1.2- Friendship?

It's been a few months since I, Ivy Dare, moved here to Lunar Lakes.

I hadn't really gotten used to living on a different planet, and my need for solitude was stronger than my will to fit it. The only contact I had with anyone at all was when my sisters managed to get a call through to me from Twinbrook. As much as I liked those phone calls, they made me homesick.

Back home I'd grown up with Bonehilda to help around the house. But now it was just me. So I had to learn pretty quickly to fix things myself. I didn't have any money to go wasting on trivial things like repairmen.

But one day about six or so months after I moved in I decided it was time I got over my own shyness. I made a deal with myself that I'd go out into the town a couple of times a week and meet some of the locals.

I went down to the community pool by my house and happened to see one of the locals. My instinct would have been to leave him be and go to one of the smaller pools, where no one was swimming. But I was being silly so I just took the plunge, pardon the pun, and joined him.

His name was Jarrett. He was of middle age and quite a handsome man. We made small talk as we swam laps around the pool and soon my nerves dissapated.

After the sun set Jarrett needed to go, so we shook hands and left it at that.

A few days past and I was busy at the house so I didn't get to go out and meet more locals. And I couldn't get Jarrett out of my head. He was just so nice to me that afternoon, and he was so charming.

It was a big surprise then, when Jarrett called me. He was an influential business man, he told me, and he'd managed to track me down. We talked on the phone all that afternoon, and every day for the next month. I thought it was weird at first, but talking to Jarrett was nice and it soon became the highlight of my day.

I found I was relying less and less on my letters and calls from home. But it was nice every now and then to see how my sisters were doing.

And while Jarrett was working I continued to hone my skills with my wand. My only reason really was so I could teach my future kids about their skills should they inherit my witchcraft.

And I started visiting the community garden down the road. It was a short broom ride away and I loved getting the fresh air.

I could tend to the garden under the dome for hours and be completely at peace.

I hadn't really seen Jarrett since that day at the pool. But I'd been talking to him for months now and even though I'd told him about my new favourite spot at the garden, it was a surprise that he showed up there.

 It was an even bigger surprise when he kissed me.

1.1- A Lonely Start

So here I am. I've made it to Lunar Lakes. My name's Ivy Dare, and I'm here in Lunar Lakes to start out a legacy. After one of my ancestors moved to Twinbrook from this planet, I thought it would be an adventure to return to where she came from. I don't know much about this town, or even this planet. And all I know about the locals is that they are a more brightly coloured bunch than I'm used to.

 



 

I'm a witch like my dad, and even though I'm in a brand new place I couldn't really say goodbye to my broom. No one really judges me as they see me flying around town. Actually, there aren't many locals around anyway, so I don't feel out of place that often.

This is my house. What a change from the luxurious mansion I grew up in in Twinbrook.

This is the first floor. It's floating above the ground with these great big glass windows for one of the walls so I can see my new town.

Upstairs is my room and the bathroom. I love the windows up on this floor too.

I didn't really like the tv in my new house, so I hit the books to study up on some recipes. Now that I wasn't living with my family I'd need to learn how to cook for myself.

I didn't really feel like going out of the house that first day. But I really needed some groceries for dinner, so I headed out to the most bizarre grocery store I've ever seen. I felt really out of place when the locals noticed me.

But I felt safer back in my house. And I even tried my hand at making dinner. It was... not bad. Not as good as my dad's dishes, but it would be ok for now.

End of the first day. I felt so utterly exhausted from leaving behind everything I knew back in Twinbrook. And while I was still excited about starting my life here, I missed my sisters and my parents so much.

I needed to remedy this so I used some of my limited funds and built a gate around a small section of land under my house.

And here I planted some seeds I took from my mother's garden before I left home. Mum was a wonderful gardener and she used to play with us kids out under her orchard trees all the time while we were growing up. I knew that before long I'd be able to smell that wonderful smell of fresh soil and hear the rustling of the wind through the trees and shrubs.

I was a witch like my dad, and like him I'd never really used my gift. But I had some free time most days after I tended to my garden, so I began honing my skills. I couldn't do much, other than conjure apples, but it was enough to keep me busy for now. Plus I could sell the apples down at the grocery store for some extra money, and boy did I need it.

The days began to tick by and I settled in to my new home. Now that I was more comfortable, I decided to go out exploring in the afternoons.

There was a sweet, peaceful beach not too far from my place. It reminded me of when I used to skip stones with my twin sister down at the lake on the way home from school.

My skills with my wand were improving and now I could make my conjured apples change their state into more valuable things. They were usually worth more than my apples and I was able to keep my head above water, financially. At least for now.

As the days turned into weeks I took to exploring more of the town. I couldn't stop comparing Lunar Lakes with my old home in Twinbrook. And while they were light years apart it was comforting to know that some things stayed the same. Like my love for the outdoors.

My garden was growing. I couldn't wait for the harvest to be ready. I was getting a little bored of cooking the same old food and I could use the extra funds from selling the surplus fruits and veggies.

Sometimes I was glad the town was a little emptier than I was used to. I was a bit of an outcast anyway and I knew it wouldn't help if the locals saw me do this type of thing.

I was in for a bit of a learning curve those first few months. When I was growing up we had Bonehilda to do the tidying and my dad to do the cooking. But it was just me now. And while I loved being there, it felt very lonely at times.

 But my garden was my sanctuary and I made sure it was well tended to. And my first harvest paid off; the produce was amazing and made me think of my mother.

Generation One- Prologue

So my name is Ivy Dare and this is my legacy. My family history is pretty interesting and if you want to read all about it, you can head over here. Now let me introduce myself. As I've said, my name is Ivy. I look like my mother, she's french. But my blue hair comes from my great-great grandfather who was started out life as an imaginary friend. One of my ancestors was an alien and it was from her that my family began a legacy. Nine generations lived in the one house in Twinbrook. Now it's my turn. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me tell you about where I came from...

 

 

That's my Dad on the left, Gabriel Dare. And that beautiful young woman is Sylvie. They met in France when my father was off on vacation.

They fell in love at first sight.

My Dad was an explorer and he continued to travel the world, stopping back in France to see my mum as often as he could.

He was a witch, like his mother. He didn't really practise the art very often, but he did pass it on to me and my sisters.

My mum saved up enough to come to Twinbrook to visit my dad and when she arrived he proposed. They married as quickly as they could and mum never left his side.

She went with him around the world and helped explore hundreds of tombs.

My twin sister and I were conceived here in Al Simhara, Eygpt.

They stopped travelling the world as mum got heavily pregnant.

That's me being carried by Mum and my twin sister Emilie is being held by Dad.

I wondered a lot if they missed the travelling, but parenting suited my parents very well anyway.

My sister and I were identical growing up.

That's me and Mum on the day she told me she was pregnant again.

Dad took great care of mum during that pregnancy, I remember.

And they gave birth to my little sister Violet.

We were raised in a happy stable home, hearing Dad's tales of his long and amazing family history. I've always loved hearing about my great-great-great-great-great-great grandmother, the alien, Raven Moon and how she came all this way from a place called Lunar Lakes. So when my Dad told me he'd discovered an ancient book on one of his early travels, that could lead me to find Lunar Lakes I jumped at the chance. I spent my teen years researching this mysterious place, before I found a way to go there. And so now, the day after I graduated high school, I'm on my way to Lunar Lakes. I've no idea what I'll find there, or even if I'll see my parents and sisters again. But I know I'll find an adventure.