Chapter 3- Stranger
1926
Edward could smell the familiar scent of another vampire as he hunted alone one night, which surprised him. Vampires rarely came to small towns like Churchill to hunt humans, whose deaths might cause suspicion among people that knew them in town. They usually stayed in large cities where they could prey on people that would not be missed like streetwalkers, homeless people, or drug attics. Out of curiosity and boredom, Edward followed the scent all the way to the old, rundown pub on the edge of the town.
He entered the pub, there was a rowdy group of people playing cards and a few people sitting at the tables or lounging on the ripped and stained sofas. It was dimly lit, the only light coming from a few lamps placed around. At the bar, Edward spotted a gorgeous woman wearing a daringly short maroon coloured dress and a long, silvery grey jacket that matched her high heels. Her hair was a wavy mahogany and covered by a stylish cloche, flapper hat; she had on red lipstick. Edward knew she was a vampire the moment he saw her. She tilted her head, motioning for him to approach her. He sat on the stool chair next to her. He turned to face her as she smirked at his suspicious manner.
She spoke to him this time; her voice sounding smooth and seductive, "I have seen you before."
"Really, when?" her scent did now seem strangely familiar to Edward.
"The last time I was passing through Churchill was in 1921. I, along with my travel companion at the time, Lom were curious when we picked up the scent of another vampire in the train station. The moment we arrived there, you had already begun to leave, so we went away. I'm surprised you're still in this town; most vampires do not stay in one place among humans for long."
Edward suddenly remembered the figure he thought was watching him in the train station about four years ago. It did not make sense that he did not see her or hear her thoughts.
She asked him, "What is your name?"
"Edward," he replied and then heard her own name in her thoughts. "And you must be, Fidelia Florence?"
She raised one eyebrow and Edward added plainly,
"I'm a mind reader." He shrugged. "So what brings you to this town?"
She paused then replied, "Just passing through." Her answer troubled Edward. She seemed to be hiding something in her thoughts. She continued,
"So, I suppose you came to this bar out of curiosity, boredom… lust? Or just got tired of hunting deer?" She grinned evilly.
Edward smiled slightly and remembered that his golden eyes were a dead giveaway.
"Do you happen to know a vampire, Doctor Carlisle Cullen? As far as I know, he's the only one who lives this strange human-loving lifestyle. Most vampires who have been around long enough know him for it."
Edward replied, "Yes, he actually turned me into a vampire.
"Oh, well that explains why you stayed in this town for so long. Don't you get tired of acting like a human all the time, drinking animal blood?" She asked bluntly, moving in closer.
He found himself enjoying the way her knee slightly touched his. After all, he had not had much contact with a female, let alone anyone in the past eight years, so his reaction should not have been much of a surprise to him. However, he responded to her differently than other female vampires; like Tanya for instance who he had little attraction towards. There was something about this woman's approach that fascinated him.
Edward thought hard about her question. He supposed that it did get difficult controlling his desires from time to time. He had been feeling the uncomfortable disconnection with Carlisle and Esme for almost four years now and he was beginning to grow tired.
"It can be tough sometimes, but it's not so bad I guess."
She grabbed her purse and slung it over her shoulder.
"I need to hunt, I can't stand sitting in this room full of humans any longer. I would ask if you wanted to join me, but well…"
"Its fine, I understand," Edward replied, only now noticing her raven black eyes. "But wait, are you going to be leaving town afterwards?"
She smiled a seductive smile and replied, "I'm going to go and stay with some vampires in the west end of San Francisco; you should come visit some time? You know, live a little."
"It was nice meeting you Fidelia." Edward said, wanting to follow her now, more than he should.
As he said this she moved closer to him and to his surprise, seductively kissed him on the lips and then smiled that smile again before replying, "It was nice meeting you Edward Cullen."
As she left him standing in the smoke filled pub, Edward couldn't help but imagine a life like hers. He pictured never having to worry about anything or anyone, being free from disappointing the ones you love and always feeling like the odd man out. At that point, he knew his time with Carlisle and Esme was limited.