The Roamer
Summary
A young girl awakes from three days of torturous pain only to feel reborn.
She realizes she has extra sensory abilities and a nagging burning in her throat.
She doesn't know what has happened to her and why until she crosses paths with a family who seem to have
the answers to her past, present and future.
Preface:
Some say life is uncertain
Some say death is sure
But those that have no remembrance
May not have a future
Chapter One: Why?
All I could do was run. Everything was a blur under my bare feet, yet I could see the distance clearly. The trees barely missed me and I had no feeling left in my legs. Numbness swelled over me as I slowed to a crawl. I felt strong, complete, new. I had no recollection before this morning it was like my mind was a sieve and I had drained out all of my memories past and present. I knew my name but that was about all. All I remembered of the past few days was...pain. Pain like I had never felt before. The burning was so intense I could not move from my state. I screamed but no one heard. What happened to me and why? I sat down on the wet ground and considered the possibilities. I looked down at my hands. They were smooth and white so white they almost glowed. My grey jeans were stained with dirt and grass my feet were dirty my hair was disheveled. I wore what once could have been perceived as a white t-shirt but the stains from the woods had left their mark. My throat burned with a sensation I had never experienced. I grabbed it with fury and rubbed it until it should have become raw, but it never showed a mark. I wasn't hungry, no that wasn't the word it was like an overwhelming, incredible, incurable ...thirst.
I got up again feeling sure that by now I would have been tired, but I felt nothing. I could run all day and never tire. What was wrong with me or why was I all of a sudden so right? I decided to walk for a while and consider things. I walked and walked feeling a strange sense of direction. I couldn't remember ever have been to this place before but I knew where I was all the while. I could hear things. Things I had never heard before. I could see things. See farther than I had ever thought possible. Walking wasn't a chore even in my bare feet. I stepped on thorns, rocks, everything and It never scratched the skin. I wandered around for an immeasurable amount of time and then I heard it. It played for me almost like a melody ...a single heartbeat. My eyes averted to where the sound was coming from and I was drawn to it. It sounded like the beat of a drum only louder and louder with each step I took. I heard many footprints in the forest their were many of them walking together yet I only heard one beat. I wanted to run I wanted to catch that drum and devour it and I didn't know why. What in the heck was going on? What was happening to me? The drum kept getting closer and closer and my throat burned stronger and stronger. I felt like my head was going to explode I crouched down and buried my head between my knees, looking for some type of relief but it never came. I heard the footsteps echoing the background and I ran behind a tree watching and waiting for them.
Then I saw them in the distance. Three women and two men. The men were tall and lanky one was leaner than the other with blond wavy hair the other was more muscular and had bronze colored hair straight but disheveled going in every direction. Women were small skinny one had a quirky face with spiky black hair the other two looked alike in the face but they were somehow different. The taller one had chestnut hair long and wavy but the smaller one I couldn't see very well until she turned in my direction. I saw her and I knew the difference she was blond with curls framing her round face and her cheeks were rosy in colour. She owned the beat. I spun around and ran towards them. I couldn't control myself I wanted the beating to stop, the burning to cease, I wanted to destroy and devour that drum. I dashed through the ever-present trees and missed them only by fractions of and inch. I came upon them and leaped at the small blond creature. I was in mid air and suddenly I fell to the ground, but I wasn't alone. I lay flat on my back with each of my arms pinned down by the men and the brown haired woman hunched over me growling fiercely, ready to tear my head off. She tuned around and motioned to the others, "Alice, get Renesmee out of here now!" she said through her teeth. She turned her head back down at me and glared. I couldn't speak but the bronze-haired one suddenly perked up and nodded to the woman standing over me. She slowly backed away and I rose up without thinking.
The two men were still holding my arms and the woman leaned down to speak. She no longer had the intense glare she once owned and was now sitting on the ground looking me in the face. "Who are you?" she asked a rough tone in her voice. I struggled to get my thoughts together, "I-I-I M-m-m Grace...." I finally said. It came out in a stutter. She looked at me intently and then looked at the man holding my right arm "Edward is she telling the truth?" she asked him in a clear voice. "Yes, she is. Bella we need to go talk to Alice and find out if she's the one." The woman scowled at me for a moment and then got up. The two men loosened their grip on my arms just enough where I could stand up. Then as soon as they had gotten up they were in front of me. The blonde one held out his hand, "I'm Jasper Cullen and this is my brother Edward and his wife Bella." I shook his hand and was surprised when he recoiled in pain "Yep," he said with certainty "Newborn" I looked puzzled. The one called Edward shook my hand as well and the woman just nodded in my direction. "Can someone please tell me what's going on?" I finally asked. "Well you just tried to attack my daughter for one thing." said Bella. Edward looked at her warily and she rolled her eyes. The one called Jasper remained poised and controlled. "We have a lot of things to sort out. We need to take you back to our house and discuss them before things get out of hand. Will you come with us." I nodded my head and he motioned for me to follow them. We ran through the woods and somehow I knew that they would explain things to me. They knew what was going on and I didn't and I wanted answers.
Chapter Two: How?
We arrived at a house. It was a large. It felt like it had been a long time since I had seen one. The outside was very open with glass walls and large windows. I saw a woman upstairs she was statuesque with platinum blond hair she was staring at us out the window and I looked her right in the eyes and she glared at me with a vicious smirk. We held our stares until the tall one called Jasper pulled on my arm. "Shall we?" he asked pointing to the front door. I nodded. Bella had her arms crossed as she sauntered up the front steps her husband following closely behind. Jasper held on to my elbow , which I did not like, I was not his dog. We walked up the steps and entered the house. We walked into the living room and there were two more of them waiting , a man and a woman. The man was average height and build with blond hair not unlike Jasper. The woman was shorter than he with sweeping brown hair, a heart -shaped face, and a warming smile. "Grace, this is Carlisle and Esme...our parents." Parents? I thought to myself. There was no way they were old enough to be parents. They looked like teenagers. The one called Edward spoke, "We'll explain to you don't worry." Carlisle extended his hand and I accepted it. "Shall we sit down?" he asked. I only nodded unable to comprehend all of this. "Where are Alice and Renesmee?" asked Bella in frustration. "Alice took her to the cottage until we can get things sorted out." said Carlisle. Esme looked at me and then to Jasper "Rosalie and Emmett want to know if they should come down." "More?" I thought. What had I gotten myself into? Jasper had his hand on his chin, thinking. Finally he answered, "Yes they may join us ifRosalie can keep her comments to herself. " Esme nodded and went up a long staircase. "I realized I was the only one standing at this point. I suddenly felt very awkward as I took notice of my bare feet and dissarrayed appearance next to their perfectly polished faces and fashionable clothes. I sat down on a chair in the corner of the room and rubbed my throat it was getting worse. Edward took notice of this and threw Carlisle a warning look. "We better inform her of the situation before the thirst gets any worse." said Jasper. Carlisle nodded. Just then the two others walked in with Esme. The woman was the girl in the window and the man I'd never seen before. He was taller than the others and the most muscular with dark hair and the same piercing eyes. They didn't bother to introduce themselves the man leaned against the wall and the woman leaned against him. Finally I mustered up the courage to speak, "What is this situation you are talking about? What is going on?" Carlisle nodded to Jasper, "You begin." he said simply.
Jasper sighed and looked d straight into my eyes. "Grace, what do you remember of the past few days?" I looked down and furrowed my brow, "Nothing, nothing at all except.." I trailed off. "What?" asked Carlisle. "It is imperative that you tell us everything you remember. I hesitated and then began again, "Pain. An excrutiating pain oh it burned ...it ...burns now." I sighed. "You don't remember anything before that dear?" asked Esme desperately. "No I don't . " I said again. "What happened to me? You all know. Tell me...please." I pleaded. Jasper lowered his gaze "Have you ever heard of vampires?" said the burly man leaning against the wall with a chuckle. " I turned around and glared at him, puzzled. "Emmett!" said Esme "Please." "Hey I just think we need to spit it out before she goes ape-crazy and tries to attack one of us. She needs to hunt. Look at her. She hasn't stopped rubbing her throat since we got here." he defended himself. "Emmett is right," said Edward. "She needs to hunt so lets just tell her." Jasper spoke up, "Grace someone, and I don't know who and how they could have but someone turned you into a vampire and left you for dead on the side of the road. Alice saw you coming." I grabbed my throat with my other hand , "Vampire? " I laughed. "Vampires don't exist. Are you trying to tell me that someone turned me into Dracula and left me on the side of the road? " I laughed again. "Grace, dear, I know it sounds silly but we are the same as you." said Esme sympethetically. "Think about it. " said Edward "How long have you been running and you never tire? You are incredibly strong. You almost injured Jasper just by shaking his hand. But most importantly the burning in your throat...you are thirsty and that is why you tried to attack my daughter in the woods. She is the only one of us who has a beating heart. I can even tell you exactly what it sounded like. It was a drum right? I beating drum that kept getting louder and louder. " I shook my head, bewildered . "So what you're telling me is that someone or something turned me into a vampire and left me in the woods to fend for myself without any explanation? That's crazy!" I said exasperated. "True story." laughed Emmett. The woman next to him punched him in the arm. I turned back to face them "So what does this mean? Am I going to eat people now ?" I said sarcastically. "That is your choice. " said Carlisle. My jaw dropped. "You mean I am actually going to want to eat humans and drink their blood?" Bella shot me a glare, "It seems you already have. Or have you already forgotten your behavior in the woods?" Edward put his hand on her shoulder and she rolled her eyes. "I am sorry I attacked the girl in the forest. Truly I am its just ..the ...burning wouldn't stop and the drum ....it was so ...loud." I said rubbing my neck. "She understands. " said Edward. "She just needs a little time. Right now I think its time you hunted." Carlisle and Jasper arose. "If you like Bella, we will take her and Esme with us and you can go to the cottage and retrieve Renesmee and Alice. I am sure they will want to know about all this." said Jasper. "Rosalie, Emmett would you care to join us?" asked Carlisle. "No thanks." said Emmett rubbing his stomach "Rose and I already had a big grizzly or two yesterday. We're good." Carlisle nodded. "Have fun!" Emmett called out with a smirk. We walked out the door and ran briskly into the woods ahead.