!” I sprinted toward the woods, Nattie and the others close behind. “Daddy has come to take you home.”
We immediately arrived at a cave’s entrance where my daughter sat, her smile wider than normal.
“Daddy” she called. “This is my home.”
The officer’s jaw dropped as well as every other person who saw her three eyes.
“Dear God…”, Nattie trembled.
