Moon-rise

Chapter 1: The Vision

APOV:

I glanced once more toward the door without any hope. What had happened, he should be here by now. The man at the counter finished pouring some guy's beer and he came over to offer me one. I didn't accept. Ug this place needs a ladi . . . no. It needs my touch. I looked one last time and stopped. He was there. Finally after months of waiting he's here. I hopped off of my bar stool and started walking toward him.

"You've kept me waiting a long time" I said.

"I'm a sorry ma'am" he replied bowing his head.

I looked him up and down. Yes, it was definitely him. I couldn't forget that face anywhere. I was so relieved. I figured after that long there was no way he was ever going to show up. I reached out and grabbed his hand knowing he probably thinks I'm crazy. As we're walking out of the store, I glanced up at his face and the look there almost stops me in my tracks. He didn't look confused like I expected, he looked happy. Genuinely happy. As we got out the door, he paused. Now he was confused.

"Wait! Who are you?"He paused, but left his hand in mine so he must not be too overly confused. I understood the reason for his confusion at once. My eyes had no trace of the red he was used to. Only the liquid golden color that came from a diet of animals instead of people, but he couldn't smell the blood that isn't running through my veins.

"I'm like you . . . except a little different."

"What do you mean a little different?"

"We can't talk here . . . we have to go somewhere more private" I begged him with my eyes, knowing that, if he wanted to, he could leave right then and I wouldn't be able to do anything about it. He won't though. I'd already seen me explaining everything to him. It'd be just like a rerun for me. He nodded his head and followed me back to the apartment complex I'd been staying in.

As soon as we got there, the questions began, as I assumed they would. The first question wasn't what I expected though.

The second we were both through the door he was asking "What happened to your eyes? Why aren't they like mine?"

I sighed and began explaining what I'd seen, pausing to explain about my visions, from seeing the Cullens and their strange diet to seeing him wandering alone. When I finished, I looked up and saw a million questions in his eyes. They were ruby around the edges getting darker toward the middle. It has been a long time since I've seen eyes like that.

"These . . . Cullens . . . is it really possible for us to live like that?" He looked so hopeful, like he was feeling bad for the necessity of killing innocent people.

"I think so. Ever since I saw that I've been trying to do as they do. I think I've managed pretty well. It's difficult though. It takes more self control then I believed I had. Especially to be around people." I glanced up at him once more but I couldn't read the expression on his face.

"Do you think . . . Well, do you think you could help me? Be like them I mean?"

"Yea . . . but it takes a lot of time to get good at being around people. You'll have to be patient." I have to warn him of how difficult it actually is to resist the blood of people. "You can't slip when you're around anyone so we'll have to hunt every other day or so. . . . "

"'Kay" He smiled and I couldn't help but smile back. He looked so determined like he was ready to do whatever it takes. So we went from there. He looked very thirsty so I knew I couldn't put off hunting for much longer. I'm just waiting for the time to be right.

Several days later I looked at his eyes and realized I can't put off the hunting trip any longer. They were solid black and I could see the restraint it was taking him from sneaking out to someone else's house to feed. And I could see how the thought of that horrified him. We will have to go tonight before it gets out of his control and he attacks without conscious thought. Shortly after I decided to take him hunting tonight, I had a vision.

It was dark. I saw him walking beside me, his eyes still that dark red-ish black-ish color. All the sudden he froze, his head turning to the east. Then he took off. I tried following him but by the time I got there, it was too late. He was perched over her, blood dripping down his face, her face paler then ours. She was dead. As the wildness left his eyes he saw what had happened and he looked at me. If it was possible for him to cry, he would've been crying right then. He was horrified. I walked over and checked to see if she had a pulse and couldn't find one. She was really dead. And Jasper had killed her.

.Seconds later my eyes flashed open and flickered to where Jasper was sitting, now just inches away. "No. . . . that won't happen it can't" I mumbled to myself.

"What did you see? What happened?"

I couldn't take it. I broke down. There was no way that would happen. I would make sure of it. But I couldn't tell him. I was trying to build his self-esteem not tear it down and if he knew it would only make him feel bad. "I know something's wrong. I can feel it. You're worry I mean." He said in a weird voice.

That made me stop for a second. "What do you mean you can 'feel my worry'?"