His face flashed through my mind as I immediately perked up, closing my eyes so as to see him better. Jasper's beautiful, tortured face was crazy with indecision. He was clearly contemplating something, something important by the looks of it. I had learned through the many times that I had seen Jasper that he did not like to brood over his decisions. Yet something about the look clearly plastered on his face—the agony, the torture, yet the small glimmer of hope it held for me—showed any bystander that he was, in fact, thinking hard about the pros and cons of each decision.

"Don't worry, Jasper," I whispered softly. "I know you'll make the right decision."

And then he was gone.

Frantically I opened my eyes, hoping that, somehow, I had appeared on the scene with him like I had daydreamed so many times. Disappointment flooded through me as I realized I was still in the clammy, filthy room that I had been confined to. I groaned, wrapping the pink and purple crotched blanket around me as I rolled myself into a ball. The hospital bed on which I laid on was hard and lumpy, a sign of the poor economy of the time. It was either that or the staff here did not care about their patient's health. I, personally, was leaning towards my second assumption. Dirty air particles filled the lungs as I slowly, without caring, breathed in. The air was polluted enough to cause any sane person to have a difficulty breathing. Though since most of the 'patients' here were not considered sane, did no one care if we breathed or not? We would most likely die here, right in this retched asylum. And yet it felt as though no one cared if we lived to see the next day or not.

Slowly I sat up, knowing that Nyxyn would be on his way with his daily routine dose of food and medication. I pulled the blanket around me, hugging my knees close to my chest. A slight sigh escaped my lips as I sensed the staff member approaching, carrying his usual tan tray filled with just the bare minimum of food for me to get by. Nyxyn Hellevoure had always carried a natural gift that intrigued me towards him. No, I did not feel infatuated to or by him, more curious than anything. His eyes were a deep crimson, so dark they were almost black. And oh, how graceful he was! I had never seen him touch any food, though of course I could hardly see anything through the small food slot in my door.

It seemed that Nyxyn had always taken a particular liking to me, one that I had not quite understood in the beginning. He would always wait by my door, talking quietly and urgently to me in a beautiful tenor voice. He would speak of his family, how his father had never believed him and how he was ashamed that he had ended up working here of all places. I had only been lucky enough to see his face once; it reminded me of Jasper's; it was perfectly pale and shaggy black hair framed his face. Bangs covered the vision line of one eye, the other crimson one showing up perfectly. He was dressed in white coats and pants just as all the other staff members were, although he seemed more like a male model in his than any of the other workers.

Just as I had predicted, Nyxyn tapped lightly on my door. "Food, Miss Alice." He said softly. There was something else in his voice, though—something that was not usually there. Was it urgency? Secrecy?

I soon found out. "Alice, please hurry. The day has finally come for you; your number is up."

His words confused me. Did this mean I would finally be freed? Had my mother or father, or, hell, Cynthia, come to finally free me from this horrible place? Would I finally be able to do whatever I wanted, when I wanted? Would this mean I would be able to see Jasper? Just as I was told, I rushed quickly over to the door, still holding the blanket. I lifted up the small food door on the floor, peering out though it. My breath drew in; Nyxyn's beautiful face was inches from mine. His eyes were burning with danger as he stared at me, slowly unlocking the door.

The beams of the bright, hospital-like lights shone through the door, causing me to squint. My room here was not this bright; in fact, there were no lights in my regular confined space. It was a pit of darkness, a black hole that sucked every glimmer of hope and every sign of humanity that was left in your life until it no longer existed. "Nyxyn, what's going on?" I asked in my fair, soprano voice?

"Shh, Miss Alice. Hurry, come with me. And bring your blanket and anything dear to you. It's time."

"Nyxyn, what are you—" I was cut off by his glare; it knocked me speechless.

"Alice, do as you're told, please. It may be too late if you don't cooperate."

Quickly, I ran to my room, clutching my blanket close to my chest as I folded it across my arm. I grabbed my notebook, the one that I had made every observation from my visions—everything from the Cullen family descriptions to sketches of Jasper filled this leather-bound, expensive notebook I had received for my seventeenth birthday. It was the last item I had ever received from my parents.

I scanned the room once more, making sure I had not forgotten anything vital, for I was somehow positive this would be the last look I would ever get at this room. Truthfully, if this was the scenario, I was overjoyed with happiness. Approaching Nyxyn, he grabbed my hand and started walking quickly towards the front door. He was so fast—I was practically being dragged. Yet I obeyed, not once questioning where we were going, even though my mind was positively squirming with unanswered questions.

Soon, before I realized what was happening, we were flying. I wasn't sure how or what had caused this to happen—was I possibly ascending to Heaven? Was that what Nyxyn had meant, that I was reaching my Judgment day? After what seemed like a few minutes, we were very far from the asylum. I felt slightly woozy, and this time it was not because the lack of nourishment. Nyxyn was gazing down at me, his dark eyes equally dark to the midnight sky above us.

"Alice."

"Nyxyn, what's going on?"

"Alice, there's no time for questions. You cannot stay there anymore. James—he'll get you if you do. I'm doing what is best for you, Alice, always remember that."

"I don't understand, what are you doing for me?" I asked, very confused at the current moment.

"Alice, hold still. It was nice knowing you, young one. I do hope you survive."

Before I could understand what was happening, Nyxyn's sweet-smelling face was descending towards my neck. I stayed perfectly still, just as he had directly stated for me to. I did not want James to hurt me, and whatever Nyxyn was doing, I knew that, somehow, I would benefit.

His teeth grazed my neck; he seemed to be breathing in my scent. A horrified realization hit my square in the head, and I let out a slight scream of terror, one that would be the first of millions.

The pain had finally ceased as I slowly opened my eyes. I was lying on my back against the lush forest floor, staring up at the dim, green light that shone through the thick forest trees—the few that existed in Biloxi. Where am I? I thought desperately, standing up in one lithe, graceful motion. "What the—" I was momentarily dazed. How had I stood up so quickly?

A new pain had filled my body, and it strangely reminded me of the same one that had filled me for the past three days. It was a burning sensation, one that nearly sent me over the edge. It licked the back of my throat raw, the blaze a never ending flame that seemed to excel in ferocity and rage. I soon found myself running through the forest, faster than I had ever thought possible—I was almost gliding. The trees seemed to blur past me. And then it hit me—a luscious smell, so sweet that it seemed it was my perfect aroma, created especially for me in mind. There was a soft beating, one that was living; it seemed to urge the burning in the back of my throat on. I needed to soothe the feeling. Eagerly, I raced through the forest, lunging on the beast that carried the delicious smell. Instinctively, my senses took over control of the rational, realistic part of my mind, and I temporarily soothed the burn.

My mind never seemed to find the need to stop asking itself the same question—What was I? It was filled to the brim and then some with other questions—Why was I acting… inhuman? Where was Nyxyn? Had he done this to me? Why was there so much pain I had felt, and where had it disappeared to?

I slowly closed my eyes, urging a vision to grace my attention. It soon did—Jasper's face appeared, although this time it was different. I was with him, and we looked happy. A small gasp escaped me as I realized we were mates. I grinned as the vision progressed, showing the Cullen family. Jasper and I had finally reached them—we each seemed equally happy, for we had found our perfect family.

Opening my eyes, I frowned at reality. Jasper was nowhere to seen, and neither were any of the Cullens. Where were these people? I was beginning to imagine I had dreamed them up. But that wouldn't be true—how could I dream up such wonderful, beautiful people? More importantly, how could I have become one of them? I sighed, feeling as though I could potentially sob my eyes out. With a sucked in breath that only caused the burning in my throat to increase. With a groan, I raced through the forest, clueless, as I searched for potential prey to quench my thirst upon.