Chapter 3 Erik

I realized what she found before the others even saw the pictures. "Erik Alexander?" I asked though I didn't need an answer.

Ambers head snapped up to face me. "How'd you know?"

"I was just thinking about it a few moments ago." I explained. "He is Kiara's great, great grandfather who was also the foster father of Dominique Gaines for a month."

"We need to talk to him immediately." Wesley said. "Amber and Mell were friends with those two girls in Baltimore and he knows too much about us. I mean, look at our rooms." he said while gesturing his hand to his own room.

Just then Erik came in through the door and walked up the stairs to see our accusing, confused, and slightly angry expressions.

"What happened?" he asked. Before I left they were fine. Happy even. I would have thought that they would never have forgiven me for what I have done but that wasn't what it looked liked before… His thoughts trailed of in confusion.

"What is your full name?" Elliot asked.

Oh. I guess they know who I am now.

"Well of course we know. These pictures show you with your wife, first and only child, and you at your funeral." Amber said.

"Who takes pictures at a funeral?" Wesley asked.

"Usually no one," I said nonchalantly. "Unless you hated the person who died and decided to take a picture to make the memory last longer."

"Okay. Now if you want me to give you answers then you will have to let me talk. Okay?" he said, irritated. Their really is no point in lying. They can read my mind anyway.

He is right. There really is no point in lying. The others are going to ignore his mind, but the fact that he even considered lying leaves me feeling the need to keep tract of his mind. Why would he have to lie in the first place?

"Okay. First of all that is not my funeral. It is my twin brothers. He is the one who had been bitten by a snake. I was actually still going through the change while all of it happened." he said. That doesn't really fit with the scenario I thought of.

"I'll start from the beginning," he started.

"Please do." Elliot said curtly.

He was so much nicer before the picture incident. "We were actually separated at the age of 4 or 5." Now it fits. I didn't even have to read his mind. "When Aaron and I had been separated we weren't identical, but the pictures prove that as we got older our physical features had began to match. I was sent to my biological mothers house. My father had remarried after he had lost to a case of adultery. My mother loved me but she would have temper tantrums because she said I look my father and she the face of a traitor when she sees me, though she new I would never betray her." She also had been aware that she and I had been slowly drifting apart.

I wasn't going to let that thought go unexplained. "Why were you two drifting apart?"

How did she…? Oh. I forgot. I'm surrounded by mind readers. He sighed. This should be nice to hear. He seems to be reluctant to answer.

"You know I'm avoiding your mind right now because I want to hear your answer in words, but if you don't answer my question then you leave me no choice but to pull the thought right out of your head." I warned. I actually had another choice but I am the kind of being who asks questions first and then kill. Though the killing is only if they deserve it. I had a case like that at age 6 but I don't like to think of that. It involves blood and I wasn't as controlled that time as I was two years later.

"My mother was very loving while I was living with her. For the first eight and a half years she was very attached to me. As was I, but that changed as I hit my early teens. I told you I had begun to resemble my father. Every time she saw me she would remember when she caught my father with the other woman and she would flinch when I said I loved her. Like she did not believe my words of affection. like I would throw her away the way my abhorrent father had. Eventually, she started to leave me with my relatives, unable to see me without hurting me, I believe. I over heard her speaking with my aunt and she said what she wouldn't want me to hear. She said 'I can not trust him. He looks exactly like Charles. If he can have the face of his father then he must have the mind of his father.' Then aunt Helen asked, 'What makes you so sure?' My mother answered by stating the quote, 'Like father like son.' I went to my room after those words."

Erik paused. I didn't hear anything in his mind to make me suspicious. Not yet at least. I still didn't let go of the fact that he had considered lying to us.

"Then what?" I asked.

"What" Erik asked.

"You thought the words 'She also had been aware that she and I had been slowly drifting apart.' I want to know when she realized it and what you both did." He was hiding something. I was still avoiding his head.

He sighed again and continued. "The day after I heard her confession I started to keep my distance from her. She seemed more comfortable that way but she grew more suspicious of me. It was only a matter of time until those memories of my father drove her insane. She kept those memories with her. She would always tell herself that I was too much like my father. That she shouldn't trust me. Over time she became more confidant that I would hurt her. When I realized that she thought I would hurt her, it made me angry. I told her so many times I loved her and yet she wouldn't let go of the past. I would frequently give her glares and I would walk out of the room when she entered, not able to stand my mothers so called unconditional love. She was aware that I didn't love her as much and she stopped loving me altogether. Staying away from her became my habit and I grew to hate her. One day, on the 15 of March year you do not need to know, she told me to visit my grandmother. She waited until I left to go to tell the driver to kill me." he stopped again. I glanced at Amber and she looked like she was about to cry though she really can't. These kind of stories always made her emotional. Wesley was going towards Amber to comfort her, face slightly incredulous. Elliot, I couldn't tell. We both had one thing similar to each other. He was not affected by words of sorrow as much as Amber. In my case. I was not affected by any words of emotion. I only act like I am out of common courtesy.

"When the driver went over the bridge he told me to help him get the wheel out of a crack. I got out. Walked over to him and he pushed me in to the river."

"Why would the driver ask you to help him?" asked Wesley.

"I was stronger than him. He would have needed help if the wheel were stuck." Erik answered, emotionless.

He didn't even have to say what happened next. I didn't even have to search his mind to get the rest of the story. "Then some vampire found you and changed you. Was it a vegetarian?" I asked.

"Now how did you know a vampire found me? I wasn't even thinking about that!" he said annoyed and surprised.

"I have a complex mind. As a human I saw things differently. I call it complex sense. A more advanced version of common sense. You didn't answer me, by the way." I reminded him.

"Yes he was a vegetarian. Is what she saying true?" he asked to Amber, Wesley and Elliot.

"About what?" asked Amber, a little guarded.

"This 'complex sense' thing." he said.

"Yeah, it's true. Elliot has a little of it too. Amber has it but rarely shows it." answered Wesley. They continued talking about my traits and personality.

How the hell did the conversation end up about me? Erik must have been curious and wanted to change the subject. he was and I refuse to remain on this topic. There is still something that he is hiding. I decided to read his mind.

Fascinating. This girl has to be the most unusual creature I have ever met. Human or vampire. Mellosa must have had a dark past. I should ask… His thoughts were headed towards a dangerous place. No one other than me, Amber, Wesley, end Elliot should know about our pasts. Elliot let out a low and startling snarl.

"No, you shouldn't ask, Erik. That topic really shouldn't be in your best interests. Besides you still have your story to finish." I think I already know what happened though, but I'm not sure. Not yet.

Damn. Why does she want to continue with my story? They would hate me for telling them this… Never mind. I was close to the truth. Just not as close as I usually am.

"The vampire bit me. I went through the change and heard that my brother died. I went to the funeral and took pictures because I have not seen him for years and I found pictures at my fathers house of Aaron and took some with me. Then-"

"How did you go to the funeral? Did any body even recognize you?" Amber asked. They really should just read his mind. It's very unnecessary to just pull out words from him.

"No. I hid in the trees. I took pictures from above." he answered.

"But you were a new born. Weren't you tempted to much to control yourself?" Wesley asked. I had a feeling Elliot was also listening to Erik's mind. He wasn't asking any questions.

"Well you guys said that you could handle temptation really well as humans and so could I." he said a little smug. Only a little. Barely enough to tick me off.

"What happened then?" I asked for Amber and Wesley's sake. They were obviously having a slow moment.

There is no point trying to change the subject anymore. Just tell her.

I could have sworn that last part was someone else's thought. But that was not possible due to the fact that there were only vampires present and no other being close enough for there thoughts to be that loud. I just barely missed it when Erik started talking again.

"The vampire, Gabriel, invited me to stay with him. He seemed around thirty by face but he was actually over one hundred and fifty. He told me everything I told you and his past experiences. Gabriel is a nomad though he always had a house at the places he went. He does not remain in an area for over 1 year. He likes to travel a lot. When he found me he was on his way to see the Volturi," I remember the Volturi. The "royal government" of the vampire world. I also noticed how he was describing Gabriel with present tense. "and when he changed me he postponed his trip to four months later so that I could go with him. When we got to Italy and my thirst was 'remarkably controlled', to put it in Gabe's way, I was amazed. The place was a city within a city. It was at least two thousand years old."

"How old are the Volturi, exactly?" Wesley asked. He was a history person. He loves researching anything and everything. he even tried to write a biography on us.

"I am not sure but I think they are between 3 and 5 millenniums." he answered. His voice showed his respect and fear of them.

"Three thousand years." I said in a quite voice to show only a fraction my amazement.

"I know." Elliot and Wesley said.

"Why? What happened?" Amber asked impatiently. She hated not being excluded of a discussion.

"Amber. Think about it. A group of vampires that lived for over three thousand years. Think of all the things they have seen and experienced." Wesley explained. I still can not believe that we can read each others minds. That was exactly what I was about to say.

Amber thought about that for a second and realization entered her face. "Your right. All of the things we learned in school of world history and comparing it to someone who was actually there to see it."

"Like the rise and fall of early civilizations." said Wesley. Of course he would say that.

"And your favorite, Mell. The eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79 at Pompeii and Herculaneum." Elliot added with a smile.

"Aww. I wanted to say that!" I complained with a fake baby faced pout. Everyone laughed and I joined in. Everybody knew how absorbed I was with Mount Vesuvius. It's just the story of it that I can't seem to let go of.

"Why is that your favorite?" Erik asked curiously. He wasn't even trying to change the subject.

"It's just the thought of all those people that lost there lives in a matter of minutes that is so gripping. When I think of it I just see myself as a little kid their just watching and having tears come down my cheeks. Watching all of my people dying. The end of my home. And my life as I slowly breath in the toxic air unable to hold it back. Then when I get back to reality, I can't help but feel that there really might have been a kid like that, just watching." I just looked at the others staring at me and I realized why they were staring. I only ever told them that reason for my absorption of Mount Vesuvius was due to the mystery of the event. I never told them the emotional part of it.

"Mell." Amber called lightly. I didn't answer her because she just came over in one half of a second and held me tight. I am usually the one who comforts her because Amber is my little sister of sorts. She usually has her moments of being the comforter when I remember how my parents died.

Wesley silently came to my side and Amber let me go so that Wesley could wrap an arm around my torso and whisper to me, "It'll be okay." He did that all the time. Then Elliot came to my other side and wrapped his arm around me and rubbed my shoulder like my father used to. Only he knew how to do that me. I felt really good in his arms right now.

This was shocking as well. Before, whenever I would have my moments he would just walk out of the room. He used to comfort me before but he stopped after junior high. I think he stopped because it would remind him of the girl he was in love with and when he was comforting her. I guess I can't blame him.

Elliot finally let me go and looked me in the eyes for a moment before going back to where he was standing. Something in his eyes were solemn… like he was…apologizing? I couldn't understand that, and for some reason I felt that I shouldn't ask him about it. Instead I asked Erik the question I wanted him to answer the most. "So what happened to your mother?" I think…

"She died." he said looking down. I knew it.

"How?" I sounded extremely cruel for asking him this.

He didn't say anything. I was about to go into his mind, but Amber's shocked voice distracted me. "Mell, you can't really ask him that."

"Why not?" I asked though I understood why.

"It's personal." Wesley said when Amber remained silent.

"I know. But I want to know who we are living with. I don't think I could trust him if he killed his own mother. I'm not saying he did," I said when Erik's head snapped up to face me. "But I just want to be sure. Besides. He wants to know what happened to my parents."

"So do we but we never asked flat out like you just did." Amber scolded. That was confusing.

"I thought I already told you what happened." I said. I probably told them the short version. In other words I probably said what I forced myself to say.

"Yes but not wholly." I could tell she was trying not to seem as if she was prying. She was only worried about me. Elliot and Wesley were the only ones who weren't curious. They saw what happened that day.

"Fine I'll tell you, but only after Erik tells his story first." I bargained. Amber had given Erik a look that led him to start talking. I love it when she does that! It usually means she was using her gift. It's funny sometimes.

"I had told you that she was growing mentally insane. She killed herself." he said with a blank face. I didn't want ask why. I just couldn't find it in me to help lead him further down his memory.

I sighed, knowing it was my turn. I looked at Wesley and he offered a smile for encouragement. Amber tried to do the same but failed though I still appreciated the effort. Then I looked at Elliot.

Ah! The Glare of Worry!

I hated that face and I loved it at the same time. It was comforting and annoying how he thinks I'm as weak as I used to be. It may show weakness on my side but it still feels good to know that someone still worries about me.

"My parents were very loving people like your mother had been. They didn't spoil me but they didn't say no to me all the time either. I loved them and they to love me but that all changed when I turned 6. When they found out I would go through vampirism they started to send me to different therapists and neurologists. When the doctors told them that I was too young for the right kind of brain surgery they decided to end everything so no body would know about there no longer 'perfect' daughter." I paused to see everyone's faces.

Erik looked shocked. Amber was sad again. Wesley was sickened by the facts. Elliot was filled with rage. The boys were always protective of us. Like the two brothers I never had.

I decided to continue. "When I turned seven we didn't have a party because they knew how much I disliked parties that were focused on me. Usually they would have one that I was not participating in but they didn't have one of those either. About 2 weeks later my parents tried to shoot me. They got me in my heart but they only scraped it. They didn't damage it that much. Wesley and Elliot were on there way to my house and were running in when they heard the shot. My parents then shot themselves. Now here I am. The last survivor of the Kyle family. They left a tape that explained why they tried to kill me but I didn't want to watch it. For years I have been in grief because of what my parents had attempted to due until I finally decided to watch the tape." I didn't want to go on any further. He didn't need to know what was exactly on that tape and I didn't want him to know yet.

"So what did they say on the tape?" Erik asked looking confused. Why would her parents give her a tape? This really doesn't make much sense at all.

Must he ask so many questions? Well I refuse to answer that. "I am not telling you just yet. You will have to wait till I get to know you better." I said smiling.