Luna
1
The late afternoon sun melted into a nearly pitch black night as Luna watched the cool green moon. She relived watching the same moon as a girl. This stone was the only thought that was allowed into her mind for the longest time that night. She remembered how she would stare from the moment it captured her eye, to the moment it departed from her periphery, mesmerized by its iridescent emerald glow entirely. Dawn would break and steal every last drop of energy she had, leaving her to fall slowly as a dry husk on her bed spread. Then, she would fall into a deep exhausted slumber. For some reason, each full moon, the trance would deepen, and nothing, not even immortal peril, could free her from.
On this particular night, the moons rays seem magnified and overbearingly powerful. Against her mother's wishes, she ventured out of her locked room to the cool Chicago night. Her feet lead her to the tall sycamore in the center of her yard and she jumped. Moments later, she had scathed the side of the tree; arms outstretched the whole way: she would do anything to be with mother moon.
"Luna!" a voice wailed in the distance. For a moment, Luna realized what she was doing and fear spiked her spine. Once the trance took over, she reached again, the tree pricking her bare feet angrily. One more reach, and the tree released her; her small fragile body and she tumble lifelessly to the ground. This was the day Celeste realized who she was, what she was, and she caught her sister. With a white flash, she was there, her body swifter than wind, more agile than any other creature, she was the thing myth and legends and stories of night were made of; she was a vampire.
"Luna" Celeste gasped, trying to remain calm, just, "It's too late for you to be up, come on sweetheart, and go back to bed."
"No," Luna would groan groggily, "the moon."
"I know baby," she would say as she held the whining preschooler with her arms which are unusually strong for a twelve year old. "You really need to sleep."
"But I can't," she coos, "the moon out."
"Honey," Celeste begged.
"Moon!" Luna shouted, and her voice began to fade. "Moon…"
The frenzied cries of her past shook something deep within her spirit and her body shuddered, suddenly cool. A draft, she was finally able to comprehend. Just… a draft. She absently pulled her window shut, the image of her, possibly late sister glued to her mind. She blinked, finally returning to reality, looking around blindly. Why am I conscious? She was usually stuck in the trance at this time; though tonight, there she stood half dressed and bathed in the moonlight. Maybe it was the startling image of her sister, maybe the feeling of the relived fall, or maybe the shock of their realization. Why hadn't their mother explained? Well it didn't matter, momma never kept secrets ever again…. at least until the day of Celeste's disappearance.
Breaking her heavy thought, she contemplating the moon and retreated; she would not be caught again.
The bed ripped on impact and she groaned. It felt like she was lying on a water bed. Was she getting fat? She considered this for a moment and changed her mind upon inspection of her flat, slightly muscular abdomen in the mirror. She had long brown hair and bright blue-green eyes that showed her inner flaws, her condition of which she loathed.
Groaning once more, she plopped back down on her bed, which was conveniently covered in blue-green moons and the occasional star like the ones on which all hung from string on her ceiling. (note, her eyes are associated with the green moon; once a full blood, her eyes will turn blue and her mates eyes will be green. She is the relative of Lilith, the Demon.) Am I sensing a pattern here? The she remembered why they were placed there. To remind you of what you are. This is not a punishment, Luna, remember that. Her mother's voice exited her mind. She used her arm to cover her eyes, blocking the moons from her view; all of them, though she could still see a bright blue line running up her arm: a blood vessel. The blood teased her, pumping harder. It knew she resented it and would rather it be gone altogether. What if you never take lead of you family line, her mind questioned. Then what will you do? She would no doubt end up a useless street walker feeding off of the blood of innocents from desolate rat infested ally ways forever like Jess.
She shuddered. Loaners; she could not stand them and she never could. They were strong, independent vampires, but something was missing. A sense of pride, perhaps; maybe a duty to ones self alone was what sickened her so. No matter the reason, she could not become one of them: she wouldn't allow it.
A monstrous groan escaped her chest when her stomach grumbled in protest. No, she refused must...not…fed…If Celeste could do it, so could she. Hunger would strike, no matter how short lived it was, it was inevitable among the Santiago's, and she was no exception. Hopefully Ms. Martina won't bother me. She always wants to get me out of class. Luna's worrisome, yet delightful Spanish teach was the only one in the whole school who was smart enough to see something different in Luna and caring enough to worry about her on the regular, though needless to say, not may others truly worried about her well being at all, to say the least. "If I so much as sneeze in class, she'll send me to the ER." This was a casualty her family simply could not afford and one she simply would not allow. She looked over at her running shoes, the ones with the newly torn heels and sighed. "Well, something's gotta give!"