By Cate Foy, TIWP Student

The town of Santa Luna is one of many mysteries. I have been chronicling some of the preternatural occurrences that have caught my attention in the past months, not that the word months has any meaning here. It started on the 6th night of October, and no one seemed to pay any mind. I was awake, as always, because I never seem to get any sleep here. I am in a constant state of uneasiness, and this particular happening did not seem to make it better. I was writing when it started. An article about the proper methods of making Peyote. Then I heard Althea moving in the bed, so I looked over at her, and there she was, beautiful as ever. But she stood vacant, eyes closed, bounding down the hallway, through the living room, and out the door. She didn’t even put her shoes on. I of course followed her! But as I left our home, I realized everyone was in motion, all walking towards the moon dial in a sort of trance. They marched passionately until they arrived at the moon dial, which was glowing, as it always did at night. But this glow was stronger. It was a beacon. It is my belief that this beacon served to keep the shadows in the light. The beacon shined and as it did, a woman appeared in the light, and the creatures gathered around the women, including the love of my life, all lied down, returning to their state of sleep. Then the women looked at me. Her beauty was that of delusion. Her hair was both silver and gold. Her skin was pale and yet, also dark, and her eyes! Her eyes where white. They glowed, they seared, and they looked at me. I had thought I had been looked at before, but that was merely a physical illusion. Being looked at the way she looked at me was mental, psychic, occult. It was in that moment when I knew, this was the queen, the goddess, the Saint. She was Santa Luna. Let me pray to Santa Luna. Let us pray to Santa Luna. Santa Luna, who gives us the light to see the shadows. I saw her. I now know why this town is strange. I now believe in the witches, the extraterrestrials, and the winged man with red eyes. Let us pray to Santa Luna, to show us the precious life lurking in the deep dark. I cried when she left. She vanished into thin air, and the people of the town arose, and tears mindlessly fell from my eyes. Thank you Santa Luna, I pray I will meet you again. Thank you Santa Luna for saving Althea. Thank you Santa Luna, for showing me more then what I could ever imagine. Althea ran to me and asked if I was okay, and why I hadn’t been asleep. She explained to me that on the 6th day of the 10th month, the great goddess comes to bless the town. I told her I was fine. I kissed her and she wiped away my tears. Then I told her what I saw, and she smiled, and we fell in love all over again. Thank you Santa Luna, for fixing what wasn’t broken. I pray to Santa Luna, that she hears my praise. Thank you Santa Luna.