Chapter 1: Golden eyes
I had been alone for a while now. Running through widespread forests, steep mountains and shallow valleys made it difficult to keep track of time. As the minutes ticked by and days turned into weeks, the silence around me was my lone companion. I couldn't even recall the last time I had been close to civilisation or inside a house. The clothes on my body were the only things I owned and even those were slowly starting to wear thin.
But I wasn't quite ready to return to civilisation yet; the presence of humans still unsettled me. The diet of animal blood served me quite well but having to resist the temptation each time I got too close to another person scared me. It was impossible to relax so close to a fluttering heartbeat. Each breath aiding the thick, warm blood flow as it pumped through their thin veins. Hearing their pulse quicken when they-
I winced as a stinging sensation burned my throat and swallowed heavily as poison filled my mouth. This is exactly why I kept away from humans. It really wasn't fair. I didn't hate human beings nor saw them as less than my kind, simply existing to be used as a source of nourishment. After all, I once lead a human life as well. How could other vampires forget that so easily and feel entitled enough to place themselves above them? That was exactly why I chose this rather strange diet to begin with. It kept me relatively healthy even though I knew that human blood would provide me with more strength.
Over the time of two years of my new life I had come to meet all sorts of different covens. I learnt quickly that refusing to drink human blood was not considered normal. Thankfully, I was clever enough to hide my secret and never agreed to travel with others of my kind. However, I always stayed to listen to their tales. How they came to be, what their lifestyles were like, their views on the world and its creatures inhabiting it. Out of all of these opinions one clearly stood out: Refusing to drink human blood was unnatural to each and every one of them.
Statements like these made definitely made me question my own decision multiple times. However, staying true to my words, I kept myself hidden; far away from humans because I knew that I couldn't resist the temptation would it come down to it. I simply lacked the willpower and experience, their scent would be overwhelming and I wouldn't be able to control myself.
As I parted the branches in front of me, I reached a clearing and felt like I could finally relax a bit. These forests were completely isolated and no human being could find their way that deep into this maze of trees. Just in case, I strained my ears and searched for anything out of the ordinary but was only met by the gurgling sound of a nearby stream. Hidden inside the dark shadows the treetops cast, were the sounds of faint heartbeats, which indicated the presence of herbivorous animals. Probably a herd of deer going by the noises their hooves made and the lightness of their steps.
At that moment the clouds above my head finally gave way and let the streams of golden rays touch the soil beneath my feet. As I held my hand out towards the sunlight I couldn't help but marvel at the way my skin broke out into an array of diamonds. I didn't think I could ever get used to this sight; it was mesmerizing each time it happened. The sunlight against my icy skin felt almost warm and I savoured the sensation.
Such peaceful moments sadly also always evoked a deep loneliness inside of me. I didn't want to stay on my own anymore. The craving for companionship had slowly crept up on me and my measly two years of life felt like an eternity. But I knew that that was an impossible wish. I would kill any human who dared getting too close and other vampires weren't accepting of my lifestyle. So there really only was one option left, wasn't there?
The leaves crunched underneath the sole of my feet as I slowly walked closer to the river. Chords of soft light shone through the treetops and made the brook's turquoise-blue surface sparkle wherever the rays' soft touch grazed it. Seeping and snaking smoothly past all obstacles, the water wound its way around the river's boulders that were disrupting its steady stream.
Without thinking I leaped into the air, enjoying the short rush of air as it dishevelled my hair and landed nimbly on one of the smooth limestones sticking out of the water's surface. It wasn't difficult to hold my balance and I was certain that I wouldn't be able to slip, especially not with reflexes as quick as mine. Pebbles whisked about in the under wash like pieces of glitter and twigs twirled on the water's murmuring surface.
What caught my attention however was my own reflection staring back at me. The first time I had caught sight of myself I was understandably quite shocked. The marble skin without any scars or blemishes appeared to softly glow, even without the light of day. My hair, even though it had never been properly washed since my transformation, fell softly around my face. Even with specks of dirt staining my clothes I never looked unkempt. And my eyes… I slowly reached up to touch the side of my cheek and watched the person in the water replicate my movement.
The first time I had met the person in the reflection, a pair of vivid, crimson coloured eyes stared back at me; the shade of red so aggressive and bright that it had frightened me. The second time, after we two had become more acquainted with each other, I noticed that the iris had started to lighten up, turning dark orange. And now…they were of a liquid gold colour, the farthest away from the blood red they had started with. The person in the reflection slowly raised an eyebrow at this newfound discovery.
"This will only distinguish you even more from the others." It seemed to tell me.
"No vampire you have ever come across has had eyes like yours." And I knew that was true; I had become an anomaly.
I took a deep but unneeded breath in, as if to sigh at the next problem I could put onto my list, as I got a whiff of something unusual. My body froze, turning it into a marble statue, as the familiar smell brought forth past memories. Vampires.
I had no idea how many of them there were but they were extremely close. They had probably come across my scent and became curious. I cursed my inattentiveness. My eyes frantically darted around the area, searching for a way to escape just so that I didn't have to cross paths with them. I wasn't up for any types of confrontation, especially not with my latest developed anomaly.
The snapping of a branch made my head whip around in its direction and my eyes landed on a face hidden by the shadows of the trees. My breath caught in my throat and my muscles automatically tightened as my natural instincts kicked in. As if on cue, more faces appeared from the darkness and cautiously stepped into the clearing. A growl emanated from my throat before I could stop myself. It served as a warning not to come any closer. There was no place for me to hide and I knew it. They outnumbered me and standing in this clearing without any protection made me feel incredibly vulnerable.
One of the males held out his arm and successfully stopped the others from advancing. He must be the leader of the coven; everyone seemed to crowd around him, waiting for him to make a decision. I quickly counted the vampires standing across from me. Seven; I had never seen a coven of this size before and it was intimidating. Vampires normally didn't stick around in large groups; pairs of two were the most common.
My mind was racing as I tried to think of a possible way to diffuse this situation. If I was still human, my heart would have been beating painfully against my ribcage. On second thought…if I was human then I'd be dead by now.
Another one of the males straightened his posture; I could see him tightening his muscles, making him almost instantly appear taller and more threatening. His stance was rigid, leaning forward ever so slightly; the vibe he was giving off was clear. If it came to a fight he could easily overpower me, he seemed almost eager to test his abilities. He reminded me of a soldier, never showing any weaknesses in the face of battle.
"I don't want to fight!" Is what I wanted to say, but the words never left my lips. Instead, I reverted back to my primal instincts. Dropping my shoulders and slowly crouching down, cautious not to move too quickly for their liking. I lowered my head just a bit while still making sure to keep an eye on them and turned my palms facing up. This was something that had worked with other vampires before and was understood by anyone, signs of submission. I didn't want this encounter to end badly. The blonde haired soldier didn't drop his protective stance, but all of them regarded me with looks of interest now. I suppose that's a good sign?
The leader took a step closer towards me and I suppressed another growl. I had chosen my role, so now I had to play my part even if I felt threatened.
"Hello." I blinked as surprise took over my features. His voice sounded warm and inviting. I had expected a threat, him telling me that I was intruding on their territory, but certainly not an attempt at a civilised conversation.
"My name is Carlisle and this is my family." He continued and extended his arm towards a mahogany haired woman who came up next to him. She had a small smile on her face; her entire presence screamed placating.
"This is my wife, Esme," he continued. Wife? I tilted my head in confusion as I watched the two of them. I had heard other vampires address their partners as their mate, but never had they used a title so…human.
"Emmett and Jasper, Rosalie and Alice and Edward." His eyes followed his introductions. I hadn't missed the fact that he introduced all of them in groups, never leaving one standing on their own. They all formed a unit, acting almost like a family. I had never seen vampires act so much like humans before…was it all an act? I slowly raised my head their eyes met mine: Gold on gold.
Without thinking I instantly shot up, my submissive posture forgotten.
"Y-you-!" I stuttered, surprise washing over me. How is that possible? I thought I was the only one!
My thoughtless movement was instantly punished, as the others reacted immediately. The soldier took a step forward, falling into a low crouch, his body ready to spring. They had mistaken my sudden movements for an aggressive gesture. I hesitantly took a step back, my trousers becoming soaked as the cold spring water seeped through the thin fabric. Out of the corner of my eyes I saw a short haired girl grab the soldier's arm as if to stop him. Another male, dark haired and so big that he was scary just to look at leaned forward, readying himself. Even the kind, blonde haired vampire looked wary.
The tension in the air was so thick you could have cut it with a knife. This was it; if I had thought running away was futile before, it certainly was impossible now. But I had to try or I could stay here and risk getting ripped into tiny shreds because of a misunderstanding. They all looked capable enough; I wouldn't stand a chance against them. I whirled around, pushing the doubt of being unable to escape to the back of my mind and clenched my teeth tightly together. I was determined to try, no, I had to. My survival depended on it.
"She is surprised because our eye colours are the same." The sudden statement had caught me off guard. Well…he wasn't wrong. I slowly turned my head back towards the direction of the male who had spoken. The read head's eyes seemed to pierce my soul as he looked at me knowingly. How could he tell?
No matter how, I was thankful for his intervention as the others straightened up a little, dropping their defensive stances. Their expressions still remained cautious. The leader now had a look of understanding in his eyes.
"I...have never seen other vampires who looked like me before." I confessed, surprised that I had spoken at all. My voice wavered while I shot concerned glances at the blonde haired soldier. However, he seemed to have finally relaxed. He signalled through his posture that he wouldn't pose a threat to me should I also remain peaceful. It was easy enough to understand, the only thing that confused me were the others.
They didn't show the common gestures vampires used to convey their intentions; things like submission or dominance were non-existent to them. It frustrated me. How was I supposed to interpret their abnormal behaviour, so far away from that of a vampire that it seemed human again? How long had they shared this undead existence with me? They were definitely a lot older by many years, maybe even centuries. I hadn't thought it possible for a creature of the night to adapt to a normal life as much as they had. Maybe they had spent all of their time pretending, that they had forgotten how to act like vampires. If I couldn't see their honey gold eyes, their unbreakable, flawless skin and hear their clearly absent heartbeat, I would have confused them with living beings. Who were these strange creatures that seemed so polite but at the same time behaved so differently from their true nature?
"There aren't many who follow a diet similar to ours," the leader explained. At that moment my suspicions were finally confirmed. I had suspected that my different lifestyle was the cause of my weird eye colour.
"We would love to further discuss this matter with you. If you feel comfortable enough to share your story, we would be interested in listening to it. We own a residence not far from here." This was the second time today that something had left me feeling completely stunned.
Are they nuts? Wasn't our encounter about to turn into a fight just moment ago? And now they were inviting me to their house for tea! What was wrong with them? I didn't miss the redhead's eyes narrowing as if he had heard me. However strange they were, I had to admit that we had something in common. They too were interested in hearing about other vampires' tales. Furthermore, our different eye colour connected us, and to say that I was intrigued would be an understatement. But no matter how curious I was, I knew that I had to decline their offer.
Even though it seemed impossible to me, they somehow managed to live in close contact with human beings. It was clear by the way they acted or even dressed. My eyes wandered from my bare feet to their sturdy shoes. Furthermore, if I got too close to another human being and attacked them I wouldn't be able to forgive myself. And I was sure that they wouldn't either.
"Our home is situated in the woods so you wouldn't encounter other humans. But we will make sure that we won't experience any run-ins on our way there." I owlishly peered at the red haired male. What was his name again? Edward? He had once again answered my thoughts as if he had plucked them right from my mind. Three times in a row were no coincidence...was he a mind reader? I had been told by other covens that some vampires possessed special abilities but had yet to come across one. They had told me it was a rare occurrence, but this could be one of them. My gaze burnt into his, the question already on the tip of my tongue as he subtly nodded. For a second I thought I had only imagined it. I was right! How surprising that he would give up such a valuable piece of information as simply as that… My eyes narrowed in suspicion. If he really was one, then it also meant that none of my thoughts were safe anymore...I honestly didn't know how to feel about that discovery. The others seemed visibly confused by the mind reader's statement and I felt like there was no other way now than to explain.
"I was turned two years ago and have kept away from humans ever since. I am scared that if I encounter one by accident I won't be able to stop myself." Suddenly their facial expressions changed. The leader and his mate's gaze softened, regarding me with a kindness I wasn't used to. It was almost like they understood my struggles, like they wanted to help me, even though we were just strangers. And I, weirdly enough, believed them.
"What is your name, child?" The leader asked, his voice gentle and I responded without thinking.
"Emily."
"Well, Emily, would you like to come with us?" I had said no to numerous other covens before, never wanting to travel with any of them. What had persuaded me this time? Their friendly voices or their threatening coven members? Probably both. I tried to comfort myself with the fact that it would be different this time; I was following them to have a friendly chat, nothing more. And for some reason the vibes I got from them were as intriguing as they were repellent, simply because they were so different from other vampires. I had now concluded that this wasn't so bad after all.
Stepping out of the water carefully, I took a couple steps closer to them and this time they allowed it. No one fell into a threatening stance or gave me wary looks. Even the soldier, who seemed the scariest of them all, regarded me patiently. And as all of us ran through the deep, forest green woods I knew that I had made the right decision. This time I wasn't the unwanted outsider, I was with people of my kind.