"We gather here today to pay our last respects for young Royce King Jr.
"He's passing was sudden and horrific. We pray that the authorities find and punish the one who took him from God's Earth before his time.
"He was an honorable man who served this community in these hard times…"
Of course he was honorable. Even in death, Royce could do no wrong in everyone's eyes.
His royal status stood over his monstrous side.
And I thought I was the monster in this relationship.
"It is also heartbreaking that in death this young lad will always travel alone. Lonely, he is, after the departure of his beloved bride-to-be.
"Royce was sorrowful when his love ran away from us. We also send a prayer to her for her safe well being."
I could hear his distaste as the minister spoke those words as well as hear the hushed whispers among the mourners about my disappearance.
If only they knew the truth.
"But, we must not dwell on the past," He dismissed still disgusted. "My friends, it time we send this angel off so that he may reach the golden gates of Heaven and be at the hands of God almighty."
You mean demon. No, demons follow the devil much like cowards follow murderers. Royce led his demons to complete his sins, but only his victim knows that.
"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, goodnight sweet fellow. We wish you well and happiness. Amen." He concluded.
There was a low chorus of Amen from the crowd before they walked up to the grave to throw flowers into the hole on top of the casket that was being lowered down.
How I would love to throw something down there for him to remember me by, but I suppose that he would always remember my revenge.
"Rosalie," Edward whispered in my ear, "We should go; the mourners are starting to become suspicious of us."
"I want to stay a few more minutes." I hissed quietly.
I didn't mean to be so impatient and it seemed to frighten the humans in front of us who quickly walked away from us.
"I understand." He said.
Apparently he mistook my words as an apology.
"Then allow me to apologize for making accusations." He replied.
Your mind reading ability is most frustrating.
"You know it is not something I can control, Rosalie." He sighed. "May be please leave?"
Getting impatient now, are we?
"You concern me." He answered.
I'm holding my breath. Which is becoming most uncomfortable, I might add.
"I know, but you will get use to it. I am surprised of your ability is stay so focused with so many humans around you." He said in wonder.
I am too focused on one thing, little brother. Seeing that bastard fall into that pit of Hell he deserves to be in.
"Again, I must say your control is most impressive. The anger I hear in your mind is very strong, how do you manage to control it so easily?"
I confess it is not, Edward.
In truth it wasn't easy to keep my thirst for blood under control. It was waning, but I had to see this day. I had to see this through to the end.
"We should leave." His tone was final.
I glared up at him before nodding my head curtly.
Offering me his arm, Edward led us down a different path from what the others were taking. I, on the other hand, looked once more behind me to where the diggers were filling in the hole.
The King family were huddled around the site in silence. Only Mrs. King's sobs were breaking the quiet air. I could hear the hushed words she was repeating over and over like a mantra.
"What did she do to you? What did she do?" She kept asking her dead son.
I frowned at her. I pitied the woman who did not see what her son was really like…a drunken, pompous bastard that deserved to rot in Hell.
"Rosalie," Edward warned his grip on my hand tightened.
I would love to burn Royce myself; I should have burned him alive to make him relive the torture I had endured for three days because of him.
"Rosalie, please control yourself. I cannot risk moving any faster." Edward spoke again.
Watching him struggle for air under my grip and hearing him beg was not enough. He died much too easily for my liking.
When I walked into his room after the guards put up a pitiful fight, he was cowering in the corner by the heating register. He was curled up into a ball like a little bug holding a bottle of whiskey in his grip like a stuff bear.
It was not his first drink, but it would be his last.
"Royce, darling." I cooed for him.
He looked up at me and his eyes widened in shock.
I could literally see the wheels in his head turning as he looked at my form. When he reached my eyes, fear began to pour out of him in waves.
"Rosalie?" He asked no longer drunk.
His adrenaline had burned off the alcohol that he consumed.
"Yes, dear." I smiled at him.
He flinched when I showed my brilliant teeth to him.
"How…how?" Before he could finish his sentence, I rushed over to him at blinding speed placing my cold finger against his mouth.
"Shhh, Royce, we are not ready for company just yet." I had just used up the rest of my oxygen. The time for talk was over.
Royce's blood flowed frantically through his veins. I was trying to focus on anything, but it. Carlisle had said that it would be difficult because of my young age as a vampire, but I knew I was strong to resist…for now.
My hatred for the men who took my human life had to know what they had done to me and needed to be punished. Royce was the last one on my list to cross off.
I had tried to wait for Royce's comeuppance just as Carlisle had suggested, but my disappearance was not blamed on Royce or his drunken friends. It was, however, blamed on a poor Irish man who is currently sentenced to die later in the summer. He had not done anything except be at the wrong place at the wrong time.
The evidence surrounding this poor man was all done by Royce. Not only was his death my revenge, but also the innocent man sitting on death row.
Grabbing the bottle from Royce, I dumped the contents over his head. It tainted his blood slightly making my thirst a little more bearable. I wanted to drag this out as long as possible.
Royce was only dazed as if he was expecting this to be it. He looked at me confused, but my smirk sent him quivering once again.
I wasn't even close to being done.
Before he could blink, he was flying over my head only to land on the hardwood floor on his arm.
Damn, it didn't break.
Carlisle had been coaxing me to be softer and slower in my movements. Now was not the time to be gentle.
Royce was only dazed and tried to get back up, in his rush, he fell over again and this time I heard the sweet sound a crack. Granted, it was small-probably from his ankle—but it was a start.
Zooming over to him, I grabbed Royce by his injured ankle hoisting his upper body up as far as I could and gave his leg a nice little squeeze. That squeeze was enough to crack both his ankle bones and the ones in his calf.
His first screech of pain sent warm shivers down my spin. It was like a drug, I needed more of it.
Dropping his leg, his screams shot another ounce of the sweet pleasure through me.
He tried to crawl away to the open doors, I allowed him to go, shadowing him with light foot steps that were barely audible to me which I'm sure he wouldn't have heard.
He stopped though, when he saw his body guards all dead outside the door of his supposed safe haven.
Roughly, I turned him on his back and gave him a wicked smile when he looked into my deep red eyes.
With one swift movement, my fist connected with his stomach. It was light enough to only connect with his ribs. I couldn't afford to give him any internal bleeding. I refused to allow myself to be drawn to his blood; I didn't want his disgusting bile in my system for the rest of my existence.
Again, he yelled only with a few more profanities mixed in.
I tsked him like a mother scolding her child. Well, if he was going to act like one.
Turning him over again, I landed a hard blow to his buttocks. I got a good chuckle out of it as he screeched to high heavens. It was the loudest one by far and gave me the best hit as well.
Positioning myself to stand with him in between my legs, I grabbed his arms and pulled back just enough to dislocate them from the sockets. I might have pulled a little too hard, but I couldn't smell the blood flow yet. That didn't mean I couldn't smell any at all.
My senses were overcoming the smell of the alcohol; it looked as if my playtime is just about done, but I didn't want to leave my work halfway completed.
I was always perfect; from my beauty to my brain. Even in this life those qualities have been multiplied greatly; I needed to finish.
Sitting on his now smashed pelvis, I ran my hands up his back and down his arms almost caressing, but it had the opposite effect on him.
Royce was yelling and crying for help, but his hideaway was outside of town. The closest building was over a mile away; much too far for any human to hear him.
"Shhh." I cooed once more.
Coming back up his spine I pushed a little too hard and heard the satisfying crack before his body became limp. One would have thought he was dead, but his heart was beating frantically. Working even harder than before. If I was just a little more mature at controlling my blood lust, I would have loved to scare him to death.
Standing up, but not moving away from him, I rolled Royce over once more.
This was it; I knew my control was waning.
He's blood was starting to call for me, but I had to resist with the last bit of strength I had.
Royce was only crying now, begging for death, this was what I wanted to hear, to see. He was broken now—literally—I needed him to see what he did to me. He pulled me too far onto the ledge where I could not be saved by any mortal.
I would never be a mortal now; to never age or have another chance at finding love or creating a family as I so desired. Royce took that away from me, now I'm going to take away his fun in life. He loved to live life in the moment, but did it at the expense of others.
Playtime's over, my dear.
With a deep scowl on my face that probably made me look like a devil, I gripped his throat barely in control of myself. I needed to feel him leave this earth. I needed to know that he would never harm another soul again.
He tried to put up a fight, but couldn't. He didn't give up though, but that was the King family—they never gave up so easily.
Adding in a little more calculated pressure, his breath was completely cut off and no more than a minute later, his heart began to slow down. Another minute passed until I counted down the last uneven beats.
A few seconds more, Royce King Jr. was dead. He's dark blue eyes started back at me with no light, no source of life was left. His eyes finally revealed the man he truly was; cold with death to match.
I left the scene as fast as I could. I needed to breathe, needed to hunt to cure my blood lust.
When I arrived back at Carlisle's home, my once white wedding dress was stained in blood from the animals I hunted, and ripped from my marathon in the surrounding forest.
The sun was coming up and only Esme was home, she took one look at me, but I saw no pity or anger over what I had done. Instead, I got a kiss and a hug just as a mother would give to her child after coming home from school.
She understood my pain, but I could tell she didn't approve of my actions even though she hid them expertly.
Later when Carlisle and Edward came home, they were not as kindhearted as Esme, but Carlisle was fascinated over my brief self control. Edward didn't speak to me that night for he was furious at me, but it didn't matter to me one bit.
I made a promise to stay with someone at all times, it was like being punished, and I'd gladly take it again even if I had to deal with Edward and his mind reading abilities.
"Rosalie," Edward hissed this time bring me out of my thoughts. "Please, do not…"
I know you don't want to hear that, but live with it because I want to. I mentally yelled at him.
"It is a bad idea to dwell on the past, especially one so distressing." He replied softly.
If I don't then who will? I quipped. Thanks to me, Royce King will never harm another woman again. You know my feelings, Edward. The only satisfaction I get from this…existence is to get to Royce. If I could die now I would gladly be under the dirt now.
Pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers, Edward sighed, but didn't reply. He honestly hates it when we fight, it never ends.
"Please explain to me why Carlisle thought you would be a good match for me again?" He asked, but I'm sure it was to himself.
I'm not sure, but my mother would be happy if she knew you were the adoptive son of a doctor. I joked.
Edward dropped his hand from his face and rolled his eyes muttering something about vanity and women.
Looking back at the grave once more, Mrs. King was looking directly at me almost as if she could see me. But how could she? She did not have the vision I currently possess, and my veil obscured all of my features. No human should be able to recognize me, but she appears to have seen pass it all.
"She does, but believes you are a ghost or some other paranormal creature lurking in the cemetery." Edward translated for me.
Then we should leave. I did not want her to raise suspicions in the town. When are we leaving?
"Tonight," Edward answered, "Carlisle and Esme were going to have everything prepared by nightfall. We are only allowed to take what we can carry for now." I could hear how forlorn he sounded, he would miss his piano. "I can always play another piano." He scoffed.
It was my turn to roll my eyes as we continued to walk down the deserted street.
By nightfall, we were ready to leave. In my bag, I had packed a change of clean clothes and a few necessities. Our other possessions had been boxed up and will be shipped to our new home in Tennessee; Carlisle suggested a secluded place for us in the woods. Mostly I believe it is for my benefit…as a time to grief for my lost.
Oh I will grief, for the rest of my existence.
Looking once more in my steamer trunk, the only tucked in it was my ruined wedding dress. I dared not try to get the animal blood out of it just yet because it still has his scent on it. With my new memory I would never forget Royce or how he died, but I need something physical to prove that my memories aren't fake…I needed to be reminded that the devil is gone and that I killed him.
Satisfied that it was still there, I walked out of the room, joining my new family outside near the trees.
I was ready to start a new life even if it did mean a long, dreary one that had no future.