OK! I have edited this chapter slightly. It was a little to unrealistic for my liking, and for other people's liking too I suppose. Nothing too dramatic though! Enough chat, Read on!


Chapter 7 – Learning

Edward, Carlisle and I were completely still and silent, totally taken in by Elise's story. Instead of answering them, she had only given way to more questions. I wanted so badly to ask her everything I needed to know, but something held me back. She was not quite finished yet.

'I think I might stop there. I can see you are all fairly eager to ask some questions.' She was smiling widely now, a far cry from the sad smile she had worn not a minute ago. I wasn't sure what was so funny, but suddenly I felt like I could ask the questions that had been eating at me while she was talking, and so I blurted the first question that came to me from the mass. Unfortunately both Edward and Carlisle started speaking as well, and Elise was bombarded with questions.

She sat patiently on the bed, waiting for us to calm down. Once the torrent of words had stopped, she laughed. We were all taken aback by the beautiful, trickling noise that reached our ears.

'One at a time, please! I can only answer so much at once!' Elise giggled a little more and then went quiet, waiting for a question. Edward looked around at us and we nodded.

'What about your brothers and sister? You didn't mention anything of them. They're not your biological siblings, are they?'

'No, we are not biologically related, but we are strongly connected in some way. None of us can really explain how we are linked; all we know is that we were meant to be together. The night I ran away, I fell asleep for the very first time in my life. All I remember was that I was running, and suddenly a haze crossed my vision. I stopped, and just... collapsed.

'As I slept, I dreamt. I dreamt of three people, two boys and a girl, and they were exactly like me. They were stunningly beautiful and pale, with bright green eyes. I never questioned this dream. I knew who these creatures were, and that we were meant to be together. I knew that they were alive and well, and just as alone as I was in the world. I dreamt of the miles that separated us, but knew that we would meet when the time was right. After a few years we did eventually come together, and it was like we had always known each other. The terms 'brother' and 'sister' came easily to us after me met. We haven't been alone since.'

'So it was just as easy as that?' Edward asked, and Elise nodded.

'I told you that none of us can explain the connection that holds us together. We just know that it is there, and we are much better for it.' She went silent, waiting for another question. I was still bursting at the edges with questions, but I let Carlisle ask the next.

'You said before that you possess multiple abilities. What are these talents?'

'I have many talents, some I use more than others. It was almost like I knew I had them, but I didn't know how to use them, like they were locked away in my head. While I was roaming the world alone, I managed to unlock some of these abilities. Certain activities I performed triggered these latent talents. The mammoth was just one example of unlocking these gifts. I found my strength and confidence that day, as well as my agility.

'As well as learning these abilities myself, my siblings discovered other talents that our kind possesses. As soon as they learnt something new, the rest of us would shut off, and we would dream of this new found talent. The moment we would wake up, we knew how to use it ourselves. It is an incredibly efficient process.'

'So when you went out at the supermarket, that was you learning a new talent?' I asked her, the question blurting out.

'Yes.' She said simply. 'It's a great way to learn, but it can be inconvenient at times, like you found out yesterday.'

'What were you learning exactly? You still haven't told us of all your abilities yet.'

'I would prefer to keep most of what I can do to myself. I can tell you a little of what I can do though. A useful one is that I can tell what other people can do, humans and vampires alike. It's a defensive talent, letting us know what advantage the other has over us. For example, I know that Bella is an incredibly strong mental shield and that Edward is a reader. Carlisle, you have an overwhelming amount of compassion about you.' She smiled warmly at him, and he smiled back. She looked pointedly at Edward.

'I can also read minds. This is much more advanced compared to Edward's reading skill though. For me, the human mind is like a filing cabinet. I can pick the thoughts that I want out of people's minds, no matter how long ago they thought it. I can take out memories or place thoughts in people's heads that they have never thought before, but I can't shut the gift off. The buzzing of people's minds can be quite tiering to listen to. I'm sure you can understand what I mean, Edward.'

'Of course.' Edward agreed with her whole heartedly.

A thought occurred to me, and I voiced it.

'Can you read my mind, Elise?' I don't know why I was asking, since nobody has ever been able to read my mind before, but I suddenly felt the need to know. Elise looked apologetic.

'Yes Bella, I can read your mind like anyone else's. I can sense the shield that is covering you, but it is no match for me. I just have to push a little harder than usual.'

Edward gasped, and I suddenly felt incredibly uncomfortable. I hated the idea that someone could get through to me... and so easily. The power the girl had... it was incomprehensible to me. She still looked like the same beauty that had come into our house yesterday, but she seemed more and more lethal as we learned more about her.

'Why can't I read your mind?' Edward asked. His shoulders had tensed again, and he had positioned himself in front of me again.

'You cannot read my mind because I do not wish you to, Edward. I have a shield like Bella's protecting my thoughts. Please, sit back down Carlisle, I didn't mean to frighten you.'

Carlisle stared at her for a second, and then picked up the chair that was lying on its side on the floor. He placed it upright and sat back down.

'The gift I just learnt then is quite fascinating. I don't have any idea how Sara came across it but it's sure to come in handy one day...' She drifted off and held her palm up in front her face. Her dark eyebrows drew together as if thinking very hard, and then a plume of fire burst into life in the middle of her hand. I instantly moved backwards, and Carlisle rose from his chair in a millisecond. It flew back into the wall behind him, and left a dent in the white plaster. Vampires and fire did not get along well.

'Oh, sorry,' Elise said and closed her fingers over her palm, extinguishing the fire that burned there, 'I forgot you guys are flammable. My apologies. Remember I have no wish harm you at all.'

'All this... what you can do... this is all unbelievable.' He said out loud.

'Why?' I whispered, my voice barely audible.

She looked at me with a frown on her face. 'I'm sorry?' She must have shut herself off to my mind in politeness.

'Why can you do all of these things? What is the purpose for all this power you have? For all we know, you have a hundred more powers to use against us. Elise, what are you?'

She looked at me for a long time. There was conflict in her emerald eyes as she decided how to answer me. Then her shoulders slumped.

'Bella, in all my existence, I have wondered the same thing. My siblings don't have any idea either. We are what we are. We don't have scientists to classify us or our species. In all honesty...' Her eyes looked into mine, and she looked lost.

'I don't know what I am, Bella.'


Now this is the chapter some people may end up hating or really liking. It's supposed to be the chapter that answer's MOST questions, but not all. If it doesn't do what you want it to do then sorry! The only way I can fix it is if I know what you hate or love! So im stating the obvious by saying REVIEW!

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