The pain in my body rattled, beating against my brain, breaking me from the inside out. I tried to shut out the pain. Remind myself that it was only a mind trick, but that didn't actually help anything. It just made the realization that I was actually here even worse.
I heard her trill little laugh ring out, as I screamed. Aching, burning for someone to come save me, but knowing they wouldn't. She kept whispering threats at me, stringing together false tales of how they killed my family and how everything I love had been destroyed. That, combined with the strain on my mind from being tortured, created a pain in my heart so deep I'd wished I was dead.
Aro trapped me in Volterra, held me prisoner until I agreed to become part of the Volturi. He wrote to me, saying that he was going to kill Jasper if I did not visit.
I responded by coming. He responded by holding me captive until I agreed to remain with them, or they would kill off my family. So I let Jane torture me day by day, it wasn't too bad in the beginning. But they were starving me too. And I couldn't go on much longer without any food. I was repeatedly offered human blood, but always refused to drink it, no matter how strong the temptations were.
It had been three months since they took me from my family. Three months since I last saw Jasper. Three months since my last hunt. And I was starting to go a little crazy. I never knew what could happen to a vampire if they didn't eat ever. But the effects were starting to hit me. I ached. As if I was a human, and had the flu. Everything was sore and burning. And I had this awful shake. Like a nervous tick sort of thing. Now whether or not that was from Jane or the lack of food I don't know, but I know I never had that before.
I would black out. Not like fall asleep, but black out, unto like a half coma, where I couldn't see anything, but I could hear and feel. And my visions all but stopped. Which terrified me. I had no idea how anyone was faring with my absence. I made sure to leave them with out a trace, and could only hope that Jasper still had hope that I was alive, and was still with our family, even though I was not.
When I first arrived here my plan was not to stay. It was really not in my intentions to be held prisoner either. But apparently I was just a little crazy, because both things happened, and there was really nothing in my power that I could even attempt to do to stop it from continuing.
After Jane left I had a black out session, my body shook on its own accord, and I was helpless to stop it, as it was of the not eating shaking habit I was developing.
Then Aro walked in, and said something quietly. I was regaining sight when he said my name. I squeezed my eyes shut really tight hoping I could block him out. I didn't work
"Alice. We have a new friend we would like you to meet." His voice was dripping with a sinister mockery. I wanted to refuse, but that usually resulted in more pain for me, so I struggled to my feet (another effect of starvation. Weakness) and he half led half carried me out of my giant cell like bedroom into a huge dining hall, where I had never actually been before.
There were these two huge long oak tables running parallel from each other, and it struck me as something that should have been seen in a Harry Potter movie. Sitting at a very far end of one of the tables was all of the Volturi, the guards and the wives. Then one more.
He was a younger vampire like me, I mean appearance wise. He looked 20 maybe 22, and had a very strong build. Short, blonde hair sat on the top of his head. Instantly a picture of Jasper filled my mind. His eyes were red, which did't surprise me, and I imagined he would be tall, but not as tall as Jasper, maybe Edward's height. The way he looked at me reminded me of a mixture between Rosalie's resting face and Esme's compassionate one. I couldn't tell if he wanted to kill me or wrap me up in a blanket and send me home.
It took me a second before I realized I knew him. His name was in my head before anyone even told it to me. But I had no idea why he was such a familiar face to me. It was odd really. But I spoke his name anyway, wanting him to know that I recognized him, since you could tel from his face that he obviously recognized me.
"Michael." It was kind of a breath. Like I didn't actually say it. But he still smiled.
"It's been a long time Mary-Alice." He smiled, which caused decade old memories to flood back as if someone broke a dam.
Mary-Alice! Come on! Now! Quickly!' I was in my hospital gown, Michael was leading from a dark space, out of the building. I took one chance to look back before he was running with me, on his back, holding on tighter than ever before. Shaking with the fear. This man was saving me from my death. But I had no idea where he was taking me, or why it had to be so dark. He brought ,e into a dark cave, and looked at me, smiling hugely. 'We did it baby.' His words shocked me, and I looked at him blankly. 'Mary, we are free, they can't hurt you anymore. ' he grabbed my hands up in his ,I stayed silent, not knowing if this was part of some new therapy technique. His head shot up and I was sure he was working for my father. He was going to shoot me. 'stay here.' He ordered, and ran outside to check something. I did, I didn't have anywhere else to go. I tucked my legs underneath me and began to fiddle with my short spiky hair. Michael came back in a panic, he ran right up to me, and planted a huge kiss on my lips. I fell in love with him right there. I was willing to do anything he wanted to me to, then he kissed my neck, and I think I said something. Because it hurt. Really bad. It was hurting. I pushed him to stop, but he wouldn't, I started to cry, hoping that would get his attention. I wanted to love him. I wanted him to be able to love me. He ran away from me then, and even though I realized that he was on my father's side, that he had just killed me, I still felt his spell lingering on my burning heart.
He looked at me and smiled, seemingly having understood the nature of my vision. Even though I didn't.
"You-you changed me…" I hadn't seen a vision in months, was it even a vision if it was from the past?
"I've missed you." He moved to touch me, I jerked back, quickly loosing my balance on my weak legs and falling to the ground.
"Back off you idiot." I warned, not worrying about who he was to these people around me. He looked offended. " I know you have some sort of power." I explained, as he tried to move closer.
"Like an empath." He said gently, trying to maintain eye contact with me, crouching on the ground so he was level with my eyes. He probably didn't even realize he was comparing himself to Jasper, but the connection made me hat ehim even worse.
"You were planning to use your 'empath' abilities to convince to me fall in love with you and stay here. Not gonna happen bud." I saw a vision of his plans mixed in with my flashback. I didn't make the connection until now. The conversation was taxing, I knew I couldn't let my guard down. I didn't know what he could do but it couldn't be good if he was here.
He looked at Jane, shocked. "Mary-Alice-"
I cut him off "I'm Alice now, thank you. And I appreciate you making me immortal and all, but I am already in love, and it is most certainly not, and never will be with you. So if I could go back to my cell-chamber-bedroom thing now, I would be thankful." They all stared at me like I was crazy. Michael crawled towards me. I couldn't back up anymore, as I was slumped against the wall. He put his finger tips on my wrist, and for a millisecond I forgot all about the pain. The Jasper's face filled my mind, and jerked my hand away, hissing at him.
He raised his eyebrows at Aro. "You love someone very much. I didn't realize…" He looked at me approvingly. Then jumped toward me. I didn't have time to react as my visions were gone. I could feel him putting his whole body into getting me to submit to him. But I kept reliving every good moment with Jasper, and the only thing I began to feel for Michael was a stronger sense of hatred.
But soon that began to fade. I felt my hate turning to something else. His hands slid under my shirt, and he pulled my body closer to his, weak and confused I didn't react quick enough. Memories of Jasper turned fuzzy, and Michael's face began to fill my mind. So I did the only thing I could think to do, I bit him.
Bad idea, but it did seem rather imperative at the time that I do anything in my power to get away from him, to get back to Jazz, and that was all I had left in my arsenal.
He screamed, like the arrogant ass he was. I let out his laugh, a crazy laugh that I am ashamed came from me, but it did, and I was glad I could use it to freak everybody out.
While Michael was twisting in his pain (which I knew couldn't have been as bad as he was making it seem) Jane dragged me out, treating me like I was actually dead, which i assumed I may have ended up as with how angry she was.
My punishment was two hours long, and if we ever got tried, Jane would have passed out for how long she was focusing on me. By minute 28 i wished I could pass out. By minute 96 I swore I was dying, by minute 116 I asked to be dying, and by minute 120 I was shaking so hard it look as if an earth quake were passing through. I had to try to get home.