Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. That honor lies with Stephenie Meyer.

Chicago, Illinois-1918

The pain I had been feeling was gone, and I was suddenly aware of Dr. Carlisle Cullen standing over me. Where did I know that name from? He seemed familiar, but I couldn't remember where from. Thinking back, I couldn't remember anything. Except the fire and the pain that seemed never ending.

"Edward? How do you feel?" Dr. Cullen was looking intently at me. Edward, that name sounded familiar, too. Edward, oh yeah, that was my name. His pulse is gone, and he's awake. That means it all went right. I hope the disorientation wears off soon.

"My pulse is gone? Doesn't that mean I'm dead?" I sat up quickly in response to what he said.

"I never said anything about your pulse. I asked you how you feel," his features took on a calculating look. Almost like he was trying to find a solution to a problem. I thought about it. I flexed my hand muscles and stretched a little. I felt great; nothing hurt. Except my throat. It was burning intensely, sort of like the fire I had endured just moments before.

"Great, but my throat hurts a great deal. May I ask what is going on?" The thirst is already setting in. "Thirst? I hadn't thought about it, but a drink of water sounds good." Dr. Cullen now had a look of understanding on his face. Suddenly, I was aware of lots of things. Dr. Cullen was giving off an odor of fresh paper. There was also a lot of murmuring going on in my ears accompanied by the buzzing of a fly I was tracking with my eyes.

Instantly, it was squashed to a bloody pulp in my hand, and I was standing across the room from Dr. Cullen. How did I do that? I wiped off my hand and touched my forehead to wipe away a piece of hair that had fallen into my eyes. I gasped when I felt how cold my skin was. It was like ice.

I'd better start explaining. "Edward, I should start explaining some things. You and I, well, we're vampires."

"What? Those don't exist!" Try to feel your heartbeat. His mouth never moved, but I heard that. "How did you say that without opening your mouth?" You can hear my thoughts. I watched carefully. His lips didn't move even a fraction of an inch. "You're thinking all of this?" Yes.

I tried to clear my head, but there was a bunch of noise in my ears. I focused on it, and I could hear more "voices". Some of it was actual speaking; the rest was thought. This was getting clearer and clearer despite me telling myself it wasn't real. Try to find your heartbeat.

Instinctively, I touched my chest where my heart was at. It felt cold as well, and I realized I wasn't wearing a shirt. I felt nothing. No pulsating heart. No rhythmic beat. There was nothing. I was standing close to the fireplace, yet I could hardly feel it. No sweat was dripping from my brow. I was dead! There was no denying it now.

"Do you believe me now?" Dr. Cullen was as cool and collected as always.

"Yes. How did I get this way? Why did you change me?" I was trying to remember before the fire, but nothing came to me.

"You were dying from Spanish Influenza. I was treating you and your mother..." It was then that all of my memories came flooding back. My father, dead. My mother singing me to sleep as she grew weaker and weaker.

"What happened to my mother?" I demanded. Dr. Cullen's face fell.

"She died, Edward. Right before I took you to change you. She made me promise I would save you, and this was the only way I could. I hope you understand." His hands were in a "calm down" gesture. It just enraged me more.

"Understand? Understand that you have made me a monster? Sentenced me to eternal damnation? How can I possibly understand that?" I snarled at him. Actual growls were coming out of my throat. I felt something taking over. An instinct to attack Dr. Cullen. I went into a crouching, attack-ready position and bared my fangs. My still human side was screaming at me to stop. Slowly, I regained my composure. I actually scared myself, but Dr. Cullen never once flinched.

"Edward, you have much to learn. I would like to teach you so that you do not become like other newborns." The way he said that last bit made me ask.

"What do you mean by that? What do they act like?" My curiosity was peaked. Images of crazy and violent vampires flooded his mind. I saw enough that he didn't have to explain. To think, I had almost become that a few minutes ago... I shuddered at that thought.

"Would you like to see what you look like?" Dr. Cullen had a mirror in his hands.

Images of hideous beings invaded my mind. I was afraid, but I had to know. I nodded, and he handed it over. I slowly raised it to eye level. I was shocked to see I looked almost the same as before. The only differences were that my skin was paler and my eyes were a blood read. How fitting, I had thought. "Why are my eyes red while yours are golden?" His were darkening, but had a goldish tint to them.

"This is one of the things I have to teach you. I do not feed off of human blood, and if you join my coven, I strictly forbid you to also. Yours are red because you haven't fed yet. If you drink human blood, they will stay red. If you drink animal blood like me, then they will eventually turn gold. The burning in the back of your throat is thirst. You need to feed."

The burning in my throat was intensifying. Me thinking about other things made me forget about it, but now it was back worse than ever. "Come on. I'll take you to the woods for your first hunt. We have to steer clear of humans though. I will not have you go off and kill one. There's your shirt. It's dark, so we'll be able to move around freely."

I threw on my shirt and laced up my shoes faster than I ever thought possible. I could tell it was early morning by the quietness of the city. I wondered how long it had taken to change me. The fire had felt like an eternity, which is probably why my human life felt like a lifetime ago. "Dr. Cullen, how long did the transformation take?"

"Carlisle, please. And about three days." He was muttering, but I could hear every word he said clearly. That must have been included in the whole vampire package.

"Three days? And everyone assumed I died like my mother?"

"Yes. There was no one besides me left that cared. All of your family is dead. I'm sorry. I liked your mother immensely, and that's why I saved you."

"Why me and not her?" Depression started to sink in when it hit me that she was really gone. Tears I would have shed weren't coming, and I was slightly grateful for that.

"I didn't realize she was dying until the very end when it was too late. She was animated until the very end, so it was hard to tell." Carlisle didn't say anymore about her knowing that I wasn't ready to talk about her yet. We were walking at a brisk pace, so it didn't take us long to reach the city limits. Carlisle led me deep in. We flat out ran after half a mile.

The wind in my face was refreshing. I was surprised at how fast I was going. Even Carlisle couldn't keep up. He stopped us at a clearing several miles from any civilization. "As you can probably already tell, your senses have become much more attuned. Your sense of smell is your strongest weapon. As a vampire, you don't need to breathe, but you lose your ability to smell without doing it. Listen and tell me what you hear."

Aside from Carlisle's thoughts, I could hear life in the forest along with the wind rustling leaves and a stream running a couple miles away. Suddenly, I heard a quiet, stealthy approach. It's odor hit me like a ton of bricks. Carlisle beckoned for me to go. I ran full speed at the bobcat and caught its throat in my mouth, killing it instantly. Greedily, I drank its blood. There wasn't much, so I finished quickly. My thirst was not sated, and I eagerly pounced on a passing buck.

His neck gave way under my hands, and his blood was soon coursing through my body. Again, I hungered for more. I heard and smelt a fox in the underbrush who died at will also. After that, my thirst had been quenched enough that I could think clearly. Carlisle approached with his eyes a bright gold.

"Do you want to join me?" Carlisle extended his hand out to me. He made me a monster, but with this way of living, I didn't have to be one. This lifestyle, rather than the other, would make my mother proud. I didn't want to become like those other newborns of Carlisle's memories either. This seemed like the only option I was willing to except.

"Yes, I'd be honored," and I shook his hand with as much strength as I could muster. Which, to be honest, was quite a bit.

"You're still hungry. Go eat." I went, grateful that Carlisle was giving me a lifestyle where I wouldn't have to be a monster despite what I had become. And I wouldn't have to be lonely for all of eternity with Carlisle by my side.