Blood Moon (Paul Lahote)

One: Charles Peter Swan

The man Charles Swan wasn't hard to find after I found his name. I already know everything about him, or everything I could find on the internet. He's 42 years old and Chief of Police in Forks, Washington. Born in 1964 to Geoffrey and Helen Swan and has lived in Forks his whole life.

I pulled the DNA test out of my pocket one more time. 48% Caucasian. 52% Native American. Of Irish, Scottish, British, and Quileute ancestry. Scottish and Irish and British all together is basically saying white, I'm part white. I've known I'm part white forever. I don't need a DNA test to tell me, only a glimpse in the mirror. The Quileute part threw me, I always thought I was part Asian, or Filipino. I was taught in school that Native Americans didn't exist anymore. We were taught a lot of lies in school.

My friend Lia told me taking a DNA test would help find me possible relatives. She also said they just came out and there was no law in place to protect my information from being sold to insurance companies but I wasn't too worried about that. I glanced down at the paper clutched in my hand. Possible father: Charles Peter Swan. Possible mother: Unknown. When I told Lia about the results she said that they most likely didn't know much about the native community, and that Charlie had previously taken a test. That's how I got the "Possible Father" information.

I've been living in my car for the past couple months. Something happened at the shelter I was at so I ran away. I was living in a shelter in California before I ran away. I still keep in contact with my best friend Triantaphyliaa, I just call her lia.

I was sitting in at a gas station in Forks. Someone must know where Charles lives. Maybe I'll go to the police station. This is a small town, someone will give me directions.

I pulled out of the gas station and drove till I found the police station. I sat in my car for a minute, building up the courage to get out. I put my test in my coat pocket while I hopped out the car and shut the door.

The station was quiet. There was one dispatcher at the front desk and some cops in the break room but it was nothing like the other stations I've been in. I walked up to the front desk and the dispatcher looked up at me.

"May I help you?" She chimed.

"I- I'm looking for Charlie Swan." I stutter. I addressed him as Charlie because I know this is a small town and everyone most likely calls him Charlie.

"He's not on duty right now." She states.

"Is there any way I could contact him?" I ask.

"I could give you his phone number." She says.

"I don't have a working phone." I say. "Could you give me his address so I can talk to him in person."

"Sure." She says as she gets out a piece of paper. "I'll give him a heads up." I nod as she hands me the paper and I walk out of the station.

I get back into my car and stare at the address. My hands start to shake and my eyes water up. I take a deep breath and pull out of the parking lot.

I'm thinking of how I'm going to tell him. Tell him that I'm his daughter. Maybe I'll wait. Maybe he already has kids. Maybe he doesn't want another one. Maybe he already knows about me and hates me. I found myself overthinking as I pulled down the street where he lives.

I stop when I see his house number. He can't possible live alone. It's a 2 story house. I park on the other side of the road to think.