HARPER
In the hospital, I spent a lot of time observing people.
People of practically all walks of life end up at the hospital at some point, whether it's for an annual checkup, an abrupt accident, or a long term illness. It was a great place to learn about people, their objectives, and their behaviors. I knew that there would always be people that I couldn't fathom, but I felt like I had a really good grip on reading people in general.
Whether I used this power for good or evil was still unclear in a lot of ways. It was easy to comfort the people I care for, or throw a good birthday party, but it was also easy for me to play people and get them to, say, sell me a plane ticket without an ID. I oscillated between thinking I can be healthy for the people around me and feeling like an imposter who twists the people around me for my own gain. The later was often accompanied by immense amounts of guilt for choices like, say, lying to the the most brilliant, benevolent person to ever walk into my life and then disappearing. But I digress.
Sitting in that minivan with Sean and Julie, it was crystal clear that Sean had sprung many things on Julie in their lives and she was feeling fed up with his cavalier way of volunteering her for things. Doesn't he have more respect for her and her time? Sean, on the other hand, felt as though it would be a disservice to me not to do such an easy favor- they were going in the same direction, after all. How would she possibly be mad at him for helping someone in need when the cost to them was so small?
Neither of them spoke of this in front me, but I felt it was likely they would be bickering about it later. In the meantime, Sean made chummy attempts to lift his sisters mood. And Julie? She shot him down periodically, then directed her ire at me, spearing me periodically with hard, investigative looks.
"What do you do for a living?" the woman behind the wheel asked.
This gave me pause. Sitting in a patient's' bed for five years didn't allow for a career. Perhaps I could have run my own glass studio. In another life, the woman who I could have been would have driven a minivan and cooked dinner every night. But, what did I "do" for a living?
Julie sighed impatiently. I honed in on her posture and the remarkably tentative approach she took to driving.
"I can't keep a normal job, I have medical limitations," I worded carefully, "But I do volunteer at my hospital. I read with patients from the children's ward."
Julie looked me over quickly as we stopped at a traffic light, "You do look sick. I figured you were an addict."
"Julie!" Sean chastised.
She shrugged, "Have you not heard the pills rattling around in her bag?"
The jab affronted me, and I took a deep breath. She was definitely sharper than her brother, "It's alright. I'd be suspicious of the stranger in my car, too."
The drive with Sean and Julie went smoothly after I provided her with this information about myself. I listened to her scold him for missing Christmas, drill him on what gifts he brought for the family, and update him on their sisters new boyfriend and the latest dispute between their parents who were split. Sean asked her about her husband and their four kids before talking about her job. She was one of the lead managers at a ski resort hotel, which explained her quick profiling of me. I imagined that she saw a lot of different people in her line of work that presented her with management challenges. She was anticipatory.
Sean was delving into telling his sister about the last office party he brought his girlfriend to when Julie pulled the van into a gas station. I grabbed a few singles from my bag and held them out to her. She clicked out of her seatbelt and shook her head.
"Don't. Keep it for yourself," she closed the door behind her before I could get in another word. Eyeballing the bills, I decidedly tucked them into the cubby in the dash which housed several loose quarters.
"I'm going to grab a snack. Do you want something?" Sean also exited the car, stretching his limbs, "Or do you think you're going to eat with your folks?"
My stomach was incredibly empty, but the thought of eating made me nauseous, "I'll eat later."
He nodded and took off toward the building. Besides the sound of gas being pumped, the car was quiet. Restlessness, a familiar and unwanted guest, settled into my skin and I sprang out of the car taking loud short breaths. Julie looked at me, clearly wondering what screw I had loose.
"I'm gonna use the bathroom," I blurted before starting after Sean.
"The compost toilets are out back," she called. In turn, I pivoted slightly on my heel and made my way around the building to find whatever the hell a compost toilet was.
Besides the gas station, there were no other buildings nearby, just endless amounts of trees. It was not hard to find the stalls Julie mentioned, and I hurried inside with my coat pulled tightly around me. To my surprise, the smell was not putrid. I could hear some sort of air current coming from the toilet and I was pleased to find an actual sink. Classy. After doing what I came to do, I thoroughly washed my hands and evaluated myself in the small, distorted mirror bolted above the faucets. I looked as tired as I felt. The ugly purple bags under my eyes were stark against my pale skin. With my hat off, I splashed some lukewarm water on my face before blotting with my sleeve.
Eating. Sleeping. I would definitely be trouble if my doctor knew how I'd neglected these very basic human necessities. Shaking my head back and forth, I tried straightening my greasy hair out, secured the hat back into place, and rinsed my hands one last time before exiting.
It was completely still and quiet. The snow and the trees were beautiful. Again, I wished I wasn't on the trip alone. Wiping my hands on my jeans, I turned the corner to make my way back to Julie's minivan. The hair on the back of my neck raised and under my sweater, the pendant of Mrs. Robinson's necklace went warm against my skin.
Looking from the pavement to the path set in front of me, my body went still at the sight of a man standing in my way. Shock nearly blinded me and my mind went blank for a beat. Then his eyes came into focus. Amongst the snow that blanketed the area, they demanded my full attention, shining like polished red sea coral.
My eyes darted in both directions and I reeled backwards.
"Stop."
All of my muscles wound tight. One foot was extended back, balancing only on the toes. My heart palpated in my chest, knocking the air right out of me before my lungs began working overtime. I urged myself to move. A scream started to rip at my throat.
"Be silent."
My mouth was open, but all that came out was a whistle of air. Tears pricked my eyes, danger, danger, danger, my instinct sang. Terror threatened to usurp my autonomy. Just as I felt all of my control about to slip through my fingers, I remembered Carlisle. I have to make it back.
"Come here," he spoke evenly, both of his arms hanging at his sides. Despite my internal protest, my trembling legs moved one in front of the other until I stood right in front of him. I was seeing stars, and I feared I might faint.
A million thoughts rushed through my mind and for the first time, I forced myself to really see all of him. Like the Cullens, he was remarkably pale. Next to him, I felt short. Mahogany hair was tied back and sitting at the collar of his white button-up shirt. He had a nordic nose with a pronounced brow, and his unblinking eyes were trained on me.
"Do you know what I am?" his voice was deep, and there was an accent that I couldn't place.
With a thick tongue, I gulped and closed my eyes. Vampire. How could I deny it anymore? It was too real to be a nightmare, and even more frightening than my most vivid.
"Good. Then you know how unfortunately this could be if you don't cooperate," his pace was measured, almost leisurely, but his tone was indifferent. My heart skipped several beats at the implied threat. I clenched my jaw and pursed my lips to keep my chin from wobbling, and peeled my eyes open to meet his gaze. The corner of his mouth twitched, "Those two humans you arrived with. Go to them and tell them that you are going to wait here for your family to meet you. If they offer to stay, refuse the them, assure them that you are fine, and do not take no for an answer. Watch them until their car is out of sight, then walk into the tree line there." He pointed and I looked through the corner of my eye at the tall, thin pines surrounded by nearly a foot of untouched snow.
"Do you understand, Miss Conner?"
Was this what Mrs. Robinson had been warning me about? The enforcers of their laws? I'm going to die, I thought, and for the first time in a long time, it made me fearful.
And he could hurt the people who were helping me, too.
"Speak," he instructed.
"Yes," I managed, a rogue tear rolling down my face.
"Good. Go," he stepped aside. My muscles loosened and once again I moved without my own volition. He spoke my name once I was past him, "Do not try running, do not ask for help, and make it convincing."
When the van came into sight, it was all I saw, like a tunnel with unilluminated walls. Julie was behind the wheel, drumming her fingers impatiently on the wheel and as soon as she saw me, she turned the key in the ignition. Sean, who had been surveying the highway with one hand on his hip and another wrapped around a protein bar, turned to me with a smile, which instantly fell.
"What's wrong?" he came around to the front of the vehicle.
I was dumbstruck for a moment as I chose what to say, or really, when I realized I could choose what to say. It was obvious that the man- the vampire- had powers like Mrs. Robinson had described in her journal, and he was controlling me. Where his control ended and mine began was unclear, and a million questions rang like a hall of bells in my mind.
Stop. Be silent. Speak. Go. Do not try running. They were commands.
"Don't worry, Sean," I heard myself speak and my hand reached up to swipe the tear from my face, "I just have a lot going on right now."
"Do you want to talk about it?" he offered.
Julie stuck her head out of the car window, "What's the hold up, guys? Let's pick up the pace, I need to start dinner."
"Just one second, Jules," he shot back not unkindly.
Make it convincing.
"Actually, I think I'm going to give my uncle a call and have him pick me up here," I gave them a sad smile, "Thanks for bringing me this far. I know you both have places to be."
Julie's irritation gave way to uncertainty and she evaluated me severely. Sean was already shaking his head.
"We're only twenty minutes to the hike lodge, we can get you closer," the frown on his face deepened.
"This is ridiculous, get in the van, we'll get you to exit 221. You're clearly unwell," Julie said, trying to leave no room for argument. Like a mother would, I supposed.
"No, really. I appreciate the offer, but I need to get my head together," another tear ran down my face, slipping into my weak smile, "The fresh air is good and it's pretty quiet here. The lodge would probably be busy."
"I don't feel right about this-"
"Sean," Julie cut off her brother sharply then peered at me critically, "Are you sure?"
My head nodded, "Definitely. I have to do this." Even as I fought against my actions, I felt restrictions at all sides. Even if there was an opening, I dreaded the consequences if I rebelled. I knew he could, but would he hurt Julie and Sean?
She shrugged, "You heard her. She's a grown woman, she makes her own choices. Get her backpack, Sean." She settled back into the driver's seat and Sean reluctantly fetched my bag from the floor on the passengers side. I wasn't far behind him, giving them both my thanks.
"Be safe," Sean said through the window once he was buckled in the passenger's seat.
"And good luck," Julie followed up.
"Thanks. For everything," I stepped away from the car, "Happy new year."
Rooted in place, I longingly watched the van as it became smaller and smaller before disappearing. My body moved on its own once more, spinning and heading back toward the bathroom stalls at the back of the building. From the corner of my eye I saw the gas station attendant at the register eye me curiously through the window, and I offered a closed mouth smile. Could he do something? Even if I tried, the vampires voice echoed in my head. Do not ask for help.
The closer I got the the edge of the forest, the harder I fought myself. Snow crunching underfoot, with every step I tried to turn. Move. MOVE.
"No, no, no," I whispered, more tears escaped despite my best effort to hold myself together. I gripped at the pendant, "Please." My begging did me no good, and I let my arm drop as my legs brought me deeper into the trees through the snow. I blinked and when I focused again, a new bout of alarm surged through my veins as the vampire appeared.
"Very good," he praised. He strode up to me more quickly than I had ever seen anyone do before. When we were face to face, he instructed me to stop and and took my damp, trembling face in his hands, "Humans are so malleable."
My skin crawled. Looking into his eyes, a hatred brewed in the pit of my stomach.
Without thought, I reached up and wrenched his hands from my face, "Get off of-"
Only, he did not budge. My vision seared white and I cried out. I struggled as he applied more pressure to my face and my temples with his large hands.
"They're also foolish," he pushed down with his hands still in place. My legs crumpled beneath me, "And fragile."
The vampire finally let me go and I fell hard into the snow, shielding the crown of my head with one arm and pressing a quivering hand to my face. If my thundering heart was not shaking me before, the pain that was banging against my skin was definitely rocking me then. That strength- he could have squashed my skull between his hands like I could a grape between my fingers.
The Survivor in my brain ran me through several scenarios- trying to talk my way out of his intentions or throwing dirty snow in his eyes and running back the way I came with my fingers jammed in my ears and yelling the whole way- I even considered begging. The Strategist in my brain knocked each idea down. He obviously had no intentions of letting me go. Even if I could temporarily distract him, vampires are faster than any creature I knew of. Given his abhorrent comments on humans, begging may only give him reason to laugh. Though, he hadn't shown any real emotional shift since he appeared.
The Strategist made the argument that escaping was not in the picture yet. Not without more information. That, the Strategist and Survivor could agree on.
He released a long sigh. Snow creaked below his pointed black leather boots as he crouched down. With as much strength as I could muster up, I pushed myself up to look him in the eye.
"If it's not something, it's another," he said more to himself than me.
"Who are you?" my voice cracked.
"Sleep," was his next command.
Everything went black.
…
Authors Note:
Please, please forgive me. I know this is short, but I'm trying something new! I want to do slightly shorter chapters in much quicker succession. I know I've promised it before, but I just graduated and I have more time to spend on my personal endeavours. This story and all of you have been on my mind for weeks on end.
I won't reply to reviews in this chapter, but I will at the end of the next because it's a game changer!
WHAT DO YOU THINK? I want to make some serious rearrangements for this story. Maybe cutting chapters into more chapters. Should I do that soon after getting 4 - 5 more chapters out, or should I wait until I finish Book One of Pale Room Dancing? I want this to be polished some day!
Your loyal author, scribblesinnotes