Thanks for the interest in my story. For those of you who have reviewed, the time you have taken is always appreciated.
Thank you to everyone at Project Team Beta. You have helped me so much. Again, I strongly suggest everyone to use their services. The link is still in my profile. My work is my own but without the beta's to help, it would be worthless. They are looking for more betas if you are interested.
Thank you to my Twilighted betas: Strider and qjmom. I would like to especially thank you for your persistence last chapter, Strider.
I do not own any of these characters, or the original plot to the Twilight Series. Everything publicly recognizable belongs to their owners. I am doing this only for the pleasure I gain from writing and I am not associated with anyone or anything to do with the Twilight Series. There is no financial benefit, whatsoever, though I may wish there were.
My work is my own.
The music reverberating from the speakers of my stereo had once brought great joy, but recently, I found that this was no longer the case. Over the last few months, it had become increasingly difficult to enjoy the objects that once gave me pleasure. Everything seemed to only serve the purpose of reminding me of my solitude. Tonight, much as every other night recently, I sat pondering the tedium of my meaningless existence; wallowing, as my sister so inappropriately thought.
I may not be as constantly upbeat as Alice but that doesn't mean that I'm wallowing. I just see the truth in reality.
I was on the black, leather couch in my room, my sanctuary, when Alice's almost imperceptible mental voice interrupted my peace.
Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Wasn't it bad enough that I had to experience the two lovebirds, drowning in each other's eyes wondrously, downstairs? Now, I was going to be battered by her overly cheerful thoughts. I really am such a curmudgeon. They'd all be better off without me to bring them down.
Alice and my parents, Esme and Carlisle, had spent the day hunting. It was odd that I could not hear the other two yet. Due to Alice's distance, I still could not make out her exact words, but I surmised from the trill of her excessively excited internal monologue that the hunting trip was not the reason for her jovial mood.
Finally she neared, and I began to decipher words. I can't wait until everyone meets her. She's so perfect. The comment didn't make much sense; who was she speaking of? Since Alice was still on the periphery of my talent, I could not share her eyes. As a result, my interest was extremely piqued, something unusual lately. To my dismay, Alice started thinking about something completely uninteresting as she neared the house. She was obviously avoiding me, much like last night.
Walpiri Sign Language and then Aramaic? What was she trying so hard to avoid thinking about?
I heard the front door open as Alice's high-pitched voice rang out, "We have a visitor coming. She's lost . . . and human. We need to prepare the house." I tried again to invade her thoughts for a glimpse of what was happening, to no avail.
Did she just say she's bringing a human here? Has she lost her mind? How can Carlisle, of all people, allow this? A house full of vampires is no place for a human.
I heard Alice and the rest of my family whooshing around downstairs, trying to make the place look as 'normal' as possible. The sounds of furniture being rearranged and pictures and artifacts being removed from the walls echoed throughout.
Alice was flitting around the room as she spoke. "I don't think we should all be in this room when they arrive. It would overwhelm her." A brief flicker of brown hair flashed before her eyes. She commanded, "Emmett and Rose, sit on that couch and pretend to watch TV. Jasper, you should probably keep your distance, anyway, so please stay upstairs. Then, you can hang back by the staircase. Edward, stay in your room, for now"
Sure. Why not?
Not long after Alice's orders, the sounds of my parents' minds broke into my consciousness. They were keeping up the human charade in front of the female, so it was taking quite some time for them to arrive home.
A few more moments passed before I could interpret the words to their thoughts. But since neither of them was looking at her, I still could not get a solid picture. I was overly interested in seeing this female.
I hope everyone can accept her, Esme thought, her kindness seeping through as soon as she reached my mental barrier. She's so lovely. It would be wonderful to have a new daughter.
Wonderful! They're bringing another lost soul, another mind to assault mine.
The child appears to be fine. But I wonder, will everyone agree with the fact that we have accepted a human girl in our midst? Carlisle interrupted my selfish thoughts. He was right to worry about her safety; she was in a truly dangerous situation. Then, I realized something he had just thought.
Not only is this human a female, but a child nonetheless. Don't we have enough time around human children in that purgatory called High School? Would I have to be attacked with her fantasies as I was by the others?
I thought they were completely wrong in their actions, of course. Bringing a human child into our world would eventually lead to letting her know of the existence of vampires. This could only prove to bring heartache for us and the girl. I pondered what it would mean should any of us kill her. And, provided we did not do so, what would happen should our police of sorts, the Volturi, became aware that she knew our secret? They would surely kill her, or worse, steal her soul and transform her into a shadow, a mockery, of her previous self.
I did not know this child, but I could not feel anything but guilt at pushing the girl toward this fate . . . my fate.
Lost to my own thoughts, it took me a moment to realize that the group was now walking up the front steps to the porch. I was finally able to gain my first sight of the girl using my Alice's eyes. The girl appeared to be quite young, maybe in her mid-teens. She was standing next to Esme and appeared slightly shorter than her. Her hair was long, brown and mostly straight. The mahogany locks framed her lovely heart-shaped face perfectly. Her thin skin was pale, not quite as pale as my family's but certainly unusually so. The contrast between her hair and eyes and her near white skin was striking. She looked at Alice, and her eyes seemed to speak to the very core of my being.
Was this why the others had brought her? Did she have a talent that made her impossible to resist, akin to a lost puppy? She followed me home, can I keep her?
Immediately, I felt this pull to see her for myself. I could no longer lay dormant in my room. She was exquisite, intriguing and I needed to see this creature for myself. It was a compulsion.
She looked so fragile walking in the front door with her brows furrowed and her bottom lip pulled between her teeth. She tripped on the door jamb, and made a disgusted face as she stepped in the house. I heard myself chuckle at her overt act of clumsiness, not something we often saw here, and her emotive face.
Was that Edward? thought Alice as she followed the woman-child through the front entrance. How strange.
She was correct. I had not been in much of a mood for laughing recently. It was nice to have the doldrums lifted, if only temporarily. Again, I felt the pull, the necessity, to see this girl for myself. It was as if no one else's eyes could do justice to her. I wouldn't really see her until I gazed upon her with my own eyes.
I desired to be near her. She seemed so delicate and in need of protection. It was an odd feeling. I didn't ever remember feeling the need to protect another creature.
As I was standing to leave my room, I noticed their group was walking towards Emmett and Rosalie, who were sitting on the couch. The girl was now out of the bulky parka that had hidden her figure. As she stood, still covered in clothing that was much too big, I noticed how slight she was. She was a tiny little thing with curves in all the right places. I felt an attraction to her that I had never felt towards another being before. In fact, I didn't remember even feeling this way when I was human. I wanted to run up and caress her soft, warm cheek.
Whoa, there boy, Jasper's mental voice rang out. I have never felt that from you Edward. Where is the lust coming from?
Lust? What? No, that is not possible.
Do you doubt me? Jasper asked, a tone of mirth in his thoughts which angered me. He was enjoying my confusion. Hmmm. I wonder . . .
Then he began reciting several of his texts from above in an attempt to shut me out. I heard a few random words like odd, bound, girl and my name but none of it made sense. It annoyed me to try to follow his mostly hidden thoughts, so I conceded defeat.
Although I wished to run downstairs and meet the girl, I fought against myself and decided it was best not to overwhelm her with all of our presences at once. Besides, I needed to calm down. I wanted nothing more than to go to her, but I would allow her to acclimate as much as possible- I would place her needs before mine. Then I would introduce myself last. I grabbed the remote to my CD player and switched to a classical CD. It was what I often listened to when I needed peace.
I heard Rosalie scoff at the presence of the human girl in our house. This angered me, though I had recently had similar thoughts of my own. My outlook on her presence had changed immensely since seeing her lovely form, even if it wasn't with my own eyes. Rosalie looked away, muttering to herself and obviously still annoyed. The girl must not have had a talent for charming people like I had originally thought. I wondered why she had such a strong effect on me.
Emmett stood and spoke. In his typical tactless fashion, he made an offhand comment, nearly terrifying the girl from the look on her face. I wanted to throttle him for scaring her, and I wanted nothing more than to go comfort her, though I did not know how to do so. Alice's thoughts echoed my own, and I think either of us would have taught Emmett a lesson in being a gracious host, but luckily, Jasper stepped in and tried to set the situation at ease.
I silently thanked my brother for his kindness, though I knew it was mostly to alleviate any discomfort Alice was feeling. He could not bear Alice's distress.
Suddenly, I realized that I was nearing the second story landing. My body had moved itself closer on its own accord.
As I turned the corner to stand at the top of the grand staircase leading to the ground floor, I took a deep breath and was assaulted by the girl's scent. In that instant, all rational thought left. Her beauty…her innocence, they had no power over the thirst. All that mattered was the smell of her blood. I had to have it. I had to mute the burning in my throat, and her sweet blood was all that could ease my torment.
I saw Alice's vision of me attacking the girl, just before I was atop the stairs. The monster in me jumped in anticipation of tasting this most precious elixir. I had tasted human blood before, of course, but I had experienced nothing compared to this girl's draw.
I knew my family would attempt to stop me from my goal, and I stood above the scene ascertaining the best course of action to take this girl and drain her. I could not look away from the child below.
I hated myself for these thoughts, but I could not dwell on that, all that was important was tasting the girl's blood. The excessively tempting girl still stood below.
I heard Alice's voice, but did not pay enough attention to understand what she had said. It did not matter; all that mattered was that I was a predator and the girl below was my prey.
Emmett placed himself in front of my quarry, I assumed as protection. I curled my lips in warning snarl. She was mine and I would have her. I could easily out maneuver him.
"All this over a human child?" Rosalie mumbled quietly. "I hope Edward just kills the girl and gets it over with. It was such stupidity to have brought her here." She then exited the house. I was sure that the girl couldn't have understood her words, but her intent was apparent no matter what. The girl earned a short reprieve as Rosalie's hateful words sunk in. My possessive nature and protective instincts kicked in. I now wanted to attack Rosalie for thinking such horrid things about the angelic creature below. A creature I had just wanted to murder. A creature I still wanted to murder.
I was utterly confused about my current state. I took another breath in an attempt to steady myself. Immediately, my anger with Rosalie dissipated and my focus returned to my prey, a hapless victim of my monstrous nature. Emmett had moved the child farther away from me.
Yo, Bro, Emmett thought. Calm Down. You don't want to hurt the little human.
I glared at him. He had no idea what I was going through, and he was attempting to keep me from what I most wanted. This angered me to no end.
As I was about to strike, Alice and Jasper pounced on me. They had used Rosalie's diversion against me. They were not going to allow me access to her. I roared in frustration and attempted to free myself from their grasps as they dragged me out of the room.
"Hold your breath," Jasper whispered, "that will help."
I did as he said, and I was met with instantaneous relief. I wondered why I hadn't thought of that. Of course, it was only a small respite, but it allowed me to think more clearly. As they pulled me from the house, I stared at the girl again. She was stunning, even covered in leaves and mud. I wanted to take her to out and get her covered in even more leaves, maybe on her bare skin.
What the hell is going on? I can't decide whether I want to kill her or pair off with her. No, I would never do either to something as precious as her. I would never allow my black persona to cross her path. Her humanity makes her far too precious and fragile.
We left the house, and they dragged me across the river. In the fresh air outside, I could not believe that I had allowed that child to let the monster take over. I was exceptionally embarrassed with my prior reactions.
How could I have reacted that way?
I sat with Alice and Jasper for a while, discussing everything that had occurred. Even as I sat, I could not help but spy on the unsuspecting girl. I found her through Esme's eyes. She stood in our kitchen in front of the unused stove. I watched as she spoke with Esme. She was extremely sweet, carrying on an easy conversation as she ate what appeared to be Spaghetti in a red sauce.
As she spoke, she swept her tiny hand gracefully through the air. Her facial expressions held the key to each of her internal thoughts.
Wait a minute. I can't her hear. Her conversation was intelligent enough that she must be thinking something, but I hear absolutely nothing. How odd.
"Edward . . . Edward?" Alice questioned. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine."
"I think you need to go hunting. Jasper, will you go with him?"
Jasper nodded, and we started off together.
I was glad to leave; I needed to think about this situation. I was obviously attracted to the girl in many ways; unfortunately, not all ways were positive. In fact, one way she appealed to me was the worst way possible.
I went hunting with Jasper, taking down a whole herd of elk. The taste was vile after having experienced the bliss of the girl's scent.
As I hunted, I came to the realization that I had to leave until the girl was gone. I would not risk her life at my hands. And, my very presence did such. If I stayed near, I would not be able to keep myself away from her; that would be impossible.
I explained to Jasper, knowing that Alice would see my decision, as well. Jasper agreed that she was tempting, but he did not have the same lure I did.
After our conversation, I began the run up to Alaska. As I ran, I hoped that my intentions would not be misconstrued. I knew Tanya would probably believe that I had come to take her up on her previous offer. That thought now caused a tinge of repulsion that had never gone through me before. I felt like I was betraying . . . something or someone. How odd.
I was utterly confused and terrified of what had just happened. I needed to get away in order to think through the circumstances, so I ran. I ran from the too tempting girl. I ran from my family. I ran from my home. I just ran.
Hope you enjoyed this.
Okay. So this isn't the Rosalie POV I thought I was going to post as you can see. I have that written, and it will go off to beta as soon as I receive Chapter 6 back. Chapter 6 totally kicked my butt so it will probably need to go back for a second beta run.
I hadn't planned on posting this at all, but since I failed with the chapter and I will be going without an update for a while pretty soon, I figured I should post something. It seems too feminine and redundant what with the Alice POV, but I hope someone enjoys it.
Next will probably be the RPOV of the "big reveal." I will add that as a separate story. I haven't decided on a title yet.
For those of you interested in helping out Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, please check out the information on the Fandom Gives Back. For those of you who don't know Alex's lemonade Stand Foundation is a public charity to fund childhood cancer research projects
Per the Fandom Gives Back Site:
The mission of Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation is to raise funds and awareness of childhood cancer causes, primarily to support research into new cures and treatments; to encourage and educate others, especially children, to raise money for childhood cancer by holding their own lemonade stands; and to expedite the process of finding new cures and treatments, and bringing them to children with cancer now.
