Diclaimor: I forgot one in the first chapter, but I hope you guys know that I don't own Twilight, seeing how inferior my writing is to Stephenie Meyer's.

On with the story!


Chapter 2 Torture

Supper was set when we arrived home. Mother was bustling around the kitchen. She was a kind, middle aged woman who always had a small smile on her face that was constantly in danger of slipping into a full grin. She was small and slim, yet soft, and more rounded, with caramel colored hair and kind blue eyes.

She saw us and half skipped to our sides. She gave us each a light hug and kissed our cheeks. We hugged her back halfheartedly. We were used to these sentiments, but could never manage to return them with much enthusiasm.

"Jane, Alec, thank goodness," she said, smiling fondly at us. "I was about to send Mr. Jamison out for you." She laughed, and the sound echoed merrily around the pleasant, open kitchen.

The idea of Mr. Jamison, our closest neighbor and the man who had bought our land after Father had died, running anywhere was preposterous. He was a wealthy farm owner who had likely never worked a day in his life. He had dozens of hired hands and three daughters. I loathed him and his daughters. They always dressed at the height of fashion and thought they were so much better than everyone else.

Across the table, Alec shot me a sympathetic look. He understood my anger, though he did not feel it himself. We were more attuned to each other than normal. We felt rater than heard or saw each others moods and thought. Nothing specific, just the tenor of them. And we always stuck together through anything, big or small.

I did not remember Father. I had been a mere eighteen months when he had died, too young for memories. There had been a run of measles around then, and it was assumed Father had taken them, though he had not been reported of having the symptoms. Still, no other conclution could be drawn when Mother woke to find he had died in his sleep.

I knew very little of him, only, from village gossip, that he was a dark, reserved man and that no one had a clue why mother married him and, from Mother, that they had been passionately in love and that Alec and I were a lot like him. I didn't know what to make of that. Obviously that we were dark and reserved, everyone knew that, but what would it mean for a mother?

Probably nothing, just one of those things parents always tell their children, wanting them to be just like the other rather than themselves. Ridiculous.

I left the table and readied myself for bed. That night, I dreamed of Mrs. Porter's burning. Her screaming that long, unbroken note, it finally ceasing, and her ashes smoldering in the quiet that followed. It wasn't even a nightmare.

Morning dawned a smooth, pearly grey. The sun shone dimly through the thin film of clouds, but the rays it cast were feeble.

Alec and I walked to school together, as always. I detested school. They made you sit still and silent while you learned pointless lessons, at breaks the kids mocked and teased you, all the while everyone threw cautious glances your direction, as if at any moment you might leap up and curse the whole lot of them. That's how it was for Alec and me, anyway, everyday, save weekends.

As we passed the large tree at the end of the path I saw something. A baby bird, abandoned by it mother, too weak to fly. I scooped it up, running my fingers over the delicate bone structure. Pinching the leg I snapped it with a sharp twist of my fingers, enjoying the crack it made. I hadn't imagined such a small bird could shriek so. It made it all the more enjoyable. I broke its other leg, delighting when the screams became louder.

Alec's thin hands reached for the bird, and I handed it over to him.

"Here, if you snap the neck back in just the right way it dies without feeling… so," he told me, demonstrating with a skillful twist of his long fingers that still held some of the plumpness of early childhood.

I tugged the birds carcass back, irritated. I could feel its life leaving as the small body cooled.

"I want it to feel it, to feel pain," I told him with disapproval, he had ruined that small joy I had managed to feel in the torment. I discarded the unfortunate bird on the ground and strode with my chin high and a stubborn set to my shoulders up the lane to the school building. He sighed behind me, and I knew he felt I was being childish, but he followed me silently, not voicing his thoughts. I was glad of that, I din't need to be reproved now. Alec could be very understanding when I needed it, something I was still working to master, I tended to snap more easily.

He's kinder than you, too. An obnoxious, nagging voice spoke up in my head. My conscience, Mother had called it. I ignored the voice, as I always did on the rare occasions when it scolded me.

I felt the eyes on me again, but I had no idea what they thought of me, or my actions just now. I wondered if Alec felt them as well.

------------

School was awful as ever. Mr. Winston droned endlessly before finally dismissing us for noon meal. I pulled my dinner pail from my desk and was opening it when Bill McIntyre walked by. I assumed it was to go sit with Charlie Smith, as he often does. But as he passed my desk he deliberately upset my inkwell and it spilled all over my dress.

I jumped up quickly and glared at him, fury pounding in my brain and making my vision go red. The next second he was on the ground, laughing and twitching uncontrollably. Immediately, every eye in the room was on us.

Mr. Winston strode over to my place. "Jane, stop that this instant!" His voice was full of authority, but had an unmistakably undercurrent of fear that made no sense. I wasn't doing anything, Billy was faking, couldn't he see that? As much as I wanted to hurt him I was powerless to do anything.

I saw Charlie slip out the door with a frightened glance at his friend. Five minutes later he returned with the "Witch Counsel", as we called them. They were three of the village elders that were called on to decide who was to be tried as a witch, and there was no doubt of the reason they were hear now.

The Chief Counselor looked around, observing the scene with grave eyes that rested for a fraction of a second on mine, which were filled with fresh rage at there presence. The scene hadn't change much from before Charlie left, everyone frozen in place. The only one who had moved was Alec, who was standing by my side and glaring at Billy with as much contempt as I was. And now Billy wasn't laughing, only twitching in supposed discomfort. It must have been too hard to keep up his pathetic charade, i thought in disgust. But I said nothing. Any words I spoke would be twisted and used to lash back at me.

The elder turned back to his companions, nodding once. His eyes held a look that was a mixture of detachment, sadness, anger, and determination. It felt as though ice slipped down my spine as that small gesture foretold our future.

So we would burn. I knew this. I knew we would have burned long ago, but they needed evidence to punish a crime, and now they had it. Or thought they did, which was good enough.

--

Yea, Chapter 2 is done! Thanks so much for reading, I'm sorry it takes so long to update. It's my birthday in a couple days and I might be able to get my own computer then which will help so much. Please review, I've only gotten one and I'm really thinking no one likes it, at least tell me how to make it better. You guys are the only reason i write so i might just stop if i think there isn't a point. REVIEW!

Also, if you didn't catch on, the torture of the baby bird was a little foreshadowing of their later talents, some people were confused why I put that in there. Notice how Jane wanted the bird to be in pain, while Alec killed it quickly and painlessly. Personally, I found it hard to write that degree of non-compassion, it was against everything I believe no to have her take it home and nurse it back to health. I think we all know that wouldn't really suit Jane's character. Please at least tell me if I'm writing her point of view well, I can't tell if it sounds like her to you guys, this is how I interpret Jane and I want to know it her character suits for you, rather than just me. And I really am desperate for some more reviews. ;)

Love, C