A wish of a child was sent to the heavens that night, a voiceless wish which the girl kept only in her heart. It was a dark autumn night that had engulfed the world, it was the time of shadows and malevolent beings. However, there was beauty in darkness as the sky remained clear, the silvery moon was full and thousands of stars were twinkling softly, acting as silent guides to many travelers and oracles alike. And the little girl's wish, it traveled high up in the sky and was able to touch the stars. A small piece of a star got chipped away and the wish merged together with it, becoming an extraordinary little being. It didn't belong to the sky, though, and so it glided back to earth, returning to where its roots lied: the little girl's room. The entity appeared as a blue falling star as it sought the window of the girl's room, finding it easily as if it had a compass in its heart. It landed on the window sill and changed its appearance; it took the form of a black lizard, black like the night sky, but its back glimmered like the starry sky where it had come from.
 
The lizard inspected the window with its huge yellow eyes. It needed to get inside the room and luckily, it was an easy task for it. It touched the window with one of its legs and made the surface ripple like water. And as if the window had turned water, the lizard managed to get through it and to the other side.
 
It looked around the tiny space. It was like what you would expect from a child's room; there were toys scattered around, a little bookcase with many storybooks waiting to be read, a small table and chair where the girl could draw, and then of course there was the bed where the little girl was currently sleeping. The lizard scurried towards the child, climbing on the wall like a sneaky shadow. Once it reached the bed, the lizard descended on the sheets.
 
The girl looked rather calm in her sleep, the lizard noted, although she had just learned horrible things. But the dreamland is the place where people can flee from their worries, though sometimes they would drag along and turn into nightmares. The lizard got close to the girl's face and licked her cheek with its sticky tongue. Resna… That's what the girl was called. The lizard skittered away, on the wall closest to Resna's head. The little critter stayed there, blending in with darkness and guarding the girl's dreams.
 
She was dreaming of horses that galloped on an endless, beautiful sea of flowers. Perhaps that's how Resna felt, wanting to be free with a bright future ahead. And surprisingly, her dreams remained pleasant throughout the night, the darkness hadn't yet tainted her subconsciousness. But the lizard had the feeling that eventually, this would change. It's not easy to learn that your mother is a monster.
 
The streets of Resna's hometown were occasionally stained with blood. That wouldn't change in years. But each time Resna learned from the neighbors that there had been another gruesome death, she felt like a tiny piece of her had died as well. The full moon often induced madness within certain types of people, but it had a different influence on Resna's mother. She would transform into a white wolf and prowl on the streets, attacking anyone that crossed her way. She was completely blinded by bloodlust and wouldn't recognize anyone, probably not even Resna. While in this cursed form, she would just kill and tear apart until dawn, the first rays of the sun would turn her back human. Did she remember any of the bad things she had done during the night? This is what Resna tended to ponder, but couldn't directly ask from her mother. Though, she would learn the next day who had died, if there were any deaths during the night.
 
Resna never dared to bring up that she knew about her mother's secret. At first, she was just too shocked to believe it was true. But eventually she would accept this truth, but she was afraid that something bad would happen to her mother if she ever talked about it, that their life would shatter into thousands of pieces and couldn't be mended. Resna loved her mother more than anything else in the world, she had no other family members so it was just two of them. She didn't know what was the right thing to do and so she remained silent. Her mother had tried hard to keep her curse as a secret and she wasn't aware that her daughter knew. She just wanted to spare her from some of the madness it caused.
 
And the little lizard followed how this tragic tale unfolded. It often remained on the wall, observing Resna. And at first, the girl was too innocent to see it. The lizard was one with the shadows on the wall. It took a peek into her dreams and how her inner anguish began to gradually make them grow darker. Her mother still played the role of a loving parent; she still told her bedtime stories and tried her best to provide everything her daughter needed. And Resna loved her back, but every full moon she felt anxious. Her mother wasn't her mother those nights. She couldn't tell anyone, because it would get her mother killed, for sure.
 
But the lizard knew. And eventually, Resna could see its dark form with a sprinkle of starlight. She named the lizard Glimmer. And for the first time ever, Resna felt like she had a true friend, someone she could share secrets with. Glimmer stayed by her side, loyally like a shadow. Having the lizard around made Resna feel better and even during the nights of full moon, her fears had started to fade away and she could sleep in peace. But her dreams were still painted dark by painful sensations that had taken a hold of her heart. Glimmer could see it all and it hoped that it had the power to make everything alright for the girl.
 
As the years passed by, things were getting even worse. Resna could see how the curse was taking its toll on her mother. She was getting increasingly tired and absentminded, seeming like her mind was somewhere else rather than in the present. It was like she was losing herself. She was slowly withering away; her body was becoming way too thin. Resna could only watch, still holding onto her mother's secret even years later. But everyone has their breaking point.
 
One night, after the sun had vanished, Resna was lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Glimmer had curled up on top of her chest and the young woman was petting the lizard as the thoughts raced in her head. Her mother was asleep, but tomorrow there will be a full moon again. She would turn into a wolf and lose a piece of herself in the process, Resna was afraid that one day she won't be able to turn back to a human anymore. That's when her thoughts turned really dark. She wondered if her mother didn't need to go through that ever again. Would it be more merciful to end her cursed life? Resna had tried to find a cure for her, but in vain. There were no books, no people who could possess such knowledge. Resna had tried her hardest to follow even the tiniest bread crumbs in order to help her mother, but so far, no luck.
 
It was heartbreaking to Resna, following how this curse, this illness, was making her mother a miserable sight. She assured Resna that she was fine, that it was just some common cold that would explain her weak state at the moment. Still had no heart to tell her daughter about the curse. And Resna didn't let her know that she knew. The beast inside her mother was winning the battle of possessing the body. Sooner or later, there would be no traces left of her humanity or identity.
 
“What do you think, Glimmer?” Resna muttered to the lizard, even though she knew it couldn't respond, not with words, at least. “Should it be my responsibility to slay the beast?”
 
It made sense to her. She was the only one who knew the beast's true identity. So many hunters had tried to catch the white wolf, but hadn't yet succeeded. Resna was glad that their attempts had failed, but she realized that this was a selfish way of thinking. Nobody who had a loving mother wouldn't want to say the final farewell to them. The hunters would probably kill her in a horrible way, treating her as nothing else but a beast, as if she had chosen this life. Only Resna could see the things as they were. And she felt even more heartache because the reason why her mother was still clinging to the life of a human was because of her.
 
“If somebody will put an end to the wolf's life, it should be me”, Resna said. “Only I know that she's not a terrible beast… Not really.”
 
Glimmer licked one of her fingers; it was its way to tell her that it understood.
 
“She's so sick and suffering… I can't stand to see her like that”, Resna told her little companion. “She won't get better… Only worse. I think I should do it.”
 
She scooped up the lizard from her chest and gently placed it on the nightstand next to her bed. Glimmer watched as the young woman lay down and wrapped the blanket around her body like a cocoon as if it would shield her from all her worries.
 
“Good night, Glimmer”, she said.
 
It didn't take long for her to fall asleep. Glimmer stayed on the nightstand, watching her dream. So much had changed in the mind of Resna. She was dreaming of guns of the hunters and blood spilled on the streets, of a white wolf that would tear her apart with no mercy. There was just death and violence. In a way, Resna was cursed as well. When her mother dies, she would be free at last.
 
But how could Glimmer ever let her know that it was responsible for these types of dreams and make her think that she was the solution to ending her mother's curse?
 
There was a veil of fog surrounding the town by dawn. In Resna's mind, it was like the town itself was preparing for the sorrow of the following night. As she stared out of the window after waking up, she felt oddly numb. Maybe it was a good thing. The time for tears would come later. She shifted her gaze from the foggy outside world to her bed. She stepped towards it and crouched down, reaching for something beneath her bed. A little secret was hiding in there and Resna pulled out a crossbow. She examined the weapon for a bit, to feel it in her hands. For a while ago she had stolen it from a hunter that had tried to track the white wolf. Even then Resna had this idea in her head that it might come to this, that she would put an end to the beast. Ever since she had been hiding this weapon along with some silver-headed arrows, just in case. It seemed that the time to use the crossbow had finally arrived. She slipped the weapon back to its hiding place and waited for the night.
 
This was the last day with her mother. But she was so withered away that she didn't have strength to do anything and would just lie in her bed. Resna hated to see her like that, it was breaking her heart. Resna made her some herbal tea and spent the day by her mother's side, talking about all sorts of things, recalling warm memories. What a great life they've had together. It was so unfair it would end so soon.
 
As the evening arrived and the world was becoming dark once more, Resna lied that she was going to bed.
 
“Good night, mother”, she said. “I love you.”
 
And she gave her mother the tightest hug she had ever given. These words and this hug, they would be the last ones in this life.
 
Her mother gave her a weak smile. “Love you, too. Good night, dear.”
 
Resna could see the worry on her face; she was already dreading the moment of transformation. It wasn't easy to leave her like that, but Resna knew she had to toughen herself. What she was about to do required such courage she hadn't needed ever before. She made her way upstairs and to her own room, waiting for a while until she would hear her mother leaving the house. She took the crossbow out and was ready to use it – as ready as she could in this situation.
 
Her mother would wait for her to fall asleep before she would sneak out of the house. Eventually Resna could distinguish the quiet noises of floorboards creaking and how the outside door was gently opened and closed. It was time. Resna's movements were stiff, like she was a doll and someone was pulling her strings as she snatched a quiver with some extra arrows.
 
“Let's go, Glimmer”, she said to the lizard and carefully picked it up and placed it on her shoulder.
 
She had to be swift; her mother would surely try to get to the outskirts before she would transform. Resna descended the stairs and hurried to the door, opening and closing it for the last time. The chilly night air welcomed her and she ran through the shadows, heading west; she had followed from windows where her mother usually headed to and mostly her choice was west. Maybe because there was a farm and she would most likely attack cattle rather than people.
 
But it soon became apparent that her mother didn't get that far. Perhaps she just didn't have the strength anymore, the beast inside her had consumed all of it. Resna managed to catch up to her rather quickly on the streets, just to witness the last moments of her transformation. A thick white fur was covering her mother's body and her limbs were twisting as they tried to grow into their right proportions. Strong, deadly and long claws were ready to tear her victim apart and they were gleaming in the light of the full moon. She raised her head as if worshipping the great silvery sphere, looking at the moon for a little while. But soon she smelled that she wasn't alone and turned around to face her daughter.
 
There wasn't even the tiniest bit of humanity left in her, Resna could tell by looking at the wolf's yellow eyes. She wasn't her mother, she was an absolute beast. The wolf was growling as she slowly began to approach Resna; she didn't recognize her daughter. Hardening her heart, Resna pointed at the wolf with her crossbow and shot the first arrow. It merely scratched the wolf's arm as a result of her inexperience; she had practiced loading arrows to her weapon but she hadn't actually fired it before this moment. Quickly Resna pulled another arrow from the quiver and placed it on her crossbow. She aimed and shot again and this time, the arrow hit the wolf on the shoulder.
 
The wolf let out a roar as the silver pierced her flesh. This angered her and she immediately started to rush towards Resna, ready to kill her for what she had done. The young woman had to prepare a new arrow and she started to run, in hopes it would grant her some time. She was afraid to feel the claws or fangs on her body at any second. Resna managed to load her crossbow and she swiftly turned around to face the wolf. There wasn't much distance between them and she shot at the beast, maybe a bit too haphazardly. But it was a lucky shot and the arrow impaled the wolf's neck. This caused her to stop and she was shaking her head viciously. Then she tried to tear it out and while she was occupied with the arrow, Resna had time to load another one and this time, she would aim better. She held her weapon still, tried to remain calm and patiently waited for the right moment.
 
The beast was gurgling, choking on silver and on her own blood. Resna's next arrow would truly be the merciful one, ending the wolf's life and curse. She found the right moment as the wolf lowered her head for a little while and she shot the last arrow, hitting the wolf to her head. The beast fell to the ground and didn't move anymore. The white wolf who had brought so much terror to the town was finally slain. Even in death, the curse still prevailed as she didn't turn back to human. Not yet, at least, maybe by morning.
 
Resna lowered her weapon and looked at the dead wolf. Her mother… Now she was free, at last.
 
“I did it, Glimmer”, Resna said silently to her little companion that had seen all of this unfold.
 
The sparkles on the back of the lizard twinkled more brightly than ever before. It, too, had fulfilled its duty. It had granted the wish the little girl so many years ago sent to the quiet heaven.
 
[i]“I just want my mother to feel better.”[/i]
 
Now she would. She was free from all the pain and slowly becoming mad and losing herself. Through Resna's dreams, Glimmer had planted the thoughts of mercy-killing her mother into her head. It was an inevitable fate, Resna just had to see that for herself. The only way to free her mother was through death and if she didn't do it, somebody else would. Resna didn't want to feel such resentment.
 
Now that Glimmer had granted the wish, it had two options; it could stay on earth or become a star again. But in its heart, it knew it didn't belong to the sky anymore. And it had grown quite fond of Resna. It decided to stay here and accompany the young woman through her life.
 
Resna couldn't remain in this town any longer. She had freed them from the beast, but all these surroundings would just remind her of her mother. She had already decided to leave all of this behind by the moment she had killed the white wolf. She didn't care what the townsfolk would think about her disappearance, let them make their stories and rumors.
 
It was hard to look away from the corpse of the wolf, but Resna finally was able to do it. She turned around and started to walk away, towards a new life. And she wasn't alone as she had her little friend with her.