Edward

The last dull reminisce of light is still lingering in the sky when I reach the edge of the woods. I am thankful for the time to collect myself. Agitation from the unspoken accusations of my family is still governing my movements, and this is not an experience I wish to rush.

I take several deep, cleansing breaths. I listen to the sounds of the wildlife all around me and bond with them.

Rely on your senses, focus on your target.

Until now, there have been various questions floating around within the confines of my mind concerning the drive of the hunt. Is neglect weakening it? Is it lost to us, like our abilities?

But night arrives and I take off into the dark like a bullet from a gun. All uncertainties vanish as if there was never a time they tormented me; never a doubt for them to settle in to begin with.

I relish in the obstacles of my surroundings; weaving, ducking, and leaping with eager skill.

Leaves rustle softly from above, alerting me to a nearing gust of wind. I pause into a crouch. The light pressure hitting my face is something not to be missed. The scent of the human, my prey, is unmistakable.

I continue onward more carefully than before. She, however, was not very cautious and left her essence on everything in her path. Her mark is especially evident on the moss-carpeted trees, which, it seems, she touched quite often. Perhaps their soft texture is appealing to her; refreshing to her equally delicate skin.

As I trace her path, I notice something a bit off. Her scent is growing stronger at an alarmingly accelerated speed. Is she, I wonder, progressing toward me? Has she become so lost in the tangles of nature that she is not aware of her backtracking?

The image of the human sprinting straight to me in the blood mill fills my thoughts.

I pause again. Waiting for any difference in the air…

Nothing. There is no change whatsoever.

I can feel the inner puzzlement reflected on my face. If she was moving toward me, her smell would have increased in potency when I stopped. If she was moving away from me, her smell would have decreased. However, neither seems to be the case.

Mystery is the new added motive compelling my quest. The only option remaining is that the human is not moving at all. I forge ahead, contemplating the twisted logic behind such a decision. True, there is no doubt I will find her in any case. True, she may be well aware of that fact given her background. But to remain in one place strikes me as…almost…suicidal.

Or if not that, then bizarrely daring and insanely overconfident. And both descriptions do not match the quivering girl I brought here in the least.

The only exception I can think of is how she behaved toward the other vampire intent on snapping her neck at O. P. B. M. Her hopeless determination and luckless triumph…

I am cruelly close to her by this point. My throat is being slowly roasted by the flow of unneeded oxygen. I come to a small pond, scaling a tree growing alongside the water in order to cross without ruining my clothes. It is on one of the longest branches, reaching out toward the meadow on the opposite side, that I spot her.

The human is, indeed, still. Or as still as a human can be.

Her heart beats a steady rhythm, her breathing is slow, and the eyes I've known to be wide and frantic, are peacefully concealed beneath their lids. She is lying on her back, arms and legs extended awkwardly away from her. It is obvious it was not her intention to fall asleep.

I stare at the dried grime on her legs, imagining the exhaustion that must have spurred her into unconsciousness. The lack of trees allows the glow of the moon to cast down on her, highlighting the deep hue of the hair sprawled out from under her head; illuminating the contrasting radiance of her complexion.

The need to be closer to such raw beauty is overwhelming. I drop from the branch, landing soundlessly on the balls of my feet. Moving closer, I kneel at her side.

The burn of my thirst is far worse, reminding me how easy it would be to drain the human now. Ease is not what I desire, though, ease is not what I sought her out for. And to kill any creature in such a defenseless position would be pathetically low, even for a vampire.

I could wake her, I suppose. Wake her and tell her to run. I am sure I would not have to give the order twice. But even then, there would hardly be a chase. Who am I to shatter the girl's brief moment of tranquility? It's not as though there won't be other nights. Wasn't I just thinking of how I wanted to savor this experience?

It takes honest willpower to retreat from her.

My original destination upon backing away is to go home, but what if someone else stumbles upon her while I'm away? I have heard of those who like to prowl the woods at night. I have even considered joining them from time to time. What a treat my human would be….

They would not spare her.

I sigh, resigning myself to necessary guard duty.

"Get some rest, human," I advise, folding myself in the grass, "You'll need it."