Midnight in the Hallows

Chapter One

I paced back and forth, my bare feet padding against the wood floor of my bedroom. I keep re-reading the letter, the paper shaking as my hands tremble and warm tears flow down my cheeks leaving stains on the paper. I don't understand how my father could have written this, or even sent it, he's been dead for eleven years. I took a deep breath to calm myself down and decided to ask my sister for her opinion on the situation. I folded it back up and put it in my dress pocket as I left my room and walked across the dimly lit house to her room. I could hear her moving around the room and saw her shadow from under the door as I knocked gently.
"Gwen, is it okay if I come in?"
I heard rustling around before she opened the door. she motioned me in before going to sit at her desk.
"You're still awake Luna?"
"Yeah, I got this confusing letting and I was hoping you could help me understand what's going on."

Even in the dimly lit room, I could see a mix of hesitation and anger flicker across her face as she clutched a delicately folded piece of paper in her hand.
"Sure, I can try to help. What's it about?"
"It says it's. from father ad that he's still alive. That he found out some information about The Hallows that he wasn't supposed to and it became too dangerous for both him and us so he had to fake his death. I-I thought The Hallows were fake, some scary story to keep the kids out of the forest? Why is he only just now reaching out? Why to me? Why did he ask me to get his notes and help him finish finding The Hallows?"
I realized I started rambling and tried to catch my breath, I felt the tears start rolling down my cheeks again. Gwen got up quickly, causing her chair to topple over, she looked so angry as she walked toward me.
"He didn't only send you a letter."
The tone of her voice stung like venom. I've never seen her so angry before, and I don't know why she was now.
"What do you mean Gwen? You got one too?"
"No, Luna-Freya, not only did I get one. Mother did too. I had to be the one to hear her cry herself to sleep tonight because of it."
"Why didn't anyone tell me? I've been so confused today. I thought I was the only one."
'Mother didn't say anything because it hurt her too badly to even read it. I didn't tell you because it can't be from our father. a fraud wrote it, father is dead and you know that. Even if it was actually from father it doesn't even matter, Luna-Freya, he doesn't care about us. So, tell me, why we should care about him or even help him, for that matter? He's pathetic and I wish he never sent us those stupid letters!"

She tore the silver necklace that father gave her on our fourth birthday, off her neck, and threw it across the room toward the fireplace.
"Guinevere! Why would you do that?"
I rushed to pick her necklace. up as she threw the letter in the fire. I clutched my matching necklace as she started pushing me out of her room I was sobbing at this point. Confused, still, as to why she was so angry. Did I do something wrong? Why does she hate our father so much? This was an opportunity for us to be a family again for the first time in eleven years. I quietly shut my bedroom door and put my letter under my pillow before blowing out my candles and laying down for the night.