This Time Is Ours

Jasper POV written by Nat Whitlock Wood

Alice POV written by Lesa Masen Cullen Goncalves

Chapter 3 - Jasper POV

I don't really know what happened, it happened so fast that it could be nothing but a dream, a cruel possibility of hope that has never been graced upon me before. But it was hope all the same, something I had not felt in many decades, and so I took her hand with barely a hesitation and allowed her to tow me from the diner back into the rain soaked streets.

It felt like a whole day had passed before we reached the edge of town keeping at slow human speeds so as not to draw attention to ourselves, but once we were free from human eyes, she picked up her pace until we were a mere passing breeze on the now empty street. She threw her head back letting out a shrill laugh that startled me at first, I'd never in my whole immortal life, heard any vampires laugh and this would have had me alert and trying to get away from her if not for the sudden change in her emotions.

Yes, I could feel everything she herself was feeling, and with our joined hands it only increased the sensation and something had her now suddenly more sombre. It seemed to mirror how I had been feeling for so very long now, and it piqued my interest, I had to know more about her.

When we finally stopped in a crop of trees sheltered from the downpour, it was then that the stranger turned to me. She stepped closer and my body tensed instinctively though less pronounced as it had been back in the diner. My body twitched out of habit as her fingers brushed the side of my face whilst she removed my victims sunglasses in one fast fluid motion and I forced myself not to step back, not to show alarm, and not to take flight, this strange little vampire lady seemed to know more about me than I know of myself and I willed myself to stay.

I asked her name, and it was no surprise to me when her name mirrored her beauty, but the fact that she knew my own name before I had a chance to formally introduce myself certainly was a surprise. I lowered my blood red gaze to our hands whilst she traced her finger across two of my many scars and instantly felt the shame rise inside of me, there was no doubt that she felt a little of it seep from myself also, when my own emotions are strong sometimes they escape and others feel them, and so with this in mind I forced the emotions back allowing her to continue to hold my hands and I murmur a soft apology for anything she may have felt from me.

She spoke then of her gift after I prompted an answer from her, curious as to how she had been waiting for me for so long when I had not even known what I had been searching for, she needed no prompting afterwards, she continued to speak however she had me confused. If I had decided not to enter that town, not to enter that diner, then I would be wandering still, continuing to search for her and she would still wait for me to find her. That must be some rather annoying gift, decisions are made and changed all the time, at least my gift was easier to understand.

'So tell me' I tilted my head a little out of curiosity 'what does the future hold for me?'

Her words unnerved me. Spend eternity with her? I didn't even know her and she already spoke to me like she had known me since childhood in a past life. I was stuck for words for a moment as I considered what she had said. Did she speak the truth, were we destined to be together for eternity? I wanted to question it but she wouldn't budge an inch now, earlier she had let her words just seep from her, now apparently it was my turn to do the same, she wanted to know of my past but there's only so much I can tell her.

I lower my gaze to our joint hands again, swallowing slowly as I look to the scars where her finger still followed the pattern and I quickly drop my hands, they instinctively come to settle in the dip of my back, a habit I suppose from my mortal life, though I had no real memory of it, I could only assume this as when I had awoken into my immortal life I still wore a confederate soldiers uniform. I shudder at the memory and half turn away as if to leave, but my feet would not co-operate, and I did not want to leave this young lady behind, I was curious to know more of her, but she would speak of nothing else until I told her my story.

I take a small step towards a tree and stare at the ground beneath its trunk, it seemed dry enough but even then I still remove my jacket placing it on the soil and I turn to face Alice again, one hand coming from my back offering to her, and she smiled as she took it though I could see the concern in her eyes at the sight of further scars upon my arms.

I guided her to sit below the enveloping branches of the tree out of the still pouring rain and once seated, I sat beside her allowing my eyes to stray back towards the town whilst listening to the rain that was becoming heavier and pondering on what I should tell her, how much of me does she already know? My name at least, even I had not known that when I had awoken into this life. I exhale quietly, only now realising I had been holding my breath, and continue to stare away as I tell my story, not sure why I confided it all to this young lady who I knew barely anything about, but it just felt right and I hardly registered the stiffness that forced itself upon my weary body as I spoke, a stiffness brought on by the nightmares my life had become, for what I could remember of them at least.

'I…don't really remember much to be able to start at the beginning. The first thing I can remember is the pain. The burning, like the fires of hell only several times worse than I could ever imagine.'

I shuddered and looked down as I hugged my knees to my chest.

'The one who made me, Maria, she was making an army of vampires just like myself to try and take control of the southern states, I suppose with my knowledge of battle and army strategies that she changed me for such a reason as to train the new vampires in combat and to lead them into battle with the northern states. Kind of like a civil vampire war.'

I draw in a slow shuddery breath as I cautiously look to Alice now, seeing that she was listening intently, the smile gone from her face though it continued to twinkle in her eyes, I was holding her interest at least and now and again she lowered her eyes to look upon the scars on my hands, my arms or my neck and jaw line. It was at these times that I withdrew a little deeper, hugging my knees tighter to my chest almost to a point that I could have snapped my own ribs if a little more pressure was to be applied.

'The new vampires would outlive their usage after a year, their bodies wearied by battle, and so Maria would order me to destroy them so that they could be replaced by new recruits.'

I shuddered again turning my gaze back towards the town, my own hand lowering to subconsciously trace over the scars that Alice had stroked earlier, as though I could still feel the venom from the newborns I had destroyed.

'There was one that worked with me…Peter. One night in particular I had been ordered to destroy the yearlings that no longer had a use…and Peter was also to be disposed of. Maria had noticed a change in him, he had taken feelings for another, one that was barely 6 months old…Charlotte her name was. I was ordered to destroy them both but I could not bring myself to do it. I let them free knowing I would pay greatly for what I had done, but at least they were free from this wretched life that Maria bore us all into.'

A shiver ran down my spine and I dropped my hand quickly from where it had still been tracing the scars.

'I was locked away for three weeks until I was so ravenous with the thirst that I could have massacred several villages in just one night. And each night that I continued with my punishment, Maria would come to me, she would bite me every night letting the venom be punishment almost enough.'

My hand raised to touch a scar on my neck and again I dropped my hand quickly glancing to Alice, tapping into her emotions just for a moment to be sure I was not frightening her. There was some fear in her feelings and I look away again deciding to cut the long story short.

'I became rather depressed a few years later and I could sense that Maria was tiring of me, I would be destroyed if I lingered any longer, I needed to get away, and so one overcast morning I made my escape and never looked back. I've been wandering this country ever since…searching for you so it would seem.'

My eyes met Alice's for a quick second and another tremble ran the length of my body as I loosened the grip of my knees allowing my legs to straighten out again, the dull throb in my ribs lessening with the relief of not being crushed.

'Forgive me, I know nothing more really, I believe that with the monster that took over me and my…depression…my human memories were lost. I know only my name and that I was a Major in the confederate army…and that I died in 1863.'

I couldn't help the overwhelming sadness and depression that caressed its way around me again now from having to relive my past for Alice, I only noticed that it was effecting her also when a soft sob broke the lingering silence and I quickly forced the pain I was feeling back inside expressing a soothing calm upon Alice to make amends for what she had just felt.

'I'm sorry, Ma'am'