• "Please don't interrupt Luna...." Autumn asks before he starts this story. I nodded miming that I'm zipping my lips. "Where to begin... Most of this began decades before you or your parents...Vampires....Things that you see on television to give yourselves cheap thrills and chills are very much real, as I believed I proved." He said looking to my wrist. "Though I can't honestly say that our hands are free of any bloodshed, I can say that any death was of just cause. We do not kill for...for kicks or for thrills. Life is sacred and we treat it as such. But as I said, we aren't totally blood free. We have a sort of...." He paused to think about a descriptive word to sum this up. "Conflict?" I supplied for him. " He smiled at me, "Sure let's call it a conflict. We have a conflict with these other...beings. We have for many decades. We clash constantly, and as a result some people get caught in the crossfire...." He looked up apologetically at me. "Mom..." I said. His eyes seemed to deepen in their sadness, to the point where he couldn't even look at me. "Your father...." He said tightly. My whole body went rigid, and my eyes began to swim with tears. "It was never out intention to get anyone in your family involved...but you, and your father as well, possess something we desperately need." Autumn said. I absorbed all of this with a shocking calmness. If I'm being honest it's more of a cold rationality. In my head I think of it in terms of a gang war and my family's the undercover member that gets caught. Seeing it that way....makes it all the more real but sombering it at
    the same time. "Can I ask some things..." I said quietly. Autumn looked at me a nodded slowly.

    "Exactly...what do we have that you need?" I asked. Autumn gave something of a mix between a smirk and a grimace. "To explain it easier....Luna, have you ever felt like your consistently having deja vu? You have a day dream or a normal dream and then it happens a while later?" He asks. "Sure...everyone does sometimes." I said. "How often did you, Luna? Was it once every few months? Every few weeks? Days?" He prodded. I nodded. I know what he's talking about but I'm still writing it off as normal....
    "What about Marie? Can't she do it instead?" I asked. "Yes she can....Not nearly as well as your father, and I'm sure not as well as you. Her's isn't as strong" He said. " So why can't you just be happy with her? I mean better is always good but to drag my family into danger,,," I stopped because he gave me a stern look. "Marie paid a price just like you....hers has tolled to the point that she no longer has relatives of any sort, she hasn't in a long time." Autumn said. I was quiet. I felt like I was just stuck.... "Do you force them to do that....deja vu thing?" I asked. He gave a small smile, "No...Marie...your father as well...they volunteered of their own free will." He said. I smiled at that. From what mom always tells me, Dad was a giver, "So....why force me?" I asked. I was waiting to hear him deny forcing me. " I didn't have much choice....you wouldn't have come willingly, your far to cautious and wary for that sort of thing, nor would you have believed me.....and they were getting to close. You weren't safe anymore." Autumn said. "So....my lifes over then, huh?" I sighed. Autumn's head snapped up to look at me questioningly. "If it's not safe to be at home with mom, then you won't let me see her....or my friends. I won't be able to go back to school...or just wander around like I used to....It'll be like I'm in a cage." I said quietly. "Luna...I know it sounds terrible....but your not a prisoner, I'm only doing this for your protection." Autumn reasoned. I looked up sadly at him, "The road to hell is always paved with good intentions, right?" Autumn didn't reply. He just sat there and I looked at the floor. "Luna....I promise...things will look better in the morning. We'll talk more after you sleep." He said, gently grabbing my arm and guiding me up then leading me back to my room.