Dark Family Chapter 9, a carpathian series fanfic

Okay, the songs [in order] are Not a Pretty Girl, Anticipate, Fuel, all by Ani Difranco, a source unknown lullaby, a slightly changed version of May the Light of Love, by David Roth, The Carpathian lullaby,[got that off the members section of Christine's website]. Enjoy!

The full moon rose over the mountain, highlighting the snow that still lingered in the hollows. The soft light shone on a group of adults and children that gathered around the bonfire.

Annika smiled at the new comers. Mikhail was in deep conversation with Celyn about her earliest memories. Forrest smiled at Kanya and rocked her. Gregori was there, along with Savannah. They spoke with Shira and Natika about being twins. Griffin and Fawn sat with Natalya, she told stories of fighting vampires. Vikirnoff added things that had her smacking him on the head. Annika's smile faded when she saw Danica and Tariq talking together. Then she shrugged. Tabitha was talking with Andre about crop rotation.

Annika started strumming on her guitar, her family fell silent, waiting for her song. She sent a teasing glance toward Gregori and Andre, "This song is dedicated to all the cave men here."

"I am not a pretty girl, that is not what I do, I ain't no damsel in distress, and I don't need to be rescued, so put me down punk, maybe you'd prefer a maiden fair, isn't there a kitten stuck up a tree somewhere!"

Danica, Fawn, Natika and Shira sang with her, "I am not an angry girl, but it seems like I've got everyone fooled, every time I say something they find hard to hear, they chalk it up to my anger, and never to their own fear, and imagine you're a girl, just trying to finally come clean, knowing full well, they'd prefer you, were dirty and smiling!" Together they sang the chorus, "And I am sorry, I am not a maiden fair, and I am not a kitten stuck up a tree somewhere"

"And generally my generation, wouldn't be caught dead working for the man, and generally I agree with them, trouble is you gotta have youself an alternate plan, and I have earned my disillusionment, I have been working all of my life, and I am a patriot, I have been fighting the good fight, and what if there are no damsels in distress, what if I knew that and I called your bluff? Don't you think every kitten figures out how to get down, whether or not you ever show up? I am not a pretty girl, I don't want to be a pretty girl, no I want to be more than a pretty girl."

Annika finished with a flourish on her guitar. Griffin crooked his finger and Annika passed the guitar to him. "This is one of my favorite songs, also by Ani Difranco."

"You are subtle as a window pane, standing in my view, but I will wait for it to rain, so that I can see you, you call me up at night, when there's no light passing through, and you think that I don't understand, but I do."

During the guitar solo, Griffin explained to the others, "This song basically explains our life on the streets."

"We don't say everything that we could, so that we can say later, oh, you misunderstood, I hold my cards up, close to my chest, I say what I have to, and I hold back the rest! 'Cause someone you don't know, is someone you don't know, get a firm grip, girl, before you let go, for every hand extended, another lies in wait, keep your eye on that one, anticipate!"

Fawn sang the next line with him, "Dress down get out there, pick a fight with the police, we will get it all on film, for the new release, seems like everyone's an actor, or they're an actor's best friend, I wonder what was wrong to begin with, that they should all have to pretend, we lost sight of everything, when we have to keep checking our backs, I think we should all just smile, come clean, and relax, if there's anything I've learned, all these years on my own, it's how to find my own way there, and how to find my own way back home!"

The Jensings clapped appreciatively.

Natalya looked like she was in love, "You like Ani Difranco?"

Shira cried out, "She's the only singer who tells it like it is!"

Natalya beamed, "Do you know Fuel?"

Tabitha bared her teeth, "We all have our songs, Annika has Letter to a John, Danica has Not a Pretty Girl, Griffin and Fawn have Anticipate and I have Fuel. It describes how you feel when you reach my age. Let's hear it Annika."

Griffin passed the guitar back to his older sister, she started the tune and then she and Natalya started singing, "They were digging a new foundation in Manhattan. And they discovered a slave cemetery there. May their souls rest easy, now that lynching is frowned upon, and we've moved on to the electric chair, and I wonder who's gonna be president, tweedle dum or tweedle dummer? And who's gonna have the big blockbuster box office this summer? How about we put up a wall between houses and the highway. And you can go your way, and I can go my way."

"Except all the radios agree with all the tvs, and all the magazines agree with all the radios, and I keep hearing that same damn song everywhere I go! Maybe I should put a bucket over my head, and a marshmallow in each ear. and stumble around for another dumb-numb waiting for another hit song to appear."

"People used to make records, as in a record of an event. The event of people playing music in a room. Now everything is cross-marketing, its about sunglasses and shoes, or guns and drugs, you choose. We got it rehashed, we got it half-assed, we're digging up all the graves, and we're spitting on the past, and you can choose between the colors, of the lipstick on the whores. 'Cause we know the difference between the font of 20% more. And the font of teriakiyi. You tell me, how does it... make you feel?"

"You tell me, what's ... real? And they say that alcoholics are always alcoholics, even when they're as dry as my lips for years, even when they're stranded on a small desert island, with no place within 2,000 miles to buy beer! And I wonder, is he different?Is he different? Has he changed? What's he about?.. Or is he just a liar with nothing to lie about?"

"Am I headed for the same brick wall, is there anything I can do about anything at all? Except go back to that corner in Manhattan, and dig deeper, dig deeper this time. Down beneath the impossible pain of our history. Beneath unknown bones. Beneath the bedrock of the mystery. Beneath the sewage systems and the PATH train. Beneath the cobblestones and the water mains. Beneath the traffic of friendships and street deals. Beneath the screeching of kamikaze cab wheels. Beneath everything I can think of to think about. Beneath it all, beneath all get out. Beneath the good and the kind and the stupid and the cruel, there's a fire just waiting for fuel!"

Tabitha sighed. "That's my all time favorite!"

Shira tugged on Celyn's shirt, "Celyn, will you sing that lullaby?"

Celyn smiled and sang softly, "This bed is too small for my tiredness, give me a hilltop with trees, tuck a cloud up under my chin, Lord blow the moon out please, Lord blow the moon out please. Rock me to sleep in a cradle of dreams, sing me a lullaby of leaves, tuck a cloud up under my chin, Lord blow the moon out please, Lord blow the moon out please."

Tabitha reached for the guitar, "This is a song that we sang during my hippie days." When the tune became clear all of the Jensings sang along.

"As we come around to take our places at the table, a moment to remember and reflect upon our wealth, here's to loving friends and family, here's to being able, to gather here together in good company and health."

"May we be released from all those feelings that would harm us, may we have the will to give them up and get them gone, for heavy are the satchels full of anger and false promise, may we have the strength to put them down."

"May the Light of Love be shining deep within your spirit, may the torch of Mercy clear the path and show the way, may the Horn of Plenty sound so everyone can hear it, may the Light of Love be with you every day."

"May we wish the best for everyone that we encounter, may we swallow pride and may we do away with fear, for it's only what we do not know that we have grown afraid of, and only what we do not choose to hear."

"As we bless our daily bread and drink our day's libation, may we be reminded of the lost and wayward souls, the hungry and the homeless that we have in every nation, may we fill each empty cup and bowl."

Raoul sang his line, "May nothing ever come between or threaten to divide us."

Then came Shira and Natika, "May we never take for granted all the gifts that we receive."

Fawn and Griffin sang, "Being ever mindful of the Unseen Hands that guide us."

Danica and Annika sang, "And the miracles that cause us to believe."

Together all of them sang, "May the Light of Love be shining deep within your spirit, may the torch of Mercy clear the path and show the way, may the Horn of Plenty sound so everyone can hear it, may the Light of Love be with you every day."

Mikhail, Gregori, Savannah, Natalya, Vikirnoff and Tariq applauded.

Savannah began the Carpathian lullaby. Annika, Celyn and Danica sang along automatically.

"Tumtesz o wäke ku pitasz belső. Hiszasz sívadet. Én olenam gæidnod. Sas csecsemõm, kuńasz. Rauho joŋe ted. Tumtesz o sívdobbanás ku olen lamt3ad belső. Gond-kumpadek ku kim te. Pesänak te, asti o jüti, kidüsz."

"What was that? I didn't know it before." Annika asked.

Mikhail smiled, "That was the Carpathian lullaby. The translation is, Feel the strength you hold inside. Trust your heart. I'll be your guide. Hush my baby, close your eyes. Peace will come to you. Feel the rhythm deep inside. Waves of love that cover you. Protect, until the night, you rise."

"It's beautiful," Danica said softly.

Savannah smiled at her, "Yes it is isn't it."

Annika glanced at her watch, "Bedtime and passed!" She ignored the groans from her younger siblings. "Come on, don't give me grief! Hup, hup!"

She quickly settled them inside the inn. Their usual sleeping arrangements had stayed the same in the inn. Annika set the safeguards and Danica followed her back out into the night.