The Vampire's Moon

I looked at the hill we had come to a stop in front of. We'd driven all morning, and we'd carried our packs the rest of the way.
"Where are they?" I asked Benjamin. He was wearing a light blue tee and jeans today, he looked gorgeous.
"Over the hill, in the bowl of a valley. Come on, there are caves in the sides of the valley bowl because of the mountains on both sides. If we hurry we can get to the cave the leaders are in," he answered.
He started to climb the hill, dragging me along by the hand. Ricky followed silently behind us. When we got over the hill, I couldn't see anyone in the bowl. I could see lights from the several caves in the bowl's sides, but no one came out. There was a large fire pit in the center, the wood still smoldering. The sound of laughter reached our ears, echoing in the valley. The sounds came from several of the caves, a sign of life. There were lines strung across the cave entrances that hung with laundry. My senses were almost overwhelmed with the onslaught of vampire and werewolf presences.
We climbed down the hill, and we were spotted when we reached the bottom. A small child emerged from his cave, and when he saw us started screaming.
"Benjamin and Ricky are here! Benjamin and Ricky are here!" he shouted. Soon the entire bowl was filled with people shouting, "Benjamin and Ricky have returned!", "They're here!", and "Someone call the leaders and tell them their sons are here!".
"'Someone call the leaders and tell them their SONS are here'?" I repeated. I looked up at Benjamin and Ricky's too innocent expressions. "Tell me," I ordered. My expression demanded they give in, lest I make them do things that no one would let them live down.
"We are the sons of the race leaders," said Benjamin swiftly, reluctantly.
"We didn't want to tell you just yet," said Ricky, innocent expression still plastered to his face.
"Too late now isn't it?" I said. I let go of Benjamin's hand, but he took it again.
"I don't want your parents to see us holding hands. Too embarrassing," I told him.
"They'll see it eventually, might as well be now," he retorted.
I groaned, but gave in.
The crowd continued to grow, but it cut down the middle as two men and two women walked forward.
It was easy to tell who was who. Benjamin's parents both had blonde-bronze hair and blue eyes. They were young, a factor of immortality. They were gorgeous, and appeared to be in their early twenties. Ricky's parents had black hair and brown eyes like their son. They all looked so much alike! Ricky's parents also appeared to be in their early twenties. The women wore simple white cotton dresses and the men wore white cotton shirts and pants. Benjamin's father stepped forward, and hugged his son. The mother did the same, and Ricky's parents did also. I was left standing alone, having been pulled away from Benjamin. It wasn't until they had been smothered by their parents that I was noticed again.
"So, Benjamin," said Benjamin's father, "Who have you brought us?" He circled me like I was a statue at a museum.
"My name is Michelle," I said, aggravated that he didn't address me directly. I held out my hand to shake. "You?"
He stopped in front of me and shook my hand. "Alexander."
I nodded acknowledgement.
"Father," Benjamin said, coming to stand next to me, "Michelle is my girlfriend."
Alexander grinned. "So, you went and found yourself a girl." The crowd cheered. I did an internal groan.
"Yes."
Alexander turned to me. "Tell me girl, are you werewolf or vampire? I know it's a stupid question since your heart is obviously beating and there is no such thing as inter-racial breeding, but I feel obligated to ask."
I grinned. He'd stolen the words right out of my mouth. Benjamin repressed a laugh.
"What?" Alexander looked surprised at our reaction to his question.
"Father," Benjamin chuckled, "She is very....unique."
I looked up at Benjamin. "Nice choice of words; you flatter me."
"I do my best."
I rolled my eyes.
"What do you mean she's unique?" Alexander asked, growing impatient.
I turned to him. I suddenly remembered one of the reasons I'd grown up in the countryside, where I'd been secluded with only my family around me. My parents had been afraid I wouldn't be accepted for what I was, that I'd be an outcast. They'd feared that I'd be shut out, possibly even killed because I was an oddity. A threat. While I admit, the latter seems a bit out there in their choice of reactions, I still couldn't help the slight fear that ate it's way into my heart. Would they be able to accept me with open arms?
Suddenly hesitant, I said, "I'm both vampire and werewolf."
I heard a gasp go through the crowd.
Alexander gawked. "Impossible. There is no such thing as inter-race breeding."
"Tell that to my parents."
He crossed his arms over his chest. So much for them killing me out of fear. "Prove you are what you say you are." Stubborn, isn't he?
I sighed. "This could take a while. I have many advantages you do not." Okay, now that the fear was gone, I felt like bragging a bit. Relief does that to you.
He looked smug. "I doubt that."
I shrugged. "Your time wasted. Do you want me to tell you my benefits first, or should I change first?"
"You pick."
"Okay, benefits first." I focused on him with my eyes as hard as I could, pushing the Force on him to the strongest level I could muster. "State random facts of things you did yesterday."
Immediately his mouth opened and he began to speak. "I had exactly two and a half bottles of blood yesterday, I decided I prefer the color pink over black, and last night I had a bit of fun with my wife while the other leaders were out hanging laundry." His wife turned scarlet when the werewolf leaders turned to look at her, eyebrows raised.
His jaw dropped when he was released from the Force and realized what he'd said.
"Believe me now?"
Shock rippled through the crowd.
"Father," Benjamin chuckled, "Pink?"
Alexander blushed.
"Would you like me to move on?" I asked.
He nodded.
"Okay. I'll demonstrate silently now." I willed him to jump up and down again in my mind.
Immediately he began hopping in place, a furious cry escaping his lips. He struggled not to, but couldn't fight it. He jumped up and down, up and down, up and down. Then I willed him to stop, and he stopped. As Yoda would say, 'The Force is strong with this one.'
"Satisfied with that?" I asked.
Alexander didn't answer, just stared at me.
"Now, I'll demonstrate my speed." I ran around the crowd and to the other side of the bowl in one second flat. I stopped there so that everyone saw me, and then ran back in the same amount of time.
Alexander still didn't say anything.
"I'm not sure how great my strength is, I just know I'm stronger than Benjamin. I have night vision, and very good eyesight. I have fast reflexes, though I'm not sure how good they are. I've never tested them. I am immortal, and I am not forced to become a werewolf during a full moon, though I usually do any way. I am a vampire but do not need blood. That doesn't mean I don't like it; on the contrary it tastes rather good." I know I'm showing off, but how often do you get the chance to show how good you are at something to a huge crowd of people?
"Is something wrong?" I asked when Alexander still didn't say anything.
"No, I'm just surprised is all. Please continue," Alexander said. Hmm, stubborn, yet polite.
I nodded. "I suppose I'll show you my fangs now."
I allowed my fangs out to their full length, surprised that they were longer and sliced my chin when they came out. I reached up to wipe the blood, the wound already healed.
"Hmm, they grew," I said to Benjamin.
He looked at them, surprised.
"They did, didn't they?" he said. "Not surprised, you did get an awful lot of power last night."
Ricky came to my side. "They grew? I didn't think they could get any longer!"
"Apparently they can," I said. I felt the tips, they must have grown at least a quarter inch.
Alexander approached to get a better look at the fangs.
"These are the longest fangs I've ever seen!" He scrutinized my face. "What are you?"
"I told you, I am a werewolf and a vampire."
He shook his head. "I don't believe it. Nothing like this has ever happened."
"I just proved it didn't I? Can't you just accept what you've seen as proof enough?"
Alexander stepped back to speak with the other leaders. When he came back, he nodded.
"We will accept what you have shown us," he said. "Come with us, we will lead you to our cave and tell you our status."
I nodded, and he walked away.
I followed with Benjamin and Ricky right behind me. Benjamin seized my hand, squeezing it.
"That wasn't as bad as I thought it would be," Benjamin whispered.
"I know," I whispered back. "I thought it would be.....Difficult, to convince them. Apparently raw power is convincing enough." I frowned. "I think your father is mad at me for telling about that thing he did."
"You mean about preferring pink over black?"
"No, about him and your mother."
"Oh, that part." Benjamin shuddered. "I was trying to block that mental image."
"I bet you were."
We got to the cave then, the largest one. The cave was long and wide, with a high ceiling. There were sleeping bags and a fire in the center of the cave. We sat around the fire, Benjamin and Ricky on either side of me. Alexander sat next to his wife, and Ricky's parents were beside them. We stared at each other across the fire. Finally, Benjamin broke the silence.
"What have you discovered that makes you want to mobilize now?" Benjamin asked.
"We believe we know what 'the Key' is," Alexander replied.
Benjamin's eyes widened. "What? How?"
"We have inside resources who overheard the Emperor speaking to one of his advisers. He was frustrated, and blurted it out without thinking. What he said would also explain the reason for all the laws he's placed."
"What did he say?"
"He said, 'The girl must be found, she is key!'. He also said, 'Damn you Christina Barners!'. We think 'the Key' either is Christina Barners, or someone associated with her. After all, what do you do when you're trying to find someone? You keep everyone in place, like he is with the moving law. Also, with the no child rule, he's keeping the population from growing, and making it easier to search. It would make sense that this is a person he's looking for. We hope to find her before we fight if possible."
Christina Barners. The name set alarm bells off in my head. I knew Christina Barners. From a long time ago. It couldn't be, it just couldn't be.
Could it?
"What does the Emperor look like?" I whispered. Everyone turned to look at me.
"He has long black hair, and red eyes. He wears only black, and has one and a half inch fangs. He has gotten quite powerful lately. He is vampire, but he has other abilities as well. Ones most vampires don't have. He took control as a good ruler at first, but then he turned into a tyrant. He has a large army at his command," Alexander answered.
The alarm bells grew more frantic, ringing inside my head, and sent my body inter hyper-alert, despite the fact that there was no danger. I felt myself begin to shake in my seat.
I looked up and met Alexander's eyes. "Does he have the scar from a vampire bite on his neck?" I asked, voice sounding frantic even to me.
Alexander nodded, a curious expression on his face. "How did you know?"
I didn't answer, I was shaking too hard. Benjamin's hand came out to steady me. "Michelle? What's wrong, Michelle?"
I could barely hear him over the sudden pounding in my ears. My heart drummed in my chest at a fast pace, and I started to hyperventilate.
It was him. It was him. He was the one we were fighting. He was the one we were fighting.
My thoughts echoed in my head, until, with one final thought, my head went blank, and everything turned black.
He was back.
He was back.