Darkness.
It is not only the physical absence of all light from near and far but it is mental baroness. It is the feeling of being alone in however big the world may be. It is the feeling of never being able to see what's right in front of you even though your mind is screaming, Wake up! This isn't right. There is something right in front of you and you are too blind to see it. But no matter how hard you try, you still can't see.
That's why I was terrified when I opened my eyes for the first time into nothingness.
An endless stream of impending fear, doubt and anxiety filled my mind. Where was I? Who was I? What was I? Was I alive? Did I even exist?
Did anything exist?
My own mind answered my question. I had to exist. I had thoughts. I was aware and conscious.
I could not feel anything so there was no pain, which comforted me in just the slightest. But the engulfing feeling of being alone, certainly was not.
As I began to lose hope on my entire existence, my eyes began to focus on what was light—a slightly hazy, encompassing light that did not seem quite normal, almost like I was imagining it. It was the type of light that would appear in a dream.
I grasped the sight, holding onto the only thing that looked like a glimmer of hope, clinging to it like it was my only lifeline.
And then I watched.
The scene began to present itself in front of me. I saw a dark shadow fly through a dense forest, flashing in and out of appearance as it weaved through the towering trees. It was undeniably late at night and was very dark; however, it was evident that the figure was running inhumanely fast, almost flying, through a wooded area. The trees blew in the night wind.
Approaching a small town, the figure emerged from the woods onto a dimly lighted paved street. There was not a soul in sight, only the figure. The golden light of the street lamps hovered over what appeared to be a person and clearly showed to be a man.
He was tall and had a medium build. He wore boots and thin, worn tan pants with a light, tattered black shirt that fit snug over the defined muscles of his chest. He wore a dark jacket on over it, unzipped. His sleeves were pushed up slightly on his forearms and he had large but proportionate hands that were clenched into fists. Overall, he had looked like he hadn't been near civilization for a while. He wasn't dirty, just worn and rugged.
But despite his earthy appearance, I gasped when I caught the first glance of his face. If I had a beating heart, it would have certainly skipped multiple beats. His complexion was unusually pale, but beautiful. He was like an angel.
My own personal angel.
The light that shone over in his direction created shadows on his face that made out his strikingly handsome features.
My eyes drifted to his taut jawline which was much defined along with his defined cheek bones. His lips were pale, slim and slanted downwards in a settling frown. It sparked a twinge of sadness within me.
The man reached up to comb his long fingers through his curly light blonde hair. For the condition that his clothes were in, his hair showed no signed of damage, it was quite clean, but messy. I imagined running my fingers through the ends of them. I wanted to feel the softness of it. I wanted to smooth it out.
He walked forward under the street lamps, revealing more of his perfectly exquisite face and neck. There were small marks that scattered across his neck and upper chest.
Scars.
There were a lot of them. They were deeply embedded into the still beautiful surface of his skin. They weren't usual scars though, no redness, no usual imperfections of an average scar. They were still perfect within themselves, perfect, crescent scars in the form of bites. Pale white and crescent shaped, like tiny moons.
It brought out a feeling in me that was certainly foreign—protectiveness.
He was hurt before and I was definitely not okay with that. I distracted myself to rid the unpleasant thoughts.
Aside from the scares, he was flawless. All I wanted to do was reach out and touch him, to not only see his presence but to feel it as well. I wanted to drown myself in his essence.
The man lifted his shadowed face revealing his large eyes. They glimmered in the dim light. They were dynamic but appeared sad, matching the orientation of his mouth. They were intriguing, enigmatic yet melancholy. But the feature about them that stood out the greatest was color of them—bright red.
Suddenly my focus shifted and it took me to another scene. He was no longer on the street; he was sitting at a table with a facial expression that seemed extremely genuine. A far contrast to the expression displayed on his face earlier.
A smile, one corner of his mouth lifted slightly higher than the other.
Then he spoke and I gasped when my ears heard the most heavenly voice that passed through his lips. It was deep, rich and certainly southern as he spoke with a drawl.
He was saying a name that I didn't recognize though, "Alice…"
Alice.
Who's Alice?
Then I saw the woman who was the answer to my question. She had dark black hair that was cut in a short, but tasteful way. She had a slim face with big bright golden eyes. As I compared the two of them standing side by side, I noticed she was significantly shorter than him. She was slim and very petite but undeniably still very womanly. She wore a black dress that fell slightly above her knees. She had a very graceful essence about her as she flitted around the man. The exuberance emitted from her brightened the man's eyes as he laughed in a low chuckle.
The way the two of them interacted, I could tell they were definitely a couple—a couple that was assuredly in love with each other.
And that made me feel something knew.
Jealously.
I didn't want to be alone anymore and I wanted to feel love for someone as she did. I wanted to love him, and take care of him, not physically of course, but emotionally. I wanted to make him happy.
She was standing in front of him now. Her smile matched his. Happiness was emitting from the couple. He reached out for her cheek and cupped it gently.
He spoke in the gentlest and angelic tones I'd only dream of.
"Alice, I love you."
My eyes suddenly opened and after a few moments of darkness, my eyes adjusted. I felt panicked, in need of the angel's company again. The feeling of anxiety and panic began to emerge its way into my head once again.
"Come on…" I yelled at my head, frustrated, pushing myself to get the picture into my head again. How did I do that?
I felt the urge to cry but the tears never came.
Why couldn't I cry?!
I needed to see him again. That beautiful stranger that emitted the essence of love lingered in my mind. I didn't even know his name.
After residing my disappointment of focusing into reality, confusion flooded my mind as I wondered how I could see that scene so vividly in my mind.It was like seeing a different world within my head. I was convinced I was going insane. My hands darted up to my hair and face, tracing my features. My hair felt short and choppy falling barely to the bottom of my neck. I ran my fingers through the length of it and then across my face. It felt smooth and flawless. My nose felt small and while my mouth seemed to follow suit, it was undoubtedly defined and shapely. I ran my hands down my body revealing to me that I was definitely a woman.
But who was I? Who was that woman in my head? Why couldn't I remember anything about myself?
It was as if I suddenly appeared out of thin air, no recollection of my past or even my present and in no means my future.
Unanswered questions continued flooding my mind. Then I became very discouraged after remembering what I just saw. Where was that beautiful stranger that had presented himself just a moment ago? I saw him and I could not explain it but I felt safe in his presence. But now I was alone again. It was uncomfortable. I wanted the comforting feeling of the man's presence around me once more. If only I knew his name.
But he did say a name—Alice.
The woman in his presence bared resemblance to my physique. That must have been me, I realized. That was me. He was speaking to me after all, who else's name would it have been.
And he loves me, I smiled from ear to ear. It was the first time I ever smiled.
"He loves me," I spoke softly to myself, "Alice."
Suddenly, my surroundings became evident to me. My eyes were fully focused. I was laying in an alleyway on the cold, damp ground crunched in between two towering buildings made of brick and at the very end was an opening to a street barely lit by street lamps.
Before I could even analyze my surroundings, an inordinate feeling consumed me. It was such an overpowering and fully intoxicating sensation. I physically felt my throat swelling. I could not get past the intoxicant lust for something I could not put a finger on. I reached up and grabbed my throat trying to succumb the ache.
From outside the alley and onto a barren street, there were voices, men's voices. Before I even got the chance to observe them, something inside of me snapped and an unstoppable craving for something more overcame my senses.
Something sweet, flowing and red.
Blood.
Before I even realized what I was doing, I was out of the alley before I could even think. It was as if there was a mental block between my consciousness and my instinct. My thirst was quenched before I knew it and realization sunk in my mind as I started to regain a stable state and focused mind.
I was holding a man by the collar and he was now limp in my arms. I looked around at the horror before me with my bloodred eyes.
What have I done?!
If it was possible me to hyperventilate, the moment would have certainly been then. There was no way. Things like that…people like me just didn't exist, right?
Was that what I was? A monster?!
A vampire?
Anxiety continued to flood my nerves as I ran down the street, faster than I ever thought possible. Everything was a shock to me—not only the speed but my senses. Objects down to a mere speck were visible to my naked eye. Everything was in an incredible focus.
I dashed into a woodsy area on the side of the road and as I looked around, I concentrated on observing every single detail of my surroundings. I could see every tiny little bug, leaf, blade of grass extremely clearly. Every smell assaulted my nose as I breathed unnecessary breaths into my lungs. I could even hear the wind sliding past my ears as I ran.
Coming to a stop, I sat down on the log of a fallen tree and shut my eyes. Bursting out in tearless sobs, I buried my face in my hands. I was completely overwhelmed and terrified. I needed someone. I needed to not feel like I was alone. I wanted my angel back. I needed him back. I focused as hard as I could and forced an image into my mind, trying to rekindle the vision I had earlier. Where was he?
I sat for what seemed like eternity, pushing my visions and practically driving myself crazy trying to see something that was not actually there. I knew it wasn't practical but I knew it would be the only thing that could comfort me right now. I was a monster after all and I needed that sense of love—that sense of being alive and civil.
As I just about gave up, he appeared and I was immediately soothed.
He was sitting on a chair in the middle of a log cabin style kitchen, face in one of his palms while the other laced through his hair. He looked down towards the table, with a depressed façade.
"Don't cry my love," I whispered.
His brow was furrowed. Another man walked into the room and my angel straightened up, trying to mask the façade. He had a slightly slimmer frame and he had brown hair that was cut short. The two men made eye contact and exchanged greetings.
"Peter."
"Jasper," the new man said with a nod.
Jasper. I gasped at the new knowledge of his name.
The look on his face made me want to comfort him—to take him into my arms and let him know that it was all going to be okay. That there were someone who loved him. I promised myself then that I would find him. We would be together no matter how long or how much effort it took. It was obviously destiny. He was my destiny. And this mess of an existence I just entered would have a purpose.
Philidephia 1948
I entered this new existence in the year 1920. Twenty eight years had passed since I was changed. The twenties passed into the thirties and the thirties into the forties. It was an extremely eventful society for humans as I witnessed the booming of America's economy throughout the 20's and their Great Depression shortly following. I witnessed the start of the Second World War and only about three years prior was the end of it.
Large world events seemed minor in my world as they were mere human complications. I certainly did not put myself on a pedestal compared to humans, but I did know their lives were extremely fragile compared to mine. I could end one's life in a second which I didn't particularly embrace. My world was entirely different and solely focused on one goal.
Jasper.
Year after dreadfully long year passed since I had the first vision of him. I knew from that moment on that I would dedicate my entire life to finding him—to finally being together. As each vision passed throughout the years, it was clearly evident to me that we belonged together. I needed him as much as he needed me, though he didn't even know it. He didn't even know I existed up until the moment I was currently in. And that thought felt off because I already loved him. I loved him and we had not officially met. It was a peculiar feeling knowing that the person who meant the most to me didn't even know I existed.
Learning about myself and my visions certainly occupied my time. There were certain vampires who had special abilities. Seeing the future was certainly something that I could render necessary.
Throughout the years, I collected and discovered pieces of information about myself and my kind thanks to my visions. I was forced to learn everything on my own and I truly started from the basics. If it weren't for Jasper, I would not have even known my name.
I woke up into this life with no recollection of my human life and I assumed that only had to do with my ability to see the future. The past seemed very irrelevant when it came to my life. I had no use for it, though my curiously never ceased. I still did not know where I came from, or how I even became to be what I was. There were things I considered for example: being accidently bitten and changed by a nomad was the main theory.
Starting off all alone into this life was definitely a struggle but I owed my entire progress to my visions which was in itself something to learn about myself. Certain vampires had abilities over others. It had to do with the strength of our venom and the power of our minds. Every talent that a human possessed would be significantly amplified as one turned to a vampire.
Mine, in this case, was intuitiveness. I could choose at any point in time to check the future in a certain state of mind. It took me a while to discover that the future was never set. There was always going to be faltering in the future as decisions change.
Ultimately, my visions saved my life though, leading me through the world step by step and knowing what I could accomplish and what my true purpose was. Waking up with minimal knowledge of my kind certainly raised thousands of questions in my mind, particularly about vampires. Every question that did not get answered within my visions, I stored away with plans to ask Jasper in the future.
The thing about Jasper was that, I could only see his future. Only the decisions he planned to make, not the ones he already made. Therefore, I did not know where he came from, how old he was, or really anything of that nature. His past was a mystery to me but I did have ideas. I knew he had a tough upbringing. He was constantly depressed. I hadn't even seen him smile and that hurt.
I'd seen him fighting before and he most certainly did not hunt animals. I could tell though, every hunt hurt him more and more. His conscience ate away at him and that was the explanation for his depression. I was prepared for the worst but the worst couldn't draw me away from him. I loved him with my entire heart. There was nothing that would separate me from him. I'd already seen us together and there was no going back.
Jasper was what I focused on the majority of my time. He was my first vision—my first sight I had of this world. He was the man whom I was destined to find—to be with—my soul mate. Jasper filled the majority of my visions with one exception.
With the amount of time I had on my hands, I dug a little deeper into the future, as far as my mind could take me.
I had been seeing a coven of vampires—a family—the Cullens is what they called themselves. They were different from others of my kind. Certainly in the way that they lived which was extremely harmonious. There were no fights, no bitterness, only true kindness for each other. They certainly had one quality I yearned for—love.
They were different in the way that they lived among humans peacefully. That was certainly unheard of being a vampire. The majority of vampires were nomads since hunting in the same location was frowned upon. It would raise too much suspicion and fundamentally expose our kind.
The most striking difference the Cullen's had was that they did not consume human blood. They drank animal blood instead. The lifestyle was undoubtedly much more difficult than a normal human diet but it was nevertheless more mentally satisfying. 'Vegetarian' is what they called it.
This lifestyle became intriguing to me. Learning how to live peacefully, learning how to get along with vampires, and learning to fit into society certainly made me strive to be a better woman—to have a more peaceful and positive soul. I practiced and practiced this lifestyle until I finally got to the point where I could rely on the blood of animals. Temptation was not nearly as difficult now as it was in the beginning. I started looking toward the family for guidance—in every aspect of my life.
The family consisted of five individuals. The leader of the coven was named Carlisle. I picked up bits of pieces of information about him throughout the years. He worked as a doctor in the towns that they lived in. In every way, I would consider him my role model when it came to thirst control. I assumed he had years and years of experience in the field. I never found out how old he was exactly but I assumed he was a few hundred years old considering his control and knowledge. He started the 'vegetarian' lifestyle. He had a conscious that was undeniably upstanding and righteous. He wanted nothing but peace and harmony within the life he built for himself and his family.
His wife, Esme, was the mother of the coven. If there was anyone in the world that I looked toward for a positive female figure, it would be her. She loved her mate and her adopted children as any other mother would love their young. The couple's loving aroma encompassed me and encouraged me to continue to my journey on finding my own soulmate.
Emmet and Rosalie were one unique couple. I could never put my finger around them. They were undeniably in love of course. Rosalie was the most beautiful woman I'd ever lay eyes on. She was perfection. Her tall appearance looked as if she was model. Her long, flowing blonde hair fell mid to lower back as her hourglass figure was very prominent. Her face was slim and porcelain like. I was not a very envious person when it came to women. She was gorgeous and I could not deny that.
Her husband on the other hand looked monstrous compared to her. He was huge, muscled and built. He was quite some taller than her. Curly black hair lined the top of his head. He would have been certainly intimating to any human.
The last one was Edward. If there was one of the family members whom I could not figure out, it would have been him. He was much smaller than Emmet, closer to Carlisle's size but leaner and younger looking. I would have put him close to around the age of seventeen or eighteen. He had no mate, which made me slightly troubled for his happiness. He seemed content however, which would always put me at ease.
This family was going to be our future family.
When I wasn't having visions of Jasper, I would be constantly watching them and their travels—careful to keep an eye on them as I mentally planned Jasper and I to eventually join them, as long as Jasper would comply.
My visons eventually led me to a small rundown diner named Finch's in Philadelphia where I was currently seated. I had been seeing multiple visions of Jasper walking into the diner with the name FINCH'S on the sign during a thunderstorm. I had been here for almost a week.
Watching for signs was something that I had to get used to. Jasper was a nomad so it was exceptionally hard when he spent most of his time wandering in random woods and small towns, places where there was not much civilization. Looking at a tree or a lake and trying pinpoint his location wasn't exactly a simple task. That was why, when I first saw the vision of him wandering into this diner on a rainy day, sparked my attention and finally, I decided to act on it. I hurried to Philadelphia the first chance I got. I rarely had any impatience in me as I waited and watched for signs because I knew that in the end it would all be worth it. I had a lot of learning along the way which was crucial before I met him.
Sitting at the barstool, I looked down and smoothed out my dress. I admired it as I ran my hands down the blue satin length of it. It certainly seemed very modern for the times. Front button up dresses were much more in fashion being 1948. I grew an infatuation with fashion. I loved staying ahead of the times. It wasn't exactly hard "staying ahead" of everyone else seeing the future in styles and all. I looked forward to sharing my fashion with Jasper and the family. I smiled to myself and closed my eyes. I could not wait any longer. I slipped into a vision.
Jasper ran at human pace through the puddles on the cement, careful not to look out of place. He wore a dark rain coat and worn black slacks. He had obviously not seen civilization for a while. Sometimes it tended to get that way, for nomads at least.
He slowed down nearing Finch's diner, walking up to the entrance, and looking toward the ground as his blonde curls feel over his face. Rain pelted down on the sidewalk as thunder rumbled in the background.
The front door chime dinged and I broke out of my vision, shooting a glance at the door once more, hoping for my ever recurring vision to come true.
It wasn't him.
I sighed. My vision was clearer though which meant the future was solidifying and decisions were being made. He would be here soon, undoubtedly this evening. It was already starting to rain heavily and I knew that was a good sign.
"Miss Alice?" the familiar waitress brought me back to reality from my daydream, "Would you like anything Miss Alice?" she asked, for the second time, reaching for the mug, but Alice grabbed it from her before she could tell that the coffee was full to the brim.
"Thank you Janet, but no thank you," I replied with an upbeat, grateful tone. Holding my breath, I gave the skinny waitress a sympathetic smile. I scanned her future out of habit. She would be working all night; she was a single mother who worked very hard to make a living off of the tips acquired at here at the diner. She was very kind-hearted, but also very frantic and stressed. Over the past week, I had grown accustomed to her. I could call her a fond acquaintance even though I could read her much more easily than she could read me.
I'd been here for a week straight so she was certainly puzzled why a young woman would waste her youthful nights in a small, uneventful diner on the outskirts of Philly.
"Honey, as much as you are here, can I get you a job application?" She smiled halfheartedly, partially joking, "You're here enough as it is." She spoke with an eastern American accent, obviously born and raised in the area.
I giggled and shook my head, my pin curls bouncing with the action, "Thank you Janet. But I already told you. I'm waiting for a friend."
"Some friend," she stated, "Who would keep this lovely lady waiting here for, what has it been, a week?"
"Five days. It's okay. He doesn't know I've been waiting. I'm—surprising him. It's been quite some time," I said, working my way through my words, brushing off her worries.
"Well, I wish I had a friend like you," she tried to place her hand on mine, but I saw the action and pulled away quickly, not wanting her to feel my icy skin. I hoped she didn't see the action as rude, but she brushed it off and smiled awkwardly.
"You're sweet Janet. Consider me your friend."
A customer called over to her then, breaking us from the conversation we were in and stumbled over to his table while I turned my chair so I was facing away from her. I reached down toward my white, frilly hand bag and pulled out my floral print wallet. I unbuttoned the side of it and opened it. I thought I might as well reorganize my credits cards just to waste some time.
Money was an entirely a different story. I wasn't exactly "poor" when it came to human money. I didn't believe in stealing. Most of my kind lived as nomads—not interested in settling down anywhere in particular. I certainly was not too accustomed to living that particular life however, I much preferred living quarters and shelter. The idea of having my own place and fixing it to my likings pleased me. It certainly made me feel more human.
I worked my own way into making money the "legal" way. I gained my luck on Wall Street, though it wasn't much of luck. My money came from my mind one could say. Stocks were my lifesaver and having the ability to predict the trends on stock market worked towards my advantage. I was making hundreds of dollars a week within this small business.
I organized my cards to my liking and placed my handbag in my lap once again.
Just as I was about to check my mind on Jasper's progress, I heard the door chime ring.
My face shot up and I looked gracefully over my shoulder. If my face could flush red, it would have certainly been bright red if I were still human because after twenty-eight years, I was looking straight at him.
He was here.
He was standing in the diner no more than ten feet away from me.
He was finally here.
My mind didn't believe what my eyes saw. Twenty-eight years of waiting and he was finally here. I could hardly contain the bundle of emotions that I was holding in with excitement and nervousness triumphing over everything.
"Jasper," I whispered quiet enough so that even he could not have heard me. I turned in my seat, careful not to make any quicker movements.
He carefully lingered in the front entryway to the diner assessing his surroundings.
My eyes immediately raked over him as I grew more and more elated. My visions did him no justice as he looked even better in person. His blonde hair, damp and dripping from the rain, hung around his face perfectly. His eyes were jet black, he was definitely hungry no doubt. I could tell he was biting the insides of his cheeks, either to encourage himself to retain some control or just a mental habit.
He pulled off his jacket to hang it up on the coat rack. He was wearing a light grey button up shirt which was preserved from the rain.
I could feel his presence so close to me as he crossed the diner to sit down at a booth in the back, away from the few customers that were in the diner. The rain was loud on the windows of the diner, but all I could focus on was the sound of his footsteps and the sound of his slow breaths.
His smell was all intoxicating. I focused in on the smell of his aroma and his masculinity. The high that the smell gave me built in the center of my stomach. I couldn't contain the excitement, relief, love that overflowed in my mind.
Without thinking, I hoped down from the bar stool smoothing out my dress as I started to gracefully pace over to the booth. I had my hand bag in one hand and an umbrella in the other. I carefully watched him as he picked up a menu and stared at it. I could tell that he was focused on something entirely different as he didn't show any interest in the menu for obvious reasons.
My nerves grew more and more with each step. I reached the edge of the table and gracefully slid into the booth suppressing my feelings, trying to give off a naturally calming essence, at least on my face.
He glanced up at me, surprised, with the most stunning facial expression I'd ever seen. His eyes were wide and the irises of his eyes were so dark with hunger. I was confounded at the sight of him physically sitting in front of me and it was an exhilarating feeling that he was looking at me for the first time.
"You've kept me waiting a long time," I told him with a grin.
His gaze on me suddenly ceased when he ducked his head searching for words to say, "I'm sorry ma'am." He spoke with the most soothing southern accent I'd ever heard. It was a low but clear drawl. He was being perfectly respectful.
A gentlemen.
"I wasn't aware that someone was expecting me," he continued, apologetically.
"Were you going to order something?" I asked jokingly, eyeing the menu that he held in his hands, "I hear they have wonderful shakes here."
He looked down at the menu and back at me—realizing that I was like him and trying to figure out if I was joking or not. He turned his head at my comment, slightly confused.
I spoke up, chuckling lightly as he opened his mouth to respond, "I'm kidding."
He nodded, his facial expression assumed. He folded the menu and placed it behind the salt and pepper shakers, "I assumed so. I wasn't sure if you were serious. You're—you're like me." He was careful how he worded things, not wanting other customers to hear anything out of the ordinary, after all, it wasn't very loud in the small diner and voices carried.
"You're correct," I stated.
"I'm sorry ma'am, have we met before?" He asked in utter incertitude. He buried his eyes into mine trying to pin point a moment when we would have crossed paths in the past, "Do I know you from somewhere? Have you been sent by-," he paused, hesitantly, "someone?"
"No. I haven't been sent by anyone. I came here myself. And—no you wouldn't know me," I explained. I didn't know if it was the right time to explain my visions or not but I had a feeling this encounter would make little sense without explanation, "I actually know you though."
He eyed me cautiously. His jawline held taut. He was slightly edgy as he was clueless to the woman sitting in front of him.
"I certainly have some explaining to do, don't I?"
He nodded in agreement, completely interested, "Please."
"Let me start off by introducing myself—I'm Alice," I said with a wide smile.
"Jasper," he replied back stating his name and it surprised me greatly when he reached his hand across the table offering his hand in greeting.
His move surprised me but I slowly clasped his hand in mine and shook it gently. I savored the feeling of his warm hand wrapped in mine. I savored the smooth feeling of his skin and the masculinity of his hands. I knew it the interaction did not seem to mean much. I'd seen it before in my visions, but seeing us make contact then did not compare to physically touching him in real life. It made my stomach clench in excitement.
It felt unnatural to pull away but I knew that it was only one of the many contacts between myself and him. At least I could only hope so.
"I know," I chimed in response to his name.
Before he could question me once more, Janet strode by to the side of our table. I could tell that Jasper was holding his breath and his hands discretely clenched into fists as she approached us. He was trying to suppress his hunger and for good reason. "Honey, it's so good to see your friend has finally arrived," she told me as she grabbed her waitress book and pulled out a pen, "can I get you anything, Sir? Any drinks? We do have wonderful shakes if I should make a suggestion."
He eyed me from the corner of his eye as he had heard that suggestion before. "No," he started in a low quiet but polite voice, "Thank you though."
"Alright then. Easy customers," she chuckled and watched as she walked the other way.
I looked back at him only to meet his gaze. "How did you know my name? Please be honest."
"Why don't we go outside? I think it might be better to explain away from all the people. Besides I'd like to take a walk," I gestured around the diner to the various tables that were occupied by customers to Finch's.
He complied and slid out of the booth grabbing his rain coat along with him. He held out his hand to help me out of the booth, "I'd like that, Alice."
I took his hand, gladly and slid out, grabbing my bag and umbrella on the way. He dropped his hand the moment I was standing and stepped back to leave space between us. He was awfully cautious. It made me slightly disappointed but I tried to be completely understanding. He didn't know me after all. I had to realize that this was all completely different to him as it wasn't for me. I had known him already for years.
I was careful to keep some distance, both physically and emotionally. I tried not to appear smothering. Something about Jasper made me think that he was a very cautious man—not very trusting. He was holding back a lot. I could almost physically feel his tense nature coming off from him. I didn't know anything about his past and I wasn't sure what he had encountered.
So I couldn't mess this up.
This was too important.
We started walking towards the front door but then the thought occurred to me that I should probably pay for the coffee I received. "One second," I told him as I reached to my bag pulling out my wallet. The coffee was only ten cents but I pulled out a fifty dollar bill and placed it on the table. It would help Janet with her bills and I smiled knowing that would help her out a lot.
He raised one eyebrow at the money as it was unusual for any of our kind to possess much human money since there was no need for it. I could tell that he was interested in why I attempted to blend into the human scene so much. I would need to explain from the beginning—the beginning of my existence and everything.
We started for the front door of the diner but paused once more as I wrapped my hand around the door knob and I turned around looking up at him. That was the first time I noticed the real height difference. He really seemed to tower over me but I didn't mind. I felt small but I also felt as if the world was in my hands. "You promise you'll follow me though right?"
He looked at me and for the first time, I sensed a positive emotion emitting from him.
A feeling of promise, positivity and most importantly, hope.
And something that I hadn't seen in any vision for twenty eight years.
The curve of his mouth slanted upward.
A smile.
No matter how small it may have been, it meant the world to me.
And he finally spoke, "I promise."