Now You're One of Us
"The Spotlight Is On."
The car shook as it sped over the uneven California interstate. Few cars roamed the highway in the dead of night. None rivaled the Volvo's speed. Inside the cabin, it was as still and quiet as a graveyard, save for the occasional muffled whine of scuffing of paws on leather. Less than five minutes into the twenty hour drive and Sophie was already rummaging through the backpack at her feet. Edward knew what she quested for long before she withdrew a set of headphones and an iPod.
A faint sigh escaped his lips. He could not have Sophie withdraw right now, not while he had vital information to bestow upon her. And from what he had pilfered from the minds of her friends and family, this was the first symptom of depression. Or was it? Edward turned away from the windshield, confident of the steady grip upon the wheel, to watch her. She adjusted her body until it comfortably aligned with the chair and selected a playlist along with a moderate volume in which to play it. A sigh laced with resolve escaped her. So this was a routine. Pertaining to what, Edward could not decipher; music spilled across her mind. Shock, she must be in shock now that she had adequate time to digest the grim predicament. He could spare an hour, could he not? There was nineteen or so more ahead of them.
For the next twenty minutes, Edward divided his attention between the road and Sophie, alternating between each at regular intervals. The music was tolerable in his delicate ears only to be magnified within his skull. Such was a downfall of his gift. More often than not, he drowned out the obnoxious tones by reminiscing about his first years as a vampire and contemplating the years to come with a fledging in the family—and how dynamics would be affected. Emmett had been the latest newborn to join their family (excluding Jasper and Alice) and that was well over seven decades ago. His transition had been one of relative ease given his charming, laid-back demeanor.
Although Sophie had proven to be tame and submissive up to this point, Edward suspected it was due to how she was a slave to her emotions; a trait carried over from mortality. For lack of a better explanation: her emotions dictated her physically. Edward lacked viable evidence to this claim; all his resources were second-hand accounts. It could explain why she was not governed by instinct and bloodlust, why the need to kill and feed incessantly was not precedent. It was not a reassuring concept in the least. It fact, it made Edward vigilant. A conspicuous threat could be apprehended.
Snatches of a song drew his attention, the lyrics a tasteful comparison to this situation. Edward listened, intrigued.
You got a whole lot left to say now. You knocked all your wind out. You just tried too hard and you froze. I know, I know…What to say, what to say… Just take the fall, you're one of us. The spotlight is on ,ahh, ahh. Oh, the spotlight is on, oh… You know the one thing you're fighting to hold will be the one thing you've got to let go… And when you feel the wall cannot be burned. You're gonna die to try what can't be done. Gonna stay, stay out but you don't care. Now is there nothing like the inside of you anywhere? Oh, just take the fall, you're one of us. The spotlight is on, ahh, ahh. Oh, the spotlight is on, yeah it's on…
Edward sighed and began to organize his thoughts; a plethora of knowledge. Where to start proved difficult, and launching into how dangerous Sophie was would prove tactless. Easing into the topic would be best.
"Sophie," he stated. His words would be easily audible over the music. "How are you feeling?"
"Fine," she murmured.
"I need to talk to you. Would you mind turning off your music?" Sophie glanced in his direction, reluctant, but in the end paused her music and pulled out her headphones. "You are aware of what you are, correct?"
She nodded once."Vampire…"
"Do you know what that entails?"
A mental tally ran across her mind: garlic, crosses, coffins, holy water and the sun. All false assumptions. Except for the blood. A diet of blood was a stark, concrete reality. Edward shook his head.
"That's incorrect," he mused, mirthless. "As vampires, we are not affected by such menial objects. Garlic, crosses, and holy water will not ward a vampire off. Coffins are what the dead slumber in. Although we are dead, it is impossible to sleep, ever. As for the sun, it does not harm us. Although if our skin is exposed, it reflects the beams, thus making it sparkle. So we have to avoid the sun at all cost…"
Sophie gazed at Edward with rapt attention, eyes alight with mild curiosity. He continued with the list of vampiric attributes: the limitless speed, strength, and stamina. How some were blessed (or cursed, depending upon the mood) with additional abilities. She was surprised to learn that he could read the passing thoughts of someone's mind, thus revealing how he could answer her questions without verbalization. Two of his siblings were gifted with heightened awareness: one of the future, the other emotion. Sophie chuckled weakly at the latter.
Hours passed as Edward elaborated on certain aspects, skirting the most distressing topic. Sophie's generalized questions did not aide his cause. Such as how he coped with eavesdropping on others' thoughts, if her hair and nails would grow back if cut, and whether or not if her body would accept human food as it once did. That last question prompted the taboo subject.
"You're diet will be limited to blood now," he broached.
"I know," she countered. "That is what becoming a vampire entails…"
The concept of drinking the warm, coppery substance did no revolt Sophie as it would have done to a human.
"It is not as simple as you assume. Nothing like the falsities displayed in books and movies…"
Perplexed, Sophie's brows furrowed.
Edward began with the subtle physical differences between an older vampire and a fledgling, such as themselves respectively. Then progressed to control, bloodlust, and insatiable thirst. He censored nothing for her sake—not that you could censor such malevolent truth. Edward divulged with excruciating detail how she would be a slave to her instincts, subject to bloodlust at a moment's whim whether or not prey was near, how the smoldering sensation in her throat would never be completely soothed despite of how much blood she drank.
Highlighted that she was a threat to any human that crossed her path, regardless if it was a friend or family member. Anyone and everyone could be a victim. She had become the epitome of the human predator, the epitome of death. As a result, Sophie would have to be isolated from the rest of the world for the first year and possibly more if she could not reign in the beast consistently. Never again would she be able to interact with society as she once did. Nor would she be able to be with friends or family, ever.
By the time he breathed his last word, three hours had passed. Personal anecdotes had peppered the speech, giving credibility to every claim. Sophie quivered in the seat, face a passive mask. All the information swirled around her head in a tumultuous storm, the words and images horribly synced with one another. Her stomach clenched as if filled with grief. She had not been able to say goodbye to her family, hug them, talk to them once more. Nor would she ever have the chance. And even if she could risk an encounter, Sophie could not bear the idea of potentially slaughtering her beloved. Along with her family, she feared for millions elsewhere.
Sophie curled her fingers into a fist, her knuckles prominent beneath taut white skin, and turned to face the cool window. The overload of information and emotions reduced her to a depressed, stolid state. Without saying another word, she plugged her ears up with plastic and music.
"Just Take the Fall… You're One of Us…"
A green highway sign posted the distance to the next town nestled in the Oregon wilderness, along with amenities offered. Edward considered the gas gauge; at the speed in which the Volvo sustained, it was only a matter of time before the needle dipped below empty again. Aside from the car's need, there was a live animal in the back seat as well to take into account. The boarder had come and gone mere minutes ago, along with half the distance and time.
It was about time he stopped for the dog's sake—though the pet had fallen asleep a few hours ago from fatigue. Edward did not want to clean up what ever resulted from his inconsideration. Sophie remained in a brooding, catatonic state so the responsibility fell upon him.
The Volvo coast down the exit road and straight into a dilapidated town; a typical roadside community whose economy thrived solely on passer-bys. There was a single gas station in the heart of the small cluster of buildings. Edward parked at the pump furthest from the store.
"I'm going to get gas and take the dog out for a few minutes," he informed Sophie, even if it was fruitless.
As expected, the girl did not move as he slid out of the car and out into the dreary weather, opened the back seat to rouse the dog, or took the creature (leash in hand) over to a patch of trees a several yards away.
At last, his words penetrated the thick haze of denial cocooning Sophie's rational mind. She realized that Panik had nothing to eat or drink since they had left the house. There was nothing in the car. So taking the money from her backpack, she emerged from the car slowly and walked towards the convenience store.
A jingle of bells announced her entrance. A balding, middle-aged man looked up from the grease-stained counter and ceased scrubbing with an oil-soaked rag. His small, watery brown eyes found Sophie's perfect, ethereal body and followed it with lustful admiration. She wandered up and down the aisles, crimson eyes absently regarding the shelves of snacks. There was not much a dog could stomach, so she grabbed a bag of beef jerky, a bag of chips, and a large bottle of water. Snacks in hand, Sophie ambled up to the counter. Sophie surveyed the guy, nose crinkling at the scent of sweat and gasoline. Thick calluses, dirt packed beneath his nails, oil tattooed in the creases on the palms of his hands; she noticed this as he reached out to scan her items.
What she did not notice was how the tempo of his heartbeat pounded against her temples, how heat radiated off his large body, along with a warm, delicious scent. Not right away. Seconds after the man snatched the bag of chips, Sophie's world narrowed. Nothing existed beyond the realm of predator and prey. Venom rushed to coat her mouth in excess, and she licked her lips, leaving behind a glossy sheen. Every muscle in her body tensed and coiled, ready to spring forward and attack in seconds' notice. Her fingers curled like talons. She inhaled slowly to savor the scent.
It wasn't the most appetizing of blood, but she did not know the difference; blood was blood.
The mechanic turned store-clerk stared at the girl, the piercing crimson eyes unnerving. He took a step back, wiping the sweat from his brow only to leave a streak of dirt, muttering the total. Sophie took a step forward, enticed by the hunt.
In the far off distance, the bells chimed again. Both were oblivious to the notification. Sophie's stomach pressed against the counter, the edges started to crack. An arm wrapped around her chest and wrenched her away. A snarl ripped from her throat as she snapped her gaze to Edward. His arm constricted around her waist like a vice as he dragged her out of the store and to the Volvo. The man stared after them in disbelief.
Lungs full of clean air, Sophie calmed down, and got back in the car with little encouragement. From the back seat, Panik whimpered—the tip of his tail tapped against the seat. Back in the driver's seat, Edward started the engine, peeled out of the gas station, and navigated back towards the highway.
"I almost killed him, didn't I?" Sophie murmured in a remorseful hush.
"You could have, yes," Edward replied, voice hard and emotionless.
He had heard her thoughts, knew of her intentions. Yet he did not prevent it. True, he thwarted her attack, but he had allowed her to get to that point. The newborn was his responsibility. Any death by her hands would be his fault.
"So that's what you meant…by becoming a monster…"
Sophie recalled with breath-taking clarity what transpired, the overwhelming bloodlust. Everything Edward had told her hours before had become reality. In a span of seconds no less. Guilt knotted her stomach. Sophie brought her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Sighing, she returned to her window vigil.
The second half of the drive resembled the first. Sophie continued to brood—without music this time. An occasional though wafted across her mind. Always pertaining to either the loss of her family or the monstrous encounter she had with her predatory instincts. Despite all that had happened over the past twenty-four hours, she remained deep in denial. She tried to deny everything and replace it with a rational explanation. After a few hours of futile effort, Sophie fell into despair. Even though she appeared composed, Edward knew she was struggling to keep up the façade. Their route went through Tacoma, and with the passing of the major city, only a few hours remained of their journey.
Just outside the metropolis, Edward pulled out his cell phone and dialed home to alert the family of their imminent arrival. Renovations for the newest member were complete. The large room consuming half of the third floor had been walled off so half the space could be Sophie's room; the other half, though relatively cramped now, was still accessable for illicit activities. Alice had made sure the closet had been included, too. New shelves were installed, and--if there had been more time--a new wardrobe would have filled them.
The last few hours and hundred miles disappeared in a blur beneath the tires. Before he knew it, Edward was navigating the streets of Forks along with the highway leading to home. A break in the wall of trees appeared and he expertly navigated the Volvo through it. After trundling down the enclosed road, the forest suddenly gave way to a large, white Victorian home. Edward parked before the front porch rather than the garage. The entire family was awaiting their return and the expansive living room offered the best place for introductions.
Edward got out of the car and went to open the passenger door for Sophie. She leveraged herself out, backpack in hand. She opened the backseat for Panik, who came bounding out, nose immediately to the ground.
"This way," Edward stated, gesturing towards the front door. Sophie nodded deftly and followed.
Her shoes fell heavily upon the wood, her movements slow and leaded. All the while she kept her eyes on the ground. The front door swung inward to reveal a white interior, expensive furnishing of the same pallet. What drew Sophie's eye, however, were six pale faces with varying degrees of smiles. Deities of beauty; Greek Gods personified. That was what her eyes told her. Her nose informed her otherwise: vampire. Six pairs of gold eyes bore into Sophie's cowering frame. Her red orbs were wide with alarm and her body tensed in fight or flight. Stealing a glance up at the other vampires, it appeared that they were equally wary of the newcomer.
Not wanting to incite a negative--or potentially aggressive--response from the newborn, Edward stepped between Sophie and his family.
"I'll show you to your room," he muttered. Curling his fingers around her wrist, Edward tugged Sophie in the direction of the sweeping staircase. Together they ascended the stairs; only one set of footsteps echoed. He led her down the honey-paneled hall to the last door on the left. "Here is your room. I'm afraid it doesn't have a bathroom, but it has a closet and anything else you might need. My room is just across the hall should you ever need anything."
Releasing his grip, Edward opened the door and held it for her. Sophie took a few tentative steps forward.
"The light switch is right here." He reached out for the switch but her voice stopped him.
"Leave it," she mumbled.
"Okay." He did not question her motives.
Sophie pushed the door closed. The last Edward saw of the newborn was her retreating frame glowing softly in the sea of darkness.
Featured Song: "Spotlight" by Mute Math.
Author's Note: See previous chapter's note about newborns. And I know Spotlight was in the movie, but it was just so fitting to this scene. More often than not, I follow my muses. :)