It was all a blur, flashes and glimpses of things that I couldn't make sense of. A man tall and blond with eye's red as blood, pain sharp shooting pain, then streaks of multi color fur. I jolted awake in a bed that felt so unfamiliar to me.
"Hey…" I heard an unfamiliar voice say as I felt a burning hand on my shoulder. My chocolate brown orbs settled on a tall dark skinned male. His black hair cropped short and his eye's as equally as dark as mine. He was beautiful but nothing about him struck a familiar note with me.
Nothing of the room I was in struck a familiar cord. I scooted back away from his touch and pressed my back against the bed frame. "Hey, I mean you no harm." He spoke softly as if I was some cornered animal. In certain ways I was. I licked my chapped lips. "Where am I?" I questioned softly.
"La push." He stated, "My friends and I found you out in the woods." There was truth to his words but I felt like there was more to his words then I would ever know. "You looked like you were on your way to school by the way you were dressed but we know you aren't from the Rez." He added with a tone to his voice that said it was meant to be a joke.
I didn't laugh, we both sat there in an awkward silence as I noted more about the boy in front of me. The way he looked at me, it was strange. It was like this complete stranger cared for me. I pushed the thought out of my head as quickly as it came. It was probably my imagination. "My name's Embry." He finally spoke. "Embry?" I repeated my voice adding a musical note to it and I swear I saw a smile peek at the edge of his lips.
"Yeah, it's kind of silly I know." He chuckled running a hand through his hair. I looked down at myself. I wanted to tell him my name, but what was it? I tried to search my thoughts but my memory was just black. Nothing. No one. I couldn't remember a thing. I lifted my hand to run a hand through my own hair when I noticed a silver bracelet around my wrist. I pulled it off out of curiosity noting the brown eye's of Embry still on me.
I twirled it in my small hands before I caught a reflection of an inscription on the inside. Alice Brandon. The name felt right in my head though I could see other faded words on the inside that I couldn't make out. I slid the bracelet back on my wrist and looked at Embry again this time smiling at him. "My name is Alice." I told him and he smiled brightly at me. "It's a beautiful name." He assured me standing up. "So Alice are you hungry?" He questioned and almost by clock work my stomach growled in response.
"Yeah." I replied simply and he held his hand out to me and I took his hand to help me up. I was initially surprised by the feel of it. He was hot, almost as if he was running a fever. When my feet touched the ground I felt a sharp pain through my head and I felt like I was going to fall over but the other boy's hands were by my side and it kept me up right. "Are you alright?" He asked concerned.
I nodded softly and I walked with him out of the room and into a rustic kitchen. "Oh look sleeping beauty is awake." A voice called out, "About time." Another one added, "I was worried we'd never see Embry again." The last added. I instantly felt self conscious. "Don't listen to them." A female voice spoke.
My eye's darted to the woman. She was tall and slender her hair pulled back into a ponytail but the most noticeable mark on her was a scar that spread across her face. I didn't mean to stare but I could feel someone clear their throat and I pulled my eye's away. "Sorry." "It's alright." The woman spoke. "I'm Emily, I was worried about you. When they brought you were so cold I was worried you wouldn't wake up. We aren't used to pale faces being so close to the Rez well at least not that far from the beach." She added but I found my stuck on one word.
"Pale Face?" I questioned, "It's slang for someone who isn't born on the Rez." She explained, I could feel all the eye's in the room on me. "You look so malnourished you are probably starving." She turned her head to the table of boys. "Boys where are your manners give her some food." She instructed and as I followed her glance I was surprised to see them react so positively to her. One boy stood up and offered me his chair. I looked over at Embry who nodded and moved to take it. "Alice this is Jacob, Paul and Quil." Embry stated.
I offered them all a smile "It's nice to meet you." I spoke softly. "So what were you doing so far out there Alice?" Paul questioned and just like with Embry I could sense hidden meaning behind his words, similar to Embry. "I don't know…" "She's struggling with her memory." Embry stated protectively.
"Well she can stay here until we figure everything out." Emily offered as she placed a cup in front of me, it smelled sweet and citrusy. I tentatively brought it to my lips and took a long sip. I hadn't realized how thirsty I was before and I quickly downed the whole glass. "Damn." The one named Quil stated. "Can I have more?" I questioned wiping my mouth with my sleeve. "Well I think she'll fit right in." Emily chuckled moving to grab the glass from me.
"Here. Emily makes the best muffins." Jacob explained holding one out to me and once again I took it tentatively and I could feel all their eye's on me. I was like a specimen under a microscope. I looked at the muffin and brought it to my nose to take a small sniff of it. It smelled like a mixture of unknown scents. I took a small bit and an unfamiliar bitter yet sweet. "It's blueberry." Embry explained giving me a soft smile and I couldn't help but smile back.
My attention was grabbed by the sudden sound of what sounded like a wolf call. "Emily." Embry spoke "Don't worry I got her." Emily replied and I looked around confused as all four boys stood up and moved toward the door. "What's going on." None of them replied, "Alice, why don't you come with me. I have your bag and it might help jog your memory." I just nodded worried about why they left so suddenly.
I followed Emily back to the room I woke up in. I sat on the bed crossed legged and Emily sat on the edge of the bed with the contents of the bag scattered in front of me. There was several notebooks but no text books, and a small change of clothes though they were exceedingly cute.
I picked up one notebook and saw a flash of an image. It was me standing in the middle of the woods but I was staring down a grey wolf. The image vanished as soon as it had come, was it a memory? I couldn't have been sure so I figured it was best not to bring it up. "You okay Alice?" Emily questioned and I nodded, "Yeah, just anxious I guess." "I would be too, it must be strange not knowing anything." Emily tried to sympathize. She kept flipping through some books and I open the composition notebook in my hand and froze at the first few words scattered across the page.
I'm not insane. I'm not insane. The words were repeated several times and the way I read it made my stomach turn. I didn't want to read on so I quickly closed the book. "Hey I found some photo's." Emily perked up holding out a small photo album to me. Inside were many different photo's. None of which struck a familiar cord. "You used to have long hair." Emily added and for a second I realized I didn't know what I looked like.
I stood up quickly and moved toward the vanity mirror checking myself over. Emily was right. I was slender, no worse. I was bone thin, and my hair that was once long now laid misshapen in a crude pixie cut. I had bags under my eye's that made it look like I hadn't slept in years and my skin felt so pale in comparison to the darker tones I had been around.
"Wow…" I spoke softly my hands touching my face causing me to wince at the bruise forming on my forehead. I turned back to Emily who had picked back up the photo album and looked shocked at some photos. "What?" I questioned.
"N-Nothing." Emily stated and I moved to look over her shoulder. It was a photo of me standing next to a taller boy who looked roughly the same age. He had shaggy blond hair and stunning gold eye's and the smiles we both shared seemed so genuine. I reached out to touch the photo but Emily quickly changed the page. "Do you know him?" I questioned and she shook her head. "No." Again I could sense the lie.
The next hour passed awkwardly as we talked. Emily filled me on about the Rez and how she didn't mind me staying with her and she knew Sam wouldn't either. She told me about Embry and the others and how they all looked out for the Rez. "They seem to young." I replied, "Yeah but they are really good at what they do." Emily added, but I was more confused about what could be such a threat to such a normal place.
Emily looked at the wall clock that I wouldn't even begin to know how to read and looked at me. "The boy's should be back soon, wanna help me cook?" She asked and I smiled brightly, I couldn't remember how to cook but the thought seemed rather enjoyable.
I skipped out into the kitchen with Emily and followed all of her instructions and yet I still seemed to struggle. We were half way through making a batch of muffins when Paul peeked his head in. "Emily, can we talk outside..?" He stated and she nodded "Of course." She looked back at me. "Just wait for the timer to ding then put the muffins in okay?" I nodded and spoke in my common sing song voice "Of course."
I watched Emily step outside and I just stood in the kitchen for a few moments before the curiosity finally got the better of me. I moved toward the door and stood on my tip toes to peek out the window to see a small group of them gathered. I could see Quill and Jacob and Paul along with Embry mixed in. I quickly dropped when I saw a set of eye's glance toward me or well the house. I pressed my ear to the door and tried to make out what they were saying.
"Are you sure she doesn't remember anything?" Sam questioned, "Yeah, I sat with her today and nothing. If there is a chance she knows about them, she doesn't anymore." Emily replied, "I don't think she'd know even if she could remember why it was chasing her." She added, "I don't care why that leech wants her, he's not going to get her." Embry chimed in. "Don't worry Em, she's under our protection now. It would have to have a death wish to come back a third time." Paul stated.
My mind began to race hearing their conversation, what was this it and why was it after me? "There is one more thing." Emily added in and this caught my full attention. "She has a photo album and there are quite a few photo's in there of her with a member of the Cullen Clan." I could hear nothing after she spoke. I quickly shot back up to the window to see nothing but shocked faces from the group that had gathered outside. "The Cullens don't fraternize with humans." An unknown voice spoke up.
"Well this one was, there was quite a few photos in there but I kept them from her for her own safety." Emily explained and it didn't help me ease my confusion. "Which Cullen." I heard Embry asked and I saw Emily produce a photo from her pocket and hold it out to him. "The Empath?" He spoke with venom in his words.
"Embry calm down." Sam demanded. "You don't know anythin-." Sam was cut off by a young boy pointing to the door and the whole group grew silent, I had been noticed. "Come on out Alice." Sam called out and I stepped outside. "I wasn't spying." I stated a bit too quickly causing laughter from all of them except Embry who was stuffing the photo in his pocket. "I'm sure you weren't." Emily chimed in walking toward me.
My eye's scanned all their face's. "The muffins are about done." I added and I saw them all look at each other for a moment before the awkward silence broke and turned into a fit of laughter. The whole group became animated as they climbed up the stairs into Emily's home.
I couldn't make sense of what I had overheard. It actually left me with more questions then answers. Who were the Cullens. What was hunting me and how does this all tie into me ending up here. I hoped time would give me the answers because I felt like no one here would. Not at least right now.
"Come on Alice, you still look starved. " Embry stated looking at me concerned and I gave him a bright smile and sat next to him and grabbed a muffin hungrily off the plate, eating it quickly. "Damn you might put some of these boys to shame." Emily teased causing a loud roar from the other boys.
The noise may take a little getting used too but the feeling I felt around them. Well that wouldn't fade. I felt safe here. I didn't know why.
After dinner The boy's all left except for a few lingering boys. "Alice you are probably tired, you should head to bed." Emily had a caring aurora about her, it was certainly a pleasant one. I looked at Embry and Jacob. "Thanks for saving me today." I added hugging Embry tight once again off put by his temperature. I felt Embry stiffen but relax into the hug for a moment and then I hugged Jacob who just gave me a quick squeeze before I retired to my room. Sleep weighing heavily on me.
That night I dreamt many odd dreams. Nothing consecutive and nothing that made sense, it was like watching a movie in reverse. I saw myself standing in a beautiful home, the golden haired boy standing by me with a smile on his face. Then it flashed to me crumbled to the ground in a clearing screaming out in pain and then there was another of Sam and Emily and several other boys I had seen around Emily's house. Their faces half human and half animalistic. I jolted awake, the sun barely peeking over the sea. I slid out of bed and pulled out the clothes from my backpack. I slid on the clothes and slipped outside trying my best not to wake Emily or Sam who I could hear snoring from my own room.
I walked toward the beach, the whole earth in a beautiful twilight. I took in a deep breath of the salty air. My eye's scanning the unfamiliar surroundings and I had to do a double take when I thought I saw a man standing in the tree bank. His hair a pale blond and his skin a pale white. His eye's on me like an animal stalking his prey and I felt an uneasy feeling wash over me. I was in danger.