Moon Glow Chapter One

Moon Glow

Chapter one

After failing another interview Rob kicked his heels, as he ambled along head down; times were hard of late. His girlfriend left him finding someone new with plenty of money to keep her, and he had to his sell car to pay the rent on his flat. Looking up, he stopped a moment thinking philosophically on recent events. Though down, Rob wasn’t depressed but remained optimistic; tomorrow was another day. Hopefully, he would find work prepared to take anything on offer. Looking around he realised it was late and already growing dark. He decided to take a shortcut across an open stretch of wasteland. Starting out across the field the street lights disappeared behind him until he became wholly shrouded in darkness.

Ahead some distance away he noticed a strange pulsing light, curious as to what it could be he moved cautiously forward — occasionally looking down to check his footing. As he drew nearer the light appeared to grow in size and form into a rough transparent circle. Rob began to back away his curiously overtaken by fear of the unknown. Too late, however, as the light engulfed him. He fell through a void of inky darkness at some point he lost consciousness.


He woke, hardly able to breathe, panicking he gasped for air feeling a weight pressed on his chest. Opening his eyes to unfamiliar surroundings no longer on the wasteland. Rob, lay on his back in a dark alley looking up. Two moons appeared in the night sky. He squinted closing his eyes tight, thinking he was experiencing double vision. Slowly calming himself Rob opened his eyes and shut them several times, still there remained two moons. One small and close the other large and more distant the near moon had a strange corona surrounding it; that pulsated like a heartbeat. The light from the near moon bathed him making him close his eyes once more. Opening them again, he felt the weight lift from his chest his breathing returning to normal. Rob tried to get to his feet. His legs felt like jelly as he struggled to a crouching position; pausing to get his bearings and make sense of what was happening.

A woman suddenly appeared out of the darkness helping him to his feet “Hey, mister you okay?”

“Who are you, where am I?” Rob asked staring at the woman in front of him as she helped him to his feet.

“Eh, I’m just a concerned citizen thought you might need help.” “An easy mark, wonder how much coin he has on him,” seeing him confused and disoriented she stealthily searched him. Not finding anything she sighed. She glanced skyward at the moon tonight the moon was not in shadow. "It would be better not to get involved, she started thinking. "Ah, what do I care what the dark ones think,” she shrugged. About to speak more to the strange man when the moonlight once more bathed Rob out-lining him with a halo of light. “Oh, crap! He’s a white wizard best leave him before he comes to his senses,” alarmed she let go of him. Leaving him propped up against the wall. “Ah, well I’ll be off now that you're okay,” she turned to leave.

“Wait,” Rob called as the woman continued back down the alley ignoring his call. “Stop, please. I don’t know what’s happened to me, where I am I?” He paused taking a breath. “Can you help me, tell me where I am at least.” he pleaded. She hesitated half turning back then shook her head before retreating on her way. “Stop, ” He called again raising a hand to his amazement feathery white tendrils of light stretched from his fingertips snaking towards the woman wrapping around her. She struggled momentary breaking free, but again the light surrounded her this time binding her tight so she couldn’t move. Rob pushed himself erect and held his hands up staring in astonishment. For a moment his hands seemed to glow, the veins pulsing a brilliant white. He blinked, his hands looked normal again shaking his head bewildered he turned his attention to the young woman still transfixed a cage of light surrounded her holding fast where she stood.

The woman looked terrified, and in much distress, tears flowed down her cheeks “Please mister set me free I promise I won't tell anyone.”

Looking down a moment, Rob paced a few steps to and thro trying to gather his wits to make sense of everything. He stopped looking skyward. “Two moons and the stars all wrong there was only one conclusion this is not earth but some other world!” He looked at the woman scratching his head bemused. “Did I really do that, and what did I do? How do I undo it? More importantly, how did I get here and how do I get back to my own world?” Rob felt as if his head was about to explode; there were some many questions, and he hadn’t any answers. The only one who may have some answers, for now, was the woman.

The woman looked in a state of panic she beat her fists frantically against what Rob decided to call a cage of light. “Please, I’ll do anything you say I won’t tell anyone about you,” she paused sobbing. “I promise, please let me go.”

Rob raised his hands in frustration, “Quiet a minute let me think this is all too much,” he started pacing again. He stopped facing the woman. “First, who are you and where am I?” he asked. The woman gave Rob a look that made think that she might be faking much of her distress. “Well, some of it at least.” It hadn’t gone unnoticed by him either that she had picked his pockets earlier so she must be a thief. But she was all he had for now.

The woman calmed herself giving Rob a calculated look. "Then will you let me go eh?”

Rob nodded, “If I can yes, but I need some answers first.”

“Eh, what do you mean if you can? You cast the spell you can undo it,” she said in a huff.

“Spell?”

“Yes spell what’s the matter you brain addled or something eh?”

Rob mulled over what she said---spell! Like in a fantasy novel he had read a few, but couldn't think of anything like what he had just done. Off course the books he read were just fiction this was real wasn’t it?. He wasn’t sure what to make of it all. Maybe it's all a dream, and he’ll wake up eventually. “Ah, yes first, however, who are you and where am I? Like I asked before.”

“My name is Jena Ling, and you are in Medloin City capital Medloinia,” Jena answered.

“Erm.. Where is this Medloinia is it a country or a continent or what--- are there more like it I mean---,” he paused trying to get the right words. Finally, he just said what he was on his mind hoping she wouldn’t think him insane. “What’s your world called?”

She stared at him, mouth dropping open. “Eh, you must have got a knock on the head this is Duon of course, ain’t no other world that I know of or anyone else knows,” she shook her head. “Must have been a nasty knock to the head you took for sure.” Jena did wonder how he got here though. “Maybe he's from a foreign land over the sea nobody has heard of yet for he is strangely dressed.”

Rob frowned nodding his head, “Duon, I see thanks, Jena that’s a start at least,” he paused thinking. “If I set you free will you help me? This is all new to me and Erm---like you say I may have had a blow to the head so I can’t remember much.”

Jena nodded eagerly, “Eh, sure thing I’ll show you around maybe we can get acquainted.”

Rob wasn’t so sure that it would be a good idea they get acquainted as he felt sure she was a thief. “Errm okay, right let's see if I can undo the---ah spell he raised a hand pointing at Jena---nothing happened he tried again still nothing. “Err, release,” pointing again. “Undo” still nothing happened.

Jena stared at him in frustration “Eh, don't tell me you forgot how to undo it---you cast the spell you can uncast it."

“Erm, ---give me a minute,” Rob raised his hands thinking back to the moment he cast the spell. He wanted her to stop, to wait. “Hmm, I’ll try this," raising his hands again he concentrated on letting her go. “Continue,” the cage around Jena dissolved releasing her; she stumbled going down on her knees relief etched on her face.