I don't own Twilight.


Running in this new life was a perk that I thought I would never get used to. I loved and hated it, my body moving to a thought that didn't have time to fully form. I sped through the forests on the outskirts of Oregon, my book bag pulled lightly on my back as I ran, even with the straps tightened to fit my slight frame. I admired how alive everything was here. Chicago didn't leave much room for life, and I had no experience with camping. I think.

My human memories were hazy. After I died, I spent the next year wandering through the Chicago suburbs. When I regained some semblance of self-control, most of my life had been packed up, sold off, or given away. I was able to track some of our old stuff down, and when I had been visiting one of my aunts, I stole a picture. I couldn't say what it was from, but it was a good reminder of who I was. At least, who I was supposed to be. It looked like a family reunion, or a birthday party, perhaps. I couldn't name all of the people in the picture, but I knew who they were to me.

I crushed a rock underfoot, allowing thoughts of my family to die. They were either dead, or they thought I was dead.

Technically, I was dead.

It's not as permanent as one would think.

I shook my head, and let myself get lost in the green. It was so green here. My mother always told me that green was the color of life. Birds startled overhead, and I marveled at how blue the sky was. Everything was always so bright with these new eyes. I loved and hated it. Everything was over saturated, and lively in a way that could make you crazy if you thought about it too much. You could lose yourself in the color of the grass and dirt, and the creatures that lived in them. I had once spent a solid week in a field of flowers, taking in the smells and colors, getting lost in how the petals felt on my fingers.

From a distance, I head a warm sloshing. The wet, dull thump-thump-thump that made my throat catch fire every time. I ran towards the sound, abandoning my course in favor of investigation. I usually over-fed, loving the blood-drunkenness that accompanied over eating. I didn't have much experience with any other types of drunkenness, and drunk humans didn't make you drunk. They just tasted bad. Over-eating was the best substitute I could some up with. Somewhere in my head, an old voice whispered, Gluttony is a sin. I shoved the thought away. It had been well-established in life that I was a sinner. Why should death be any different?I focused on the beating heart, and ran that way.

The burning came back with a vengeance, as the dull wet drum got closer. I stopped behind a tree, and the wind shifted. I frowned in disappointment as the dirty scent of an animal hit me. I didn't know much about Oregon, but I had been hoping for campers. More than likely, I was out too far. My frown deepened at the thought of heading towards a town. One of the few things I remembered about Oregon was that it wasn't very populated. I think. There was no internet in the forest.

I had stolen a laptop from one of my meals. He had been a scrawny boy, with thick hair and thicker glasses. He told me all about his upgrades, while I rubbed up against him. His name was Ben. Ben's laptop had been the most useful I had ever found. One time, I had found an iPhone. It was a beautiful pastel blue, but it didn't work well with my lack of heat. I crushed it, and threw it away in the Des Plaines, along with the girl I had found it on. I never really liked Joliet, but it was better for hiding than Naperville or Bolingbrook.

My laptop had been my only source of information over the years. I watched the Obama campaign with interest, and these past few years had only gotten crazier. I reminded myself to take a careful trip to Baton Rogue if I ever got the chance. I was planning second to Minnesota if necessary. Hunting criminals who were being watched by the world could prove to be a very interesting challenge. I ran with renewed interest towards the center of the state. If the humans wanted someone to kill them, I was happy to oblige.


After an hour of mindless running, I began to smell them. The sun would be up for another hour, so I sighed and prepared to wait.

I allowed myself to take a short walk through the forest, edging closer to the sirens call. My brain was too roomy now. And to think I had believed I over-thought as a human. My thoughts swarmed, coming forward all at once to bring back the unpleasantness of my afterlife.

What are you going to do when you reach Seattle? Why did you have to kill him? Why did you kill them all?

The faces of the lives I had taken began to appear. The names ran through my head as the parade continued.

I shut my eyes, and listened to the noise of life going on around me, trying to ignore the dead that seem to insist on speaking with me. I could hear a squirrel digging about 50 feet from me, not sensing the danger. To my left there was a flock of birds whispering quietly amongst themselves. Almost a mile away I could hear…

My eyes snapped open, and I let a grin break as light cloud coverage began to settle in. My meals always made me sad, but I smiled at the prospect of getting clean. I began jogging, before giving up any pretense of casual. It's not like anyone was around to see me. I gained speed and ground, and the closer I got the louder the stream gurgled.

I had lost any pretense of hygiene in my first year. I fed often and messily. I got better over time, but traveling had forced me to give up those newly reinstated habits.

I stopped a few feet away from the river, rummaging through my bag for one of those laundry pod things. One of my meals had shown them to me after seeing how dirty I was.

"They're portable, so even if you go camping a lot, you can have clean clothes. I have a ton. You can have some, if you want?"

They were always so generous.

I wasn't sure if I would find any after him. They didn't seem to be very popular with the people I hunted. I resolved to look for some after my hunt. I stripped noiselessly, carefully cradling my clothes to my chest. I walked over to the stream's edge, and gently lowered myself. The water was slow, and mostly clear. The little fish that were there immediately sped off, and I rolled my eyes. It's not as if I could eat them. The water was warm against my frozen body, warmer than usual. It was summer, had been for at least two or three months. Summer was especially pleasant on the West Coast. I gave myself a minute to long for the beaches I knew were only a few hundred miles south. If only.

I worked on my clothes first, rising them out before bursting the pod on them. I scrubbed them all together, working up a mild lather. I took special precaution to try to wash out any grime from my shirt, it was one the first things humans noticed. If it was covered in blood, they might notice something's wrong. I would have to replace them soon anyway, they were becoming worn, and starting to get holes in them. I thoroughly rinsed my clothes, and laid them on the bank to begin drying. They would dry completely after I started running. Hopefully my next meal could loan me some clothes, or at least a jacket.

I dunked my head under the cloudy water, allowing my hair to fan out around me. I didn't really need to bathe too often. This body didn't smell or sweat, but I tended to get leaves and dirt trapped in the curly waves of my hair. I opened my eyes, watching the stream rush by me. I blinked carefully, and then shook my head. Some loose twigs were snagged by the water, swarming helplessly downstream. I carefully ran my fingers through my hair, trying to get rid of any extra debris.

Fading sunset light came through the water, illuminating the sand gravel at the riverbed. It was so alive down here, too. Plants grew, and fish had made their home here. I watched the nervous zipping of fish, and the swaying river plants until the sun went down. Even through the water I could see the stars.

The stars will live much longer than us. It's their job to tell our story.

I breathed out, and let myself sink until I rested at the bottom of the river. My presence killed the little warmth that was left by the suns passing rays. My throat burned more insistently now. I pushed myself up, and when my head broke the surface, I sighed. It was time to go hunt.


I'm definitely not in Kansas anymore, I thought blithely to myself. Where did I know that from? I rolled my eyes, and looked down from my branch.

Climbing trees had quickly become one of my favorite things in this new life. I loved testing how high I could get without breaking a branch, I loved the view, I loved the non-threat of the ground.

I could see a road from where I lounged, the rough trunk scratching against my already wearing shirt. I crossed my ankles to give myself something to do. A part of me wanted to stalk through the town, and take as I pleased. That part of me wanted to gorge myself on these people until there was no one left, or I couldn't move. Whatever came last. The other, more rational part of me knew the logic of this plan. If only someone would come this way.

As if on cue, I heard a gentle thrumming in the distance. I learned forward to get a better listen. Two, no three wet thumping pulses were heading my direction. I stilled, eagerly listening to for anything that might make this complicated. Francisco had taught me the rule: don't get caught.

The hearts got closer, I could hear the music now that I was paying attention. The voice had a vague familiarity; I could almost see myself in my childhood bedroom, singing dramatically into a mirror about a boy I would never love. I ignored it, focusing in on my prize. Two of the heart beats where slow and steady, while maybe two feet back the third raced like a hummingbirds wing. I sighed, and let gravity pull me back to earth. This was a complication.

I pushed my hair back, and straightened my shirt before walking towards the road. I thought for a second, before I pulled my hair up into a pony tail. As I waited for the car, I idly wondered why my hair and nails didn't continue to grow. My cells were dead. My hair should be at my ankles by now. I pushed out a firm breath, and stopped. I stood firmly in the middle of the road, the slight bend would hide me for a bit. Then they would have to stop, or I would make them stop. As the headlights hit my form, I could hear the brakes hissing.

The car came to a stop 50 feet in front of me, the driver glaring. I did my best to look nervous, while the beautiful scent of his blood started to filter through an open window.

"What the hell is she doing," he snapped. "She's going to get herself killed being in the road like that."

A sharp horn cut through the night, and in the back seat, my fears were confirmed. A child, startled, began to cry.

"Anthony! Just get out, and see what she wants. Jesus, it's not like the girl could hurt you."

I allowed myself a smile.

A sandy-haired man smoothly exited the vehicle, murmuring a curse under his breath. In the car, the child was soothed, and the near constant thrumming of her heart slowed. I could make out a set of pigtails, the same sandy-brown, and I said a prayer. "Hey, it's not safe for you to be standing in the middle of the road."

"I'm sorry," I said, deliberately letting the words tremble. "I was camping with my family, but wee got separated. I lost my phone, and I've been wandering for a few hours. I'm lost, and I wasn't sure where I was. I'm just a little desperate."

Anthony eyed me lightly, "You're in Imnaha," Where the fuck is that? I fluttered my eyelashes, and listened to his heart falter. "Is there any way you could give me a ride? Please, or just let me use your phone so I can call my brother and tell him where to meet me,"

His eyes roamed my form, and the delicious blood rushed to his face. If only…

"I would have to talk to my wife about a ride, our daughter is in the car with us, but I can definitely let you use my phone." He turned back to his car, and without prompting I followed him. "Hey, do you know if your grocery store has any of those little tide pods?" His eyebrows furrowed, and he gave a half shrug. "I can't be too sure, you can definitely get some if you go a little closer to the city," he suggested. I nodded my head agreeably, what city are you talking about?

He led me around to the passenger's side, his wife opening her window. "Hello," she said, both inquisitive and guarded. I smiled back at her softly. She was a smart woman, a mother. Mothers didn't like strangers. "Hi. I'm sorry to have bothered you folks, but I'm about as lost as I could be." She smiled sympathetically, although it didn't reach her eyes. "Your husband said I could use his phone," I explained. She handed me a sleek silver rectangle, and I longed for the blood hiding under her skin.

I clicked the phone on, and the smooth screen glowed with the picture of big blue eyes and a wide smile. My throat burned as I took another breath, "How old is she?" I asked. Anthony smiled proudly, "She'll be two in a few months." I nodded my head, "Yes, she will."

It was a rule I had even on my worst days, in the beginning, when it was never enough. Children would always be safe near me. My own brother was ten when he died. I obsessed for months on how he never even made it into high school. He never got to walk the halls of my high school, or go to prom or learn to drive. The little girl would live to see high school. That's the best offer I could give them. It wasn't like they really had a choice.

Moving quickly, before he could scream or even be afraid, I reached over and wrapped my hand around his neck. I squeezed until I felt it crack, the sound of it fed the beast. I dropped him, and turned towards his wife. Her eyes barely had time to notice him fall before I firmly grabbed her face, and pulled. There was no scream, just a soft squeak of surprise. I left her body in the seat, pulling my self away from the car to breathe. I listened carefully for any signs of approaching life, but I couldn't her over the constant thump-thump-thump, of the back seat. I reached back into the car, and unlocked the doors. Then I moved to open up the back seat.

Curious and trustful blues looked back at me, blinking sleepily. I leaned over her chair, and carefully unstrapped her seat. I pulled her car seat out, and walked with her warm weight into the tree line. I held her closer to me, and walked for a minute or two. She didn't seem to notice that her parents were gone, focused entirely on a ragged stuffed bear accompanying her. I put her down near the base of a tree, then walked in a circle around her. I quickly pulled my shirt off, and rubbed myself on it. I set it down on her, like a light blanket, but I didn't worry too much. It was a summer night. She would live. I then leaned over her carefully, and breathed into her hair, and clothes. She squirmed, but I persisted. My breath was cold, but animals would know that this girl was not their prey. That's right, she's ours. I let the thought die.

A soft ding emanated from my hand. A message popped up, Did you guys make it home okay? No, they didn't, I thought carelessly to myself. I flipped the switch for sound, just as another message appeared. I know Hannah is probably fast asleep by now, LOL, poor monkey tuckered her out. I looked at the sleepy girl cuddling her bear.

"I'll be right back, Hannah. Don't worry."

The little girl stared at me, as if my whisper had hit her but she hadn't understood. I didn't have time for this. It had already been five minutes; the blood would congeal after a while. A tremor of guilt ran through me, but I ignored it. I had gotten good at that. "Be a good girl, Hannah." I murmured. Then I went to feed.