Blood Moon

                                                                                                                        Chapter One

Was this how I was going to die? In a dark alleyway, slowly bleeding to death?

"Couldn't have asked for a better death." I chuckled, a drip of blood leaking from the corner of my lip. Hell, it sure beats laying in a bed waiting for death! Too bad I let the guy get away.

For all of you who are confused, my name is Artemis Collins, and about five minutes ago I saved a woman from being killed in an alley. How, you ask? By jumping on the guy and yelling at the lady to run. Too bad the guy pulled out a knife and stabbed me in the side.

Even if I could yell, there was nobody around that would hear me. Well, at least God blessed me with seeing a Blood Moon in my last few moments.

"You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?" A voice from besides me asked. I looked up and could barely make out a figure in the darkness.

"Nah, I just love to lay down in alleyways with my side cut open." Even near death, my smartass tone does not fail me.

The figure chuckled. "Even near death, you crack jokes? I like your spunk, kid. Say, what say you and me make a deal?" My ears perked up at that last sentence.

"What kind of deal?" "One where you get another chance at life."

"Then I would have to decline your offer." If he was surprised, he hid it well.  "But I do have one regret."

"And what would that be?" "Not being able to see the moon anymore." My borderline fetish moon obsession had gotten me in a lot of trouble as a kid.

"Well, what if I told you that I could give you another chance to see the Moon?" I'm gonna ignore that he used capitals for moon.

"That, I would have to accept."

The man chuckled, bringing out a hand from the darkness. "Well then, do we have a deal." I stared at the hand, considering my options.

Ah, screw it. I'm dead either way.

"Why, yes. We do." I said, shaking his hand with the one that I held my wound with. As soon as I shook his hand, the world started to go black.

"Its been lovely dealing with you... Artemis."

My last thought was "How the hell did he know my name?"