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A/N I do not own Twilight, SM does. I just filled in the big black hole.

"Remember, you will die"

My existence became a series of short memories strung together by blood and need as I fell deeper under the control of the demon that tortured my soul. I continued to retreat further into my mind, the dark vermilion pooling around me.

My weak grasp of reality focused solely on the faces of my victims. The details of their existence and the hunt for their capture eluded me, but the way their faces contorted in fear as their blood coated my throat would forever remain burned into my memory.

I continued moving, never staying in one spot longer than the time it took to quench my thirst. Yet no matter how much blood I spilled or how many corpses lay crippled and drained in my wake; the burning need only intensified. The fire began to spread from my throat, slowly igniting my flesh until every cell in my body called for blood and vengeance.

Only once did I come across another of my kind, like two ghosts in the night we drifted past one another not exchanging a word or a second glance. As we passed I noticed the silence, I could hear the gravel crunch beneath our feet and the slight breeze in our wake, but nothing else. The whisper of death our only shadow.

Coherent thoughts began creeping into my consciousness as the sweet fragrance of nectar wafted into my nose, igniting the inferno, arousing the monster and ending all thoughts other than my need to feed.

Someone was coming.

Suddenly the silence was broken as I heard the man's mind roar to life within my head. He was a simple farmer returning home from the market. After hearing the thoughts of so many, I had come to realize that every human had things to hide. Every mind I had touched kept images buried deep within it's subconscious. Dark thoughts, quarantined to keep from contaminating the soul; held at bay in hopes of never being exposed.

This man was no different.

Within the breadth of a second, the man was pressed against his cart as the wood moaned in protest from the weight of our bodies.

"What...what do you want?" His words pinched as his heart thundered inside his chest, a slight sheen of sweat quickly covering his brow. A low growl rumbled from my chest as I stared at his quivering form. Faces of loved ones and fond memories filled our minds. The overwhelming joy and love causing me to stagger as I attempted to regain control of my intentions without distraction.

"Please, I have no money and these crops are all that I have to give to my family." The hammering of his heart sent blood coursing through his body as the darkness overtook my being.

His thoughts suddenly shifted. He began begging forgiveness for his sins as he knew he was being punished. I was God's retribution for his evil deeds. I could hear the irregularities in his heart as panic overtook him, causing him to lose control over his own body.

The cart creaked as boards gave way, crashing our bodies against the earthen ground. The smell of blood intensified as searing pain shot through the man's conscious thoughts, a piece of aged wood slicing easily through his flesh, piercing his lung. A simple peace settled over the man's features as his life spilled from his torso, the liquid turning his rags a deep burgundy as his memory soaked into the fabric..

Upon instinct my mouth rested against the open wound as I leisurely lapped the juices of his soul. My tongue slowly caressing the area as I let the flow roll down my throat, easing the flames coursing throughout my body.

In the last moments of his life, this man acknowledged the guilt of brutally beating a man with his bare hands. The visual of bloodied hands as a lifeless corpse was pushed into raging rapids played before my eyes. Just as my fingers grasped mercifully around his neck, I was assaulted by the vision of graves. Four freshly covered graves and the overwhelming grief of loss. The words he spoke to those graves brought me to my knees; It is done, your murderer has paid for his sins and your souls can rest in peace.

The sound of his beating heart stopped with the end of that sentence.

My body flew off his remains as my mind reeled with this new knowledge.

This man that I had just murdered, only took another's life in retribution for his loved ones.

The blood-filled existence that I had been living for so long slowly started to waver. Logic began creeping into my mind, the knowledge of my deeds nearly crippling me.

I had sought retribution and purpose, instead creating an existence devoid of any emotion. The monster that I had fought to control and keep at bay for so long had taken over, killing those that need not be killed. My eyes once again fell to the lifeless corpse, frozen in a moment of clarity. His face showed no sign of fear or remorse, only sadness, but for what I was unsure. Retracing the thoughts he had given to me, I focused on an early memory. Thoughts of a family gathered around the table as dinner was being served. The love in each of their eyes, slowly warming the chill that had long ago settled within my empty soul. I counted five pairs of eyes staring back into my own.

Five pairs, four graves.

Enveloping his cold body within my stone arms I began to retrace his steps. His journey took me far into the woods. He had kept large distances between his world and any others, as if he had been trying to protect his family from the evil that lurked within it's shadows. Little did he know that shadows knew no boundaries. Nothing was able to stop the darkness from creeping in, it sought out the cracks and crevices, silently slithering in and overtaking any world. One could be shrouded in blackness before it's presence could even be noticed, and once you were within it's grasp, all hope was gone.

The same shadows that hunted this man and his family lived within me, my hope for redemption long forsaken as the monster that I am was born. The date of its birth I could not say, as my memories existed in broken pieces. The only common factor was the rage and the need that constantly pushed me for more. The burn still throbbed through every inch of my body, causing my limbs to shake as I fought to keep myself under control.

Though the body in my arms had grown cold, the faint scent of his essence still called to me, begging me to seek it out and make it my own. As the crimson began to invade my senses, the image of the graves and the eyes of his remaining child pushed me to maintain control. My body began to revolt against my resolve, making each step feel as if iron shoes adorned each of my feet.

The monster raged, demanding it not be ignored, and I felt the sharp pain as it's claws began shredding my mind.

The vegetation surrounding the path began to thin as a clearing came into sight. The raging monster momentarily quieted as the scent of fresh flowing blood seduced him. Like a moth drawn to the flame, I silently stalked toward the aged wooden shack.

Dirt shifted as the tall weeds gave way to the weight of the body as it fell from my grasp; the sound startling the occupant. The small red door flew open, exposing a woman with fiery red hair and ragged clothes. There were smudges on her face and cloth wrapped around her feet as her eyes focused on the heap beside me.

A small gasp escaped from her lips as her hand moved slowly to her cheek, feeling the moisture trace a path against her skin. Her heart rate increased as she took in my bloodied clothes and disheveled appearance. She knew the moment she saw me that I was the one who had done this to her father. The moment my crimson eyes came into her sight, she began to come to terms with her own death.

She was unafraid of what I would do to her, accepting that she would once again be together with her family. Her lack of fear sent rage coursing through me. How can such a feeble creature not be terrified and begging for my mercy?

In a moment, I was inches from her warm body, tiny wisps of warm air caressing my stone skin as she awaited her fate. The steady beat of her heart hypnotized me as the pity in her thoughts began to anchor me to reality.

"Dear God, please have mercy on this man's soul as he takes the life from others. Let him not suffer for his sin, instead may he find peace and redemption for his decisions."

My movements stilled as her thoughts broke past my resolve, causing the monster to falter. In that moment, my eyes locked onto hers and somewhere, locked deep within the recesses of my mind, a memory flared to life. A memory of those same jade eyes as they looked upon me with a world full of emotion. Her humanity shown through those eyes, the deep green filled with love and compassion for those who did not deserve it.

Just as my mother had seen the man behind the topaz of Carlisle's eyes, this woman saw something hidden deep within the crimson of my own. As I struggled with these thoughts, walking through the mossy forest of her soul, she forgave me. She abolished me of my sins and prayed for my soul. She prayed for the scarlet pain that she saw overtaking me, my eyes evidence of my wordly struggles and my unyielding guilt.

The magnitude of her thoughts brought me to my knees and I felt the damp earth through the tattered remains of my pants.

I fought to maintain control of my resolve as the monster lunged against the memory of my mother. Searing pain ripped through my skull as I worked to banish the demon.

The feel of warm flesh against my cheek nearly caused the demon to break free as I struggled to regain control of my thoughts.

Looking up from my penance, I again met the eyes of my past.

No longer would I watch my actions as if from another's body. No longer would the demon dictate and control my need, my hunger.

With the last vestiges of my strength, I attempted to banish the demon into the depths of my mind. The struggle was unbalanced and I quickly felt the monster overpowering my senses. The proximity of the girl and the increasing beat of her heart empowered the demon and lured him towards his prey. Unable to control my movements, my hand grasped the girl's arm firmly as a small gasp escaped her lips. Her mind continued to pray for my soul, as her emerald eyes pleaded for her own.

My eyes followed the path of a lone tear as it ran over the tanned skin of her cheek. The purity of her thoughts gave me the strength to break my grasp on her arm and flee into the neighboring woods. My unnecessary breaths came short and fast, fanning the flames scorching my throat.

Engulfed in the serenity of the woods, I again worked to contain the monster roaring in my ears. My need to destroy it was overpowered only by the knowledge that to do so would destroy me. I could not destroy myself, but could destroy what I had become, a soulless monster; a creature who lacked the self control to maintain an ounce of dignity, forever condemned to burn in the pits of hell.

A/N Thank you Jules, Kate, Tami, Militza, and Lilly, all of you rock my socks off.

REVIEW!! That is all please carry on.