Hunter’s Moon

by | Jun 11, 2020 | Out of My Mind

Here is an excerpt from the “Spooky Tales” section of “Out of My Mind”
 
Hunter’s Moon
 
Ray walked confidently down the darkened street, enjoying the gentle breeze on his face and inhaling the night air. The full moon was just beginning to rise in the east, the Hunter’s Moon. Very appropriate, as he was on the hunt tonight, but his hunt wouldn’t be taking him into the open fields, but into the crowded bars and night clubs, looking for prey.
 
He opened the door to the first club he reached, and was nearly overpowered by loud rock music smashing into him. Ray’s sensitive ears rebelled at the abuse they were receiving, but quickly adjusted to the volume. It wasn’t the first time he had exposed them to this while on the hunt, and no doubt it wouldn’t be the last.
 
Ray ordered a beer and found a place at the bar where he had a good view of the crowd. His practiced gaze casually sized up the people sitting in booths or at tables, standing by the pool tables and VLTs and writhing on the dance floor. He sipped his beer and shook his head, mildly irritated. Poor pickings tonight. He considered leaving the beer and trying another place.
 
That’s when he saw her. She was already entertaining a would-be predator, but something told Ray that that guy was way out of his league. His eyes and ears focused on the couple, blocking out all other distractions and zooming in on his targets. She was a slim, auburn-haired girl, with the outward appearance of innocence and helplessness, but Ray wasn’t fooled. The way she held herself, her poise, the feral gleam in her eyes, marked her as every bit the predator that he was. His senses picked up the scent of the hunt on her. That young man may think himself the hunter, but he was actually the prey, being set up by a seasoned professional. The poor guy didn’t have a chance. Ray almost felt sorry for him. Almost.