He had never disclosed to Cassie that she was the most captivating girl in the village. From a young age, she had captivated him completely. He would steal glances at her whenever the opportunity arose. Whether he was supposed to concentrate on his studies or during their daily bus rides to school, his attention was invariably drawn to her. He had fallen in love. 

Now at eighteen, Jason recognised the need to mature. It was time for him to speak up. On this particular day, he desired more than mere admiration. He had noticed Cassie was seeing Johnny from the local pub which did not sit well with him. He waited across the street as Cassie emerged from the salon at 7 p.m., his eyes fixed on her. The evening was crisp and clear, illuminated by a bright full moon. 

As she walked down the pavement towards her home, he could see his breath in the chilly air. He was careful to maintain a respectful distance, aiming to surprise her. Keeping a safe distance proved to be quite difficult. 

Each time Cassie turned to look back, he would feign interest in his phone or pretend to adjust his shoelaces. When she reached the gate of her house, he took a step forward, his heart racing in his chest. 

"Hi, are you following me?" she asked, halting in her tracks.

 "Yes," he replied, the words escaping his lips before he fully comprehended their implications.

 Cassie stood frozen, her expression one of genuine horror as they shared a tense moment. 

"What do you want?" she gasped, fear evident in her voice. 

The full moon cast a silvery glow on her striking features, yet an unshakeable chill enveloped her, penetrating her very bones.

 "Hmm," Jason hesitated, locking eyes with her.

 He could see the fear reflected in her beautiful eyes as he glanced over his shoulder, noticing the old man who had returned. 

Cassie’s gaze shifted to the old man, whose weathered face bore the marks of age and weariness. He stood beside her at the gate, his eyes fixed intently on her. She remained motionless, paralysed by fear, her body unwilling to move. 

The bright full moon cast eerie shadows that seemed to reach out towards her, chilling her to the core. 

Jason understood that the situation was beyond his control and simply stood there.

The first occasion on which the elderly man addressed Jason occurred when Jason was thirteen years of age. He was engaged in play after sunset on the family's modest farm, which was bathed in the light of a full moon. 

After years of confinement, he ventured into the timeworn barn, a space where generations of his family had stored their unnecessary and outdated possessions. Although his mother would disapprove if she discovered he had entered through the back, where one of the vertical planks had deteriorated and loosened with age, he reasoned that she would be none the wiser.

 In his hand, he clutched a burger he had salvaged for dinner. His mother, often unwell, was not particularly skilled in the kitchen, and his father had been a hopeless alcoholic. 

He sifted through the relics of the past. Most items of value had succumbed to rust, damage, and moisture. His gaze was drawn to a singular object that seemed to be shielded from the elements. Upon removing the large, tattered sheet, he uncovered a sizable mirror. Suddenly, he heard his name called in a slow, raspy voice. Turning around, Jason found no one in sight. The voice called out again, and a look of confusion crossed his face.

 “Jason.” 

This time, the name was uttered with greater volume and intensity. The voice evoked the image of an elderly man who indulged in whisky and tobacco. 

As Jason peered into the mirror, he heard the same voice enquire, "Do you have any meat?" 

Despite the brightness of the full moon, Jason initially struggled to see clearly.

 "Who are you? How did you get in there?" Jason asked. 

The voice replied, "I will reward you if you provide me with good meat." 

"What kind of reward?" Jason enquired, his curiosity piqued rather than fear taking hold. 

"Power," the old man hissed. 

Jason had the burger he had tucked into his pocket before stepping outside to play. As he placed it beneath the mirror, it vanished, leaving only the bun behind. 

Jason was captivated.

 "I don't like it," the old man hissed.

Observing as the reflection of an elderly, hunched, and weathered man gradually took shape in the mirror. Jason watched intently

 "Do you desire something else?" Jason enquired. 

The old man growled, "I will offer you something wonderful if you bring me fresh meat."

"What do you mean?" Jason enquired. 

"Power," the elderly man replied in a hoarse voice. 

Without informing anyone, Jason hurried out of the old barn. It took him a while to understand that the old man only appeared on nights of the full moon. Jason soon realised that the old man craved raw meat.

 Each full moon, he placed raw meat in front of the mirror. The old man would respond with a simple, "Nice," every time he was offered food, indicating his fondness for fresh meat. 

When Jason turned fourteen, his father abruptly left, disappearing without a trace. The responsibility of the farm now fell solely on him and his mother. 

Every full moon, Jason continued to bring raw meat to the barn. He had already opened one of the barn's old doors, allowing easy access inside. Over time, he repaired the barn, and no one could dictate his actions now that he was in charge of the farm. Jason had assumed full control. 

When Jason was eighteen, his mother, Nelly, experienced a mental breakdown and was admitted to a nearby sanatorium. Each day, lost in her silent suffering, she would gently rock in her chair, either unable or unwilling to speak. She could never articulate the horrors she faced. 

The haunting image of Jason looming over her with a kitchen knife, his face aged and twisted with malice, were the images playing over-and-over in her thoughts.

 If only others could understand that Nelly was harbouring; a secret that tormented her.  Jason was the old man, and she recognised him as the monstrous son the night she was taken to the sanatorium. 

Nelly witnessed him transform into a demonic figure, pure evil, as he stood before her, poised to strike with the large kitchen knife. The world would remain oblivious to the terror she endured. 

She vanished just before the year ended. Cassie was never found, and numerous other residents mysteriously vanished from the area without a trace. 

Jason could not bring himself to harm his own mother; she was far too virtuous for him.