Carlisle Cullen Diaries
Chapter One
Beginning
1667
Father has grown old and weak, and he cannot continue his job
without assistance. Therefore he has chosen me to lead the hunt. A
couple of nights ago I passed by a dark, malodorous, sewer on the far
outskirts of town. Over the past couple of months there have been
mysterious disappearances in the area, and therefore I am leading a
search party out into the area in search of vampires. I swear not to
burn them unless I am fairly positive they are in fact vampires. Twilight has fallen upon London, leaving a thick layer of fog and
humidity, making it very difficult to see. I fear tonight will be a
risky night to hunt, however father insist.
I am armed with a heavy wooden crucifix that father carved himself out
of a rotten oak from the Forrest.
It is definitely hard to see, and if there is something out there I
must resort to running, because visibility is very low.
I could hardly see, and the only sign that we had reached the sewer
was the stench. I ordered the group to a halt as we approached the
opening. I heard something Latin being called out. Latin?
Several things happened instantaneously:
I heard screaming
I heard several scrambling feet
and I realized that I was pursing the feet
then something unexpected occurred. I felt something biting down on me.
Like two daggers squeezing my flesh. Then it stopped and I saw my
blood. Blood everywhere. The stabbing pain was replaced by burning.
Extreme burning. I bit my lip and tried not to shout. I looked at my
arm, where the pain was the most excruciating. I saw a crescent mark,
lined with blood. The monster had bitten me. I was one of them. Father
would kill me.
Quickly, ignoring the pain, I rolled, and crawled to the city, until I
found an open basement, filled with old, rotten potatoes. I lay in
there in the dark, the burning engulfing my entire body, pushing me to
the rim of consciousness. Every muscle in my body willed me to scream.
I cut a piece of cloth from my shirt and gagged myself. I didn't
scream. I didn't move. I just lay there, with the feeling of burning
tingling in my skin.
I laid there forever, it seemed, until the pain stopped. Then a new
type of pain began. An ache in my throat. A screaming thirst begging
for... Blood. I was a vampire. A monster. A demon. I was to be
destroyed.
I must not kill, I told the thirst, but the thirst didn't die down. I
ran from London, experiencing my new speed and strength. The burning
in my throat grew stronger.
That's when I made up my mind. I was going to kill myself. Jump
cliffs; starve myself, whatever it takes.
I jumped the highest cliffs and I didn't die. I went weeks on weeks
without drinking.
It was a sunny day in the forest, and my throat burnt as strong as
ever. I heard feet. Not feet hooves. Then I breathed. The next thing I
realized was that the burning in my throat had reduced and I was
crouched upon young venison. My thirst was quieted by the animal
blood. I could survive off the blood of animals
I have always valued education and therefore I will spend the rest if
my life devoted to learning. I shall begin in France.
With my newly found strength and power I swam the channel with ease,
trying to keep a low profile and controlling my obvious inhumane power
was difficult, however I managed not to draw to much attention.
Then I realized that it would be difficult to work around humans. My
eyes were an unmistakable shade of red, that according to father,
meant only evil, and those who posses them are damned regardless.
Then is my paleness, and my recently found sparkling. A sparkling that
could draw attention in any crowd.
And last is the beauty that all evil posses. The beauty that draws in
prey, until the moment is right to attack. The beauty that attracts
much unwanted attention.
My thirst is still wild, and still burns my throat with want. However
I've found that each day the thirst dies down slightly, and the more I
feed the less it burns.
I must feed much if I am to seek education in France and work among
humans. I have never heard of any vampire living among humans without
feeding on them, and without being noticed. However I have hope that
one day I will be able to see and smell blood and be able to resist
the temptation without any hesitation.
Then back to my dreams of helping people. The best way I can accomplish
this goal is to become a doctor. Perhaps my new gifts of sight and
smell and hearing will assist me in this dream.
I exited the channel rushing quickly into the darkness and safety of
the dark alleys. My cloaks were wet, and would attract attention to
anyone wearing them. I stripped my cloak and hung them to dry on a
vacant clothes wire. I sat in the corner of a trash bin and a wall,
leaning my head against the tin. I then closed my eyes and used my
sharp hearing. About half a mile down the alley I heard footsteps.
Footsteps that were to light and too even to be human. I stood in a
defensive position, ready for anything.
"Who's that?" I whispered knowing that they would be able to hear me.
It was the first time I'd spoke in my new voice and it startled me.
"Brother of the night" said a beautiful but old voice.
"I am here" I said staying in a crouch.
"Have you hunted tonight?" asked the voice that was nearer. I knew he
could have reached me already. Was he too weak?
"hello, friend my name is Carlisle," I said, relaxing my position a bit
"have you hunted?" insisted the voice
"I do not hunt humans" I replied calmly to the voice. It scared me
that I used hunt and humans in the same sentence.
"Hunt," said the voice. Then I used my new eyes to peer into the
darkness. Then I saw him.
He was of course handsome but you could see the weakness in his face,
and the dark circles under his eyes from unsatisfied thirst. His eyes
were a deep red.
"I only feed on the blood of animals" I verified, staring at the
hooded figure.
"Blood?" said the vampire
"I will give you venison blood for your cloak?" I offered
the vampire slowly stripped his cloak and handed it to me. Faster than
possible I put it on.
"I will return soon," I said speeding off down the alley.
The cloak was much too long, and at the speed I was running, a human
would have fallen and perhaps died. But I then noticed the extreme
grace and flowingness of which I walked and I convinced myself it is
impossible to get hurt on accident.
The streets of France were black, with a few glowing candles in
windows. I held my breath; I needed to hold it until I reached the
forest, where the chances of there being a human were slim.
When I had wondered deep into the woods I hear the rustling of leaves
and I smelt blood. Elk blood. Blood.
My throat burnt with pain and want. No, I told my thirst, no the Elk
is for our friend.
I felt stupid thinking towards thirst, but will power meant something
because the burning simmered down to a small sting. I stood still. The
Elk was headed my way. It was less than A quarter mile away. I
sprinted as fast as I could with my new speed, following the smell. I
saw the elk and I pounced, forgetting everything except for the fact it
contained blood. Instinctively I reached for the elk's neck. Then logic
came.
Some how I pulled myself away. I forgot my thirst and the warm blood
flowing through the animal. I needed to bring the animal back.
I grabbed the animal and slung it over my back with ease, letting the
hooves beat on my back as I ran. I ran fast, fast enough so that no
human could see me running in the dark.
When I reached the alley, the sun was sending small streaks of morning
light across the sky. When I arrived about half a mile from where I
remembered leaving the thirsty vampire, I heard footsteps approaching
quickly. Then the weak vampire appeared, arms extended forward. He
grabbed the elk off my back and pounced on it. I watched in slight
disgust as the vampire sucked every ounce of blood from the elk.
"thank you, son" the vampire said in a very slightly stronger voice,
wiping the blood from the corners of his mouth.
"Was the blood satisfying?" I asked, genuinely curious.
"Not as much as humans" laughed the vampire "you said your name is
Carlisle?"
"yes sir" I said, looking down at the ground.
"Sir? I'm hardly a sir. My name is Edmund. Your accent is British?"
"I'm from London" I clarified.
"Why do you feed off animals?" asked Edmund, curious.
"I don't want to hurt people" I replied honestly.
"Look at what this animal blood does to you!" said Edmund
"pardon me?" I said
"you're eyes!"
I looked into a puddle of water at my feet and stared in my eyes. They
weren't red like Edmunds, but they were a deep orange red color. They
were slightly lighter then Edmunds.
I blinked.
"How old are you son?"
"23"
"how long have you been one of us?" asked Edmund.
"A few months at most." I said, realizing I hadn't tracked time.
"I see" said Edmund
"do you hunt alone?" I asked Edmund
"do you see anyone with me?"
"Sorry sir"
"I must be going Carlisle, thank you."
I got to my feet quickly.
"Any day sir" I told him
He chuckled and sped off into the city.