Blood and fangs:the shadows of crescent moon

The salty air on the ferry felt cold, like it was reminding me of everything I’d left behind. Each wave hitting the boat was a sound I didn’t choose, taking me further away from Port Blossom. My mom, Eleanor, sat next to me, staring at the land we were leaving. Her face looked worried, sad. It’s been like that for a year, ever since my dad left. On the seat between us was a thick, cream-colored envelope. It had a fancy seal on it, and it felt important. "Do you think he knew this would happen?" Mom asked, her voice quiet against the engine’s rumble. "That you’d end up on this ferry, going to… this place?" I looked at the envelope. We found it a few weeks ago in the attic, hidden in Dad’s old papers. My dad, Alistair Hills, loved stories and faraway places. He was always looking for adventure. He sailed his boat, the Sea Serpent, a year ago and just disappeared. They said he got lost at sea, an accident. But Dad wasn’t the type to get lost. He was always looking for something interesting, some old legend or secret place. His being gone left a big, empty space inside me, and I still have so many questions. The letter inside the envelope was very clear. It said that my dad, Dr. Alistair Hills, had left me property on Crescent Moon Island. And, the part that made my stomach hurt, I was supposed to go to a school there called Blackwood Academy. It said it was in his will, like he had planned my whole life even after he was gone. Crescent Moon Island. Dad had mentioned it before. He even drew it on a napkin once, saying it was a place where "the veil between worlds is thinnest.". I always thought he was just telling a story. "I don't know, Mom," I said, my voice sounding small. "He was always so careful. Like he had a plan for everything." Even his disappearing felt like part of some unfinished story. Mom reached out and touched my arm. Her hand was cool. "He never really explained why he went there, Katherine. He just said he had to go." The ferry was getting closer to the island now. It looked like a blurry green shape in the distance. Crescent Moon Island. My dad’s special place. I always thought he was just being dramatic when he talked about his research. But reading this letter, it felt like he was leaving me a clue, a way to find out more. As the ferry slowed down, the island got bigger. It looked a bit mysterious, with mist hanging around the trees. It felt like a place that was keeping secrets. Then I remembered something else. Tucked under the letter, a small folded paper fell out. It was written in Dad’s handwriting, rushed and shaky. On it was a strange symbol – a crescent moon with a line through it. Underneath, just one word: "Beware." The wind blew across the deck, making the boat rock, and I smelled something in the air that felt… wild.