The two girls fled during the daytime, that was the safest; they didn't go out during the day due to the risk of exposure. Anna knew they could try to fight him off, the one that had been stalking them, but he was stronger than the other's, and because the other's mind tricks didn't work on them, he was the organization's only choice. This so called organization was the Volturi, located in Italy, but terrorizing all over the world. Anna didn't know the name of their assailant, neither did her cousin Paz, all they knew is that wherever they went, he followed. Anna was twenty years old, and the more quiet, reserved one of the duo; Paz, in her young age of seventeen, was more outspoken and open than her older cousin.
"Come on Paz" Anna looked at her phone for the time, Paz had been in the rest stop bathroom for over 5 minutes now, but that wasn't what was worrying Anna, the sun was setting, and after their first day on the road, he was bound to start looking for them again tonight.
The passenger door finally opened and Paz slid in, and even before it could fully close Anna had the car in reverse and was pulling out of the parking lot. They were back on the deserted freeway up north, farther and farther away from California. They had grown up there all their lives, and now they were fleeing the sunny coast for the rainy coast of Forks, Washington. Course they always knew this would come eventual, with their families' lifestyle. Paz's single father left her with his brother, wife, and child when she was just a toddler - and still to this day she holds it against him; two years ago, at the end of Anna's senior year, her parents were murdered. When Anna was twelve years old - Paz only nine - her parents sat them down and told them of their family's heritage. It was pretty obvious from a young age the two girls were not like other children in their class at school, both were faster, stronger, smarter, prettier, and overall better than everyone else; their parents said this was because they were born to be vampire hunters. Anna laughed when she first heard this, she was very mature and smart for her age, and knew that vampires weren't real...at least they weren't suppose to be, Paz looked excited as they were told, as though it was an adventure story like those Anna's mother would read to her before bed. A week later they found out it was true, a vampire had managed to get into their home, and tried to off both Anna and Paz who shared a room; Anna still remembered that night, it was the most frightening night of her life, she remembered how vulnerable she felt, how helpless, then her parents burst through the door and killed the vampire before he could even react; it was the first time Anna or Paz had seen one killed, but it wouldn't be the last. The next day Anna demanded that she start her training to be a hunter, she didn't want to feel helpless ever again, and she always wanted to be able to protect Paz and her family. She and Paz trained every day and night, and soon they were hunting vampires around their hometown and they eventually became better hunters than even Anna's parents, who were considered the best in the hunter community.
But two years ago, a hunt didn't end quite as they expected. Anna and Paz had been out on patrol and directed away from the city they lived by two vampires who had drained three teenagers. Anna knew she should have felt something was off when the two vampires were easily caught and killed, because when they returned home they found Anna's parents torn to pieces in the living room. Anna remembers seeing red, but Paz shook Anna out of her trance and told her they needed to get out of there. The evidence pointed to a single assailant, one with supernatural strength, an amount unnatural for a vampire. They had a feeling that if they didn't leave town soon, the vamp would be back soon for them.
They fled to a small town by the northern coast of California, and for two years they lived in peace while they continued to train and keep the small community around them safe. But then one night he found them again. Paz came home from school one day short of breathe, saying that a boy was found torn from limb to limb outside the gym; and they both knew only one thing capable of that. They packed their things that night, and left once the sun rose in the sky.
And here they were, crossing the state border into Washington. They figured out after some research, that rain helped to mask the scent of their blood. They figured that moving to the rainiest place in America would be better than staying in California.
A part of Anna felt as though she failed her family once again, she should have gone against that bloodsucker last time, but somewhere inside she knew that she - even with all her training and vampire kills under her belt - didn't stand a chance against the super strength of this particular vampire. So once again they were on the run.
They passed a sign that stated that there was 50 miles to go before the exit for Forks came up. Anna had just bought a short sale house on the outskirts of the small Washington town the day before. It was extremely cheap, and because she had cash she got it even cheaper, her parents left her quite the bank account when they died. The hunter community took care of the mess that was the crime scene of her parents death, and helped to sell the house. They were they ones who tipped her off on the house for sale in Forks, and even got the price lowered after some negotiation. The hunter community knew they couldn't really help Paz and Anna, if they were to safe guard the girls, an all out war between vampires and hunters could start, and many innocents would be killed in the crossfire, the two girls were on their own.
"This sure is a small town," Paz commented as we drove through Forks.
"Nothing we aren't use to" I shrugged not really looking around.
Though it was daytime here, the sky was a grey, blocking the sun with gloomy clouds. Anna knew that would be what she missed most, the warm California sun on her skin, but Paz would feel just fine in their new environment. That was the difference between Anna and Paz; Paz would have no problem fitting into her new surroundings, making friends at her new school, and being the center of attention, Anna on the other hand would struggle with making new friends because she was too busy training and researching just waiting for him to show up again. She decided that if he did, this time she wouldn't run.
They followed Paz's GPS on her phone outside of town, and soon were turning down a hidden drive going deeper into the forest. After a minute or so of driving down the bumpy rough drive the trees started to thin out and suddenly there were none.
"Woah" Paz muttered in awe
They were on a Cliffside, and more importantly staring at an old lighthouse. Tall and round in shape the brick was painted an alternating black and white, and in some areas the paint was peeling. Windows going up the tower marked each level.
"Did I really just by a lighthouse." Anna asked herself quietly not believing what was in front of her.
Paz laughed suddenly, Anna couldn't help but chuckle herself, "Sure looks like it cuz!" she laughed shaking her head.
"Hey! It's cool! This will definitely be a different experience, haha, it'll be fun!" Anna defended herself.
The keys were suppose to be in the mail box outside the door, Anna grabbed her suitcases and bags from the back of her red '71 Ford Bronco and walked up to white picket fence gate that marked off a small front yard, right by it sat an old mailbox, opening it she found an old looking iron key for the front door; the front door was just a simple metal door that was surrounded by windows to let light inside. Luckily there was an overhang over the front door for days it was rainy, which Anna knew would be more days than not.
Anna walked into what looked like to be a sitting room and kitchen.
"It looks like a freaking museum," Paz said looking around, she was right, the furnishings looked like they had been here since the lighthouse was first operated, "Ick" she commented.
"I love it." Anna said with a smile as she looked around.
In the kitchen there were updated appliances, but also a wood-fire stove and oven -which Paz didn't know could be used to heat the house up during the winter- and there was a small breakfast nook that sat in front of a large window that looked out onto the ocean. The sitting room was furnished with a Chesterfield leather sofa that still looked like it was in pretty good condition, and two matching leather arm chairs that were arched around an industrial looking TV stand, two windows sat on either side. Along the wall was the winding staircase that lead up to the other levels, underneath sat a little reading nook, equipped with a small bookcase -that had some book still in it- and a small lamp, along with another comfy looking armchair with a footstool. The ceiling looked higher than it was because it was pointed up with expose rafters.
Anna went up the stairs, Paz following behind, and the stairs lead to a flat, surprisingly level, narrow hallway, with doors on either side. One door lead to a bedroom that looked like it was made to house two lighthouse keepers, the other side was a bathroom. on the other end of the hallway was another stairway that went up to the next level, on the next level was the same thing as the last, but the bedroom on this level looked like it was made to house the master keeper.
"This is my bedroom!" Anna called dibs and Paz pouted at her, "hey," Anna tried to reason, "You'll be out of the house most of the time anyways! You usually are!" Paz thought about it and then shrugged in defeat.
The bathroom across from Anna's new bedroom had a claw tub/shower and porthole window.
The winding stairs on this level led up to what looked like to be a study and another sitting room, but this time the stairs was in the middle of the room, and the furnishings circled around the open level; the stairs continued up to a door that led out to the light deck, where a huge light bulb sat in the middle of the fully windowed room, and French doors led out onto a balcony that circled the entire light deck.
"It's beautiful up here." Paz said as her hair flew around her face.
"Yeah," Anna sighed as she stared out onto the water below.
"Hey what is that building right there?" Paz asked getting Anna's attention once more as she pointed to an area off the side of the lighthouse.
There sat a single story building, with another set of French doors that lead into it from a brick front patio.
"Is it like a guest house?" Paz asked curiously with a tilt of her head.
"I'm not sure," Anna said as she studied it, it matched the light house with white painted brick, "it could be where they put extra equipment." she theorized.
"Let's go look!" Paz exclaimed with excitement, and she raced back inside the light deck and her footsteps could be heard clattering down the winding iron stairs.
Anna laughed and raced after her, their speeds would shock a normal person who might have seen them, because of their hunter genes they were faster than even the fastest human on earth.
They both got to the front of the building at the same time, and through the glass of the doors they saw that Anna was partly right. The building looked like it use to be an equipment storage area, but has since been converted into a separate studio. Inside the building was open, the high ceiling was covered with more expose rafters, and was partly covered by the loft that a set of stairs led up to. A small makeshift kitchen sat in the corner while a small bathroom sat walled in on the other side of the room. There was also a sitting area and dining area, everything you needed in a home, up the stairs in the loft was a "bedroom" slash study with a small bed and desk, a large circular window looked out onto the water.
"Guess I know where we can put our gear." Anna commented once they were back down in the sitting room, all around the walls were built in industrial cabinets, all they would need were locks made out of a substance that even a vampire's strength couldn't break. It was a substance that all hunter's made their weapons out of, it was also a mystery to vampires; this substance was how the hunter's were able to kill vampires, because shooting them did nothing, they had to cut them from limb to limb, then burn them to ashes.
Anna went back to her Bronco and in the back, under the false bed of the truck, she grabbed the multiple briefcases that contained their gear and returned to the building. Putting them away in various cabinets, she then locked them up with the locks she took from their previous home.
"We will make this place look as homey as possible," Anna looked at Paz with complete seriousness.
Paz nodded in understanding, "That way no one would ever figure there are highly dangerous weapons in here." she finished.
Anna looked over at the younger girl, and with a sudden rush of emotions she pulled her into a hug that would have killed an average human, "We won't run again, Paz, I promise." Anna said kissing the younger girl's head. Paz nodded into her older cousin's shoulder as she hugged her back.
When they pulled away Anna looked at Paz and trying to lighten the mood said, "Let's go get settled in." and with that they locked up the building with the regular door lock so that it wouldn't look suspicious and headed back into their new home.