All references to Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer.
THIS TIME IS OURS
Jasper POV written by Nat 'Whitlock' Wood
Alice POV written by Lesa Masen Cullen Goncalves
Chapter 1 - Jasper POV
You wouldn't believe how frustrating this has now become for me. My feet continue to carry me onwards, zig-zagging across the States trying to find something that I'm beginning to think cannot be found…the problem…I don't even know what it is I'm looking for. You may laugh and say that it is a hopeless case and that I'm seeking a phantom that doesn't exist, but my mind tells me that whatever it is that I am drawn to will be found, and that I must be patient and continue searching.
If I carried a map of the United States it would be unrecognizable by now, folded and unfolded several times and no doubt spattered with mud and rain. Although the good thing about returning to the north and east coast is the shortness of the sun. I can now spend more hours searching when the weather is overcast and wet.
I exhale slowly before drawing in a breath to catch the scents on the air. I've been waiting longer between feeding, dreading the next time that my thirst overtakes my other senses, the next time I find a victim and close in for the kill, the next time I feel the fear and pain of my victim whilst I feast. It's becoming harder and harder to feed, though I need to in order to keep my strength and continue searching for my phantom.
The burning ache in my throat alerts me to the fact that I need to feed again very soon and believe me when I say that I'm not looking forward to it at all. I can't hold back much longer and I increase my pace. If I can't go without feeding then a quick kill will have to suffice so that I will not be burdened with the pain and fear enveloping me from my prey.
I inhale deeply, the scents of many possibilities of a meal all hitting me at once and the burning scorching thirst continues, my mind no longer registering the chilly evening, the sound of the pouring rain splashing against the buildings and the sidewalk, all my focus has now shifted to a middle aged man who has just parked his car across the street from a diner and is now walking towards the well lit building, no doubt tempted in by the smells of human food that physically revolt me.
I cross the road also, following the man though keeping back just a little so as not to draw attention to myself too soon. The scent seeping from him causes a low rumbling growl to emit from my throat though luckily it's too low for his feeble human hearing to catch, especially over the rain that is now becoming heavier and only tempting me more as it soaks the man through, causing his scent to become more potent.
I knew I had to act quickly, in a few short seconds he would enter the diner, and within were too many witnesses, then I'd be forced to find new prey. The strengthening smell of this human in particular is all that I want now, and I act before I even gave my mind a chance to think. The man had just reached the sidewalk near the diner when I spring seemingly out of nowhere, my propulsion forcing the man into the alley beside the diner. The trashcans stood against the wall containing leftover diner food. I block out the scent of rotting garbage and easily pin the man against the wall, his eyes already betraying his shock and surprise, he thinks I merely want to rob him of his possessions and his quivering hand reaches into his pocket pulling out his wallet loaded with dollar notes. I snatch the wallet from him, burying it in my jacket pocket, I will need new clothes whilst I continue with my search and so the money will be handy. The burning ache is now a raging thirst and I can't hold myself back a second longer, I lunge forward sinking my teeth into the man's neck, one hand raised to his mouth to keep him silent as the venom begins to enter his system and the pain of it takes him, and I drink quickly, flinching when his agony and fear plunge through all my other senses.
I drop the man carefully to the floor now that his use to me is done and show him all the care he deserves. He did after all serve me well by giving me strength from his blood, and so I should not disrespect the dead. I snatch up an old blanket that had been thrown into the trash and drape it over the corpse, protecting it from rodents and the weather. Something catches my eye for a second and with my vampire speed, before the blanket could settle over the man, I pluck a pair of stylish sunglasses from his breast pocket. These too will be handy to hide my deep red eyes from the humans. I exit the alley and continue on my journey down the street, but a sharp throbbing in my head stops me right as I'm about to pass the diner door, a great pressure baring down on my head and I glance quickly through the glass door.
I see her then, a tiny pixie of a lady sat on a stool against the counter idly stirring a soda with a straw, a soda that has not been touched, and the mere sight of this stranger draws me forward to step inside the building. I place the sunglasses over my eyes as there are many humans within the diner, all keeping in from the rain no doubt, and I don't want to draw attention to myself. I draw in a breath, as that's what humans do and right now I'm playing that part, but it's then that it hits me, the pressure in my head increases, I catch her scent in that one breath…. I realise…she's not human. She's like me.