JR Mercier

Moonlight by JR Mercier

There was something in her room. 

Lida’s eyes burst open. Her heart was pounding and the air felt electric. Like a cornered animal, she didn’t move, hyper aware of her surroundings. Darkness surrounded her and in that darkness she felt something. 

Her eyes flitted from the shadowy shapes of her desk and clothing rack, from her book case to the full-length mirror that always reflected the moonlight. Nothing moved. 

Still, she waited and slowly her eyes adjusted. The light from the moon finally brought some reprieve from the darkness.

She exhaled in relief. 

Something inhaled behind her. 

With a yell, she shot out of bed and rushed to the light switch. Light exploded, bringing all her mismatched furniture to life in an instant. Panting, she scanned her surroundings but no monsters or weirdly shaped shadows charged her. All was normal.

Lida looked at the little clock flashing by her bed. 03:34 am was flashing in little red numbers. She groaned as her fear was quickly replaced by well placed fury. 

“It’s 3:30 in the morning!” She yelled, threatening finger slashing through the air. “I don’t need this kind of hostility in my home.”

Dead silence greeted her. 

Sleep wasn’t an option, not with her ghostly visitor hovering around. Instead, she grabbed a book and settled on her little threadbare couch. It was in the corner and kept the wall to her back. From there she could keep an eye on her room. The spine of her book cracked and she yawned as she waited for dawn.

Moonlight JR Mercier

***

“My house is haunted,” Lida announced later that morning at work. She was stirring her 7th cup of coffee and was in danger of having a permanent scowl etched on her face. 

“We should get an ouija board and see who it is.” Florence said, dark eyes dancing. Florence was way too excited about her little home invasion.

“Or what it is.” She grumbled. She rubbed her forehead and sighed. Being this worked up wasn’t good for her or anyone around her. “Whatever it is, it needs to leave. I’m not good at sharing.”

“Technically,” Florence started, with the tone of voice she used when shining light on things Lida would rather ignore. “The ghost isn’t the intruder. You are.”

She took a sip of her coffee. “I’m not the intruder. I pay the rent.” She was too tired to deal with this. “I can’t help that some ghost dropped it’s metaphysical anchor on my house.” 

She put her coffee down, with a little more force than was necessary. “This has been going on since I moved in. It’s time for my ghost visitor to move on.”

Florence slapped the table, drawing the reproachful eyes of the other patrons. Lida glared at them and they all hastily turned away. I really am a beast today, she thought. 

“That’s it!” Florence was positively glowing. “You know that’s always what they do in shows and books. The spirit has unfinished business, and you have to help it move on so it can go into the light and find peace.”

“I don’t think that applies to everyone.” Lida scowled. “And I’m pretty sure it’s a demon, not some spirit that needs to find peace.”

“Why do you think it’s a demon?”

“It keeps me from sleeping and breaths down my neck.” She took another sip of coffee. “That’s on par with eating children.”

“It really isn’t.”

“It’s a demon, I’m telling you.” 

Florence shrugged. “Maybe you are supposed to bring it over to the light?”

She guffaws. “I don’t think I’m the best choice when it comes to bringing people over to the light.” 

Most days Lida was more akin to a porcupine than a human being. 

She shifted in her seat and cleared her throat. There was no use bemoaning the way she was. The world offered too many sharp edges, so she made sure to line her skin with steel. But she did wonder, when it was dark and she was alone, if maybe she was so busy dodging the sadness that she completely missed all the happiness. 

Florence furrowed her dark brows, tapping her chin. “I do think you should try to talk to it.”

Lida sighed. “Fine. But if it’s a demon, I’m sending it your way.”

Florence giggled. “Deal.”

***

It was 02:43 AM and Lida was on her bedroom floor, her eyes shut. She had tried sleeping earlier but the second she closed her eyes, her heart started beating out of her chest. She had sat up, trying to ignore the shadows and the mirror, but the more time she spent in the dark, the more sinister it all started looking. She’d put her light on and it hadn’t been off since.

She looked around her bedroom and croaked out a soft, “Hello?” She rolled her eyes. 

“Hello!” She winced as her voice bounced around her room. She kept still and waited but there was only silence. 

When she finally gathered some courage, she pulled open all the curtains, switched off the lights and rushed back to her spot on the floor. She waited.

With the lights off, the moonlight lit everything softly. She didn’t look anywhere for too long because shadows came alive in the night time. 

Let’s try this again. 

“Hello. My name is Lida.” She cringed. This is so embarrassing. 

“I’m your roommate, I guess.” She paused, straining to hear anything. “I feel like we’re experiencing a little clash of personalities and I really don’t want to come home to bad vibes.”

Silence. 

“I was wondering what I can do to help you move on.” She continued. “I could send a letter to a family member or help you deal with the trauma of being dead…” Lida trailed off, very aware of the fact that she was a grown woman talking to air in the middle of the night. 

“You know what? Forget what I said. I think I’ll just get holy water and a water gun.” 

Popping to her feet, she started moving to put on the lights.

The unmistakable sound of a powerful exhale came from behind her. 

She spun around and watched in horror as letters started appearing on her now foggy floor-length mirror. Hot and cold all over, Lida forced herself to take tiny steps forward until the sharp lettering was legible.

‘You need to work on your dancing.’

Horror filled her and it wasn’t because she was actually talking to a ghost. Instead, she thought of all the nights she spent flailing around in her room, desperately trying to tire herself out. 

“Already you can’t be trusted.” She said, trying to keep her cool. This was definitely a demon. “My dancing is a work of art.” It really wasn’t but she couldn’t let the embarrassment lie. Nothing new appeared and indignation rose. 

“Who are you to talk?” she sputtered. “All you can do is dodge air currents.” 

As soon as the words left her mouth, she drew back a bit. Insulting a ghost. Really? Is that how far I’ve fallen?

A hum moved through the air, playing softly over her skin. It felt like little…

“Are you laughing?” She asked, eyes wide. 

‘Yes.’ Appeared in the mirror. ‘You’re very funny.’

Grinning, she said, “Thank you.” 

Maybe she was finally losing her mind, but she sat down in front of the mirror. All she could see was her own reflection. 

“So, ghost, how did you die?” she blurted out. 

There was another hum of laughter and then words started crawling across the mirror. 

‘Who says I am dead?’

“I knew it!” She exploded, not seeming all that bothered. “You’re a demon.”

The hum again. ‘No, not a demon.’

“That’s exactly what a demon would say while trying to steal my immortal soul.”

‘I don’t think you have to worry about that.’ 

“Then what are you?” She asked, only a little anxious. 

The words were coming slow. ‘The stars. The moon. The night sky.’

“That sounds very complicated.” She chuckled. “If you don’t need to move on then that makes my job a lot easier.”

There was no reply for a while and then, ‘I need help falling asleep.’

Her grin slowly faded. “That sounds ominous.”

‘I need to fall asleep but I find myself clinging to this place.’ There was a pause. ‘And these people.’

“I could sing you a lullaby.” She offered. Her visitor hummed.

After a bit of silence, she finally asked. “Do you have to sleep?”

‘Someday, yes.’ The hum again. ‘Until then, I would like to dance with you.’

She sighed heavily before standing up. “Fine.” She moved to her bedside table. “What would you like to listen to?”

She turned to the mirror. 

‘Something that will make me happy to be alive.’ it wrote. 

She paused before looking away quickly. “Happy to be alive. Got that.” The words were soft. 

She selected a song and then moved closer to the mirror but more words appeared. 

‘I can dance with you.’ A light touch feathered across her shoulder. ‘I am all around you.’

She nodded before moving into the middle of the room. She didn’t wonder about how comfortable she felt or that she didn’t shrink away from the feather-light touches. All she did was dance, moonlight her companion and a hum of joy in the air. 

When she went to bed she kept the lights off. This time, she didn’t mind the darkness.

***

Lida’s life was changed. She was always tired at work and Florence worried, but she looked happy so Florence let her be.

Everyday, Lida would rush home, eat some food and wait for nightfall. Her nights were filled with dancing, reading and talking about everything and nothing. 

Her companion didn’t have a name, so she chose one. 

“Moonlight.” She stated, triumphant. 

The answering hum of laughter shook the house. ‘I would love to be your moonlight.’

Days turned into weeks. And then months. She didn’t tell anyone, not even Florence. How did she explain what her life had become? How did she explain that when she was with Moonlight, she wasn’t just Lida. She was Lida millions of years ago, nothing but stardust and emotion. She knew it sounded ridiculous so she kept quiet. 

Moonlight seemed to guess this. 

‘Do you have friends, Lida?’ Moonlight wrote one day. 

She laughed and even to her, it sounded a little bitter. “I do. Good ones.”

‘Then why are you so lonely?’

She knew Moonlight didn’t mean to hurt her but her heart ached all the same. “I don’t know.” She paused. “I think I might be a little broken. I want to live my life but I’m-.” She cut off. 

Moonlight finished her thought.  ‘You are afraid of it.’

Her voice was barely above a whisper. “Yes.”

Moonlight never brought it up again and she carried on. Every morning she patted on makeup to cover her bruised eyes, downed her coffee, and counted down the minutes till the sky was dark and she’d be wrapped in it’s embrace again. 

Moonlight by JR Mercier short story

Moonlight by JR Mercier Short Story

***

“I’m sorry, Florence. I really need to get a good rest in.” 

She paused, clutching the phone to her ear. “I know I haven’t been out much. I’ll come through next time, I promise.” 

Behind her, the mirror made it’s signature squeak. She didn’t look. “I know I said I’d come this weekend. I’m-.” She jerked the phone away, dumbfounded. “She hung up on me.”

She flung the phone on her bed, biting her nail. Finally, she turned to the mirror. 

‘You should go with your friends.’ it read.

“You are my friend.” She stated, folding her arms. “And we have catching up to do. You didn’t come last night.”

There was a long pause before letters started appearing. “I think it’s time for me to go to sleep.’

The words sank like stones in her gut and she rushed forward, gripping the mirror. “Don’t you dare.” All she saw was her blurred face through the smudges on the surface. “You said you wanted to stay.”

‘I can’t control it.’

She wrenched away. “Don’t lie!” She took a shuddering inhale. ‘‘You can control when you go.” 

No new words appeared.

“Moonlight?” Silence greeted her. “MOONLIGHT!” When there was no reply, she shoved the mirror. It fell to the side and dropped with a crash. Cracks shot through the surface and glass dropped to the ground.

Cold shot through Lida as she dropped to her knees. “No. No.” She started picking up the pieces, trying to put them back. The glass cut into her skin but she didn’t notice. The thought of never having Moonlight near her again… it was unfathomable. 

“I was never in the mirror, Lida.”

She froze, suddenly aware of warm soft light all around her. The voice that spoke behind her… it couldn’t be. She jumped up and spun around.

“Moonlight?” she gasped.

“It’s me, Lida.”

Shaped like a tall human, Moonlight was bright, casting a soft glow on everything around her. Moonlight towered over her, every movement scattering the shadows of her room.

A glowing hand reached forward, hesitating before her bleeding hand. “May I?”

She nodded, breathless. She braced for the touch to burn but Moonlight’s hand was warm like hot chocolate on a cold day and blankets that smelled of loved ones. Her bloody hand was lifted and she watched in astonishment as her wound knitted back together, leaving clear skin covered in blood. 

“How?” She asked, voice hoarse. 

Moonlight’s head lowered, ignoring the question. “Care to dance?” 

When she nodded, Moonlight pulled her into the center of the room and behind her, soft music started playing. Moonlight drew her even closer, until she was completely enveloped in warm light. She closed her eyes and dropped her head on Moonlight’s chest. Through her eyelids, the soft glow still followed her, banishing the cold from her blood. 

For a while, there was nothing in the universe but them. 

“I haven’t felt your hum in a while.” Her voice was soft. 

jr mercier

The arms around her tightened. “It’s hard seeing one you love suffer.”

Her head shot up. “How could you think I’ve been suffering? I’ve never been this happy.”

Feather-light fingers drifted over her bruised eyes. “You live a half life with me, Lida.” She turned her face away and Moonlight’s hand dropped. “You live only for our time at night.”

“Isn’t that what love is supposed to be?” She demanded. She could feel tears pushing at her eyes. “We live for each other. Where your soul ends, mine continues. Always dancing, always together.”

“Love should never hurt-.” 

She wrenched away. “That’s a lie and you know it.” She cried. “Love aches. It aches when we separate and when we come together. It always hurts because we’re so full of-” She sputtered, looking for the right word. “We’re always full of feeling for the other.”

Moonlight stepped forward but she pulled back again, eyes wide. “Stop.” She couldn’t breath. “Why does this feel like a goodbye?”

Moonlight’s arms dropped. “Because it is.” The light seemed to dim and for the first time, Moonlight sounded angry. “My life is over. I am doomed to sleep and forget this world. You said I could control it, but I can’t. I don’t want to leave you but I refuse to let you give your life for a few hours in the dark with me.”

“That is my choice to make!” She yelled but she knew. She could feel it in the air. It felt curiously empty, like most of Moonlight was already gone. 

Moonlight stepped closer again and this time, she didn’t move away. “I have been hanging on by a tether for centuries and it was only when I saw you dancing that I realized why I was allowed to stay.” Moonlight’s hands pushed her tears away. “Our time together has given me enough love to nourish me for eternity. I know that we will meet again, maybe as two flowers in a field or stars endlessly circling each other.”

Weeping, she felt a small warm kiss on her forehead. 

“Where there is moonlight is where I will be, Lida.” Another small kiss on her forehead. “Now live.”

The light disappeared, taking the warmth with it. 

jr mercier

With a shuddering breath, she shot toward her bedroom door, wrenching it open. She thundered down the stairs and out the front door. The night sky beckoned above. 

“Moonlight!” She screamed, eyes to the stars above. Her chest felt heavy and blackness was creeping in at the edges of her vision. She dropped to her knees, gasping. 

“Moonlight.” She begged, but there was no answer. 

Moonlight JR Mercier

This story was written for Reedsy’s writing prompt competition. The prompt was Shocking Developments: Write a romance where your character falls in love with the last person they expected to.

Looking for something similar? Try It at the Bottom of the Ocean by JR Mercier

This is Moonlight by JR Mercier, a short story.