“What are you reading Ari?” Dad asks, walking my way.

I look up at him and smile. “The Annotated History of Vampires.”

“Well that’s interesting reading material for a young girl.” He smiles, stopping nearby.

“Well, not every young girl has a missing twin taken by vampires.” I reply.

My mom walks into the room, smiling at us.

“Sweetie, you’re only 12. We appreciate your dedication to helping us find your sister, but you’re young. Worry about normal kid stuff. Your father and I can worry about Gwen.” She sits next to dad and smiles at me.

I close my book and look between her and dad. I stand up and pace back and forth. My dream from this evening filling my mind again. It was the same dream I had every night. I look into a mirror and I see…see her. We have the same facial structure, but her skin doesn’t hold the shallow pallor or vampirism, her hair is like moms, and her eyes are like dads. However, this one ended differently.

“I had my dream again.” I tell them, looking between the two. “Except, this time, she spoke or…she tried to speak.”

“She tried to speak?” My mom asks in my pause.

“Well, her lips moved, but I couldn’t hear her words. It’s like the mirror that separates us makes it impossible to hear each other.”

Mom bites her lip and looks at me. I can see her thinking of a reason for the change. I’m sure she could figure out a reason faster than I could. I hear footsteps on our property before the doorbell rings. I smile at my parents.

“Sona’s here.” I say, running to the door as the bell rings. “Hey!”

“Hey,” Sona smiles, she walks in and waves to my parents.

“Hello Sona, how’s your mom?” My mom asks her.

“Good, she and dad say hello.” She tells them.

I take her hand and pull her into my room before they can ask any more questions. Uncle Aron and Aunt Annie were Sona’s parents and mom and dad’s best friends. So they always asked Sona a ton of questions when she came over. I shut the door and Sona moves to sit on my bed.

“So, did you see Reamus today? He seems to be pretty into the back of your head.” Sona says with a smile.

“Of course I can’t see him, he sits behind me.” I say, rolling my eyes.

Reamus was this cute boy in our class. I liked him, but it’s not like I’m going to do anything about it. The thought of saying anything to him makes my stomach flip with nervousness. Sona may be outgoing, but I definitely was not.

“Whatever. So, I overheard my dad talking to yours.” Sona watches me, “They were talking about Gwen and you, about how they don’t know who will get the tattoo and become heir.”

“Yea, I know.”

“Who do you think will get it?”

“Gwen, obviously. Surely she’s not as shy and timid as I am. She’s living in a world consumed by vampirism. There’s no way she could come out of that weak.” I pause, “When we find her, she’ll be the strongest person I know.”

Sona sighs, “Ari, you’re putting Gwen up on a pedestal she’ll never be able to reach.”

“No, I can feel it.” I persist.

Sona begins to talk about stuff I wasn’t paying much attention to.I hear her begin to laugh and go along with her. Sona might not believe me, but mom and dad do. Grandma Logan has a connection with her sisters, why can’t I have one with mine? I’ll find Gwen, and when I do, she’ll be exactly as I know she is.