~Nyla~

Rachel wasn't thrilled. She wanted to take a lot of silly pictures with me and her dolled-up friends while we rode in her fancy car. We were instead in a black SUV with boring seats and grumpy guard wolves.

The atmosphere was charged. Live music, lots of food, kids running around or taking a dip in the ocean, and adults enjoying their drinks by the beach. It was as if we arrived at some carnival celebration.

I tried to push my poison-filled thoughts to the back about how to end their smiles and laughter right away. The power of the full moon coupled with the latent energy of the...