Urdon and I walked back to the pack house holding hands. The sun was coming up, and everything looked golden and new. The grass sparkled with dew. The birds were starting to sing. The whole world felt clean and fresh like it had been washed by rain.
"Everything looks different," I said. "Brighter somehow."
"That is because the curse is gone," Urdon said. "It was like a shadow hanging over everything. Now that the shadow has been lifted and we can see clearly again."
I looked up at the sky. The moon was still visible even though the sun was rising. It was pale and beautiful against the blue. And there was no screaming face. No evil presence. Just a normal moon doing normal moon things.
"I used to be afraid to look at the moon," I said. "I kept seeing Yolande's face in it. But now it just looks peaceful."
"That is how it should be," Urdon said. "The moon should be peaceful. A symbol of the goddess watching over us. Not a reminder of ancient curses."
