Prologue 
The Dysfunctional Not Blood Family 

SIX WEEKS AGO . . . 

THROUGHOUT multiple news reports back a semester and a-half ago piqued my interest. Starting with the so-called “Earthquake” that took over half of Nebraska’s adult minds. Because some reports of students saw adults frozen, while others said they had seizures. Since living in California and then Texas, and after everything that happened I can’t find one thing I believe is true. Including the whole earthquake affecting only the parent's nervous system. Since growing up in a two story house and having online school I have never understood all the friends other than when Avnera visits me. 

Without even noticing I didn’t notice my father walk in as he knocked on my door making me jump, “I told you not to look at the news about the Earthquake.” He told me in a serious tone as I looked him in the eyes. “But it wasn’t and you know it was something from the ISA.” I told him scoffing knowing the stories of what they had done and how he wasn’t there that day during the attack of the ISA. “Hope, this is none of your concern.” He told me again, “It is because for ten years we haven’t had any sightings of them. I know you want me to live a normal life. But if Blue Valley has any secrets. Or in the ISA we need to stop them. Or I can.” I told him as he looked at me still sitting on the door frame. 

“Putting yourself in danger is not what I want you to do.” He told me as I shook my head, “But yet you know you want to investigate too. You might not be a hero anymore, but I am.” I told him as he gave in with a pleading look. “Fine but if we go to Blue Valley you don’t trust anyone until you can make sure you can find things about them.” He told me as I nodded and was happy about this. “Yes father.” I told him to go up and hug him. 

Before we could say anything else I heard knocking downstairs as my father nodded and I walked down and then looked through the small hole in the door to see Avnera standing outside as I opened the door. “What are you doing here, Avnera? I thought you were in Italy with your mother and Cassie?” I asked her as she nodded. “I was until your father called me asking if I wanted to join in this whole “moving to Blue Valley” and I could say yes faster.” She told me as I smiled and she hugged me. 

TWO WEEKS AGO…

ARRIVING in Blue Valley was different than any town I have ever traveled to with my father throughout the years. Nothing like how the sands back home were like, but it was nice and peaceful. Which is something that a villain team would want a “picture-perfect” front. To cover all the excuses, which I never figured out who did it for them. Sometimes I think it’s just the media who comes up with some story to make it look alright. 

Looking at the roads around me I noticed that the people were smiling and were happy. If it was a normal town there would always be someone who is left heartbroken, or an orphan. Because that is just what life is...a balance of bad things and good things. And sometimes the bad things leave you in a rabbit hole, while the good things leave you with a pure smile on your face. 

Once getting into the neighborhood that we’re moving into I could notice a red and white striped car in someone’s driveway about three houses down. As the moving truck was already at our house, as the men were moving the boxes into the house. As the snow of the ground made it worse for some boxes and furniture to be moved into the house. 

But once they would be done it would make it easier for Avnera, my father and I to walk in and take a glance at the house. Christmas was approaching but it’s been awhile since I have seen my father and I really do anything too big for Christmas. 

Walking around the house, whoever lived here last liked a teal color on their walls with white crown molds and to put it as an accent color around the house. Which wasn’t too bad, once going upstairs seeing some of my boxes in my room I looked around. It was much bigger than my room back in our old apartment in which it had a very small closet and small upstairs bathroom that yeah I had myself. But it wasn’t as spacious as this house. 

Looking out of my window of my room I could notice the snow falling around as it might not be the greatest view of the trees. But watching as a bird is making its nest to keep warm is survival. And that is what it might take if anything bad happens is survival. Sometimes those hot sands between my toes use to comfort me more than the cold snow ever did. 

Blue Valley is an interesting town, the news lies about what happens, and mysteriously adults seem to have trouble remembering what happened. And two people get arrested, and a person gets killed on the same day. Which doesn’t make a butt load of sense. 

Walking back down I can see the snow falling out of the window in the living room, such a big window. Not even caring if someone came and hit me as the way it fell down memorised me for a few moments. The snow reflected on the glass, reminding me of the glass-like look in the sands at times from home. If only I wasn’t spooked by the light voice from behind me. 

“Hope, don’t say you're giving up on helping us move the boxes in from the truck.” Avnera spoke from behind me. I continued to look out. 

“Well it’s nothing like where I am from before we moved here. Snow is interesting, never got why it became a thing from god. But it’s beautiful not only to see it in full view now.” I told her before about the hot sandy outcast when we met years ago. 

I went out later to help move more boxes until Avenra threw snowballs and the both of us started fighting with the snow on the ground. Smiling, I started laughing. Not even worrying about anything around me. 

We might not all be related by blood or family ties, but we are a family in our own dysfunctional way. And I think that’s what makes us understand each other, that we all have our differences and our own backgrounds. If only we know what we would have faced then.