Fall To Ashes
Prologue: Riley's Requiem
Riley hadn't always been who he was today. There had been a time, however vague it was in his memory now, where he'd had a pulse, a heart that would flutter wildly when frightened or enamored. The cold once affected him, heat once burned him. He used to hunger, the smell of lasagna delicious and appealing to his senses, but now was only ruled by an unyielding thirst. Paper cuts had stung and he, once, was a proud older brother to a charming little girl, with vibrant blue eyes, chocolate colored tresses, and was addressed by the name...by...she was...
...There was once a time Riley could remember his sister's name.
Yet, it didn't matter. For as self defining as all those frivolous facts once were, they no longer applied to the young man who clung to the shadows, red eyes wide and alert. For as much as he once adored the bright eyed child, her face no longer held the same meaning as he breathed in deep, seeking the scent of those who sought his own.
The seventeen- or was he sixteen? What age was really his own?- year old's body moved from the cover of one building to the next in a well-practiced motion. His legs propelled him harder, faster. There was never enough speed and he had to get there... he had to get to...
He was so thirsty, though. His throat burned uncomfortably, like an itch he couldn't quiet scratch, and it tore his mind from his current objection. His attention was spread too thin. The woman he hunted, thirst, his hunters, thirst, his sister, thirst, Charlie Swan, thirst. The woman.
His mind danced between thoughts, skipping to a new train before one could even finish itself. Despite this, the immaturity of his own mind, he knew it was a result of his new born status. He knew the desires, the thoughts, it would all be manageable in time.
But that time would only be given to him if he pleased his mistress. And that would never happen if he didn't find that woman. Where? Hiding?
The midnight streets of Jacksonville were held in the grasps of a thick sheet of fog. The grey mist stretched and reached, like fingers, for blonde man, beckoning him into it's gasps. He plunged on willingly, never noticing the way the fog would surround him, as if swallowing him whole. He only noticed the scents of the humans milling around him, the sound of their chatter, the pull of their blood. The stars above him were shrouded in smog and clouds, making it easier for him to weave himself deeper and further into the depths of the night.
He'd taken to the alleys. While on occasion they posed obstacles for him, it was generally the easiest way to maneuver around the dwindling number of mortals. The scent of human excrete, vomit, and rotted trash helped to conceal his scent and while it wasn't enough to completely disguise his trail, it gave him some form of reprieve from his anxiety. The one stalking him wasn't a tracker, by any means. He could only hope the little diversions he threw his enemy's way would be enough to get him to his destination. And then to safety.
It wasn't long before his route was cut off, completely, by a towering brick building. He welcomed the sight with a growing sense of relief. He remembered this building. He was getting closer. With only a slight hesitation in his pace, Riley crouched low before springing himself at the wall, reaching for the fire escape. His hands found purchase on a metal rail and he propelled the rest of his body forward, landing with a thud on the stairwell against the building.
Quickly, he scaled the stairs. Fourth floor, fifth floor, sixth...
A shift in the wind alerted danger to him only seconds before a second thud echoed in the alleyway. The stairs beneath his feet rattled. An unneeded gasp escaped him. How? He'd been so careful! This place was so sunny!
The ninth floor...the tenth... Please...
He could hear his pursuer racing up the floors faster than he could. He willed his body to move faster, desperation wracking his body. Why was he even doing this? Why was he being hunted? Why was he hunting? He wanted blue eyes, and lasagna, and cold, and heart beats, and paper cuts. Please!
Fifteenth, sixteenth...
"Mom?" A voice called out, and he almost let out a purr of excitement. There! There, there, there! "What are you doing home so late and by yourself? Where is Phil? You know it's dangerous this late at night."
The blond vampire wasted no time in shoving his foot through the window the voice was drifting out from. The glass shattered around him, raining to the ground with a delicate tinkle. He might have thought it was beautiful if he'd had enough time to appreciate it.
As it was, he didn't have the time, so he shoved himself through the window, the music-box-like sound forgotten admits the screams that now filled the tiny apartment. Which one? Which one was it? Thirsty...so thirsty...Victoria, which one? He's coming...
When his mistress sent him out to retrieve the girl she'd said...What had she said again? Brown hair...brown...
Frantically, the vampire took in the sight before him. Two women stood by the door to the apartment. One in front of the other, as if shielding and protecting one. The one closest to him looked to be about his age. Her hair was pin straight and brown, eyes large, brown, and wide. Her lips were open in a silent scream, her fingers of her left hand hovered over her mouth, as if to catch the silent shriek. Her right arm was thrown out, keeping the other woman back.
The other woman looked older, slight lines around her mouth and eyes. Eyes that were blue, and equally wide as the young one. She was the one screaming, loud, and piercing. It hurt his head and caused his body to feel as if his heart was racing, even though it no longer beat. Her hair was brown, as well, and this only served to further increase Riley's panic. His hunter was just below them. He could practically feel his demise breathing down his neck.
Eyes. It's the eyes. Which one? Which eyes? Blue...brown...blue...eyes, which eyes!? I don't know, Victoria! I'm so thirsty, which eyes?!
He was out of time.
Lunging forward, a feral growl in his chest, a hiss on his lips, he wrapped his arms around one of the women, knocking the other to the ground and flew down the hallway, shattering through another window and leaping to the ground. His legs were working to carry him away from the city before he even hit the cement.
Behind him, he could hear the other vampire hunting him down. Victory...thirsty...woman...eyes. Which eyes? ...Dead, dead, dead. So dead.
He was acutely aware that the body he carried weighed him down, slowing him for the already faster vampire. There was no escape from him. From this. Still, he pushed his body forward, willing it faster, faster, please just a little bit faster.
His efforts were rewarded, in the end, as he turned the corner of his allyway and came face to face with flaming red hair and blood red eyes.
Victoria!
The woman's lips curled up, in a delightful matter. And Riley knew, he was safe. Safe, safe, safe. Thirsty, eyes, safe. His Victoria, his love, would save him.
In a movement too fast for even his own eyes, Victoria snatched brown-hair away from him. But that was okay. Her weight was too much, anyways, and it slowed him down, and there was a vampire after him. Oh! The Vampire!
He wanted to warn her, really he did. Before he could even open his mouth, she was gone. A whirl of red and brown.
The fear set in well before the reasons as to why he was scared did. But it hit him like a wall when it finally all connected. Scared...alone...Victoria gone...eyes...thirsty...vampire!
A crunch sounded behind him. Silent...too silent! How did he know? How? I'd been so careful! Riley twirled around but was only met with the grey fabric of another's shirt as hands gripped his head forcefully. With a twist of his hunter's hands, his world went black and Riley was thirsty no longer.
I didn't think I'd ever write something. Or at least, I didn't think I'd post it. But I guess with the impulse decision to create an account came the same to write something and post it. However, I don't know how to get into the world of fan fiction. Not really. So I'm hoping I just post this and someone will eventually find it? Maybe?
Also, how does one obtain one of those fancy betas everyone talks about? Are they just friends who are better at spelling and grammar than us, and we just chain them up in a basement and force them to edit? How does this work? I don't have a basement, so the capture and hold hostage thing wont work very well, I don't think.
Uhm. Obviously, I do not own Twilight. That's Meyer's stuff.