Sam had told his mother he was going to the movies but his mother knew he was lying. She knew he and his friends were up to some mischief. The teenager was styling his hair in the bathroom when his mother came in.

‘Where are you going?'

‘Out.'

‘Where?'

‘To the movies.'

‘You're up to something and you don't want to tell me what it is.'

‘We're going to the movies!' 

‘Why is it so difficult to tell me where you're going?'

‘I told you – we're going to the movies!' 

He stormed out of the bathroom. His mother followed him.

‘I'm your mother!' 

‘So, what?'

The young man was ready to walk out the door when his mother spoke to him again. ‘Sam...'

‘What!' 

‘I just want to know that you're going to be safe.'

‘I'll be safe, don't worry – we're just going to the movies.'

‘What are you going to see?' He hesitated and his mother noticed. ‘You're going to do something silly and you won't tell me what it is!' 

‘Leave me alone!'

‘You don't think about anyone but yourself.' 

The woman walked over to the living room window. She opened it and looked outside. There was a full moon in the sky.    

‘Where are you going?' 

‘Out.' 

The woman bowed her head. She was clearly sad. 

‘I'll be back later,' he said, in a different tone, trying to console her. She did not look at him.

‘I'd like to know where you're going.'

‘I'm nineteen years old – I can go where I like!' The woman was silent. ‘I'm sick and tired of being told what to do!' 

She did not answer. 

‘I'm not coming back until tomorrow,' he said. His mother offered no response. ‘What do you think about that?' 

‘You might not find me here' she said, looking at the moon. 

There was silence for a moment. 

‘What do you mean?' 

‘Why can't you tell me where you're going?'

‘I've told you a thousand times – we're going to the movies!' 

Nothing was said for a while. The boy did not have the conviction to walk out of the house. Something in his heart, though he knew not what, remained unresolved.

‘What are you looking at?' he said, for something to say.

‘The moon. It's full.'

‘I have to go.'

‘You were conceived on a full moon.'

‘Mum!'

‘Your father took me to the beach. We had a picnic – '

‘I'm going!'

‘He said he was jealous of the moon. He said that I used to look at the moon more lovingly than I looked at him. He said I was in love with the moon.'

‘My friends are waiting...'

Sam's mother turned around to face him. She looked beautiful in the moonlight. And in that moment, he saw her as a woman who could be desired. She looked at him for a moment then walked sadly out of the room. 

Sam put on his jacket and turned off the lights. He thought about how strangely the argument with his mother had ended on this occasion. The house was dark except for the moonlight, which poured into the room and created unfriendly shadows. The house he had known for years suddenly seemed unfamiliar to him. 

He walked over to the window and looked out at the night sky. The moon was shining brightly. He felt it staring at him. He trembled slightly then shut the window, convincing himself that he had felt a draught. But it was no draft he had felt - he had felt the glower of the moon itself.

He felt safer with the window shut. The moon seemed less intimidating when seen through the glass. He was still looking at it when a great cloud moved slowly across its face until it had been covered completely. He felt relieved that the moon was now hidden. But what he saw next defied belief and made his heart turn cold.

The glow of the moon behind the clouds began to diminish until it waned completely, leaving the sky pitch black. But as strange as the darkening of the sky was the simultaneous waxing of light in the living room. He felt a sense of despair. He felt the light behind him and sensed it was watching him, and he was afraid to turn around.  

‘Mum?' 

His mother did not reply. Sam knew he was alone with the light – and that it was patiently waiting. He turned around and saw what seemed to be a man in a glowing white robe. He face shone brightly and had the appearance of chalk. His robe seemed opaque but became translucent when it stirred in the breeze. Sam felt threatened. The man – or so it seemed – stared at him and presently, a cheesy grin came across its face. 

‘What do you want?' Sam asked.

‘Your mother.'

Sam felt his heart sink. 

‘Wh-why?' he stammered. The figure grinned. ‘Who are you?' 

‘I'm the man in the moon,' it said, and it broke off into laughter.

Sam spun around and looked up into the sky. It was dark but for some stars. He scanned the vault of the universe but there was no moon to be seen. Surely this was impossible. Had the moon descended? ‘How ridiculous!' he thought. Perhaps the moon had disappeared behind a house or had sunk beneath the horizon. He looked even harder.

‘There's no moon tonight,' the figure said.

‘I saw it before!'

‘Not anymore...' 

‘My mother's not here!' 

‘She's in love with the man in the moon.'

‘She's not here!'

‘In love with the man in the moon.'

‘No, please.' 

 ‘In love with the man in the moon.'

‘Please, go...' 

‘The man in the moon, the man in the moon, she's in love with the man in the moon.'

‘Go away!' 

‘In love with the man in the moon...'

Sam was about to take an aggressive step towards the thing when he saw his mother walk into the room between them, as if under a spell.

‘Mum!' he screamed, but she was deaf to his call.

‘Mum!' he tried again, but she did not notice him.

‘She's in love with the man in the moon...' the figure repeated, and it grinned its cheesy grin.

The woman walked slowly and deliberately towards the window. She opened it and looked out into the blackness. She seemed sad.

‘She's in love with the man in the moon,' it said again.

Sam appealed to his mother with all the tenderness in his heart. 

‘Mum, please...' 

But the woman took no notice of him and kept staring at the sky.

The figure approached and stood beside her. It took her by the hand and together they looked out into the sky. Sam felt sick. He closed his eyes and prayed to God that it was all a dream. When he dared to open them again, his mother was gone and the moon was as high in the sky as it had been before. The young man broke down and sobbed upon the window sill.

A moment later, Sam heard his name being called. It was his mother. He looked out into the sky. 

‘Sam?' 

The voice had come from behind him. He turned around and saw his mother standing there in the room. 

‘Aren't you going out?' 

Sam looked at the moon and thought. He looked at his mother who was waiting for a reply. 

‘I don't think so.' 

‘Why not?' she asked, wondering how such a change of heart could have come about so quickly.

Sam looked at his mother as if he were seeing her after a long absence. He felt closer to her than ever before. 

‘I'd rather stay with you,' he said. And he went to her and embraced her tightly.