Chapter 4:

He just stares at me, stunned. His wavy blonde hair shines. He's wearing gray pants and a plaid button-up shirt. It's only buttoned up to the third to last button. I flick my gaze away quickly, hoping that he doesn't notice my quick intake of breath upon seeing him. He's still staring, and if I could blush, I would. He finally tips his hat and says, "Hello, M'am. May I ask one question?"

I nod, smiling at his slight southern accent and mannerisms. Cute is one word that runs through my head. I shake the thought off and try to bring back my casual observation.

He asks, "Please don't take offense of my asking, but how do I know you?" I laugh and grab his hand, leading him back out the door he's just entered.

I chuckle and say in an ominous voice, "All will be revealed soon. Just follow me!" We silently walk down the bank of the Hudson River until we come to the tree where Lucy, Will, and I first really got to know each other. It was OUR tree, and soon Jasper and I'd be able to share a memory of this tree too. That is if he doesn't take off running the minute I mention "visions of the future."

We finally get there. I say in a rush, "Your name is Jasper. You're a vampire like me. I haven't met you before now, but we will end up being together a lot. I've known I would meet you since I woke up in this new life. Until last year, I haven't even known where I'd meet you. Then I, I um… I kind of knew after seventeen years that I'd meet you at this bar with a bar tender named Sam Carnegy, so I finally found him last week on Monday. Then I got a job, and you're here."

He backed up, eyes wide and hands held up like I was some land mine to carefully tread upon. He stammered, "Listen, Lady, I-I just met you. I don't know how you know who I am or why you're so familiar with me, but I just came there because I needed a good hunt. So, I guess, um, nice knowing you, but I'm leav-" I clutch his arm, desperation taking hold of me.

"Wait! Just um, please! You have to listen to me! I've seen you, okay?" I gasp, grief of my almost loss making my usually high voice into a shrill pleading tone.

He collapses to the ground, conceding to my effort to retain him. "Fine," he grumbles in an exhausted tone, "but you can at least tell me your name."

I shrug, "It's Alice." I'm preoccupied by his simple skipping over the part of my seeing him. "Wait, I said that I've seen you. Don't you understand? Why aren't you freaking out?!"

"You saw me. That isn't exactly a miracle, you know. It's one of the five senses; that is unless you're blind. You're not blind; are you?" He asks, smirking.

I roll my eyes, annoyed at him missing this simple concept. I can feel my anger pulsating through me, and I have the urge to slap him across the face. Southern gentleman, my ass, I think, seething. I leap up into the tree and swing on the branch, feeling I need an outlet for my anger. I finally ask, anger still ringing through my voice, "I haven't met you before! Weren't you listening! I've seen you!"

He shakes his head at me and inquires, trying to be polite, "Alice, please, won't you come down so we can talk like two civilized vampires?" I can feel myself growing angrier at his condescending tone, but then everything starts to feel fine again. I wonder briefly what causes my sudden change in mood, but then I shake it off as I fall back to the bank of the river.

I say slowly, "I can see more than most people. Call it a sixth sense if you will. It's not like I see different colors or farther or whatever. I-I can see the future." I feel embarrassment as I watch his face. To my shock he takes it coolly and calmly, unlike my anticipated accusation of insanity and pointing and laughing.

He goes, "So you do more than most people. So can I. But if you see the future, how can you be so sure that you saw me and my future? How can you be sure that was me?"

I explain, "It isn't like I'm staring through the Hudson or anything. It's like watching a colored photograph or film. It's like I'm actually there, watching and listening in that room. Your voice, your face, your clothes- they're all the same. If I'm wrong, how can I explain my ability to see stock market trends and what I'll wear tomorrow?"

He smiles, "Tell me what I'll wear tomorrow. I'll meet you here again, and if you're right then I'll believe that it's me you're seeing."

I shake my head, perplexed, "No, my visions all depend upon the choices of others. They're subjective. Usually, the normal every day things aren't set in stone. However, destinies, those are pretty hard to change. Things that don't depend on choices are most reliable, like the weather."

He nods, understanding what I mean. He's smart. He says nonchalantly like he's asking me to walk or open a door or whatever, "Then tell me the weather tomorrow."

I nod and say, "Come by the empty warehouse tomorrow when you believe that my visions are accurate. It's right on Jersey shore. You can't miss it."

I clear my head. I close my eyes and let go of the present. I float in the dark abyss of my blank thoughts. Then I point all of my head, all my focus into one word: weather. Then I am blinded and come to see a picture of the sky. The sun shines brightly in the sky, but some clouds lay not far behind. They seem stormy. The sky looks like early morning. I assume that it'll be sunny in the morning but will turn to light showers sometime around midday.

I come back to the present, not sure how long I've been gone. It might've been a minute. It might've been ten. I open my eyes and gaze upon him, the after-calm of my prevision meditation still in affect. Jasper's staring at me in wonder, and I haven't even done anything. I say to his shocked face, "It'll be sunny in the morning, but it'll rain sometime around noon."

He doesn't even seem to register the information. Finally he says in a less than present voice, "How-how did you do that?"

I shrug. "See the future? I don't really know. I just woke up and I could do it. Hey, earlier. You said you had a sixth sense. What can you do?"

He stammers, ignoring my question, "How did you clear yourself like that? I couldn't feel anything. I could feel nothing coming from you. How did you stop your emotions? How did you DO that?"

I stare at him, slightly wary of his strange dialogue, "You, you FELT me? You felt my emotions? You're a… oh my God. You're a manipulator! No wonder you… oh my God." I got up and started pacing. A manipulator is a class of our talents. It means one who can feel and work your emotions like Chelsea in the Volturi. No wonder I've been feeling so calm. Oh my God. He's been feeling me this WHOLE time! He knows I find him slightly uh… attractive. If my face could burn with a blush right now, it would be.

I pace back and forth. Finally he comes up and gets in front of me. He takes hold of my shoulders and gives me one firm shake. My body waves with the strength of his push. He stares at me, deep and long. I can feel myself becoming calm and thoughtful. I push him away and yell, "Stop DOING that!" I leap to the tree. In no time, I am staring down at him.

He follows me up into the tree. I yell at him, "Stay away from me. Don't do anything to me. Stay right there." He keeps advancing, and finally he rushes forward and clasps my hands together. He pins me against the trunk. He's much stronger than me. I know I'm small, but I like to think I pack a punch. Guess not…

He says quickly, "Alice, tell me how you did that. I'm not going to do anything to your emotions. If I could turn it off right now, I would, but I can't so I'll just concentrate on other things. Please tell me how you did that."

I shake my head and starts muttering at him, "Get off me you no-good-emotion-manipulating-stronger-than-me-bigger-than-me-mocking-Southern-" Suddenly he lets go of my hands and jumps down from the tree.

He stalks away, calling over his shoulder, "I'll be at the warehouse tomorrow afternoon. Be prepared to answer that question because I'm not giving up until I get that answer."

I stare at him in shock, mouth hanging open at his obvious cockiness, as his figure recedes into the bluish gray dusk of the night. I stay up in that tree all night, watching the lapping river and rising sun. In the morning I run off to the shores, excited for my meeting with the cocky manipulator that is Jasper.