Predators eat their prey. I typed, beginning my paper. Animals eat plants, and bigger animals eat those animals. Predators eat their prey. That's how it works.
My paper was about whether or not it was inherently wrong to eat meat. It seemed to be a popular subject. What inspired me to write it was the increasing number of annoying vegans at my school. I mean, they were shaming people for eating meat in a small town surrounded by forest. Hunting was not uncommon. For some low-income families, they depended on it. Why were these kids going around acting like eating meat was the most immoral thing one could do? I wished they'd all move to Seattle already with the other liberals.
If some day, I were to become the prey, that's fine, I'd be too dead to be mad about it.
I finished my paper, in MLA format with sources cited. I felt pretty good about this paper. If I'd ever written a perfect paper before, it was this one. But it was sure to piss off some of the kids in my literature class.
I show up to class the next day, and we were all told to draw names from a hat, to partner up and discuss our papers. I was paired with Emmett Cullen. He wrote his paper about the rising cost of college. His paper was very well written, almost as though this was his job. He could write newspapers, if he wanted to. How could a high schooler be this good at research papers?
"I must say," he said after reading mine. "I don't agree, but this is a well written paper and you present your arguments well."
"You don't agree? Oh, don't tell me you're one of them vegans. Big athletic man like you?" I replied. He chuckled.
"Oh, I'm not one of them, don't worry. But I am on a very particular diet."
"Of course you are. You are probably body builder or something. Well, as long as you don't go shaming me for having a burger, you're cool."
"Your burger, your business." He smiled.
"So what do you not agree with then?" I asked.
"The idea that predators will always go after their prey. Vegetarians are a fine example of some predators being able to outthink their instincts."
"Sure, but that's not what I'm arguing. I'm arguing it's not immoral not to."
We talked about each other's papers and arguments until the end of class. It was quite an interesting discussion, but I was still left unsure of where he stood on the issue. I found myself wondering what this 'particular' diet of his was.
Come to think of it, I'd never seen him or his family eat anything at lunchtime, or ever, really. They must all be on this special diet. So perhaps it wasn't an athletic thing, but a family thing? Maybe they were part of some weird religion or something with dietary restrictions. I knew they were all adopted, in fact, they were dating each other, so it definitely wasn't some hereditary allergy or intolerance.
It didn't matter to me. So long as people weren't eating people, it was none of my business what they were eating.
After school, I had cheer practice. Cheer was always really fun, being tossed into the air, the choreography of the cheers. It was a lot of fun. People were surprised I'd joined because I wasn't very preppy. But it didn't matter to me, it was a sport that I enjoyed.
After cheer practice, my mother texted me that she was running late to pick me.
"Forget it, I'm walking." I replied, and began my trudge through the rain. It had been raining for three days now, and today's rain was pretty heavy. But I was used to it. I had grown up here in the North West. It was weird if it wasn't raining this time of year.
I was halfway home when suddenly, something stung me. Or bit me, maybe? Whatever it was, it hurt, and the pain of it was spreading, until I was feeling it all over my body. The pain of it had me on the ground, unable to move. It was just too much. I felt I should probably call someone for help, but even that was too much. The pain was crippling, and I could barely move. I was probably going to die. I'd have to accept that whatever stung or bit me or whatever would be the cause of my death. These were my last moments. And I just could not wait for the end.
It felt like it had gone on forever, but eventually the pain stopped. It was darker. I had probably been out of it for a few hours, at least. Mom was probably worried sick. I dug out my phone, but it had died. Damn iPhones that don't even last the day.
I dug out my power bank and plugged it in. I sat and stared at the stupid device, waiting for it to turn on. I was going to call my mom and tell her I was scared and to come get me. Until I smelled a scent so sweet, it took over me. I ran towards it. Whatever the scent was, it was going to be mine. I had to have it, have all of it.
Forget the world. Forget everything. I had to consume whatever the scent was coming from.
I finally got to the source. Nothing else mattered. I failed to notice anything in the world besides this sweet, sweet taste in my mouth. It was the most delicious and satisfying experience I'd ever had.
Then it disappeared. It ran out. And finally, I realized what it was. And what I'd done.
It was a man. A park ranger. I'd bit him. I'd killed him. He was the source of that smell. I'd had a delightful and satisfying experience, feeding on him, but at the cost of his life. What had come over me? Why would I do such a thing?
I ran back to my stuff, as fast as I could, grabbed it, and ran back. The full trip must have taken me less than two minutes, even though my stuff had been more than a mile away. Feeling guilty, I found an opening in the trees, and lit the man's body on fire. No one would ever know what I'd done. I would take this to the grave. A place I kind of wished I was. I couldn't believe I had done such an awful thing. This man did not deserve this.
I didn't know what it was, but ever since the pain stopped, I felt more alive. More alert. I could see the world clearer. I could see the dust particles in the air as though looking at them through a magnifying glass. I could hear for miles. And my nose was picking up all kinds of crazy scents, some scents almost made trails. It was kind of amazing, but I didn't want it. Not if it meant I was going to accidentally kill people.
I was debating whether or not I should go home. What if I got there and did this to my mom? I was scared. Scared of myself. Maybe I was supposed to just wander around the forest until someone found me. I had to starve eventually, right? Maybe they'd find my body and my mother could get closure without knowing what I'd done. All I knew was that I had to stay away from other people, for now.
My phone finally turned on. I had 48 texts from my mother, and 50 missed calls. I wanted so bad to respond. She was so worried. But maybe it was best I didn't.
I took my phone, and threw it as far as I could. Which turned out to be pretty far. It could have gone a few miles!
I left the rest of my stuff right where I was, all except my lighter.
A few days passed, and I didn't feel sleepy at all. I didn't sleep once. It was so strange, usually I didn't feel rested without over-sleeping.
Eventually, I encountered a man who smelled more like me than that man I killed. He smelled sweet like a fragrance rather than like a meal. He was blond, probably 30, with golden eyes.
"Girl, you seem lost. Are you okay?" He sounded concerned.
"I...know where I am." I said. I wasn't lost in the geographical sense, but in the sense of not knowing what was going on.
"You're that girl who has been missing for a week. I'm guessing you weren't like this before you went missing, am I correct?"
"Like what?" Like...a mess? Had I really been missing for a whole week? I must have been out of it longer than I'd thought.
"Well, you're a vampire now." He explained. "How long have you been like that?"
It sounded insane, but made so much sense. "Is that what's happened to me?" I asked, scared, but feeling as though I could trust him.
He explained to me exactly the things I'd experienced. Then said he could help me not kill again. I agreed to come with him. He introduced himself as Carlisle, and I told him my name was Andy. Of course he knew that, as I was all over the news.
I followed him to his car, a mercedes in very good condition. I got in the passenger's seat, and he got into the driver's seat. He texted someone, then he started driving.
"Alright, now. A lot of us live at our house. One of my family members is only half vampire, and half human. I told Bella to take her to her other house, but her scent will still be there. It's going to make a new vampire like yourself very thirsty. Don't go after the scent. It will be difficult, but you can do it. You can resist. You'll get the hang of it, I promise." He explained as he drove. "But first, let's hunt."
"Wait, how is a half vampire even possible?"
"It's complicated. I'll explain later. Let's just hunt."
"Hunt?"
"As I said before, my family and I live only off of animals. I will show you how to feed. And it will be easier to control yourself if you are not thirsty."
I was very thirsty. I had been for a two days now. I felt as though my throat was on fire. "That sounds nice." I mumbled.
"Yes, your eyes are very dark. I can tell it's probably been a few days, right?"
"You can tell that from my eyes?"
He nodded as he parked his car. Then he motioned for me to follow, and we ran into the forest. He sniffed the air. "Smell that?" he said. "Smells like a bear." He ran towards the smell. I followed. He effortlessly slammed the angry bear to the ground like it was nothing, and he kept his hand on it, holding it down. The bear roared and roared, trying to intimidate him. It was quite amazing to see this seemingly gentle man overtake such a beast. If he could do it, and walk away without a scratch, then could I?
Carlisle bit the bear, and in a few moments, the bear went from fearsome to limp.
"Woah." I said, amazed. "You just...killed a bear with your bare hands." He laughed.
"Oh yes, we are very powerful. You'll be amazed at the things you see. Your turn."
"You want me...to do that? I don't think I can. What if I get hurt?"
He chuckled, and put his hand on my shoulder. "You won't. They can't possibly hurt you. It takes a lot of strength to take one of us down. Just...go for it."
I decided to trust the man. I sniffed the air. There was a rich smell, coming from the north. It didn't smell as sweet or as satisfying as the park ranger, but it certainly didn't smell bad. Actually pretty appealing, as thirsty as I was. I ran towards it, letting my instincts take over. I wanted it. I needed it.
The source of the scent was an elk. I pushed it down ferociously, accidently crushing some of its bones. I bit, deep into its neck, accidently choking it with my jaw. I managed to drink all of its blood, but I made a bit of a mess. I wasn't as graceful as Carlisle.
"I'm a mess." I stated, when I was finished.
"Yeah, you'll get better at this." he assured me.
We hunted a few more animals before going back to his car and heading to his house.
There was a faint, fragrant and appealing smell that burned my throat. It was both sweet like that park ranger, and sweet like the scent of Carlisle. This must be the scent of the 'half vampire' he told me about. I wanted to go after it, every instinct in my body told me to consume it. But I didn't want to kill again. This is what he'd meant when he told me to control myself. So I did. I did not chase the smell.
I entered the house and was greeted by very familiar faces. I knew all of these kids already. Their faces just looked so much clearer to me now, but these were definitely the same Cullen family I had gone to school with. It was insane...I had just spoken to Emmett a few days ago…
Then the realization hit me like a ton of bricks, this is what he'd meant by 'special diet'. The things he said to me in that discussion all made sense to me now. The Cullen family...they were vampires. And now, was I one of them? I guess I was staying with them for a while.
I just couldn't believe these kids I thought I knew had such a big secret. There was so much I had wrong. They weren't really foster kids, they were like a clique. A clan. They were a clan. They had all came together because they wanted to not kill people. I clan of harmless vampires. Not a foster family.
They all smiled at me. "We have a new pet!" Emmett joked.
"Well, we're glad you're okay, Andy." Rosalie said. She was always kind of a sweetheart, even if she kind of seemed stuck up from a distance.
"Um, thanks." I said, still a bit shocked.
"You know her?" Asked Carlisle.
"She goes to school with us. Well, went."
"Do I not get to go to school anymore?"
"I'm afraid you'll have to stay under the radar for a while. I'm so sorry." Carlisle said, seeming regretful.
"So what happened to her? Why is she like this now?" Edward asked.
"I don't know...Andy, do you know who turned you?"
I shook my head, remembering that moment. It was kind of fuzzy to me now...I was walking home, wasn't I? It was dark out, it was raining. It was definitely raining. All I really remembered was walking one moment, and being in crippling pain the next.
"I don't know who or why." I mumbled. Could I be an accident? Why would someone want to turn me, a harmless teenage girl?
"It's okay. All that matters is that it happened, and we will help you as much as we can." Edward assured me, seeming to sense that I felt a little lost.
"Common." Said a small, beautiful, caramel-haired woman. "We have this gorgeous guest room. We can make it your room!" She grabbed my hand and led me up the stairs. There was a big picture frame filled with graduation caps. "What's with this? Wait a minute-do these kids just do high school over and over again?"
"Yes, mostly."
"Why though? Why wouldn't they get jobs or go to college?" I asked, as we kept walking through the house.
It was a beautiful house. A lot of windows. Wait, what about sunlight? What happens to us in sunlight? With all these windows in here, they must be exposed to a lot of it, so it can't hurt us, right?
I could hear Edward chuckling from downstairs.
"Well, sometimes they do, but we can't really stick with one thing for too long. People will get suspicious if they notice we aren't aging...Also, they have to find a job they can be sure they won't be in the sun for, of course."
"Oh, right," I started. "I guess that's why they ditch when the sun is out. Wait though...what exactly happens in the sun?"
Don't tell me I don't get to go out into the sun anymore. Please don't tell me I'm going to catch on fire. Please.
She gave me a look, then smiled. "I guess you haven't experienced that yet, huh?"
She led me to one of the house's big windows, and opened the curtains. The sun was beginning to rise. Terrified, I looked down at myself as the morning sun rays hit my skin. My skin was...sparkling. Almost like there were diamonds under my skin. It was beautiful. I was beautiful. I looked at my sparkling hands in amazement.
"Alright you, your room is over here." said the woman.
"What's happening? Why am I sparkly?"
"That's what happens to vampires in the sun. We don't die, we just sparkle!"
"Wow!" I murmured, entertained. Then I finally followed the woman to the guest room.
"By the way, I'm Esme." She said. "And I take it your name is Andy?"
"Yes." I nodded. "Thank you for being so welcoming."
"Oh no it's my pleasure." She said. "Feel free to settle in and let us know if you need anything." Then she left. I could hear her walking down the stairs.
I sat on the bed, which I guess is useless to me now. Carlisle said vampires don't sleep. But I sat down on it anyway. I sat down and just took everything in. It had been a crazy week, and I still couldn't believe it.