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Chapter Three: What An Extraordinary Power!
Well I never thought I'd be here again; stood outside the Cullens, getting soaked by the September rain. I stayed where I was, contemplating on turning around and walking away. Did I have the right to walk back into their life when they made it clear they didn't want me in it anymore? It hurt enough for them not to recognise me; could I possibly stand in their house and act like I'd never been in there before? I shook my head as I knocked on the front door, the rain trickling down my back. It swung open and I stepped inside.
The house was exactly as I remembered it; whitewashed walls, wooden floors, beautiful paintings. The only difference was the lack of laughter; the once light atomosphere was now tense and harsh. I took a deep breath and followed the retreating figure of Alice into the Cullen's living room; the silence deafening. I didn't like it.
"You must Izzy Masen, the new girl. I'm Carlisle Cullen and this is my wife, Esme. I'm sure you've met our children; Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper, Alice and Edward." Carlisle greeted as he stood up from the two piece suite. Something wasn't right, his manners were forced and his smile was nothing but a mask.
"Nice to meet all of you." I responded quietly, taking in the handsome appearance of Carlisle and the beauty from Esme. She smiled slightly but it held nothing but politeness.
"Please, sit down." Esme ushered me towards the the armchair but I only perched myself on the edge. Carlisle and Esme seated themselves back down; shifting as if they were trying to get comfortable.
"So Izzy; may I ask your diet preference? Your eyes give nothing away." Carlisle asked, chuckling slightly. The corners of my lips twitched up but nothing more.
"Vegetarian, when I do hunt that is.." I trailed off, seeing Esme's confused face.
"When you hunt? When was the last time you fed?" Carlisle questioned, his brow furrowed in curiousty. I started to quickly work out the years; making mental calculations instantly.
"5 years ago, give or take a few months." I answered, placing my hands in my laps. The truth was, I was slightly embarrassed by this confession. I mean, what vampire doesn't hunt? Everyone's eyes widened and their jaws slacked.
"Yet you manage to stay around humans?" Jasper asked; his voice incredulous.
"I've dealt with worse pain." I shrugged, my words were truthful.
Human blood- Nothing compared to your existence leaving you.
Vampire transformation- Not a scratch compared to losing the one you loved.
"Is there a reason behind your lack of hunting?" Carlisle interrupted my thoughts, clearly concerned and curious. I paused for a moment, wondering to tell him the truth.
"I lost my mate." My face crumpled and I put my head in my hands; the rush of memories making me dizzy.
"Without him I'm weak; defenceless. My life is pointless, has no meaning to it anymore. I only go on because I know he'd want me to. Blood doesn't make me stronger; it makes me faster and stronger. What's the point of speed when you have no one to race? What's the point of strength when you have no one to wrestle with? Hunting is a burden as is my life." I admitted, closing my eyes and rubbing my temples, trying not to breakdown.
An arm wrapped around my shoulder and squeezed tightly, comforting me. I slowly fluttered my arms to see Alice beside me, her smile and eyes sympathetic. It was reassuring to know my former best friend would still try soothe me. I loved her to pieces.
"I just hope one of these days, I will get better." I confessed, noticing how Edward's eyes were filled with understanding; showing me that he felt the same but I knew he didn't.
"It will." Alice's soft musical voice assured me but I raised an eyebrow at her assumption.
"Psychic." She beamed proudly, clearly talking about her ability to see into the future.
"Empath." Jasper chirped up, raising his hand slightly as if he was answering a question. The rest of the Cullens looked towards Edward as if they were expecting an answer.
"Mind reader." His tone was bland and bored like he didn't want to even be here. Esme shot him a warning look which he ignored.
"What about you, Izzy? Do you possess a special ability?" Carlisle queried; his tone interested.
"One touch and I can see everything that happened in your past, visa versa." I answered, my eyes flickering from Edward to Carlisle.
"What an extraordinary power!" Carlisle exclaimed; his widened with excitement. It felt good knowing how his curiousty never subsided.
"It's.. quite.. good." I reasoned, shrugging my shoulders slightly.
"Do someone's Izzy!" Alice advised, clapping her hands happily. I glanced around the room, wondering who's to do. My eyes rested on Edward but I knew I wouldn't be able to see his past without breaking down. Seeing how happy he was without me would mentally destroy me.
"Jasper?" I offered, knowing his past was safe and in the truth; it interested me. He nodded, his honey blonde hair falling over his face slightly. I flitted next to him and opened my hand for him to place it in. He reluctantly reached out and rested it in mine.
"Do you want to me to say what I'm seeing during the vision?" I offered, trying to be polite. I couldn't actually watch a vision without narrating it. He nodded again and I pressed his hand lightly. I was immediately sucked into a black tunnel; the darkness stayed around me for a second but it cleared up and I could see everything that had happened.
"Jasper Whitlock born in 1844 in Houston, Texas." I began, each memory becoming crystal clear.
"He was the youngest major in the Confederate Army in Texas (having joined the army before he turned 17) until he was turned into a vampire by Maria and two other female vampires, Lucy and Nettie, who had recently lost their respective territories. Maria used him and other newborns to reclaim her place and later claim dominance over others." I could feel Jasper's hand stiffen in mine but I continued.
"In 1948, he ran into a diner in Philadelphia and met Alice Cullen. At first, he was puzzled by her happy behavior around him, but nevertheless, her joyful emotions impacted him greatly. As it turned out, she had been waiting for him. When she held out her hand, he took it, and felt an unfamiliar emotion for the first time: hope." His hand immediately relaxed at the mention of Alice's name.
"She also told him about the ability to survive off of animal instead of human blood, as well as their future with Carlisle Cullen and his family. He didn't know such a thing could exist but he followed her. With the help of Alice's 'sight', they searched for the Cullens and eventually joined them in 1950. Sometime after that, he and Alice married." I could hear the family smile at happy ending. But the next vision made my heart stop.
"Jasper pull your hand away." I whispered, trying to hold the memory back out of my sight. But his hand remained in mine and I couldn't move out of the vision.
"Jasper." Carlisle whispered, his voice was warning. The more I tried to move out of the vision, the clearer it got.
"Please. I can't.. I just don't.. Please." I pleaded as my resistance against the vision wore thin.
"Let go!" Esme scolded but the outside world was fading and the memory came to my view.
"I can't move my hand!" Jasper growled back, his hand twitching but not moving an inch. I clamped my lips shut so I couldn't describe what I was seeing; it would give away too much.
It was me; that I was sure of. It was at the Cullen household; all of the family were there, dressed up and smiling. It was my birthday. Alice passed me a present which I reluctantly accepted.
I took the little package, rolling my eyes at Edward while I stuck my finger under the edge of
the paper and jerked it under the tape.
"Shoot," I muttered when the paper sliced my finger; I pulled it out to examine the damage.
A single drop of blood oozed from the tiny cut.
It all happened very quickly then.
"No!" Edward roared.
He threw himself at me, flinging me back across the table. It fell, as I did, scattering the cake
and the presents, the flowers and the plates. I landed in the mess of shattered crystal.
Jasper slammed into Edward, and the sound was like the crash of boulders in a rock slide.
There was another noise, a grisly snarling that seemed to be coming from deep in Jasper's
chest. Jasper tried to shove past Edward, snapping his teeth just inches from Edward's face.
Emmett grabbed Jasper from behind in the next second, locking him into his massive steel
grip, but Jasper struggled on, his wild, empty eyes focused only on me.
Beyond the shock, there was also pain. I'd tumbled down to the floor by the piano, with my
arms thrown out instinctively to catch my fall, into the jagged shards of glass. Only now did I
feel the searing, stinging pain that ran from my wrist to the crease inside my elbow.
Dazed and disoriented, I looked up from the bright red blood pulsing out of my arm into the
fevered eyes of the six suddenly ravenous vampires.
I shook my head, the vision becoming blurry as I was sucked out of the vision.
"Izzy! Izzy?! Are you okay? Izzy!" A distant voice called but I was still dazed at the vivid memory, realising how close death had been to me. I blinked several times as the Cullen's living room came back into view. Alice was crouched infront of me, her eyes filled with concern.
"Izzy, are you okay?!" Alice repeated, her voice wavering slightly.
"Fine." I answered immediately, my voice monotone. The memory my mind had put on lockdown I'd just seen and I was devastated. Speechless.
"What did you see?" Edward growled, his black eyes locking on mine.
"Nothing.." I lied, standing up and shaking my head. The Cullens saw straight through my lie and their faces became skeptical.
"Izzy.. I'm sorry.. I couldn't move my hand. It just.." Jasper stammered, his eyes wide, his thoughts probably scanning through several gory memories of his victims.
"Don't worry about it." I whispered, flitting towards the front door. I turned back; my eyes filled with horror. Alice's eyes flicked to mine and recognition sparked in them.
"You didn't see.." She couldn't even finish, her face paled even more than usual.
"It wasn't my place to see." I muttered, my voice weak.
"Would anyone like to tell me what she saw?!" Emmett boomed, but everyone ignored him.
"Alice stop blocking me and let me see what she saw!" Edward hissed, his eyes livid with anger.Alice shook her head; not wanting to answer him.
"You'll tell me tomorrow, at lunch. Promise?" Emmett begged, his bottom lip jutting out like a child but it looked wrong on him now, like he forcing to be himself again.
I didn't respond; my head still reeling from the memory. I was on lockdown, my thoughts replaying it again and again. I didn't want to see how close it had been; how Edward had protected me.
