Characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.
A dark vampire watched the innocent young woman while she slept. Her dreams flickered through her own mind and his as well. Edward had some slight mind-reading ability, able to catch the tone and tenor of a person's mind, without hearing any distinct thoughts. He saw images, so in this case where the woman was dreaming about her boyfriend, instead of the prose or the conversation, he saw a clear image of a young man in his mind, without really knowing what the woman was dreaming. He could tell the dream was positive, though. If it were a nightmare, he would likely see the young man's image haloed by darkness. The vampire, the tall and handsome Edward Cullen, had stalked his prey this way for centuries, becoming fixated on one human woman, and unable to think of anything else until he fed. He would learn as much as he could about the human, the hobbies and interests, loves and hates, vocation and family. The scent would become as familiar as home, so that he could hone in on it from miles away, and know what the woman was doing at each moment. His thirst was mild, so he was able to silently track, as long as it took, until he was ready to become one with his prey, taking her flesh into his mouth, penetrating her neck with his teeth, and drinking deeply until sated. He thought it usually took about three months, as the choosing and tracking was the addiction he craved even more so than the meal. He loved each one of his victims in his own way. They were His in his mind, and by the time he ended their lives, he felt real affection. But never remorse, only euphoria when the day was done. He drank only four humans every calendar year, which other members of his coven shunned. He finally had to break out on his own about 25 years earlier when one of the coven members, Jasper, swooped in and drank the prey he had been cultivating for months, trying to show what a waste it was to stalk so intently. So Edward had been alone now for a quarter of a century, only speaking to the occasional transient vampire he ran across, or a random person he interacted with in everyday activities like putting gas in his inconspicuous Volvo or buying clothes. He preferred to dress to blend in the background, often wearing a black knit cap to hide his brilliant auburn hair, and wearing a t-shirt under his plaid button down to disguise his pale skin and lean muscular build.
As he considered the sleeping woman, Edward tried to decide whether she would be his next chase. He thought probably NOT, as he was not so intrigued, and he really needed that pull in order to keep him focused on his little game. He had watched this young woman for several days now, and could not quite get a bead on her. He had finally drained his last prey just two weeks ago, and still felt strong and satiated as a result. He found himself reflecting on his last victim, petite college student Alice Brandon, and her final moments. She had not been surprised to see him coming to kill her, almost as though she had known that he had been following her. His kill had been interrupted when he heard a police car in the distance, accompanied by Alice's three roommates pounding up the stairs in unison. Edward had to run like the wind to escape detection. Perhaps someone had seen Edward enter the woman's house through the window. He felt fairly certain Alice was dead, even though he had not finished drinking. He had delivered a strong blow to her head, and he knew her wrists had snapped when he grabbed them to restrain her. He had never made such a messy kill before. No wonder it was taking him a while to find a new woman who called to him. He felt an uneasy sense of dread whenever he thought about how sloppy and brutal the scene he left behind appeared. In the past, he always cleaned up his mess and even tried to set up a rational reason the women was missing or dead. He staged runaways and suicides, robberies and home invasion assaults. Alice was the first woman who would be found with a bite mark across her neck and crushed bones. He tried to keep an eye on the news, reading the local papers in Oxford, Mississippi looking for news of a brutal crime or a "vampire-style" killing. He did not want anyone to suspect what had actually happened to the petite young woman.
Edward went back to his rental apartment to shower and change and think about what to do next. He liked this new little town he had found. He really liked the Pacific Northwest. For the past ten years or so he had chosen college towns to settle in, knowing that they had transient populations and his appearance would not be questioned. He lived in Ann Arbor, Madison, New Haven, Gainesville… Because of the climate in Oxford- the deep south- he had to behave as the Vampire of myths, only coming out in the evening and staying indoors and away from human eyes during the daylight hours, which got longer and longer all summer long. Now it was autumn in Washington State, and the short dark days gave way to long darker nights. Even better than London for a vampire. He hoped he might even run across some others of his kind. Maybe even a female who might go for a run with him and then enjoy some conversation and perhaps affection. Yes, Edward was lonely and alone, which was quite different than the loneliness he had felt in his coven for all those years. He decided he would not drink from the girl he had been watching for the past couple of days. No, she was not The One.
Edward thought he should try to mingle a little bit in town, since it seemed he might be here a bit longer than the college towns. He had gone to the trouble of getting identification made and setting up a financial trail, and he had signed a year lease on his little apartment. He decided to go full bore with the human façade for this year, and furnish the apartment as if he would actually eat and sleep there. He liked the idea of a dining room table made out natural wood, as the aroma would please him. He also wanted to buy a large bed with a bed frame, so he could relax and listen to music or watch movies. He thought he would set up a large flat screen TV in his bedroom, and one in the living room. He would enjoy thoroughly outfitting the kitchen with cutting boards and plates and pots and pans. He knew that there was some possibility the landlord would need entrance to his place, or a handy man. He did not want to worry about the place looking uninhabited. Plus he was bored out of his mind, and he would enjoy the challenge of interacting with the humans in the different stores. This activity would buy him some time while he scouted his first prey in this town. He felt like his strengths and talents were failing him, and that his last woman had truly been a victim, terrified and in pain. He knew that he had timed the kill so poorly after tracking her so carefully over three months. He thought this time, perhaps he might actually introduce himself to the woman he chose, so he could better time his final act with her without feeling he will be exposed somehow. Yes, now that he thought all this through, he became convinced that this was the way to go.
Edward waited until noon or so, and headed out to the Costco in Sequim, a short drive from his place. He felt some regret that he was driving the Volvo, since he wanted to buy some larger items. He stopped at a gas station when he saw a box van parked off lot, with a for sale sign in the window. Edward was quite flush with cash at this time. About fifteen years ago, he bought himself a little computer called an Imac that had appealed to him. He loved technology, and was impressed with the elegance of the little machine. He decided to buy stock in the company that made the computer, even though he knew the company had been on a downtrend for some time. He paid about ten bucks a share, and invested his small savings. With the patience of one who has lived a long time, he watch the stock split and multiply, finally selling at 270.00 a share right before the big financial meltdown, taking dividends all along. He had money in banks all over the United States, but since he was alone with no real material needs, he just relished the security of knowing he could abandon a life at a moment's notice without worrying about his investments there.
Edward stepped into the gas station, where a Native American man was behind the counter. The man looked over Edward with suspicion in his dark eyes. Edward grinned easily at the man, and asked him about the van parked out front. The man visibly relaxed and said softly "Name's Jacob Black. Never seen you around here before. The van is in decent condition. I overhauled the engine myself. It's too old to have air bags or anti-lock brakes, but it drives really well. I am thinking I want $1,500 for it. This is my gas station, we repair cars here too. If you have any problems with it, just bring it in and I will fix it for nothing. I know that van like I know my name, wouldn't want anyone else to work on her."
Edward considered.
"I can give you 1,250 cash right now if you have the title. And I want to drive it away; I have some big ticket items I want to haul"
Jacob raised an eyebrow, and started rifling through some papers behind the counter, finally pulling out the van's paperwork. He signed the back and said "I will keep the insurance on it through the end of the week as a courtesy. You have yourself a car."
Edward counted out the 100 and 50 dollar bills until it came to 1,250 and grabbed the papers and keys. "I will be back later tonight to get my Volvo. I should have time to call my insurance agent by the end of the day today. I'll stop in tonight and let you know when I come to pick up my car." He trotted out to the van. It had windows on the passenger and driver's side, but none in the back. It had double doors opening the back of the van, and Edward swung them open. The van was huge in the back, enough room for a six foot couch and a bed, and maybe the table and chairs too if he got creative. He ran around and got in the van. Holy hell, it smelled in here. He wondered if the van had been used to transport dogs in the past. He drove quickly to the car wash up the street and had the car cleaned up. He could still smell it, but it was bearable now. He drove to Costco, his original destination.
Once he pulled into the parking lot of the large warehouse store, he noticed a young woman exiting the store. She was frowning into her cart, shuffling her feet. Looking at her receipt. Edward could feel his skin start to prickle, and the tiny hairs stand up. He forgot where he was and what he was trying to do. He willed the woman to look up, so he could see her eyes. He felt a click in his solar plexus, and as if he unspooled a rope, luring the woman toward him. He did not notice her figure or her hair color or what she wore; he was focused on her mouth, and on her neck, long and graceful. He thought he could SEE her pulse pounding in her throat, the hollow between her collar bones, her fragile bone structure. Edward felt all his senses hone on her, laser sharp. The whole world around him fell away. This. This is what he had been looking for, this feeling. This woman, she was on this earth for him alone. He wondered if she was a figment of his imagination, here in this dreary parking lot, an apparition surrounded by the normalcy of people shopping and chatting and doing errands. Suddenly, she looked up, almost as if she heard her name being called. Her face alight, she raced up to the van and flung open the driver's door, smiling. He could hear her say "Hey, Jake!" Edward was shocked that a stranger should approach in such a way. As she opened the door, a gusty breeze ran past her into the van, blinding Edward with the most unbelievable aroma. His throat clenched, his hands turned to claws, and he put his foot right through the metal on the van floor. The woman's scent was rich and smoky, chocolate and vanilla, floral and citrus. The only thought in his head was I want it I want I want I want. Fast as lightening, he was out of the van, towering over the woman. She had to be at least a foot shorter than he, probably 5'2 or so. He quickly maneuvered his body so that she was standing with her back to the van inside the open door, and he was blocking her path. She turned white, the blood draining from her face. "Um, not Jake," she muttered. "Sorry, excuse me; I thought you were someone else. I need to get my stuff to my truck now." She motioned toward the big red truck two vehicles down. Her eyes cast to her shoes, unable to look at Edward. He held his breath and held his position, his brilliant mind shuffling through options about how to deal with the situation best. Now that he had seen her and smelled her, he knew she would never be out of his sight as long as she was alive. Should he take her now? Or follow her home and take her there? He felt rationality returning. Don't breathe, don't breathe became his mantra. He decided in a split second that anything could happen if he let her go know, and he was unwilling to take that risk. He pulled all his energy together, and focused it on his eyes. He knew that he could convince her to do just about anything if he harnessed his vampire desires and pulled her into trusting and obeying him. He locked eyes with her and said, low and menacing "Get in the van."
