I had done of our marriage they were very well preserved I had been offered money for some of the things I had collected I refused to sell them not because I was greedy but because they had sentimental value to me. "I had to raise Liam Jr., and Ruthie by myself they married Liam had 5 boys before I left them Ruth went into a convent after her husband almost killed her in a rage."

"what happened to the house?" Liam asked at me curiously he had been gone and had never know or he would have stopped it by putting the fear of god into the man.

I shrugged my shoulders I sipped the tea before sighing and looking at them I came here to tell you my story Liam I would have outlived you in the long run the past is a cruel master to those I loved or cared about my past is filled with the losses I suffered my sons and daughters lived a very long life and by extension so did their husbands and children I was never going to tell my story but the past needs to be told so that you know the truth about what happened to our children." I got up going to my room I picked up Raymond who was fussing I kissed his head Raymond looked like Carlisle.

Raymond had been conceived in January 1930 Carlisle had visited me before he left the area completely with his new wife and son not that I cared that much I did not find out he was pregnant until months after Carlisle had gone I called everyone I could think of to try to find Carlisle but he was gone I had left the USA in February of 1931 and had come to Ireland. I had happened upon Liam while I was shopping he had invited me back to his house and I had accepted we talked before I napped. I shushed Raymond sitting back down I asked what they wanted to know about the past because I had lived through every big major event in history some of the things in the bible had been embellished a bit but that was to be expected from men of the church who had written the bible before printing presses were readily easy to come by it was stupid how they had interpreted the bible back then it left things to desired.

I smiled at Maggie who was watching me and Raymond who was 5 months old looked about a year I gave him a cookie and settled him on my lap saying "I will be leaving in the morning so I can get the airport to make my plane back to the USA I can't say that I am very enthusiastic to be going back but I want to teach. Do you want to hold him Maggie He doesn't bite, much." I laughed handing the child to Maggie who took him as I brushed off my skirt. Raymond stopped eating his cookie and looked at Maggie giving her a toothy grin he laughed his laugh bell like he was the stars in my dark, dark night I would not have changed the past if I could. Maggie held him as I said "he is half human half vampire he's the first of his kind as far as I am aware he eats human food mostly but before bed he gets some elk blood with his milk in his bottle. I tried to find his father but he is gone so I will just raise him until he is old enough to marry and work. I plan to keep him with me until he is ready to go out in the world."

"How do I start ah Yes the past time is like a stone it gets worn smooth after centuries and then life will change and multiply exponentially as it is changed infinitely. I was only one of my village that was not afraid of the sky rocks we did not really have a language we just grunted and pointed My father was the chief of the village he was the strongest warrior Kou was the next after him they hunted what you call the Wooly Mammoth the women made nets and foraged for food we never stayed in one place long we traveled until the great sky rock fell then my people including my husband Kou who would be the next chief had our homes packed up the next day they hunted and salted the meats packing them I had had 3 children all boys my husband fell asleep after mating me and then I left the tent I slept around the rock it was warm what I did not know is that the rock was changing me my husband and father had warned the others to stay away from it but I didn't listen I woke up before the people of my village who were finishing packing my furs and tools into my pack.

I packed my possession into my pack they left I stayed for a while before I broke the rock into small pieces packing several in my pack I left the crater and started to track my people down I found them 9 months later in a valley they had set up camp. Kou had not taken another wife he was now the chief my father had stepped down and was living in the village as an elder wise man. I walked into the village and was greeted by my children who ran up and hugged me dragging me to the chiefs tent I found Kou sitting eating he looked up when then children dragged me into the tent Kou pushed the children out of the tent he grabbed me kissing me harshly I left that night after the village had gone to sleep I hunted small animals preserving the meat I packed it and walked.

I tamed a beast that is now called a horse I rode it with a blanket I wove a halter and reigns for it I never miss treated it as we moved a from place to place I would sleep next to the beast with the rocks as warmth the horse lived for much longer than it would have I buried it with the rites of my people I died many times each death took me to a new life and each new life brought new challenges to me I was a warrior and a mother I fought the invaders from other villages and when our village moved I would weave a pallet for things to be pulled by beasts that I had caught to work for us.

I made carts and once the great thaw happened I started growing foods from the seeds that I preserved from what I could dig up from the ground my village took old foods and buried them in the vegetables to make the soil better to grow food we preserved grains bagging them we kept stores of grain crushing it we flattened it to cook it we ate it with crushed fruits and then we would make more and store it away my village moved twice before I made a cart and took one of the older beasts we had our own language and called them horse.

I loaded my cart with furs and jars as well as boxes and then I left heading I left my husband Bull and my sons Buck and Dak my daughter Sif was 6 she was already beautiful it hurt to leave them I found myself heading towards the east I traveled for weeks stopping at dark building camp before doing it the next day. I made jewelry out of the sky rock which I wore until I lost.

I sighed sipping my tea I patted the dogs heads as I poured more hot water in the cup I swirled the cut around as I looked at Liam saying "any questions so far?" I took out my cigarettes and asked "is it okay if I light one of these the past makes me need a cigarette". I waited until Siobhan nodded and then I lit the cigarette in my mouth with a match. Raymond cooed to Maggie who was smiled at him. I smiled at him I got up going to the kitchen I grabbed some food and made him a bottle handing it to Maggie I nodded that she could give it to him as I ate my food as we all talked about life in general.

Maggie gave Raymond the bottle he ate hungrily before fussing I took Raymond and burped him carefully before I handed him back Maggie offered him the bottle he took it and finished the bottle he handed the bottle to Maggie who set the bottle on the table in front of her before burping him. I laughed and said " you are the only person he has taken well he doesn't like many other people. I loved my son very much he was a gift that brought a smile to me when I needed it most. I laughed as I told them the rest of my story the past always made me feel sad the loss was never easy life had a way of making you take stock of the years in general and make changes to the way you lived your life day to day.