(Lucie)

I remember it like it was yesterday...

The light shone brightly through my bedroom window, shining on my face, causing me to rise from my sleep. I jumped up from my bed, going straight for the window and glancing outside. My father's brand-new Model T sat out in the front of the house. I was excited. The Model T had just come out and they seemed to be doing well already.

Excitement driving me forward, I quickly got dressed in my best dress and raced down the stairs. "Mother! Father!" I exclaimed, the tone of my voice mirroring my excitement.

"Good morning, Lucinda." My mother greeted me. "Did you see the Model T outside?" My father was quick to ask me soon after my mother's greeting, not seeming to waste any time on a good morning. "Yes, father." I responded eagerly as I entered the kitchen. "Isn't it beautiful? Just as I imagined!" my father continued on, seeming almost as excited as myself. "Oh, yes!" I started eagerly. "It's very beautiful." My mother put out our plates on the table. "Eat. Then you can go out and see it." She said in a kind tone of voice that was also filled with a hint of authority.

We ate breakfast, my father quicker than both my mother and I. He was already putting his coat on and walking out the door within minutes. I finished my food shortly after, and rushed after him as I was very eager to see the new Model T.

I stood next my father just outside the house as he admired the brand new car. "Ford says they're very reliable." He informed me. "Does he?" I couldn't help but question, my father quickly confirming what he had already said. "Oh, yes. He says they're perfect."

"Well, father, I'm very excited to see how it runs," I started once more, "But I think we ought to wait, don't you?" I asked him, receiving a questioning look in response. "Wait? For what?" He questioned, the confusion seeming evident in his tone of voice. "Until Charles can come along." I specified. "I'm sure he'd love to see a Model T up close." My father seemed to take the point into consideration, only to agree shortly after. "Why, of course. When does Charles get done at work?" He asked. "At five." I responded, to which my father nodded in understanding. "It's settled then." My father declared. "We shall wait until Charles gets finished at work, then we will go and get him do we can take him for the drive with us." And with that my father headed back to the house.

When we went to go get Charles from work, it was beginning to get dark outside. "James," my mother said as we began getting into the car, "are you sure it's safe?" She questioned, caution clear in her tone of voice. "Mary, of course it's safe. I wouldn't allow you and Lucinda to get in this thing if I didn't strongly believe that it was safe and reliable." My father promised her, the honesty clear in his voice. It was shortly after that when we were off. We drove off to Charles' workplace, only to learn he had already gone home for the night. "Oh, well." My father had spoken. "Might as well go for a drive anyway." We drove away once more, going for a drive. Though it was just a simple drive around town. I had a sinking feeling my father was driving too fast, but I didn't have the sense to tell him to slow down. Next thing I knew, we were colliding into something large and the car was getting smashed, destroyed. I saw my parents get crushed before anything happened to me.

There was so much blood.

Then it hit me. A sharp, sharp pain of something big going into my stomach. I screamed out in pain. I was losing blood. A lot of blood. I could barely keep my eyes open, the darkness threatening to take me. I was hanging out the window of the Model T, the metal of the destroyed door jammed into my abdomen. I heard someone approach the wreck very quickly. Perhaps more quickly than humanly possible. I couldn't focus on anything other than the feeling of the metal in my stomach.

I felt the metal digging deeper into my stomach, threatening to break through out of my back. I just wanted to be dead already, the pain was antagonising. "Oh, god." A very familiar voice spoke, layered in horror. "Mary... James..." The voice was so soothing, it sounded so familiar. I couldn't be sure, but it sounded like my Aunt, Esme. Maybe I was dreaming... Or maybe I had died and gone to Heaven and she was there with me. I hoped for this until I felt myself be pulled out of the wreck. I screamed louder as the metal slowly slid out of the giant hole in my stomach, blood all but pouring out of my stomach. It felt almost as bad as it had when the injury first happened.

I was laid gently on the ground by hard, cold hands. The cold stranger held me in their arms for a while. I opened my eyes weakly and looked up at them. "E-Esme?" I croaked, my voice strained. "Shh... I'm going to help you, dear." The soothing voice of my aunt promised. She bent toward my neck, brushing my hair out of the way. That was when I had felt it. Her teeth sunk into my neck. I merely yelped in response to this, but as she pulled away, I began to feel something much, much worse. A burning like fire started from the bite and began spreading, all through my body. It felt like acid coursing through my veins instead of blood. It was extremely painful. So painful that I couldn't stop the bloodcurdling screech from ripping out of my throat. I couldn't really move. All I did was writhe and convulse as I screeched loudly in pain.

I felt her cold, but firm hands hold me gently. I let out a growl-like sound in response. "Wh-what did you do to me?!" I managed to growl. "I'm sorry about the pain... But I could not let you die. Not this young. Not like this. I'm so sorry. I love you, darling." She spoke, a soothing, calm, and apologetic tone of voice. I let out another pained growl before screaming again.

I don't know when it stopped. I had blacked out. But after I woke up again, my eyesight was so sharp that I could see every tiny detail of my current surroundings. I looked around and saw her. Esme. She was smiling softly towards me. It was cloudy outside but she gestured for me to stand and led me into a secluded area and over to a lonely patch of sunlight. She told me to put my hand in the sunlight and I did. As soon as the sun hit my skin, it started to sparkle. Like diamonds. I was so confused. But Esme led me to her home where her and her new husband explained everything.

"My name is Carlisle. It's lovely to meet you, Lucinda." The pale man had said politely. I only nodded in return, not wanting to speak. My throat was dry, almost like a burning sensation. I looked in a mirror and my eyes were a deep burgundy color. I missed the warm brown color that my eyes held before. I looked different. Better, somehow. I didn't like it.

"Maybe she could be a new addition to the family. I know you miss Edward, and she won't ever replace him." The women seemed to stress this detail. "But Lucinda would be a great member to our family." I could overhear Esme tell Carlisle. I shook my head as I turned and went into the room they were in. I looked into Carlisle's eyes and suddenly a flash of images and things that seemed to have happened to Carlisle flashed in my mind. His memories. I saw how he became whatever I was now. I saw him turn a boy my age... And Esme... I glared up at both of them. "If this was your plan: to make me your perfect daughter, I won't do it." I spat in anger. Without another word, I was out the door. I already knew the importance of my new secret simply by seeing what happened to Carlisle. I would definitely be careful, but I couldn't be part of their "family".

I just couldn't.