So, sorry it's taken so long to update! We have a week break coming up this week, and my teachers decided we should have a bunch of projects thrown on us to make up for the break!! Thanks for your patience, and I love your reviews! They really cheered me up! So, this is going to be split into two parts, the whole aftermath in the next chapter so that I could actually give you guys an update, so yeah. Read, enjoy, and as always, review!!!
There was a crash down the hallway, a muffled noise like an object enveloped in cotton. He looked up, frowning at the sound, but made no move to investigate. Someone else would look into it, he was sure. Looking back down at the folder in his hand, he began reading again, once again interrupted by a loud crash echoing down the hall, closer this time, jerking him from his concentration. A loud, shrieking scream pierced his ears, and then silence. Alarmed, he stood up and dropped the folder, sliding his glasses up the ridge of his nose. He walked towards the door of his office, a little annoyed and slightly nervous. What was going on?
Opening the door, he stepped out into the white hallway, surprised to see one of the lights completely shattered, the plastic covering ripped to shreds on the floor. Another was blinking dejectedly, and dust covered the floor around it. It bathed the hallway into a grayish gloom, making him feel slightly alert, tense. Stepping fully into the hallway, he looked down the rest of the way, alarmed to see a door hanging on its hinges, askew and the glass window shattered.
"What in the world?" He muttered to himself, walking slowly towards it. No other sound escaped the space, save his footsteps, as he walked past the shattered lighting and towards the door, despite something in his head screaming for him to stop. As much as that warning would be nice to listen to, something also urged him on. As he reached the door, he stepped into the adjoining hall, turning his head first to the left, then the right.
The lights on the left were all completely on, shining innocently and brightly, the doors all righted and unbroken. The only thing off about it was the surprising lack of employees. Where was everyone?
Turning his head to the right, he froze, jaw dropping. If the left was in perfect order, the right hallway was the epitome of destruction. Every door was either completely off of its hinges, or close to it. Papers were scattered, lights faintly glowing or completely broken. There was someone at the very end, slumped down, as if dazed. Feeling worry yet relief at seeing someone else, he ran towards that person, skirting around the debris, ignoring the buzzing of the weak lights. He tried to press down the urge to yell, afraid to draw attention to himself.
"Are you alright?" He asked softly when he reached the man. He was a surgeon, based on his clothing, dirty scrubs on. They were blood specked, and by the looks of it, fresh. Concerned, he leaned down to tap the man on the shoulder, a shiver rushing down his spine as he did so. "I said, are you-" His voice cut off as a choking noise entered his throat. The man's head shifted, revealing wide, dead eyes. They were a deep brown color, the pupil empty of life. His neck was ravaged, almost completely torn out, and disgusted at the sight; he fought back the urge to vomit. Scrambling away, he found himself pressed against the opposite wall, breathing heavily and in a slightly hysterical way. What had happened to this man? Desperate to find someone and get away from the fresh death, he scrambled to his feet, legs shaking.
"Hello? Is- is anyone there?" He asked, ignoring the fact his voice was too quiet to be heard. Down the hall, the path of destruction grew, and adrenaline pumping, he walked quickly, trying to get the look of the dead man's face out of his mind. Dust and dirt swirled around his shoes, and he cringed when he heard a door slam. Whirling around, he almost jumped out of his skin as he saw a door fall off of its hinges and onto the ground with a thick thud. Turning back, he walked a little faster, noticing the ravaged mess growing with every step he took.
Turning a corner, he then promptly doubled over, trying not to throw up.
It was one of the nurses who helped him with his daily rounds. She was slumped over her desk, pale and lifeless. Blood ran from her neck onto her white coat, dull green eyes staring at him mockingly. The stench of blood grew thick in the air. He couldn't keep his eyes off of her, death slapping him in the face. Scrambling for his phone, shaky fingers pulled the cursed thing out, hurriedly pressing the buttons for 911. Looking down at the screen, he was shocked to see in the top left corner, the words, "no signal" glaring up at him. Since when didn't they have a signal here?
CRASH! Something down the next hall fell against the walls, making the floor shake. Stumbling, he managed to catch himself before he fell, eyes wide, breath growing ragged. Something was calling to him, forcing him to answer the instinct that made the hairs on the back of his neck rise. Trying not to look at the nurse, he pressed on.
Turning again at the end of that hallway, he was surprised to see nothing but a door in the middle of the hallway. The lights still burned brightly, and the walls were clean, free of blood. The smell in the air told him otherwise. The rustic, salty stench assaulted him, making his mind reel and his stomach protest. He kept walking though. Down the hallway he went, fear clawing into the back of his mouth like a feral animal. Looking at the nearby sign, he saw he was in the hospital part of the asylum. Vaguely his mind registered this, but he hardly thought much of it.
Walking down the rest of the hallway, he reached the broken door, and looked numbly to his left, hesitantly walking into the open room.
The room was bathed in red.
Streaks of it, everywhere. He couldn't help but stare at it, at the blood that adorned the walls like a decoration, screaming to the world as it did so. Blood shouldn't look so red, he thought numbly, his stomach roiling unpleasantly.
And then he saw the bodies.
It was almost like a house of wax display. They were sprawled across each other, all staring up with wide eyes, faces of horror making him break out into a cold sweat. The gurney was strategically placed in the center, streaks of red across the neck of it. Four doctors in scrubs lay one across the other, heads tilted towards it. Eyes wide, he stepped in.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" He sensed more than felt himself being lifted and thrown across the room. His body twisted, and he cried out as he slammed his shoulder into the wall, sliding down slowly and slumping to the floor, next to another doctor. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he scrambled away from the doctor, panicked. Something grabbed him again, lifting him up and over before slamming him onto the bloodstained gurney.
"A masterpiece." The beautiful voice continued, unabashed. He struggled, fighting against pale white hands that kept him firmly in place. He gave a shout, an exclamation of fear and indignation, but the person seemed amused by it.
"Nothing can save you now." It mused, finally letting go. Scrambling off of the gurney, he fell, grabbing his shoulder and rolling away, hitting the wall nearest to him. Dragging himself to his feet, he turned to face his foe.
It was the boy who was supposed to be dead.
He looked so different though. He was pale, for one. The sickliest pale he'd ever seen, almost blending in with the stark white walls despite the slight red glow around him. His large, child like eyes were a sick, crimson red, much like the color surrounding him and the bodies lying on the floor. He looked thinner, a little taller, and by any human's standards, absolutely beautiful. As if sensing that was his ending reaction, the boy smiled.
"Like the change?" He asked, arms opened wide and turning slightly, too fast for him to really catch a look at. It was like when he moved it was blurry, the actions blending into one another.
"What are you??" Was it really his voice that sounded that squeaky? His shoulder burned, and he grasped it, eyes still locked on the monster in front of him.
"You… smell nice." A low growl entered the room, surprisingly from the boy in front of him. He looked demonic, red eyes glowing faintly, his steps sure and smooth, still blurred though.
"You-" His voice choked, and he fought back the desire to vomit. "What happened to you?" He asked, shaking his head. He slid slowly to the ground, shaking legs unable to hold him up. The boy paused, too fast, jerking back a little too far for normal. His head cocked to the side, fingers trembling.
"I told you they'd come for me." He said conversationally, fine fingers plucking a string from his regular asylum sweats. "And the burning… when it stopped, I was like this." He grinned, exposing sharp fangs that glinted. His teeth were tinged in blood, and he gave a gasp, trying to sidle away desperately. The boy with the claims about vampires… it was real? He couldn't speak, his heart hammering in his throat, his face pasty white; it was sickening.
"But you-" The boy's voice stopped and he sauntered over too quickly, in front of him in less than a second. "You, I remember. The only doctor trying to help, in a room full of those paid to save…" His voice carried off as he let out a strange laugh, staring down with his bloody eyes. "The others… they just wanted to shut me, the crazy child up, but no, no, no, you were actually concerned… and I thank you for that." Smiling, he lifted him from the floor, bringing him up to eye level.
"It was the right thing to do." He said through trembling lips. The boy-he refused to think the word vampire-froze. His head turned again, like an inquisitive child. Through the bloody haze and the smell of death, he could see the human underneath, the frightened and out of control child. It hurt him to see the boy like that as much as his shoulder (it was dislocated, he thought stupidly) burned.
"The… right thing?" He phrased it as a question, still holding him up in the air. Smiling animalistically, he brought him closer, lips pulling back slowly. "You're interesting… I think I don't want to kill you. I don't; I really don't." He closed his eyes, licking his lips. "But, it's so… hard." He whispered, beautiful voice slightly broken and panicked.
"I don't- please, let me live." His voice shook, and the boy gave a sad laugh.
"I'll let you live- I'll let you live, forever." He smiled and leaned in towards his neck.
And that's when the screaming started.
It was like things were slowing down to a frame by frame setup. Jacob phasing was the strangest thing I've ever seen, but it was beautiful at the same time. The fur was like an ocher brown of sunset, standing out in the night like its own light, and he hurtled slowly towards Edward, his mouth pulled back into a soundless snarl, teeth gleaming. My senses were going over drive; my skin was ultra-sensitive to the cold feel of Dr. Cullen's hands on my shoulders, pulling me back, my feet stumbling numbly after him. The wind ruffled through my short hair, and the noises of the wolves snarling and howling made my ears burn. I could see every shape in front of me, defined and sharpened with my adrenaline rush. Jacob was falling faster, mouth opening farther for his kill.
He never reached it.
Sam lunged from the side, tackling Jacob to the ground, snarling and snapping in frustration. They landed near the tree I had been hiding in, and they struggled to right themselves, yipping and growling at each other. Jasper hissed at the tension in the air, and Edward crouched, ready to spring. How did he know that Jacob would never reach him?
"Uh on, trouble in paradise?" Emmett guessed, grinning widely. Nearby, the wolves growled, but they didn't attack. Why?
Jacob and Sam rose from their crouches, staring each other down with venom in their eyes. My heart pounded in my ribcage, and something said I should be worried about a vampire holding me back, but at that moment, I didn't care. Dr. Cullen had helped me, had saved my life. Who cared what they were right now? I was watching two werewolves get into it right in front of me; the safest thing right now was Carlisle Cullen. I who saw visions didn't have a right to criticize. I watched, worried for the outcome; would they have to fight? Jasper shifted to the side slightly, making more growls break out. Edward gave Jasper a glance, and Jasper jerked slightly, turning back at me, eyes still wild and deadly. Edward murmured something too quiet for me to hear, and nodding slightly, Jasper said to me, softly, "No one's going to get hurt." I looked up at him, eyes wide, but before I could ask what he meant, he'd turned back, ready to spring. Carlisle gave me an affectionate squeeze. Nearby, Sam and Jacob stared at each other, twitching, but otherwise soundless.
"What are Jacob and Sam doing?" I asked out loud, watching their silent communication as tails flicked and ears moved up and down in agitation.
"Werewolves can read each others minds when they're in wolf form, Alice." Dr. Cullen informed me quietly, pulling me back a little more when a loud growl issued from the gray wolf that seemed just as edgy as Jacob.
"And the others aren't attacking because Sam is the alpha, and he's said not to." Edward answered my unspoken thought. I stared outright at them, wondering why I should still feel surprised at this. Would Frankenstein's monster pop out of no where now? Or maybe Harry Potter would apparate, broomstick in hand, mumbling under his breath about horcruxes? Ahead of me, Edward let out a low laugh. Jasper's stance became a little tenser, and he turned towards Edward, frowning. Edward stared at him for a moment, eyebrows raised before he stood up fully, staring around the forest for a second. Their silent interlude was interesting, but kind of strange.
Taking a step towards the wolves, his frown became more pronounced, and he took a deep breath. Sam tore his gaze away from Jacob, and Jacob let out a low growl, slinking around Sam to see what Edward was doing. Seeing an opening, Jacob lunged, shooting up and around Sam, aiming for Edward's back. Before he could though, Jasper was there in the blink of an eye, slamming Jacob to his back, causing chaos to break out through the pack. The large, edgy gray wolf lunged, only to be slammed down by Emmett, the large and bulky vampire crowing something that sounded like a victory shout. As a black legged wolf dodged and lunged, Edward crashed into him, sending him sprawling. I watched with eyes wide, heart pounding.
Carlisle wrenched me back, Bella jumping around us and slamming a dark brown wolf back, the sound crashing against my ears and making me clap my hands to my head. My mind reeled as blurs danced before my eyes, the noise of their blows and blocks similar to that of a rockslide; Edward, Jasper, Emmett, Bella, and Rosalie fighting seven wolves. The others danced back, whining and dropping to the ground. Sam must have told them to stay out; in the back of my mind I noticed that they were the smaller wolves of the pack.
Amongst the fighters, I saw flashes of Jasper. Compared to Emmett's outright brute force, Edward's strange one-step-ahead style, Bella's caution, and Rosalie's fury, Jasper was truly the best. He was a mix between attack and trickery, style and brute force. He seemed to know the best way to attack, the best way to defend, and the best way to win. In little more than a few seconds, he had Jacob pinned, the poor wolf's shoulders twisted above him, Jasper about to snap them. His eyes looked cold, dead, and lifeless. It was like he was simply going through a routine, but something about that routine was bad. Something told me that if he went along with it, he'd never be the same.
"NO!" Someone cried along with me. Everyone froze, their looks of surprise almost amusing. Carlisle's grips tightened on me, and Jasper looked up, eyes fixed on me though his position didn't move. He still held Jacob at the ready for death. The others heads whipped around though to see Marie rush towards Jacob, her eyes wide with worry. She stumbled over a branch and tumbled, landing on her knees before she pulled herself up and stared at Jacob, glaring at Jasper. "Let him go!" She demanded, rushing over and pulling on Jacob's mass, pushing against Jasper's granite hands. "Let him go!" She demanded again, tears in her eyes as she stared up into Jasper's cold eyes. She was hysterical, worried for the writhering mass of Jacob as he struggled against Jasper. Edward nodded to himself, apparently satisfied about something, as if confirming a fact.
"Jasper, let him go." He said quietly, staring over at Jacob. The wolf he had been wrestling with was unsure where to go; he twitched in any direction he went, a silent no probably ringing in his head. Emmett had jumped back, pulling his wife with him, a smug smile on his face, an annoyed one on Rosalie's. Bella stayed between the two groups, posture straight, eyes on everything. Still, Jasper didn't move, eyes trained on me. I felt slightly worried, slightly scared for him. He was probably reading my emotions, reading that I was scared, but did he know why? Did he know that it was for his safety, not about what he was doing? He was protecting me, I could feel it. Just, not in the way that was beneficial to him.
"Jasper, let him go." I said softly, not looking away from his dead eyes that scared me. It was like he was saying he'd have nothing left. He was teetering on the edge, and I had to pull him back. "Just let him go, ok?" I begged to him, eyebrows scrunched up. He kept staring, face slowly changing as he reluctantly, slowly let go of Jacob's poor legs, letting them return to the way they were meant to be twisted. Jacob let out a half growl half whine as he fell against the ground. Marie collapsed on him, teary eyed, letting out a coughing sob as Jasper kicked him for good measure before walking stiffly over to us, Bella dancing over to cover his back, eyes facing the wolves. My heart slowly stopped knocking against my ribs the closer he got.
"We smelled another human; you didn't need to sick your pet on us." Edward said coldly, drawing himself up full height. Sam stared at Edward, snarling angrily. Behind him, the pack was restless, pacing back and forth, but none attacked. Apparently, Sam didn't want a fight now that he knew that even outnumbered, the Cullens were still dangerous. Marie stayed with Jacob, running her fingers through his fur, eyes intent only on him, murmuring to him softly. When she did glance up, her eyes coldly found Jasper's, and he blinked back at her, expressionless. Sam stared at Edward, looking the same as he did when he had looked at Jacob.
"Why don't you ask her? I'm sure she followed you, just like Alice did." Edward shrugged, and Emmett laughed.
"They can't keep track of their own pup." He grinned, glancing back at me and winking. "At least ours has the skill to stay hidden." I rolled my eyes.
"Emmett, shut up." Jasper's voice was deadly and cold, but as his head turned, I swore I saw a hint of a smile.
"The rules are the same. We don't kill-" He frowned, staring at Sam with annoyance, "or bite a human, and we stay on our lands. We understand. Keep your mutts away from my family." He snapped, turning back to us. Nodding down at me, he added, "And that means Alice, too." Dr. Cullen gave my shoulders a gentle squeeze, ignoring Jacob's muted growl. As he let go of me, I turned to see The Cullens begin walking back, Emmett seemingly disappointed, Edward tense. As Bella passed me she let a finger slide on my cheek for comfort, smiling sweetly at me. Rosalie stalked past, openly seething, and Carlisle's wife gave me a small smile. I looked back at the wolves to see them beginning to melt into the trees, their steps silent, their growls and snarls still heard though. Apparently, Jacob and the gray wolf weren't the only ones itching for a fight.
"I was hoping he'd let the others attack too. Maybe I'd have an actual challenge with four mutts on me at once?" Emmett asked in his loud voice, making a wolf growl as he faded into the background. I couldn't help but smile at that.
"Sam didn't want the newer ones getting hurt." Edward said as the shadows swallowed him up.
"Even then, there wouldn't be a problem." Emmett insisted, a booming laugh erupting from the darkness. I shook my head at his excitement and arrogance
Marie's fingers were tangled in the scruff of Jacob's fur as they stood in the center of the woods, staring at each other. Her face was creased with worry, and I imagined Jacob's would be as well.
"Alice?" A concerned voice pulled to me and something cool touched my waist. I looked up, startled to see Jasper staring down at my hesitantly, brows creased. With one finger, he reached up and caressed my cheek slowly, sending shivers down my spine from the cold temperature. I heard a soft growl, and I looked back though to see Marie looking at me, regret mingling with sadness and anger. Beside her, Jacob glowered, still in wolf form.
"Sneaking out, huh?" I asked, trying to sound light and happy. She let out a dejected laugh.
"I couldn't let you have all the fun." She said softly, looking down at Jacob still in wolf form. "Even if it was your boyfriend beating on mine." Her eyes found Jasper and she gave him a pointed glare he didn't see; his eyes were on me. Jacob looked back at me, and I swore I saw disgust in his eyes as he surveyed Jasper's hold on me. Turning away, his back to us, Jacob began to walk slowly, pulling Marie with him, her fingers still in his fur. Jasper lightly pulled me, and I turned with him, his arm still around my waist. I looked back though, around the crook of his arm to see Marie looking back at me as well, eyebrows raised.
"Still friends?" I called to her. She cracked a dry smile.
"Not likely." She said drolly, motioning to Jacob's pace. I nodded, agreeing. As long as the werewolves didn't get along with the vampires, we would have to stay away from one another, for her sake. She turned back and followed Jacob, disappearing into the darkness, and I turned, leaning wearily against a bloodsucking monster that I wasn't sure how I felt about anymore.
Owned or Failed? Only you can tell!! :)