July 26, 1927 New Orleans, Louisiana
When we finally arrived in town it was nearly nightfall.
We would have gotten to New Orleans sooner if we hadn't had to of stopped every few miles so that Jacob could rest. Both Edward and I found this rather hindering in our journey. But with some convincing I was able to pacify Edward from taking off on his own. I swear sometimes that man was so self-absorbed and it seemed as though he only cared about himself that I wanted to give him a nice good hard punch to his porcelain-like face.
What would've taken Edward and I a handful of days at our vampire speed had taken us nearly fourteen and a half days to finally arrive in New Orleans. It was just as beautiful as I remember too, the roads, the people, everything, was just so laid back and easy going. That may have been why I had felt so at home in this city. No one was paranoid of one another, and if there was ever really any problems the people here seemed to act as if nothing was even wrong. Like Chicago, New Orleans had its own secret subculture of supernatural beings. I mean by day you would have no clue that New Orleans was home to a whole slew of different supernatural beings that otherwise I would have never thought existed.
"We should get going; Elsa's shop should be around here close. If my memory serves me correctly then her home should be just down this block." I said and started walking. Jacob quickly followed on my heels, while Edward took a bit longer to follow; probably weighing the good and the bad that would possibly come with following me to learn more about this cure.
My memory was still faithful and Elsa's building still stood in the exact same spot it had for the past thirty or forty years, her words not mine, untouched by time it seemed. The home had a wooden sign that hung out over her front stoop that said 'Madam Elsa' and just below that it read, 'Clairvoyant'. The front of the house looked as if it had been neglected – the siding could do with a fresh coat of paint, and the shutters needed to be repaired before they fell off their hinges. Just as I was about to knock on the door to signal that I had returned, just as Elsa had predicted, the door swung open and that same figure stood before me. Elsa was a woman of shorter stature, and her hair, grey with age, had been haphazardly pulled back to keep it from falling in her face as she walked around her home. This somewhat confused me a bit seeing as how Elsa has been blind for quite some time. But I dared not bring this to her attention; I learned my lesson last time I asked her about bothering at all with her hair.
"I will have you know that I may be blind, but I still do not like the feeling of my hair falling into my face Isabella Dawson, now what is it that you wanted to ask me?!"
I could tell that I had offended her, and I quickly tried to change the subject, and was successful, but I couldn't help but feel an undercurrent of animosity still floating in the air threatening to make an appearance.
Elsa didn't wait for me to answer; she had already grabbed what she needed off of the shelves in her parlor room. I quietly followed behind her around the room, and when she finally finished I was instructed to give her my hand. I was a bit reluctant at first, to be honest – I wasn't quite sure what exactly she had in mind to do – but before I could even hesitate she grabbed ahold of my wrist and turned it over so that my palm was facing up. She was tracing her fingers over my open palm, and her fingers were a bit cool to the touch.
"I see that you are not fully happy with the…'lifestyle' you currently lead Isabella. I also see that you wish that the stories you were told by your creator were in fact true."
How did she know this? I had not told her a single thing about my life, at least nothing that I didn't want her to know in case she was untrustworthy or some sort of con woman.
"I see that you do not trust what I say Isabella, well I will let you know now that there is such thing as that cure you lust for. But I cannot tell you more right now, now is not the time to tell you.
"When will be the right time Madam Elsa?"
This caused the elderly woman sitting before me to smile broadly.
"You are such a curious one you are Isabella, now you know that the legend states that three supernatural creatures are said to be the ones that will go in search of the cure. When your search comes to a close return here, that is when the time will be right." Elsa slowly eased herself upright and shuffled carefully for the door and opened it for me to leave.
Just as I turned around to try and pry anymore information from this frail-looking woman I was met with the door shut in my face.
"Ah, Isabella, I see that that you have returned, and you've brought two companions with you. Come, come, I have my special blend of tea brewing in preparations for our little conversation." We all jumped back a bit from her sudden appearance. It always was a bit unnerving when she would turn up when you least expected it.
I quickly calmed myself and walked inside the familiar home.
"Now, you gentlemen be sure to wipe your feet before tracking all of that mud in my home, I may not have my sight anymore, but I run a clean home here." I couldn't hide the smirk that was sure to be evident on my face. I was amazed by how Elsa refused to be hindered from not having her vision, and lived her life like any other normal human being.
Aside from the ability to sense the future, of course; that was just an added bonus on her part.
"Ok, I don't mean to be rude ma'am, but how can you see the future if you're…well…blind…" Jacob asked matter-of-factly. Oddly enough I've caught myself often wondering the same thing on occasion, but never really paid it much mind. "I may be blind Jacob Black, but at one time I was able to see just as clearly as you do now. Now enough of the questions and pleasantries, you three are here to learn more about the cure elixir. I am almost certain that Ms. Isabella has told you all that I was able to tell her at the time." Jacob was a bit confused, as were Edward and I, which Madam Elsa seemed to already know his name before I had the chance to introduce them. Without thinking it through the three of us just nodded our heads in agreement, and then I realized that she was still waiting for a response.
"I apologize Madam Elsa, ye –"
"Ah, well now that that is settled, come have a seat around the table and let us begin to further look into where you three should start your journey." Elsa said and got up from the table. I was still in awe at how she was able to move around her home without bumping into furniture and knocking things over. When she came back to the table her arms were full of different size jars and bottles with labels that had very faint writing on them. On her second trip back from her shelf she had brought with her a cast iron cauldron that was placed in the middle of the table.
"What is this stu –"
"Do not interrupt me Mr. Black; I will do my best to explain as we go along. Now Isabella, take this bottle," Elsa instructed as she continued to look through the ingredients she needed for whatever it was she was planning on doing. ", and sprinkle in about two pinches of it into the cauldron. As for you Jacob, take one of the sticks from this jar and crumbled them into the cauldron no more than ten seconds after Isabella there does her part." Elsa's eyes scrolled down the list of items that she needed and started adding in different spices and weird smelling herbs.
When Jacob and I both finished our part we sat back and watched as Madam Elsa continued to add different herbs and plants to the pot, then all at once there was a flash of light along with a cloud of smoke. Once the smoke cleared there was a definite sound of the liquid bubbling, which was highly unlikely seeing as how the cauldron was not over any direct heat. Just before any of us could question what was going on, Madam Elsa took a ladle and scooped some of the contents into a smaller jar and proceeded to walk over to the fireplace.
"Madam Elsa, ma'am, there's no – " Jacob was cut off when, as if by some sort of magic, the fireplace roared to life. Jacob, Edward, and I were stunned at this turn of events. I had known Elsa to only a human with psychic abilities, but this was something way beyond anything that I thought possible for this feeble old woman. "What exactly are you keeping from us Madam Elsa, I've met my fair share of psychics and none of them were even half as powerful as you seem to be." Edward stated in a somewhat challenging tone. His glare towards this older woman caused even me to flinch back a bit. I could tell that he was only curious, but I was afraid that Madam Elsa would get offended and eject us from her home.
"Ah, I see that you have a gift that makes you unique as well. Tell me son, what am I thinking right this very moment?" Edward looked a bit taken aback, even for just a moment, before he regained his composure and proceeded to concentrate all of his attention towards Madam Elsa and her personal thoughts. "You're thinking about where the potion you had us create for you told us to start our journey." Edward said cautiously. I was a bit shocked, I must admit, to see Edward nervous about reading someone else's thoughts, but then I suppose it had to do with Madam Elsa secretly being some sort of witch. My only guess for his insecurity would be that for all he knew she was giving him a false memory or thought.
"A smart one you are, yes, that was exactly what I was thinking about this very minute. Your journey is to begin when you cross the ocean to the land of the country where your so called 'rulers' reside. Once there, you three will come across a vast assortment of supernatural creatures that will stand in your way. Of course, they are not orchestrated in any alliances against you three, but you will stray into their territory and will feel threatened. You cannot avoid these events, though the future is ever changing, the prophecy is as follows:
It is said that there is a man with the ability to conjure up an elixir that will bring humanity back to any supernatural being that consumes it. Many believe that this man is nothing by myth, that he is just the figment of an elaborate story to give those who feel cursed hope that their lives could be better.
Many supernatural beings have attempted to trek over to the Middle East in search of the cure, and the warlock that holds the key.
Sadly no one ever makes it back from their journey alive, and if they do manage to make it home the person is either too afraid to speak of what they've seen or they are just physically unable to utter a single world.
It is said that only three people have managed to see the warlock face to face, but no one knows who the identity of these three people. There is a rumor that the band of supernatural beings were two vampires, one who feasted on human blood and a rather different unique vampire who chose to only hunt animals for their blood source, who made a truce with a lone shape-shifter to head out and go on a journey to make contact with the warlock.
"I do hope that this has helped you fully realize that you three children are a very special group. No, you will not be remembered for this, and there is a great possibility that one, if not all three of you, will perish on your journey. But bear in mind that I have great faith in you three children, and now that that is all over and done with I think it best that you leave for the evening." Madam Elsa stated as she slowly lifted up from her seat at the table and carefully hobbled to the front door. I desperately wanted to ask more questions, as did Edward and Jacob, but we thought better of it and quietly showed ourselves out the door.
We started to make our way back to the hotel we were staying at while we are in New Orleans, when I noticed that no one was out on the streets. Not one person or supernatural being was out tonight. I looked around for something that would tell me what the time was. I knew that it was well after sunset. I suppose the three of us spent longer visiting with Madam Elsa longer than any of really intended.
11:46.
That was the time that showed on the small clock tower on the corner of the street a few yards away. We had just gotten back to the hotel that we were staying, but as I started to walk up the stone steps to the lobby I turned to see that Edward and Jacob were no longer behind me.
I turned around and saw both men walking away from the hotel and towards a building that looked to be some sort of nightclub. I called out for them to stop fooling around and that we needed to get some sleep before it was time for us to start our impending journey.
I had a sneaking suspicion as to where exactly it was that we were to start our journey.
Yes, I knew exactly what Madam Elsa had talked about when she mentioned 'Your journey is to begin when you cross the ocean to the land of the country where your so called 'rulers' reside.' In the first few weeks after I had left Laurent to go on my own I had come across many different vampires, and some did not approve of my idea of feeding from animals. Those that did not approve told me that the Volturi would look 'down' on me for doing so. That was when I learned of who exactly the Volturi were.
They were three vampires; some say that they were brothers, other say that they are just very close friends. It turns out the Volturi is the coven that sees over the vampire kind and take out those who expose what we are to the humans.
"Edward, Jacob, come on, enough of the jokes, we need to get back to the hotel and get ourselves prepared for our amazing trip to Italy!" I called out. But still neither one ever turned back to acknowledge what I had just said. With an exasperated groan I quickly followed after them. When I got through the door of the nightclub men were seated at tables, the room was dimly lit, and a woman dressed in a blood red dress that sparkled underneath the stage lighting stood center stage singing.
It was a song that I had definitely recognized. It was a ballad song, one that I had not yet heard of.
"Are you lonesome tonight,
do you miss me tonight?
Are you sorry we drifted apart?
does your memory stray to a brighter sunny day
When I kissed you and called you sweetheart?"
The song sounded beautiful, but also sounded very sad, but for some reason, unknown to me, this strange woman had every man's attention directed towards her and nowhere else.
Do the chairs in your parlor seem empty and bare?
Do you gaze at your doorstep and picture me there?
Is your heart filled with pain, shall I come back again?
Tell me darling, are you lonesome tonight?"
Once the song finally ended one of the men slowly walked up to the woman was standing on stage singing and looked lovingly at her and was so entranced with her that there could have been a robbery going on and this man who be none the wiser. There could have even been a raid on this nightclub seeing as how it was selling alcohol, and prohibition was in full swing. Just when the man came up on stage to stand with the woman who's hair flowed down around and hugged the curves of his face very nicely; everything about this woman screamed perfection; when I caught a glimpse of Edward and Jacob standing in the back of the bar, still unaware that I had followed them inside.
"Jacob, Edward, are you both deaf or are you just stu –" I was cut off by the horrific screaming that was coming from behind me. I whirled around and saw that the woman, once breathtakingly beautiful had immediately transformed into a monster whose skin was both grey and covered in scales. The eyes that once looked to be a bright shade of blue transformed into large black oval shapes. The mouth was what terrified me the most; her crimson pouty lips faded away and her lipstick disappeared; this creature's moth was then filled with teeth that resembled daggers. I instinctively took a step back, but I couldn't tear my gaze away as the monster before me began to devour the helpless man head first. I was still in shock, because not two seconds ago this man worshipped the beautiful woman who stood on stage serenading the audience.
I didn't wait a second longer before grabbing both men by the arms and proceeded to drag them out of the club before the monster on stage set her sights on these two. I thanked the heavens for my vampire strength, because otherwise I would have definitely not been able to get both strong men out of the nightclub lounge.
Once Jacob and Edward were outside it was as if a switch had been flipped. Both men were fully aware what was going on and both men wondered why they were standing here in the middle of the street and not back at the hotel. I wanted to scream at them for being so stupid, and at the exact same time I felt sorry for them. I slowly explained what had happened since we left Madam Elsa's home, and made sure to describe what I had saw in that nightclub.
Edward was the first to speak up, and was cursing up a storm and started to scold himself for allowing this to happen to him. Jacob on the other hand apologized to me for being so thoughtless and that he didn't know what had come over him. But these two men were in agreement one thing; that music was so hypnotic that they had been drawn in and then any other thought they had been erased by whatever that creature was.
"A siren. That woman was a siren. I had read about them when I was human, I thought for sure they were nothing but stories in Greek mythology. It is said that a siren's song would be a sailor's downfall, that they would be unable to resist the song. I cannot believe that there was one in that lounge." Edward said as he stormed off ahead of both Jacob and I and back to the hotel. I could tell that he was very angry with himself for letting this happen. I still couldn't get that image out of my head of the man being devoured by that siren. I had thought sirens were things of beauty, and it had been; until that man wandered up to the stage to be closer to her. That was when the monster had let its disguise down and took that man as its meal.
I had decided for now I wouldn't tell them what I had seen, and instead followed Edward back to the hotel with Jacob in tow. He and I made small talk about Madam Elsa and other things concerning the journey we would have soon. When we finally got to the hotel Jacob offered to walk me to my room, but I told him that that wasn't necessary. I could tell that he felt a bit dejected but nodded with a small smile and walked on to the room he was sharing with Edward. I waited a few extra second watching Jacob walk on to his room. I couldn't help but feel something towards Jacob, something that was more than just friendship; what it was I couldn't be sure at this moment.